Tonight: My Fair Lady

Girls' evening with mum. Dinner and wine, followed by a musical. We have seen it in London together so it was a "favorit i repris" as we say in Sweden!

Finally Some Sunshine!

Wednesday Recipe: Kale Soup

Being a subscriber of Ekolådan forces us to try vegetables we have never eaten before and sometimes not even heard of. Kale, also called borecole - or grönkål in Swedish - is something I had never had before. And I was pleasantly surprised!

Kale Soup

Image from kardemums.blogspot.com

4 servings

1 kale head (c. 400 gr)
1 onion
2-3 dl water
1 litre stock from beef or other meat (or vegetable for a pure vegetarian soup)
2-3 dl cooking cream (semi-skimmed)
1 tsp salt
pepper
1 clove of garlic

1. Chop the onion and fry in a pot. Add stock and garlic (whole or chopped in half).
2. Chop up the kale and boil until soft (c. 15 min).
3. Add cream and seasoning and then use a mixer until you have a smooth soup. Simmer for a few minutes.
4. Serve with boiled egg halves

Enjoy!

Tip: If you don't like kale or can't get your hands on some, you can also make the soup with spinach.

Meet Our New Prince

Or Prince-to-be rather. Fältöversten, my local shopping centre, has an exhibition titled "Get to know Daniel Westling". This is not a great photo (took it with my mobile phone while in a hurry) but it shows both a royal settee (which seems to be more popular than the photos with children) and the photos telling the story of Daniel's life, mainly since he met the Crown Princess.


I'm quite the royalist in that I think monarchy (in its modern format) works well for Sweden and that the royal family is doing a good job* but isn't this a bit silly?! But I guess all the old ladies in Östermalm (posh part of Stockholm for those of you are not Swedish) want to get the know their new favourite ;)

For those of you are out of touch with the royal love story, Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling will be married on 19 June 2010. 2010 is a big year for the Bernadotte family as it celebrates 200 years on the thrown. 19 June is also the King and Queen's wedding day (they were married in 1974). (Although if I were them I would have wanted "my own date...)

Victoria's younger sister Princess Madeleine is also getting married to her Jonas next year. The poor couple has been waiting and waiting and finally, when Victoria's engagement was over and done with, they could announce theirs.**

* Then it's a whole other story whether you should inherit your position and place in society...
** Now it's just Prince Carl Philip who is still single. He's recently broken up with his long-time girlfriend and I don't want to believe those gay rumours... Oh, if I were single! ;)

X-mas Present Tip

How did I spend 32 winters without a snowballer?! Now when I know it exists there is obviously no going back! Need to get one for this year's snowball fight against the American colleagues from next door!

And here are the instructions!

Show & Tell: Autumn

Time for Erica's fourth theme of the month, Autumn, or specifically: Autumn is here. What are "autumn feelings" for you? What is best/worst with autumn?

I really love autumn! Well, I love all seasons equally! :) I think there is something special with each season. Autumn is so beautiful, much more beautiful than spring and early summer, even if there's something special about those new, soo green leaves in the spring too.

I went to a relative's funeral the other day (one of those very sad ones because she was taken from this world much too early) and the priest said something memorable, beautiful and true at the same time: If death was the end, why would nature show itself in full splendor when it is dying?!

I don't mind the gradually descending darkness either. Sure, on some days, especially this week when it's been either grey and raining or just plain grey EVERY day, it's not that fun - and that is what is worst with this season - but I don't mind the cold or the shorter days. Instead I think about how I can make it cosy with candles (and a burning fire, if we had had a fireplace...) and start looking forward to winter and snow! I know, I'm weird! :)

Today the weather was at its autumn worst but at least it wasn't raining. So I went on a walk to shoot some pictures for this post.

