Month: april 2015

My photobook Vi äter och vi lagar

For Christmas I decided to make a photobook for my family and friends and give them all the same present. Martin helped checking language and launch ideas, but basically it is my doing. It took me five days to do (a bit long I know), approximately I worked on it for an hour or two every evening so overall it took me maybe 5-10 hours. Today I decided to share it with you and shot the above photo in the kitchen while at home alone. At first I didn´t have a clear idea. It started out as something else and then turned into what you can see on the above picture. I used the photo service Photobox in cooperation with Ica foto. The photobook is about food and travel and features photos from Martin and my time in Peru and the summer in Grythyttan last year. It contains some recipes I also shared on the blog (some of them), like Kimchi, Picante de Huevos, How to make chiliflakes and others. But mostly it is a little short …

With wind, sheep and crema catalana as my only company

Monday me and Martin went for Elias birthday in the evening. Beforehand I headed for a walk, talking an hour off my work time and leaving early. This hour is a weekly benefit from my work called Friskvårdstimme that all that are employed at arbetsförmedlingen in Sweden can use. Probably other employers have it as well. Anyway. Getting home I off course tried out shooting a selfie of myself, smug as ever. Then I headed for the forest, taking the road towards Bredvid/ Smalviken. Turned left at the mailboxes as always.. Said hello to my sheep. Tried shooting anemones in backlight. Practising getting the focus right. Met Jocke for a double – selfie, maybe a groupie, according to him. Had another cup of Crema Catalana. Yummie.   Well, that is what happens when you try to exercise on Monday, you end up having desert instead. Have a nice Wednesday evening guys. I am ”single” at the moment when Martin is in Gothenburg, trying out restaurant and asking them questions, bachelor exam work something.. Katarina Photos …

3 hours in Oslo

Arriving in Oslo you feel pretty amazed by the surroundings, Oslo is so much more beautiful than I imagined. Before going I asked a friend who is living in Oslo/ Norway what to do when just staying for an afternoon in Oslo, she said, ”take a walk by the castle and have a beer at Akers brygge”. So that is what we did! Smart hotel Oslo In Oslo me and mother parked our car in the parking house by the central station and took tricken (tram) to our hotel, Smart hotel Oslo. Smart hotel is what is sounds, a compact living hotel that was very satisfying for the low price of arround 750 sek for one night, two persons. In the entrance at Smart Hotel Oslo you find this sign that is a piece of art as a memory of what happend in Oslo 22th of July 2011, a tragic day for Norwegians and all of us. If you spot this sign, you know you are in the right place.   Walking to the castle After …

Naturstigen Grythyttan

Yesterday when I was out shooting my self portraits I met two birdwatchers down by the lake. They told me about this nature-trail behind Grythyttans Herrgård. So we went and checked it out. I don´t think I never learned so much about birds before! The purpose of the nature trail is that is close to Grythyttan and for that easy to access for those in need of rest or a break from everyday life, according to those who have created it, Kristina Henricsson who owns Grythyttans Herrgård, and Niklas Collin and Maria Nilsdotter Werdin (natural health educator). I will definitively return to this path more times since it is next to my house basically and have a beaver dam as well as feeding places for birds where you can sit down and look at birds for a while. The path has more than one sign where you can read about the beaver, birds and the railway that used to pass Grythyttans Herrgård for example. Katarina Shot with Canon 5D Mark iii, Sigma 50 mm f/1.4 …

Testing the new tripod by shooting some selfportraits by Torrvarpen

A while ago I bought a new Tripod after looking for a while. This camerathing is an expensive sport  I assure you. Reading what felt like hundred reviews I didn´t become any wiser and decided to ask my friend Helena with the blog Ohdarling.org for assistance and she recommended the tripod she has, the Sirius T-2005X with the ballhead K20X. This is what I finally went for after comparing this with others. If you follow the link you will see how freaking expensive camera things are. Some week ago this tripod arrived with mail and I how now been out testing it for the first time. When I know it a little better I probably give you a full description but what I tested was just plain simple usage: 1. Mount the camera on the ball head 2. Adjust the different settings 3. Stability of legs and the tripod as a whole and so far I am very satisfied! It is extremely small for it full length and weighs not more than 1.4 kilos if …

Time for ”fredagsmys”

