In Robin Hood land, enjoying some fresh Dosas

- Dosas? Would you like to try Indian Dosas? All fresh? I look around me, and my confusion is obvious. They look at each other and then back at me, and ask me again with an even bigger smile - Have you ever tried Dosas? They are very tasty.

Have I ever tried Indian Dosas? Well. Yes. Have I ever tried fresh Dosas at the Castle of Nottingham? Well. No. That is the first.

Yes, dear reader, I am in the UK, and we had decided to explore the historic soil of The Castle of Nottingham. Remember them right? Robin Hood, the Sheriff of Nottingham and the fair Maid Marian?

And then I hear music. Indian music. I see stalls with colorful shawls for sale. I smell familiar scents, and then the dosas. I have to smile. How funny is this? All around us there are people dressed in saris, and on the stage they are preparing for a dance show. Indian dances.

I start to speak with an elderly man who looks at me, and smiles with disbelief: - Really? Where do you live, you say? Bombay? Really? Bombay?

But in the end we leave the lovely Indian party and the dosas behind, and head off to what is supposedly the oldest inn in England: Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem (1189). This is said to be one of the places where the crusaders stopped on their way to the Holy Land, and the legend has it that even the king Richard the Lionheart visited.

The way the pub is made, carved in to the rock under Nottingham castle makes it a very atmospheric place. You can sit almost in the cave, or choose, as we did, a table outside in the sunshine (on a sunny day:-) )

We also liked our visit at Annies Burger Shack - established by American Annie who has combined the best of her two countries: US burgers and UK Real Ales. Book a table, because this place is busy.

Continuing our stroll in Notts, we suddenly start to giggle: What is that? A rickshaw? But not on the street. On the wall. Yes, on the wall. Hanging on the wall outside the Indian restaurant 4550 miles from Delhi. and further down we see the Memsaab, the Calcutta club and then Bombay Delights...

So here we are in Robin Hood land enjoying multicultural moments, global surroundings and seeing the old Sherwood forest tales come alive. And who could have guessed that some fresh dosas would be our first taste of enjoyable Nottingham?  

And, dear reader, as we say here in Notts: Terrah then!

Ganesha drums and Autumn symphony

I had to smile, when my blogger friend, Arti, My Yatra Diary, asked me to write a guestpost on her blog on the Ganesha festival. That was going to be fun:-) And it was! Thank you for hosting me, dear Arti. 
________________________________________
Ganesh Visarjan: Close up with Ganesha

" It had been 4 years since I had been religiously covering it. 

But not this year. This year, I wanted to pass the baton to someone else. 

I wanted to hear the story but from the other side. 

And... it didn't take me long to circle who that someone else would be. 

How about my dear blogger friend, Eli @ Expat Liv? An expat journalist

and writer from Norway living in Mumbai since the past two years?  

I thought. It would be nice to hear what she feels about the Ganesh 

Chaturthi festival. Being a regular reader of her blog, I already knew 

her love for India and that she connected with the festivals and cultures of 

the country at the same emotional level that I do. Thinking thus, I immediately 

set off to shoot her an e-mail requesting if she would like to be a 

guest on My Yatra Diary... and pen down something on Ganesh Visarjan 

and the festival from an Expat's point of view?

And voila, there she was, in the midst of flying in from Goa and 

flying out to Europe, all excited to make some time and honor 

this little corner of mine. I simply couldn't stop feeling grateful and 

thanking her for this kind gesture of hers.

So on that note, there we go -- sit back, relax and read all that the 

festival of Ganesh Chaturthi means to an expat, from an expat's point 

of view -- rest assured, Eli is the kind of writer who shall leave you 

wanting for more! 

******

When I was invited by dear friend Arti to write about Indian festivals in 

general and Ganesha in particular, I could feel a huge smile spreading 

on my face. Because even long before we moved to India over 2 years ago, 

I had a vision of the Indian festivals. Colorful, noisy, wild, crazy, fun 

and with crowds of happy people drumming and dancing all over, 

all the time. I was not disappointed. The festivals here are all that 

- and so much more. 

I go with the flow, from festival to festival."

You can read the rest of my guest post here: on Arti's amazing blog My Yatra Diary.

