Glimmingehus, A Medieval Scandinavian Castle

When Skåne was still a part of Denmark, a ferocious Danish knight named Jens Holgersen Ulfstand persecuted the farmers of Skåne in service of King John I of Denmark. He was then appointed to erect a castle in the area.

Built in 1499, the castle was established as the residence of knight Ulfstand and his family. It was designed by Adam Van Duren and the construction of Glimmingehus was completed in 1506. Dug artifacts like Venetian crystal, painted Rhineland glass and Spanish ceramics proved that Glimminghus was once decorated with the finest embellishment.

For a few generations, it was believed to serve as a residential castle before it was converted into an agricultural storage in the 18th century. In 1924, it was donated to the Swedish State.

Today, Glimmingehus is a museum showcasing the medieval life. It is also one of the best preserved medieval castles in Scandinavia. 


Glimmingehus
Address: 276 56 Hammenhög, Sweden
Coordinates: 55° 30′ 4″ N, 14° 13′ 52″ E
Admission:  90 SEK

Swedish Glögg

Christmas is fast approaching and one of our Christmas traditions is make our own Christmas goodies. And our usual routine, I'm in charge of the candies and my husband is in charge of the Christmas drinks.

Glögg is a traditional Swedish winter drink made of red wine and some spices, it may or may not have alcohol and it's served warm. This yummy Christmas drink is always present on our table during the Yuletide season. It's very simple to make and it really smells like Christmas! Hope you enjoy our homemade recipe.

Swedish Glögg

Ingredients:
1 bottle of Red Wine
0.5 Liter of Vodka or Brandy (optional)
5 Cardamom Pods
2 Cinnamon Sticks
2 strip of dried Orange Peel
1/4 cup Cloves
1/2 cup Raisins
2 cups of Sugar

Method:
1) Heat the wine, brandy or vodka and spices in a pot over medium heat.
2) Let it simmer for 30- 45 minutes. Be careful not to boil the mixture.
3) Turn off heat and let it cool down before you separate the spices.
4) Strain the cooled glögg from the spices, pour into a bottle and recap.
5) Store in a cool, dry place.

-To serve, pour glogg into a deep pan or pot and warm over low-medium heat until hot.
-Serve glögg in a coffee mug, add raisins.
enjoy!

Smelly Danish Cheese

One of the things to do when in Denmark is shop for cheese. Over the years, it has established a reputation of having the best cheese in the world. The most common household cheese in Denmark is called Gamle Ole or also known as King Christian. This semi-soft Danish cheese is made from cow's milk, aged between 12 to 52 weeks and it smells really bad but a lot of people loves the wonderful taste of this stinky cheese.

Gamle Ole

As a cheese lover, my husband and I went to Helsingør (Denmark) to try the Gamle Ole. When we opened the package, it has a rotten odor or ''stinky feet'' smell. Believe me, I was really disgusted but when I tried the cheese, it was actually very nice.

at a cheese shop in Helsingør

So when you travel to Denmark, never miss the opportunity to try Gamle Ole cheese.

Hohenwerfen Castle

Sometimes, movies inspire us to travel to other places. The 1968 movie ''Where Eagles Dare'' and the mini series ''The 10th Kingdom'' were the reasons why my husband and I went to Werfen, Austria to see the great Hohenwerfen Castle.

Located above Salzachtal valley with a very dramatic view, the castle is surrounded by the Berchtesgaden Alps and the Tennengebirge Mountain Range.

Built as a fortress during the 11th century by Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg to protect the Salzburg Archbishopric against the forces of King Henry IV.  In the later period, it was not only used as military base but also as a hunting retreat by the archbishops of Salzburg. The castle was also used as a prison for Protestants and some noblemen. Rulers like Archbishop Adalbert III, Count Albert of Friesach and Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich Raitenau were held prisoners in Hohenwerfen Castle.

Nowadays, the castle exhibits a collection of historic weapons and is also a museum of falconry.