Autumn walk on a October day

Erik Dahlbergsvägen which runs parallel to my street

Some flowers are still going strong

Some of the trees in the Tessin Park are still rather green

The Kaknäs Tower fits in well in the autumn splendor

Some trees don't seem to turn orange or red at all but a light yellow (this is the path past the Chinese Embassy down towards the Djurgård canal)

Along the canal

I like the difference between the grey stones and the orange leaves

View through the reed towards Skansen open-air museum and park

If I had brought some hot chocolate with me I could have taken a rest here!

This turned out blurry but I like it anyway! I wanted to show you one of the red trees I saw on my walk - otherwise most were yellow or orange.

Near the end of my walk - the eastern stretch of Strandvägen near the Djurgård bridge

Oscar Church on Narvavägen is a favourite of mine (though I have actually never been inside it - should go and visit it some day)

And back home from my walk; our newest piece of art, an autumn view from Madrid, acquired from the Salvation Army shop for 30 euros

Dino History

Went to see Walking with Dinosaurs with my friend's daughter Filippa and my friend Helena with her Ester. Not that scary for us adults, or for the ten-year old (I'm a bit disappointed no one got eaten, not even the presenter;-)), but really educational (though the ten-year old was an expert already) and what amazing technology! So to sum up, a fun Saturday activity!

Show & Tell: Favourite Films

I'm a bit late with last week's theme...but it is Friday today so I thought a Show & Tell theme, even an old one, was appropriate. I'll do today's theme within the next few days, promise!

Image from Tezzablack.files.wordpress.com

As many others have said I think it's SO hard to say what my favourite film/s are (or books for that matter). So I needed help with this post. Who came to my rescue?! IMDb, i.e. the Internet Movie Database! I have used the Top 100 (technically the first 100 of the top 250) and indicated what films I have seen and sometimes what I thought of them. I have put the films I have seen in bold.


1.The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - Haven't seen it actually but I know I should really...
2. The Godfather (1972) - Never really that interested
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) - Seen parts of it on a outdoor screen in Tantolunden (park) in Stockholm
5. Pulp Fiction (1994) - Yes, but prefer Jackie Brown
6. Schindler's List (1993) - Actually, this could be said to be a favourite. I hope they still show in schools
7. 12 Angry Men (1957) - Had never heard of it but it sounds interesting actually
8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) - Seen it but I think I was too young to appreciate it then. Should see it again.
9. The Dark Knight (2008) - Another favourite! Such an excellent film! And Heath Ledger is just fantastic in it (may he rest in peace)!
10. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - Never been a Star Wars fan

11. Casablanca (1942) - One of these classics I should have seen but haven't...
12. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) - Great films, glad they mean I don't need to read the books
13. Star Wars (1977) - Again, not a huge fan...
14. The Seven Samurai (1954) - A classic I should probably see at some point...
15. Goodfellas (1990)
16. Rear Window (1954) - Think I have seen it a long time ago
17. City of God (2002) - Another "should-see" film
18. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - Didn't know an Indiana Jones film had won Oscars! Have seen all IJ film I think.
19. Fight Club (1999) - Too violent for my tastes so haven't wanted to see it
20. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) -

21. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) - Nope
22. The Usual Suspects (1995) - Great film!
23. Psycho (1960) - Have just seen the same scene a hundred times
24. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
25. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
26. The Matrix (1999) - Seen it but never really understood its greatness?
27. Memento (2000)
28. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) - Good classic
29. Se7en (1995) - Horrific story but good film, don't like the ending though
30. North by Northwest (1959) - Might have seen it as a kid but can't remember which Hitchcock films I have seen

31. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - Only remakes I think
32. The Lords of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) - I guess the whole trilogy is on this list
33. Citizen Kane (1941) - Another classic I should really watch some time
34. Léon (1994) - Great film
35. Apocalypse Now (1979) - Should really...
36. American Beauty (1999) - Good one, especially at the time, but don't think it's a classic
37. American History X (1998)
38. Taxi Driver (1976) - Can't remember if I've seen it or not. Some films you have seen so many clips from or read about that you start thinking you've seen them.
39. Forrest Gump (1994) - Of course!
40. Vertigo (1958) - Yup

41. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - No, but T. E. Lawrence also went to Oxford and his picture was on the wall of the social science department
42. Up (2009) - Newest film on here I think and what a film!
43. WALL.E (2008) - I have heard mixed reviews of this film so I'm surprised to see in place 43
44. Paths of Glory (1957)
45. Inglourious Basterds (2009) - Another great recent film
46. Amélie from Montmartre (2001) - Sweet and quirky
47. Double Indemnity (1944)
48. Alien (1979) - First time I watched it I was under the covers with a friend - we were so scared!
49. M (1931)
50. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - Yeah, but was never a huge fan

51. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) - Another classic I haven't seen
52. Saving Private Ryan (1998) - The opening scene is a true classic. I had bought popcorn but didnt really feel like eating them...
53. A Clockwork Orange (1971) - Great film but so disturbing, didn't like it
54. The Shining (1980) - Hate it! Not too found of horror
55. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
56. The Departed (2006) - Good one, have heard the original is better though
57. The Third Man (1949) - Think I've seen it
58. The Pianist (2002) - Liked it
59. The Lives of Others (2006) - Haven't seen it but it looks good
60. Chinatown (1974) - One of the films we watched as part of upper secondary school English

61. Spirited Away (2001) - Started watching it...
62. City Lights (1931) - Seen it, a long time ago
63. Aliens (1986) - Yup
64. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - Have meant to watch it
65. L.A. Confidential (1997) - Gosh, it's already 12 years old??
66. Requiem for a Dream (2000) - Very good!
67. Das Boot (1981) - Not sure if I've seen it or not
68. Reservoir Dogs (1992) - Another great Tarantino film!
69. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - Another one I should see...
70. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) - Hahaha, yes!

71. Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - I'm sure it's excellent but it's too scary for me!
72. Raging Bull (1980)
73. All About Eve (1950) - I'm never sure if I have seen these old black-and-white films or not!
74. The Maltese Falcon (1941) - Maybe..?
75. Singin' in the Rain (1952) - When I was a child
76. Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - One of my recent favourites!
77. Rashômon (1950) - Never even heard of it
78. Modern Times (1936) - Chaplin film so have probably seen it at some point
79. Some Like it Hot (1959)
80. District 9 (2009) - Haven't seen it yet but want to

81. The Prestige (2006) - Alright but not top 100
82. Rebecca (1940)
83. Der Untergang (Downfall) (2004) - Haven't seen it yet but want to
84. Gran Torino (2008) - Another new film I haven't seen yet
85. Cinema Paradiso (1988) - Never heard of it
86. The Apartment (1960) - Maybe?
87. Amadeus (1984) - Parts of it
88. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - Again, parts of it
89. The Elephant Man (1980) -Yes, and it scared me a lot as a child
90. Life is Beautiful (1997) - Such a great movie!

91. Metropolis (1927)
92. The Great Dictator (1940) - Again, one of many Chaplin films I watched as a child
93. Once Upon a Time in America (1984) - Nope
94. Back to the Future (1985) - Childhood classic!
95. Full Metal Jacket (1987) - Que??
96. The Bicycle Thief (1948)
97. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) - Yep
98. The Sting (1973) - Nope
99. The Great Escape (1963) - I'm ashamed to admit I haven't seen it...
100. Braveheart (1995) - This one I have seen

For the grand finale I googled "most viewed film on YouTube" and found this old classic!

Rain and Shine

Emma, a Swede living in Scotland, writes about the lack of appropriate wear for children in her adopted home when the weather is not sunny and dry but rainy, windy and cold, as is often the case in Scotland. She reflects upon the Swedish expression det finns inget dåliga väder, bara dåliga kläder ("there is no bad weather, only bad clothes" - sounds better in Swedish rhyme) and wonders how come two very similar countries (especially Scotland where there is also snow parts of the year), weather-wise, can be so different when it comes to the outdoors and weather conditions.

