Mulberry Window Installation :::: LOVΞ

Mollusks

Being a huge fan of any type of mollusk I am always very curious about trying different types in hopes of coming across something new and rare that's not found in the region in which I've been raised.  I come from a family chock-full of avid fisherman so I've been fortunate to be exposed to many different types of fish and shellfish over the years but one species that I had never been introduced to before are razor clams also known as jackknife clams.

Razor clams can be found in the western Atlantic but also in northwestern parts of Europe where they can be extracted from the sand via a technique called salting.  Apparently, these clams are sensitive to salinity so when salt is poured on them they rather easily pop up from out of their sandy dwellings.  Becoming exceedingly harder to come by as well as pricey depending where you find them and if they are in season, I highly recommend you try this delicious delicacy.  A little white wine, garlic and parsley and voilà a taste of heaven. 

                                                                        razor clams
                                                                   

                                                                         bon appétit!

                                                                           scallops

Garden Glory

In Stockholm it seems that many people have a second home or summer stuga (cabin/cottage) and I took all these photos around the stuga community where we were staying last summer while on a nice leisure walk.  I never really knew exactly where Cesar or his family acquired such a green thumb or love of nature but it was plainly obvious when I arrived.  Many Swedes take great pride in their gardens and below are just a few examples of beautiful flowers that are scattered around the community.  Enjoy!

La Migra

If you've ever lived in South Texas or any border town for that matter you've probably come across your fair share of lighthearted innocuous jokes about the possibility of someone getting picked up by La Migra for any type of wrongdoing.  La Migra is slang for the US Immigration department but is also short for the Spanish word migración.  Being of the majority and an American citizen you might not give much though to those jokes until you're on the other side of that coin in another country going through the process of getting your papeles (papers) straight!

Throughout the entire process of my application for my permanent resident visa I considered myself very blessed considering I unnecessarily worried myself after reading way too many horror stories of lengthy processing times that could take up to 7-9 months.  They might as well have told me 7-9 years for as long as that felt it was going to be!  Although the application itself was rather extensive I managed to get everything together and personally delivered my application to the Swedish Consulate in Dallas,Texas where the vice consulate herself sat down with me to go over my app page by page.  Talk about extremely kind and way above and beyond her call of duty!

Two weeks after my application was fully submitted I hopped on a flight to Stockholm for the first time to visit and await my approval.  Fortunately, because I am an American I was allowed to be in Sweden during my processing time as American citizens do not need a visa to be in the country for less than 90 days.  As stated by the consulate there was a slight chance that I many be allowed to complete the interview portion of my application in Stockholm but mere weeks before I was due to fly out we were told that I would in fact need to return to my country of origin.  However, due to our strong evidence of the relationship I would not have to interview at all!  So all in all from door to door my entire application process took 3 1/2 months from time of submission to approval.  Nothing short of amazing.

On the day the above picture was taken I had been in Stockholm for maybe a week and thought it was finally time to venture out on my own and learn the subway system, bus routes and pendeltåg (commuter train).  It took a while that day to find my way to Migrationsverket but I find it very interesting that the journey I took that day was not only to find that office but to find out where the journey of life was about to take me.

Jag älskar mjukglass!

News to no one is my affinity for anything and everything sweet and mjukglass just seriously upped the ante. YUM!  It's essentially soft-serve ice cream but in my book labeling it as such would painfully devalue the deliciousness of this tasty Swedish treat.

I not only fell in love with mjukglass for its delicious delight but the experience that was shared during its enjoyment.  Every time I was asking "should we go get a mjukglass?" I knew a fun day of walking around the city enjoying the crowds and sun would also ensue.

It's the small pleasures in life that make it so worth it and this is definitely one of them....

Fungi Forager

A first of I'm sure many was last weekend when I was introduced to the art of mushroom picking in the Swedish countryside.  As any good forager would we gathered our mushroom baskets, food and snacks for the day and of course rain boots to entrench ourselves in the sometimes soggy wet forest.  Mushroom hunting is always best after several days of good rain so be prepared to get your hands a little dirty and hopefully your baskets really full!

There are many types of edible mushrooms in the Swedish forest although some can be difficult to identify and easily confused with look-alikes that could not only be poisonous but deadly.  This fact became abundantly clear when while deciphering between an edible and non-edible shroom Cesar walked away with a burning tongue and a lingering foul smell on his hands. Yuck!  While foraging in the woods it's almost as if you can feel in the density of moist air and the presence of grassy moss when you're coming up on a sweet spot.  Needless to say we had so much fun and it almost had a childlike playfulness to it like hunting for Easter eggs although your reward of eating gourmet Chanterelles for dinner is a whole lot more luxurious than a confetti filled egg! 

Here are a few things that I've learned about mushroom picking traditions in Sweden....

1) Swedish families that are into mushroom picking have passed down their "secret spots" generation to generation and return to these special spots season after season.

2)  Swedes are typically partial and loyal to the types of mushrooms that they were raised to appreciate.  In the case of the Bengtsson Morales crew those would be Chanterelles, Black Trumpets and King Cep. Deeelish!

3)  Everyone can go mushroom picking anywhere, anytime, thanks to the Swedish law of allemansrätten or “the right to public access.”  The Right of Public Access allows the public to roam the woods as long as it is done without disturbing or destroying.  To quote Mathias Dahlgren, a Swedish chef specializing in local and seasonal ingredients as saying, “The Right of Public Access is something unique to Sweden. There’s an enormous amount of resources in the Swedish forests and it’s all free, everything from mushrooms to berries.”  This law redefines what is considered private property and just try explaining that to any true-blooded Texan and you might find yourself staring at a double-barreled shotgun!


Happy Hunting!!

Chanterelle

Black Trumpet

King Cep

and the saga continues....in Stockholm!!

 It's been a little over a week since I arrived in Stockholm and I figured what better way to stay connected to friends and family back in the States and document my time here than to blog.  Yep, blogger. So here we go.....

After 24+ hours of travel and delays in both Houston and Frankfurt due to an air traffic strike I arrived in Stockholm to meet up with Cesar for the first time in 3 months.  Talk about having first date like jitters!

So far I have completely fallen in love with the city and quite quickly felt comfortable with my surroundings mostly because I'm with people who are familiar with the area and have lived here before.  It feels nice to finally get acquainted with a place I've heard so much about and to get introduced to the side of Cesar that has always existed but that I had not been fully exposed to until now.  Another piece of the puzzle has been put down and it's amazing to see things a little more formed than they were even a week ago.

I hope to share my journey with all of you and give an inside look at everything in Stockholm that interests me and maybe at times irks but all the while being a fun learning experience for all involved. 

xoL