Hohenwerfen Castle
Address: Burgstraße 2, 5450 Werfen, Austria
Coordinates: 47° 28′ 55″ N, 13° 11′ 16″ E
Admission: €15 

Yummy Fried Empanadas

One of my favorite pastries is called  Empanada. Empanada is a stuffed pastry with different fillings. It can be found in many countries like Portugal, Spain, Latin America and some parts of Southeast Asia like Indonesia and Philippines.

Although making empanadas is not easy but it's mouth-watering goodness in every bite. Hope you enjoy my recipe below!

Empanada

Ingredients: (Dough)

2 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 1/4 Tsp Active Dry Yeast
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tsp Salt
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Cup Warm Water
Butter or Margarine

(For Filling)
200 g Grated Emmental Cheese
1 Cup Chopped Onions
1 Cup Chopped Mushrooms (Champignon)


Method:
1) Combine all dough ingredients in a big bowl and mix thoroughly.
2) Cover the bowl with cloth, let the dough rise for an hour.
3) After an hour, knead the dough flat for 10 minutes, divide into portions
    (make a 2 inch ball), add flour if necessary.
4) Mix the filling ingredients- cheese, onions and mushrooms, set aside.
5) On a floured surface, roll ball into a thin circle then put 1 tbsp of filling
     onto the center.
6) Fold into a fan shape and seal edges by pressing with your fingers.
7) Brush some melted butter on the empanadas.
8) Heat oil in a deep-fryer. Place one or two empanadas into the fryer at a time. 
9) Cook for about 3-5 minutes, turning once to brown on both sides. 
10) Drain on paper towels, and serve hot.

Saturday Goodies

One of things I love about Sweden is Lordagsgodis. ''Lordagsgodis'' or Saturday goodies, a practice that has started in the 50's where parents allow their children to eat all the candies they want but only during Saturdays.  Well I guess this doesn't only apply to children since grown ups also implement this tradition. ;)

A bagful of ''Lordagsgodis''

And my favorite candy shop with a wide selection of Swedish candies is Herrgårds Toppen.

Herrgårds Toppen
Hinneryd path 37
287 34 STRÖMSNÄSB RUK
Tel. 0433-202 00

Mon-Fri: 9:00- 19:00; Sat-Sun: 10:00-19:00

Please Help the Typhoon Haiyan Survivors!!!

How to Help: Here are the lists of Organizations offering relief to Typhoon Haiyan Survivors.

CLICK HERE.

Moose Park in Skåne

A trip to Sweden would not be complete without actually seeing a live Swedish moose. Trust me, I have been to Sweden many times and been a lot in the forest searching for this incredible animal but I was never lucky to even spot one. They are very difficult to detect in the forest even though they're big animals. So this summer, my husband brought me to a moose park in Skåne. Although it might not be the same as spotting them in the wild but the good thing about Ingelbo Moosepark, you can feed them with apples and bananas.

Ingelbo Moosepark
Address: Hissmossa 3218, 28292 Västra Torup, Sweden
Admission: 65Kr Adult; 30Kr Children; 150Kr Family

Nyhavn

Ever thought of having a date in a cozy city like Copenhagen?

Famous for its brightly colored buildings and serves as hub of canal tours, Nyhavn is one of the most visited tourist attraction in Copenhagen, Denmark. With a dazzling array of bars and restaurants, Nyhavn is the perfect place to end a long day.

Constructed from 1670-1673, Nyhavn was built by King Christian V. One of the reasons for its erection, it is the gateway from the sea to the King's Square (Kongens Nytorv).  Aside from being a general landing area for ships and fish trading, the place during that time is also well-known for its overflowing beer and rampant prostitution.

The oldest building in Nyhavn is No. 9, which was built in 1661.

 Nyhavn
 Address:  Nyhavn 1-71, 1051 København, Denmark
 Coordinates: 55° 40′ 47″ N, 12° 35′ 26″ E

Autumn in Skåne

Coming from a country with seasons- wet and dry, Autumn is something divergent to me. Experiencing it for the first time in Skåne (Sweden), I was in awe of the beauty of the trees. The colors were amazing and seeing the leaves fall one by one was such an incredible moment. Now, I can finally say, Autumn surely is a beautiful season. What's your favorite season of the year?