Her post reminded me of an article I read today about the Swedish Ur och skur ("rain and shine") pre-schools being awarded the Nordic Council's Nature and Environment Prize.

The motivation was "Rain or Shine by Friluftsfrämjandet ("Outdoor Life") is a prime example of an organisation that has contributed to children's wellbeing and understanding of nature in an era where people spend more and more of their lives online. Rain or Shine concentrates almost exclusively on outdoor schooling, so the proximity of the individual child, not to mention the institutions, to nature is absolutely central to its activities."

Rain or Shine was founded by Friluftsfrämjandet in 1985. 30,000 children attend the organisation's 200 schools, mainly pre-schools. The philosophy behind Rain and Shine is a belief that children's senses can be developed by smelling, observing and listening to nature, and that outdoor activities can promote learning. Studies also show that Rain or Shine children are considerably more healthy than kids in traditional schools.

And I bet 1 million Swedish kronor that Rain and Shine kids wear proper water-proofs and wellingtons!

Wednesday Recipe (on a Thursday): Potato & Fennel Gratin

My mum and dad found this recipe in DN and recommended it to us. We made it last night (on a Wednesday...) and really liked it. Hope you will like it too!

Potato gratin with fennel and saffron

Details
6 servings (we were five at the table and it was enough for two leftover servings to bring to work too)
Preparation: 15 min + up to 40 min in the oven

Ingredients
oil
0.25 g saffron (half a "Swedish package")
2½ dl semi-skimmed cream
3 dl semi-skimmed milk
1½-2 tsp salt (a little bit more than the original recipe)
1 kilo potatoes
1 fennel
½ tsp pepper
2 dl grated cheese

Instructions
1. Turn on the oven to 225'C

2. Peel and slice the onion and fry the together with oil and saffron. Pour in cream and milk and season.

3. Peel and slice the potatoes and the fennel (thinly). If you want you can fry the fennel a little bit with the onion earlier - that's supposed to enhance the taste of the fennel. Put everything in a pan, pour over the onion and cream "sauce" and finish with a layer of grated cheese.

4. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Tip of the day! Goes very well with either fish or chicken - we had chicken. Also, I think it would be as nice without saffron if you don't like saffron or can't get your hands on some.

Image from the DN page which also has the recipe in Swedish

Autumn Dress

Thought I'd show what our balcony looks like this autumn/winter (compared to last year). Too bad we can't (or don't) use it as that much this time of year, meaning our neighbours enjoy the beautiful colours more than us, really. But our new intention is to sit out there on sunny days, maybe with a cup of hot chocolate, even if we need the help of an infra heater.

That is not the infra heater, if you're wondering, but a lantern for the cosiness factor

And the trees are dressed for winter

And lastly I just want to show one of my orchids - it has 14 buds! And several of my other orchids have sprouted new stems! Patience pays off, clearly!

The Only Way Is Up

Went to the cinema to see Up today, in 3D and all! It's really a must-see, such a lovely story (I cried several times) and so well-made in terms of everything from dialogue to animation.

Borrowed image from Pixar

Glove & Hat

Thought I'd show you some photos from the Michael Jackson party we went to a couple of weeks ago! Unfortunately not that many people were dressed up but Peter and I went in style of course! My favourite is the last one!

Wednesday Recipe: Parsnip Soup

It's autumn so soup features a lot in our diet. Plus we decided to give Ekolådan a try, i.e. one of those "organic-or-fair-trade-vegetables-&-fruit-to-your-door" services.


Parsnip soup with potatoes and carrots

Image from dinnertoday.blogspot.com

4 servings, 30 min preparation

Ingredients
2 parsnips
2-3 carrots
4-5 potatoes
half a leek
rapeseed oil
stock
1 garlic clove
salt & peppar
a few squirts of lemon

Instructions
1. Cut parsnip, carrots and potatoes in inch-size pieces and chop up the leek
2. Fry the leek and the garlic in some oil
3. Add all vegetables and stock (I used about a litre and a half of water, enough to cover the ingredients)
4. Boil for about 15 minutes
5. Bring out the mixer and mix to a smooth soup

Tip: For less parsnip taste, change the proportion of parsnip, carrots and potatoes to match your taste.