____________________________

So, one day I am right there. In the middle of a wild crowd in Mumbai. Surrounded by people who are drumming, dancing, laughing and together we are moving like a human winding train towards the water. I can feel the heavy drum beat. As I stretch back, I feel raindrops on my face. I start to laugh because it all suddenly feels so crazy, loud and intense. And here I am -  right in the middle of it. This enormous crowd of people, all here to follow their Ganesha to His last journey. The immersion. And the drums do not stop. At all.

And then the next day I am somewhere else. I am walking on a path in a green forest. No drums. No people. No cars. No sounds. Just quiet. I can hear my own heartbeat. Lots of trees. The colors are changing. From green to yellow, orange, red-ish and brown. An Autumn symphony. And yet, the drums are with me. Somehow. They do not stop. Not even here.

A short week back in Bergen, but already today I am moving on... To where? Stay tuned...:-)

Ta ta! 

My 7 top Goa Monsoon Moments

Every time I have been to Goa, the sky has been blue. The sun has been shining and it has been filled up with tourists from all over. Hectic, busy, fun and a bit exhausting.

This week, when I went, the sky was grey. The clouds were dark and rain was pouring constantly. But you know what, dear reader: I totally loved it.

Back in Norway we say: "There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing" - so I put on my monsoon plastic shoes and headed off to explore monsoon Goa. These were my top favorite moments:

1. Nothing beats the vibrant colors and the freshness that the rain brings out. The coconut trees seems taller, the rice fields seems brighter and the nature comes to life again. And as I was strolling around in the fields, mesmerized by the green beauty, clicking away - I just hear my friends going: " - Oh, we are impressed Eli - see you walking around without fear for all the snakes and crocodiles." - Eeeeeeeeeeeeek....

2. Having Chicken Cafreal - and lots of other goodies at the local Florentines restaurant. I like the Goan cuisine for their smart use of spices. The restaurant is great: visited by locals, genuine and clean, cheap prices and most important: very tasty food:

3. Feeling the amazing and including atmosphere at The Miraculous Cross at the Holy Cross church in Bambolim:

4. Shopping the best cashew nuts (in the world ?)- in Sawantwadi. A long drive, but totally worth it. A beautiful place - and back in "my" state - Maharashtra.

5. Being the almost only (playful) tourist in a normally very crowded tourist area. How peaceful and calm to go for a stroll along the sea - feeling the breeze and rain at the beautiful Dona Paula beach area - famous for the myths of the Portugese lady Dona Paula and for shooting of the Bollywood films Ek Duuje Ke Linge and Singham. Usually packed with people, but not this week. Not even possible to buy the Fresh Lime Soda with Singham Masala  and Bombay Masala..:-) Hm - gotta come back here:-)  

6. Being invited to new friends' homes and feel happy when they show me their gardens with blooming flowers, the little birdie that they saved, their new kittens, the newly born calf or their old Portugese home which has been in the family for centuries and that they preserve with love, respect and pride.

7. Just sitting there, watching the rain pour down - feeling relaxed and happy - and knowing that the sun is waiting. Patiently. Because over the dark clouds, the sky is always blue..

Bye for now, dear Goa - see you again:-) 

Happy Independence Day 2014!

- Do you do anything else than celebrating? - my friend from back home asks me on Skype... - Because judged by your blog - you do not..

Hmm. Do I sense a bit of envy in her voice? She obviously thinks that I do nothing else than moving gloriously from one colorful festival to the other - cheering and laughing as a part of a dancing/drumming/laughing river of happy smiling people dressed in bright shiny bling bling clothes...

Well. To tell you the truth: this time of the year is quite busy - festival - like here in Mumbai. And today we celebrate Independence Day, and I am about to cheat a bit now, because looking back I quite enjoyed my own words from last year's Independence Day. Hope you will too:

************

- India is a great country with many temples and famous things to see. India is beautiful. All Indians are my brothers and sisters. I love my country deeply.

The kids in my class have been asked to give a presentation on their home country. They talk with pride and passion. About India. About the temples, about the mangoes, about the music and about the village where their grandparents live. And about their city, Mumbai.