Just got back from worked and poured me a cup of delicious potato-chips. not sure if pour is the correct term when it´s not a liquid, but anyway. Now it is done and it is time for bones while Martin is cooking Paella. Trying out my camera this week and here are some photos from the other day when Martin and me where walking to Jockes place. Tried to catch the sun without overexposung to much, sometimes I succeeded, and sometimes I didn´t. Katarina  

Ivanssons bilskrot i Töcksfors / The car cemetary of Töcksfors

I do like abandoned places. I share the fascination with various bloggers, travlers, historians etc. out there. I have visited a couple of mines so far and when mom and I headed for Norway, I said, ”We must see the car cemetary of Töcksfors”. So we went. Arriving in Båstnäs at the car cemetary it is like time stopped in the 50s. The car that was popular at this time is spread out in nature and works as an art installation in the middle of Värmlands deep forests. To see more photos from this site visit other Urban Explorers webpages or others such as: Jan Jöhrnmark or the Municipality of Årjäng. Directions: Coming from Karlstad you take E18 towards Oslo. When in Töcksfors you turn left heading for Västra Fågelvik (you see a church on the right side of the road when turning). You continue on this road for around 25 km, never exiting just driving straight ahead. After 25 km you reach the sign “Här slutar allmän väg” and that is when you are at the …

Barbecue.

Finally the heat is here. What else is there than to barbecue? Well, maybe a lie, I rather stay inside. So I headed out with my big can of water and my camera. Now I smell like a forest fire and need to head into shower. Trying out my camera for the first time and must say that it is a positive surprise. A bit unhappy by that Lightroom seem not to support the raw files from this camera yet. When is that happening? At the moment I am editing in jpg and somewhat sad that I loose some of the information in the shadows, making it a bit hard to shoot backlight photos. Katarina Shot with Canon Eos M3 and edited in jpg in Lightroom.  

Ceviche with lychee – pomegranate salsa

Two weeks ago Martin made ceviche. To see inspirational recipes, check below. Today Martin and me are heading for the Swedish Island Öland for a celebration of Martins grandfather turning 70. Katarina Ceviche and leche de tigre Ceviche made of cod with Martins secret leche de tigre (somethings must be kept a secret) Use 300 g of cod (frozen or fresh), left in a 3% salt-water in the fridge over night (500g water and 15 g salt) Slice a birds eye chili Three spruces of coriander leaves Then make and add your own leche de tigre and mix Cancha Roasted bigger sized corn Lychee – pomegranate salsa 12- 15 lychees (litchifrukter), cut into half and deseeded (urkärnade) 1 pomegranate (granatäpple), juice and seeds 3 green onions (salladslök), sliced thin or the same amount leek (purjolök) 1 fresh serrano or birds eye chili (thai chili), deseeded and sliced into small pieces juice from 1/2 of a lime   seasalt Cut the lychees into smaller pieces, split the pomegranate och squees the juice and seeds. Mix with …

For the food interested – check out Hötorgshallens new blog!

My friend Sofia is the blogger behind Hötorghallens newly started (food) blogg. Sofia otherwise host the blog Fantasiresor where she write about travel. One of my favorite posts from this blog is about food, it is her restaurant tips from Marocko – to check that out, click here. Sofia and me met for the first time at Stockholm Travel Massive last fall, an event which she also host together with Lola and Annika. A (multi) talented woman! As Sofia says on her page, one of her newly found interest is food and food- styling and I must agree. Shotoing small stills of food and decoration is joyful. Me and Martin will head home for Vimmerby today to attend a 70 years party and hopefully have some wine with friends. Have a nice weekend! Happy shopping at Hötorgshallen! Katarina    

3 restaurants in Lima- Astrid y Gaston, La Mar and Tr3s Cocina Peruana

Here are 3 restaurant tips from Lima Peru (higher class). I have wrote and shown picture from two of them before, Astrid y Gaston and La Mar. Astrid y Gaston – Casa Moreyra To make a reservation for the tasting menu, use the online reservation. Check out the webpage for a map to the restaurant. The number one restaurant in Lima Peru spells Astrid y Gaston. This is the restaurant I have written severals times about and also the restaurant my boyfriend had a three months intership at. This restaurant serves traditional Peruvian cusine with a modern twist. The entire family had dinner there once and then had the 27 course tasting menu. The food is served on for the occasion and menu special designed china that is formed as for example a snake or tree. Cost is around 1500 SEK per person, around 180 dollars depending on the exchange rate. This is in European measures a very priceworthy meal since this includes wine and high class food. If you know that you are heading …