And I need tips from you! I still have beetroot, broccoli and zucchini from last week's delivery. Any ideas?

Show & Tell: Sports

Erica's second theme is Sports: Do you have any favourite sport? Do you practise any sports? Is there any sport you absolutely do not like? Do you prefer doing sports yourself or watching it on TV?

I'm not going to answer those exact questions, instead I'll tell you about some sports that have featured in my life and still do in some way.


Badminton

Image from bendigo2004.thecgf.com

I really associate my childhood summers with playing badminton at our summer house or in the garden (belonging to the house where my parents still live). I played either with my dad or my friend Malin*. I can't really remember playing with anyone else. Well, when I was really young I think I played with my grandfather at the summer house. I did play a little bit in school as well, you know, once a year when it was friluftsdag, i.e. "sports day".

These days I don't play very often at all, only a few leisurely games in my parents' garden in summer, but last winter Peter and I started going to the university sports hall on Saturdays or Sundays to play, a habit I hope we take up again this winter. Actually, I did play indoors in similar style when I was living in Brussels back in autumn/winter 2002/03 (against some hardcore Danish badminton players), but before that I had hardly played between leaving school and last year.

Tying into Petchie's recent post on right- and left-handedness, I can proudly tell you that I can play badminton with both hands! I'm right-handed but for some reason I can play badminton pretty well with my left too. I can't really remember how it happened. I think I just started doing it at a young age to make the game a little bit more fun and interesting. I don't have the same strength with my left so I can't smash and my lefty serve is pretty bad, but I can play (when it comes to tennis I can play a little with my left, but not as well). Actually, when I think about it I played brännboll (rounders) as a left-handed person for years until someone told me that I was "doing it wrong". So I can still do both (though I haven't played rounders for years so maybe I have lost the skill?).

Football

But the closest relationship I have had to a sport is that with football. I started playing when I was nine years old - I still remember the yellow-orange jumpsuit I wore to my first practice. I started playing for the team Västertälje before joining (or maybe we merged?) with Tälje, both Södertälje teams (none of which exist anymore it seems?). Tälje was a club with girls' and women's team only, which had its advantages and disadvantages. I continued playing until I was 16 and in upper secondary school. By then I had acquired other interests, especially politics, and I didn't really have time to practice as many times a week I would have had to do in order to get to play matches on the weekend. Also - and here's the main drawback of playing for a women's only club, not to mention being a woman in a man's world, which football was then and still is today, unfortunately - it's not terribly motivating to practise on lower quality grounds (read: gravel pitch) and worse times than 12-year boys. So I quit.

I have lots of fun memories from my football years - especially the trips we made to Oslo for Norway Cup and to Gothenburg for Gothia Cup. On one of those trips I slept next to a girl who talked in her sleep and scared the crap out of me. I was pretty new on the team so I understand why they put me next to her! :) But I also remember pressure and the feeling you have when you don't think you're good enough for the team, or that you could be if your heart was 110% in it but it isn't really. So the decision to quit** was right even if to this day I can still miss playing and often become nostalgic and remember the good times.

But my football career wasn't completely over yet, as you can see in the picture above. I have actually been known to play once in a while over the years. I never played at university in Stockholm, Uppsala or London (unless I have completely blocked out the memory..?) but at Oxford I played both a little bit of indoors five-a-side and some regular football, and then as goalie, which is not really my thing but what do you do when your friends are begging! So I'm the one in the yellow shirt above in case you haven't spotted me already!