15 of August we celebrate Independence Day here in India and what a country we are celebrating, dear reader! One country which is home for around 1,3 billion people! A country with 28 states, 7 union territories and where over 1000 different languages are spoken! The birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism and of yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. And around the world: who hasn't been to an Indian restaurant to taste yummy Indian food? History and culture...

And as I sit there, listening to the kids, I feel it. They care for India. We care for India. And they show it - for example- yes, when we go to the movies, we do stand up for the national anthem before the film starts. That's the way it is. India.

India got its freedom from the British rule on 15. August 1947, relatively peaceful, at least the events leading up to the Independence. So, how does the Indians celebrate? Well, the Indian flag has been for sale everywhere for the last few days, there will be some parades and flag-ceremonies and otherwise people gather around a good meal.

Wikipedia says it like this: Indians celebrate the day by displaying the national flag on their attire, accessories, homes and vehicles; by listening to patriotic songs, watching patriotic movies; and bonding with family and friends!

I wish all my Indian friends, known and unknown, a Happy Independence Day!

R for Rosendal - for Real

Rosendal. Rosendal. The valley of the roses. Yes, that's where I went. Rosendal, one of the 26 dream destinations we visited together in April, remember? So, there I was - for real this time. In company with my good childhood friend ready to explore her summer paradise. Rosendal.

Aaaaahhh, happy days - filled with the joy of: making it all the way up to that tall mountain top, swimming in that chilly summer fjord and visiting that red barn which turned out to be a modern art gallery. Guarding that sweaty sticky chocolate cake from the wasps while sipping tea outside the tiny white wooden house built hundreds of years ago. And jogging smoothly away from that crowd of cows that we, a bit too late, discovered were oxes and not cows...

Red sweet cherries, bright green hill sides, clear blue sea and white sheets drying in that soft summer breeze...

Here are a few of my Rosendal moments - I hope you enjoy them as well...

...getting that top-of-the-world-feeling when finally reaching that mountain top, sitting down and seeing that fjord scenery open up in front of us:

...forgetting about the time while sitting outside the cottage, chatting with a good friend, while the long bright Nordic summer day turn into night (this pic is from the middle of the night):

.... and for some reason remembering one of my favorite poems:

...and feeling grateful:

 ...you know, simply enjoying every moment of those bright summer days, the fresh air, the clean sea, the good friendships and just feeling gratitude for those amazing little things in life:

Enjoy your moments wherever you are, dear reader, and thanks for following.

Ta ta:-)  

Summer salad blues

Ya ya. I know. Not exactly super active on the bloggers front lately. Well, I do have a lot of things on my mind, and somehow my writings seems to get stuck back in the thinking phase.. They all bottle up soooo well in that comfy zone.. That, combined with long bright nordic summer days (and nights), make my thoughts take it really slow in materializing themselves into words and actually managing the journey - from my mind - all the way to the pc - and on to the blog. Go figure?!

Today I did it. Because today I was thinking about salads. Yup. Perfect food for long warm summer days, I think. And I was applauding myself for this summer having pushed my salad comfort zone to the limits (oh yeah) and thrown myself out in new and unknown salad territory. This summer I have been such a brave salad explorer. Very adventurous, I tell you:-)

So, let me show you my favorites so far, and please do feel free to tell me yours. First up: a green salad with tomatoes, asparagus, salmon and avocado. With a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds, some nuts and the crispy green lettuce the flavors went so well together. That rich nutty/sweet texture of the avocado went so well with the light salty fish:

The next runner up had crispy fresh lettuce, spicy red chili, salty shrimps and (my Mumbai favorite) sweet mango. What a great combination of flavors also - that balance of spicy, sweet, bland and salty... Perfect!

One of my favorite ingredients in salads are tomatoes, and I couldn't help laughing thinking back to some shopping vegetable moments in India. So fresh. So tasty. And those guys who thought it was hilarious with this foreign lady who wanted to take pictures of something so ordinary as vegetables.. But hey guys: you presented them so well,, that's why:-) 

I think my conclusion is that I am a big fan of salads with balanced flavors: salty with sweet for example. Like the shrimps&mangoes, avocado&fish - and of course: sweet watermelon&salty feta cheese:

And let us not forget that balanced Greek salad: freshly cut red sweet tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese, olives and onion - always a perfect dish on a hot summer day:

So, besides eating my way through the worlds salads, what have I been up to lately? Well, a bit of this:

- Sweating myself up steep hills to reach mountain tops ....

