Due Leoni

Tags

Brenzone, Hotel, Hotel recommendations, Italy, Lake Garda, Villa Due Leoni

On the eastern hillside of Lake Garda is a small family-run hotel called Due Leoni. The hotel is one big house, looking more like a large privately owned house than a hotel from the outside, but divided into smaller flats that are rented out. We stayed here for three nights, in a perfect, small two-bedroom flat.

The property is framed by neatly trimmed bushed and wrought iron fences. Inside the garden is well taken care of with flowers blooming, green grass and a pool that was just the perfect size and temperature. Furthest from the entrance gate, and on one side of the pool is a small field of olive trees. Across the road and beyond the small parking lot the olive trees continued.

We slept in in the morning. The sun rose late behind the mountains behind the hotel, but soon covered the area in splendid sunshine. Our flat was built so that no sun shone directly into it until late in the afternoon, making the living room/kitchen an invigorating hide-out from the fierce Mediterranean sun. As soon as we were up in the morning, one or two of us walked the few minutes down to the small supermarket to buy fresh bread. Cheese and ham was also cut and weighed while we watched. We ate the breakfast outside while watching the splendid view of the lake and waiting for the sun to reach our table. Soon as the food was gone we walked the few metres over to the pool where we spent hours every day. Sunbathing, swimming, fooling around in the pool and water-gun fights in-between the olive trees kept all three of us busy well into the siesta hours. At siesta the pool was closed and we returned to our flat. Another small and simple meal awaited before we either took a walk down to the lake or collapsed and fell asleep on the sofa or a cool bed, before the rest of the day was spent in and around the pool. In the evening we ate at the local restaurants, freshly caught fish from the lake, or a simple and delicious Italian pizza.

The stay in Brenzone was pure heaven. Husband and I loved it, and Son had the time of his life. He enjoyed the stay in Brenzone far more than the stay in Gardaland resort. We had time for each other, time to enjoy life and time to live. These days we reminisce while eating green salads with italian prosciutto sprinkled with olive oil made from the olives from the garden of Due Leoni.

 

(I absolutely recommend this hotel – check it out here)

Hotels in Italy

Tags

Annia Park Hotel, Gardaland, Gardaland Resort, Hotel recommendations, Italy, Lago di Garda, Lake Garda, Travel

The two hotels mentioned in this post were Annia Park Hotel near the Marco Polo airport in Venice. The other was Gardaland resort, connected to Gardaland, which is (if I’m not mistaken) the largest amusement park in Italy.

Annia Park Hotel is absolutely recommendable. It is a bit pricy, but if you arrive in the middle of the night, like we did, and want a comfortable room, guaranteed air condition, and a good breakfast, then this is a good place to stay. It’s very close to the airport with free shuttle going back and forth, but is situated otherwise a bit in the middle of nowhere. I would never stay for a length of time, but for one night it was absolutely perfect!

Gardaland resort had a very cool pirate-themed room, but except for that we didn’t really like it all that much. The hotel has an outside pool (where we all had to wear swimming caps), which is fun for kids and adults alike, but the entertainment planned for kids was much too late in the evening for small “jet-lagged” Norwegians who normally put the kid to bed around 7; the show didn’t start until 9pm. The food was also very good, both the breakfast and the dinner buffet were absolutely recommendable, but as pricy as the rest of the hotel. If planning to go to Gardaland I would next time stay somewhere else.

Cooking and recommendations

Tags

Cooking, Food, Food blogs

At least a bit of cooking and baking happens in my kitchen every day. Not necessarily both, but that too rather often. I shared with you some of my bread recipes earlier, like this and this, and also my how-to rules for good, nutritious, no nonsense breads. I have been baking quite a lot lately, but very little have been my own recipes, and thus I would not like to take credit for them on my blog. But instead, I’ll give you a few links to some wonderful sites and also recommendations of recipes that I have tried myself.

First out is Tes. I have mentioned her and her Asian adventures before. Her recipes are to die for and she has through her blog given me the best recipe for sweet-and-sour sauce. It’s easy to make and it is absolutely wonderful.

My husband is not usually a fan of sweet-and-sour, but this he loved. Go try it out!

One of the last summer evenings we had I tried her vegetable noodles, though with a bit of a twist. Lucky Tes has easier access to certain vegetables and ingredients and consequently I have to improvise a bit every now and then. Noodles were great though, as expected, and they have now become a common addition to many dinners. 

I made my first batch of chocolate chip cookies a few weeks ago and used a recipe found at Trine’s blog. Trine is wicked in the kitchen and offers a new recipe every single day. She is a true inspiration, and I very often use one of her recipes for dinner or when I want to make something special. She has a translate button on her site which will google translate her site for you, thus I will only leave you a link to her cookie recipe and my picture of the delicious treats. 

Autumn will see more of my own recipes posted here including a few traditional Norwegian dishes.

The five people you meet in heaven

Tags

Book, Reading

I just read this lovely little book that I would like to recommend to you. It is not a terribly important book, and it probably won’t change your life. But it will remind you of a few important things and it might also make your head spin a bit thinking about the meaning of life and other irrelevant questions.

I found the book in a blog some time back and found the review interesting and as it only cost me a few pounds I ordered it. While reading Mini Shopaholic I also ploughed through this. It’s an easy read and a lovely story. The protagonist is a dead 84-year-old man. After his passing he meets five people in heaven who tell him their stories in order for him to understand the purpose of his life. There are no big surprises, nothing that overwhelms you and nothing that will change the way you think. But it’s a nice little story that will make smile a little more at the people around you for the next few days. Yes, it’s a recommendation.