And in my current job I have played once a year when we have our traditional game against the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (which I have written about earlier)! Several times I have contemplated with the idea of joining a Korpen (= local, amateur) team but in the end I always decide that no, I have other things to do. A dose of football once in a while suffices! And I will always watch football of course! Even though I have played myself I have never been much of a football supporter - when I lived in the UK I watched a lot of matches at the pub but never actually went to watch a live game (I wish I had though) - but I watch most of the Swedish national team's matches (including the one against Denmark two days ago, which in all likelihood means Sweden won't qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa), and sometimes local games, mostly on TV but sometimes live.

When I was growing up, even though I played football, I preferred watching ice hockey. This seems really strange to me now because nowadays I find it rather boring. Football provides much more "eye candy" as well. You can see the players' bodies, which is nice considering they are usually really fit, but also because I want to see them playing, their technique, etc. Ice hockey players are covered in protective gear and layers and (because of it) they are all sweaty and disgusting. And they seem to have either no teeth left or their teeth covered in snus (Swedish snuff). The only exception seems to be Henrik Lundkvist!


Lastly I want to tell you about a new sport that entered my life about three and a half years ago when I started my present job...

Corridor Cricket

Image from Getty Images

This is what you need:

• an English-speaking workplace (preferably)
• a batsman and a plastic bat
• a bowler and a ball (soft version)
• something that works as wickets
• a long corridor
• at least two fielders

You can then opt to follow simple or elaborate rules. Corridor cricket is usually played at around 4.30pm and it's really difficult to get out of it if the boss has already spotted you at your desk. Everyone must bat and bowl respectively at least once. It's fun and a time for bonding.

Actually, cricket is not brand new for me. At Oxford I did attend one cricket practice, but after that one time I decided it wasn't for me. I would much rather play baseball ,which is actually happening, both in terms of playing and watching (read: one game doesn't take three days!). Corridor cricket can be pretty exciting though, especially when it turns out some of your colleagues are of rather competitive character!

* I have similar memories of playing tennis. Malin and I used to play on the parking lot or against the wall of our block of flats. I played with my dad's old wooden racket. All that playing, again, matched with playing in a real tennis hall once a year on sports day, apparently gave me sufficient skills - or maybe I'm just talented - because earlier this year when Peter and I went to the Canaries we played tennis almost every day and I was pretty good! :)

** After I left the team I went to one or two rugby practices - as one of the girls from the team who had also left started playing rugby instead - but it wasn't really my thing. A bit too rough for me!

The Fun Theory

Preemptive Strike

The papers, the blogosphere and Facebook are all full of comments on Obama being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize today. They vary from (perhaps only in Sweden) "it's time to bring the peace prize back to Sweden" and "what were they thinking" to "great, best choice they could have ever made". But one of the best commentaries must be this one:

Pfuffnick's Nobel Economics Prize triumph hailed by many
LONDON

The surprise choice of first-year graduate student Quintus Pfuffnick for the Nobel Prize in Economics drew praise from much of the world Friday even as many pointed out the youthful economist has not yet published anything in scholarly journals.

The new PhD candidate was hailed for his willingness to tackle difficult problems, his commitment to improving the economic system, and his goal of bringing efficiency and equality into harmony.

Professor Paul Krugman of Princeton, who won the prize in 2008, said Pfuffnick's award shows great things are expected from him in the coming years.

"In a way, it's an award coming near the beginning of the first year in grad school of a relatively young economist that anticipates an even greater contribution towards making our economy a better place for all," he said. "It is an award that speaks to the promise of Mr Pfuffnick's message of hope."

He said the prize is a "wonderful recognition of Pfuffnick's essay in his grad school application."

I think it actually illustrates really well why it's a really puzzling selection. Obama is great, no question about it, but he hasn't done much for world peace, yet. And maybe it is the "yet" the Oslo Nobel Committee was thinking about. They want to make sure Obama fulfils all expectations on him. And it might be correct thinking that he's one of the few people who could actually do something tangible with the price so-to-speak. But I still think there are so many people out there who deserved it much more than Obama. That said, I hope this will be the preemptive strike people are hoping for.