 ... to feel like I am on top of the world...

... and topping that feeling with throwing my sweaty self in to ice cold mountain water..: 

So, peace and quiet and just some blues to go along, and as we are hooked on salads, what can be a more perfect dessert that fresh blueberries and strawberries:

And in a few days I am going traveling...

Do you remember the crazy AtoZ challenge I participated in in April? When I traveled around the world - and took you along? 26 days and 26 dream destinations. Well, now I am going to travel to one of them.

Stay tuned to see where I will take you along dear reader... Buckle up...

Ta ta! 

An expat in disguise

- Would you like to taste a shrimp? I look around me. Who is she talking to, the fishsellerlady? Oh, to me?

- Oh, ok, I hear myself answer so politely: - yes, thank you. In English. English. And who am I to taste a shrimp? I know what they taste like. I am a native. And what is that - me talking English? I am not a tourist?

But, you see, I do get a bit carried away, because I am in tourist land, at the fish market in Bergen. And while tasting the shrimp (of course I did ), I look around: a large Japanese group, some Italians, Spanish and Russians. Yup, I am the only native person here.

But do I really look like a tourist to the fish-seller? Hm. Could it be the huge camera dangling around my neck? Or my bling bling sandals, my colorful clothes, flashy sunglasses or just my attitude? Yes, I guess I am an expat in disguise, a secret visitor. How great is that. I can explore my home town with new eyes, check out every single tourist spot (or trap). So, watch out Bergen: the Mumbai expat is back, disguised as a tourist...

And as I read through my old post How to spot a Mumbai expat? - 7 signs to look for - I feel myself nodding and giggling... Oh yes, I am so still there. Having that odd feeling of belonging but also of being foreigner..But I am:

...blending in with the tourists:

..and getting friendly with the locals:

And on this sunny day, I look up towards mount Fløien. Another popular tourist activity is taking the funicular up to the mountain top - for the view or for hiking further to the other mountains surrounding the city. So of course, I also did that. But let me just assure you that I have also walked all the way up there. Hey, I am (also) a native after all, right?

It is never far from the mountain top to the sea shore in Bergen, and as I, the disguised expat, am heading home, (after playing tourist for a day), I am walking along the sea and feel that fresh cool breeze in my hair, oh yes, this is home..... this too... Just like every other place where I have left a piece of my heart.. 

Yup, I guess home is where your hearth is... I wish you a wonderful weekend dear reader -  wherever you are, home or away and whether you are a tourist, a native or some kind of interesting mix of both:-) 

Ta ta from Bergen:-) 

A summer stroll in Oslo

You might have suspected this - since it has been awfully quiet from me lately: Yup. I have been traveling. Flying off again. Back to my home country Norway, for holidaying. The days are long and bright and the air fresh and crisp. And the best part is reuniting with family and friends.

This time we started off in Oslo, Norway's capital. Being with our loved ones there, but also also taking time to, equipped with camera, explore Oslo with curious touristy eyes. Here are a few moments from our summer stroll in the center of Oslo, captured by my talented photographer companion, my daughter:

The Royal Castle 

I love this statue of King Haakon 7, who was king of Norway during 2. World War:

And, as always, wherever I go, if there is (even just a tiny) scent of sea in the air, I will search until I find it, and so also in Oslo...So, we ended our stroll walking for hours along the seashore...Aaahhh, I tell you: there is nothing more refreshing and alive than that sea breeze filling my lungs and clearing my mind...

The beautiful scenery

Perhaps take a moment to enjoy in a orange sun-bed?.. I certainly did

Ooooo, what beautiful nature ;)

Taking a stroll

Sailing is popular here

Ok ok. Enough of sea and nature. Back to the street life of Oslo, and the joy of bubbles:

So, dear reader, more of Norway is coming up.. Stay tuned:-)