Mini Shopaholic

Tags

Book, Reading, Shopaholic

Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood – which is underlined several times throughout the book) is back. She’s now sports a toddler: two-year-old Minnie. I have read all the Shopaholic books, and enjoyed them well enough to look forward to this last book. However, I must say, I was quite disappointed with the first 250 pages. Thankfully the last hundred pages were more interesting and did not leave me feeling disappointed over the entire book.

I know I have changed a lot myself since last reading a Shopaholic book, so it could be that it’s just me looking at this book with a bit more of personal experience, but I do like to believe that the first books weren’t as naive and predictable as this book. Becky’s goal for the book: to throw her husband a surprise party, is, in my opinion, a little lightweight for a 365-page book. The problems or challenges Becky is then faced with to pull this off are again a little naive, unlikely and too unrealistic for me to be pulled head-first into Becky’s world like I have been with the previous books. Becky’s quirky personally traits and issues are also stretched a little too far in this book, I often found myself feeling a little annoyed by the protagonist. Becky has in the first books come across as intelligent, well-reflected and logical, though of course with her perks and issues, which makes her so fascinating. Becky wasn’t as convincing in this book, but, of course, this could be Becky under the influence of spending a lot of time with a toddler.

Now, the book wasn’t all bad. It was just a little less than average, compared to the earlier books. The last hundred pages or so, though, were better. The final chapters tied the book well together and nicely solved all problems and challenges presented earlier. The book still left me me with a good feeling and I don’t feel the time spent reading it was wasted. I both smiled and was moved, but it will never be a favourite.

The History of English

Tags

History of English, Language, YouTube

These videos have been circling in some language related blogs during the past months. As my blog now seems to get a lot of hits from people searching for the history of the English language (after I posted this) I thought I’d add the link to these for your enjoyment.

There are ten videos, which could have been made into one, all lasting about one minute.

…and, you might learn something 😉

The House of the Mosque

Tags

Book, Book Review, Reading, The House of the Mosque

I have just returned from a world far away from my own reality. I have met people and learned to know them better than I know some of my closest friends. I have visited them for a few hours every day, and during those hours I’ve felt my pulse rise, my heart beat faster, I’ve been disappointed and I’ve almost been moved to tears (had I been more emotional I would have cried at least a few times).

 

This world has been visited while I’ve still remained in the safety of my own living-room (or my brother’s living room, in my car, on a ferry, or in bed).

 

This time I’ve been to Iran. I have read the book The House of the Mosque by Kader Abdolah which follows the lives of the family living in the house connected to the Mosque in Senejan. The family has lived in the house for centuries, and the story told in the book spans for a few decades starting in the 1960s. A quick google search will give you a plot summary at the length you’d prefer.

 

I liked the book. I was not spellbound by it, but it was still difficult to put down. There are many characters, which I at times found a little confusing, I have never been good with names and as many of the names used in the book are quite unusual to me doesn’t help either.

The book is fictional, but incorporates real events and people. The story must thus be seen as a made up story. Still, the story has a lot to offer, and opens a window and a new angle of looking at conflict in the world today. It has helped me see further aspects of the wars fought in the Middle East.

 

I would absolutely recommend the book. It’s moving, it’s well written (at least the Norwegian translation is, so I assume the original or the English version is no worse) and reading it is a few hour well spent.

A light breeze through the brain

Tags

Books, Madeleine Wickham, Reading, Sophie Kinsella

I have just finished the first literary book in, what seems like, ages. Based on my education I would have to say that the book should belong in the ‘crap’ genre. It’s one of those books you plough through, preferably while getting a tan on a beach close to the equator. This book is simple, easy to read, a complete no-brainer, and thus EXACTLY what I needed at the moment.

Madeleine Wickham, better known as Sophie Kinsella, is the author of the Shopaholic book series. Her books are witty, simple, predictable, cute, and lovely. This book is about Chloe, a mother of two, practically married, but is struggling in her relationship to her partner. A friend of them lends them his villa in Spain for a week, and of course, this week is supposed to fix all their problems. Once they get to the villa, it turns out it has been double booked. A family of four have been given access to the villa during the same week. Chloe and the husband of the other family has a history together, and so the drama unfolds.

If you’re looking for a light breeze through the brain. Pure entertainment that requires no mental exercise  what so ever, then this is the book for you. I will soon immerse myself in ‘Mini Shopaholic’ – I just need to find a proper paperback copy.

Gifts of loveliness

Tags

Christmas, Gift ideas, Oliviers & Co, Yule

Oh, what an efficient day. I earlier mentioned my concern about finishing everything that needs to be finished before yule. But I have had a very efficient day today, buying a few more gifts, a few calendar gifts, working very efficiently on my thesis and had a little quality time with my wee family. My sister-in-law is visiting for a few days, so we are going to work hard on establishing a firm yule-feeling that will last for the rest of the jolly season.

 

I was looking for gifts for some of my difficult family members today, I will mention whom, but I can say that a few will get gifts from Olivers & Co. I was so pleasantly surprised by the great people working there. I think I spent about an hour in that shop. There were so much yumminess! I was shown and got to taste the different olive oils, and a few of their other products. They had the best looking pasta I have ever seen. The only negative thing about this shop must be that it can be very addictive. I had to force myself not to buy their pasta now, I have to finish what I have at home first, I think once I try it I can’t go back to what the regular shops offer.

 

Codfish dinner

Tags

Codfish, Dinner, Food

As mentioned before Trine has the most amazing recipes, with a new one added every day! This post is just to credit her for one of her codfish recipes

. If you’d like the recipe you could either try google translate at her site, or give me a winke and I’ll post it in English.

Som nevnt tidligere har Trine mange gode oppskrifter, og hun oppdaterer daglig! Vi prøvde denne torskeretten tidligere I uka. Jeg kommer bare med oppskriften på engelsk, vil du prøve den selv så har Trine den HER.