Wednesday Recipe: Tomato Soup

We made this delicious soup on roasted tomatoes yesterday. It's very easy to make and the flavours oozing from the kitchen while the tomatoes were roasting was just lovely!

Roasted Tomato Soup - 2 servings
500 g cocktail/cherry tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic
1½ tbsp oil
a handful of fresh basil
salt & pepper


1. Turn the oven to 200'C.

2. Halve the tomatoes and chop up the garlic.

3. Mix tomatoes, oil, garlic, basil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet.

4. Roast for about 25 minutes or until the tomatoes are starting to get some colour.

5. Put in a bowl or mixer and mix.

6. Serve with slices or pieces of a spicy sausage, for example chorizo.


It's a pretty thick soup. If you want a thinner soup you can add stock. You can also replace the basil with ruccola (rocket) or use both.

Smaklig måltid!

Show & Tell: What Three Things Would You Take to a Deserted Island?

A bit late, but here it is, my first Show & Tell theme for October. Erica is our hostess this month - see the list of October's theme in one of the right-hand columns.

If I wanted the easy way out I would of course bring a boat, a GPS and a satellite phone. But I guess that's not the point of the exercise!

So I would bring...

1) Some kind of bean but not in a can but in the form of seeds so that I could ensure a protein diet, at least until I've learnt how to kill animals with my bare arms. Hopefully there would be fresh water to drink and leaves or other vegeation to eat.

Image from fettdieten.se

2) I don't have one yet and I'm still a bit sceptical... But I'm sure eventually I will get one and on a deserted island I would definitely need something where I can upload A LOT of books since it might be years before I get off the island.

Picture from the themediawonk.com

3) Company! Preferably someone from the opposite sex so I can have some fun too, for procreation reasons only of course! Maybe the reason why I'm on the deserted island is that the rest of the world doesn't exist anymore, imagine that! ;)

Image from escapefromamerica.com

I also googled on "what three things to take to a deserted island" and found a post (looks like it's some sort of theme post as well) about what 20 movies you should bring to a deserted island.

I also found one listing what snack to bring and one about what blogs this person could not live without, not even while stranded on an island (maybe an idea for those who still haven't written their post).

And this is a great idea! A Deserted Island Swap! Anyone up for it?!

The Clock is Ticking

US Road Trip 2009: Flowers & Vegetation

Time for some more photos, this time under the heading flowers, plants and vegetation.

This interesting looking rock plant grows in someone's garden in the Venice Canals in Venice Beach outside Los Angeles. I don't have a CLUE what this one is called! Anyone?

These water lillies - I really like water lillies - grow at Hearst Castle (which is a really interesting place but I will get back to that in a separate post)

Unnamed berry/fruit that grows in California

Of course palmtrees are plentiful out in California, including in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. The water here looks lovely, doesn't it, but it's way to cold to go swimming in. And when Pfeiffer Burns donated her land to the State of California it was under the condition that the route down to the beach would be closed off. She wanted people to enjoy unspoilt views. There is a little waterfall here, one of few waterfalls that drops right into the Pacific Ocean.



Cute flowers on the edge of a Californian cliff, still in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park



Typical rock plant we saw along the way. I have always found rock plants pretty cool. They grow with so little soil and nutrition it seems. Probably why I like orchids too.



Colourful flowers beds in front of the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco



The very green Japanese Tea Garden in the same park. We didn't go in though because it cost money and we've been to Japanese tea gardens before (though this one is the oldest Japanese garden in the US). But I peeked through the gates and sneaked a few shots.



A flower of sorts! The well-known garlic-only Italian restaurant in San Francisco. They only have four non-garlic item on the menu, marked with "v" for vampire-safe!



View of and from High Line Park that I wrote about in my last post and also Petchie has written about



High Line Park again



Madison Square Park in New York. We had dinner at the Bread Bar (part of Tabla Restaurant) one of the evenings in one of the corners of the square (though not in the park itself but outside one of the buildings).



And a flower from somewhere in New York