Healthy Friday: Shrimp Sandwich

I always believe in the saying, ''you are what you eat'' and living a healthy lifestyle really improves the mind and body. What you eat and drink is reflected in your appearance so I try to eat the right food to stay healthy.

Today, I wanted to try something different (from salad and Tuna salad sandwich) and since I'm a shrimp lover so I thought why not make a Shrimp Sandwich. They're not only a healthy meal but also low in calories too plus they're full of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient called astaxanthin.

Shrimp Salad Sandwich


Ingredients: (Serving Size for 1)
Baguette or any healthy bread 
100 g Shrimps (peeled)
2 Tbsp tomato (chopped)
2 Tbsp Cucumber (chopped)
2 Tbsp Onion (diced)
1 Tsp Garlic (chopped)
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Olive oil

Method:
1) Deep pan with olive oil, turn heat to low, sauté onion and garlic then fry shrimps.
2) When shrimps are cooked, add chopped tomato and cucumber, dash some salt and pepper. Stir.
3) Turn off heat, put the cooked shrimps on the baguette/bread. Sprinkle parsley on top.

Enjoy! :)

Museo Nacional del Prado

If you're an art lover then Madrid, Spain is definitely one of the best places to visit. Madrid is regarded as one of the top European destinations when it comes to art museums.

When in Madrid, a visit to the Museo Nacional del Prado is a must. Dubbed as the greatest museums of art, Museo del Prado is the most visited attraction in Spain and one of the most visited museums in the world.

The museum comprises of  Spanish Royal Collections of European art dated from 12th century- 19th century. A collection of magnificent sculpture and famous paintings of Francisco de Goya, Diego Velazquez, Titian, Peter Paul Rubens, Hieronymus Bosch, etc.

But the highlight of Museo del Prado is the Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor) by Diego Velázquez. The remarkable painting portrays the young Princess Margaret Theresa with her maids and other prominent figures from the 17th century Spanish court.


Museo Nacional del Prado
Address: Paseo del Prado, s/n  28014 Madrid, Spain
Admission: 14€

Torrevieja Marina

Date with my husband at Torrevieja Marina...

Outfit
Dress: Gianfranco Ferré
Bag: Gucci
Shoes: Zara
Accessories: Silver jewelry from Bangkok market

Torrevieja Night Market and Marina

Just 50 kilometers south of Alicante, Spain is a small city called Torrevieja. When in Torrevieja, you should visit the night market (Hippy Market). Located near the marina, the night market offers a variety of goods like handicrafts, jewelry, paintings, leather bags, clothes, Spanish delicacies, souvenirs and a lot more. Behind the market is a small amusement park that will surely bring blissfulness for all ages.

Nothing beats a cozy walk at the Marina with all the gorgeous boats on sight. And an array of lovely restaurants awaits you if you're feeling peckish.


Torrevieja Hippy Market
Address:  Paseo de la Libertad 03181 Torrevieja, Province of Alicante Spain
Coordinates:  37° 58′ 40″ N, 0° 41′ 0″ W
 

Plaza Mayor

The most popular and most visited square in Madrid, Spain is the Plaza Mayor.

Built in 1617, Plaza Mayor was originally an idea of Philip II to remake the bustling Plaza del Arrabal (old name of Plaza Mayor) with the help of architect Juan de Herrera. But construction of the noted square did not start until the reign of Philip III. He employed Juan Gomez de Mora to continue the project but it was Juan de Villanueva who did the last reconstruction and completed the work in 1790.

In the middle of the square is a bronze statue of King Philip III, it was designed by Jean Boulogne and Pietro Tacca in 1616 but the statue was not installed until 1848.

Around the square, you can find souvenir shops and restaurants where you can sit and enjoy Spanish tapas or Spanish wines while watching tourists admiring the Plaza.

Plaza Mayor
Address: Plaza Mayor, 2, 28012 Madrid, Spain