Roadtrip Norway: Grythyttan – Oslo (stretch one)

 Having a coffee break outside Karlstad My mother and I started our roadtrip to Norway on the 8th of April, it lasted for five days and the goal was Oslo, Bergen and Lillehammer, stopping at some spots inbetween. The distance is around 300 km and is estimated to take around 4 hours. Mother and I took the first break in Grums, at Gruvön, checking out some graffiti and having a coffee break.   Continuing to Töcksfors After having our coffeebreak we continued against our first actual stop, Båstnäs and the Ivanssons bilskrot. Directions: Coming from Karlstad you take E18 towards Oslo. When in Töcksfors you turn left heading for Västra Fågelvik (you see a church on the right side of the road when turning). You continue on this road for around 25 km, never exiting just driving straight ahead. After 25 km you reach the sign ”Här slutar allmän väg” and that is when you are at the car cemetary of Båstnäs.     It is really something extra when arriving in Båstnäs. That is also …

Norway- my favourite images

Oh Norway, what a view! Cheesy, I know, but the above expression is an understatement of Norway and the image possibilities. Here comes the first photos from me and my mothers trip to Norway last weekend. It is an cavalcade of Oslo, Bergen and Lillehammer and of course, the roads and the views inbetween. Katarina (a bit of a lie, the first photo is from Töcksfors Sweden 😉 ) Shot with Canon 5D Mark iii, and Canon 24-105 mm f/4 lens, except for the night photo that was shot with Canon 40mm f/2.8 lens. Edited only in lightroom.

Canon 24-105 mm f.4 lens.

One of my best best buddies is my Canon 24-105 mm f/4 lens. When out traveling I use this as a standard. It is enough zoom to have a range of possibilities as landscape and portrait. It is a wide angle lens that always saves me when in crowded and places with wide angles and creates terrific scenes when shooting landscape. Shot almost all my photos from Norway this way. Shot these photos of the lens at the same time as when I shot the photos of my lens baby lens. Katarina     Photos shot with this lens, Machu Picchu in photos and Some other favorite photos from Borgå/ Porvoo.

Aquas Calientes – the ”Machu Picchu town”

Everybody wants to go to Machu Picchu once in their life, right? Martin and I traveled there last year and to get to Machu Picchu we traveled by train from Cusco, probably one of the most common ways, a trainride that takes around 3-4 hours. We just headed for Machu Picchu over the day but it is possible to stay in the nearby village where the train arrives, Aguas Calientes, ”Hot Springs” in Spanish. When I say village, I mean village. Basically it is just a number of houses caught inbetween the Andes a 20 minuter busride from Machu Picchu. This village is also where the buses leave from heading for Machu Picchu. Here you can: Buy your entrence- tickets for Machu Picchu (today price april 2015, 126 sol including the top that has a regulated number of visitors per day, Huayna Picchu, 150 sol) Buy the bus tickets for the 20 minute ride from the village to Machu Picchu (around 10 dollars, only found price in dollars) Stay over night, eat, shop handicraft and more …

My new Converse.

Before heading on this roadtrip i bough new summer shoes. Every year I dread this part. I have so many shoes, do I need any new? But when checking the wardrobe in real time I soon realise that, yes, I have to get another pair. The reason? All shoes I have are basically uncomfortable. Why is that? Why are my feet so sensitive? Anyone else out there that also have the problem that a big part of all shoes you buy end up just sitting there by one or two reasons. My main reasons are either they pinch the heal, or the toes. But I have found a favorite that returns every season. The fantastic converse. The same size always fits! Love them, they are great. Katarina

Misosoup

Last week me and Martin had Misosoup. Martin was the chef,  but I was the one who ate it, of course. 😉 It tasted as it should but we both agreed that you need to give all Asian food more than one shot to learn how to cook it right, it is an art of it´s kind. Recipes is found below. Happy cooking! Katarina   Buy the ingredients in an Asian store. Kombu dashi Seagrass broth (sjögräs-buljong). 1 l water 20 g Kombu 5 Wakame algaes Put the ingridients in a bowl 12 hours in a fridge. Then heat until boilingpoint and strain (sila) the broth. Save the wakame algaes and broth for serving. Miso Use the dashi (the broth), boil yet again, add 3 table spoons of Miso (bough in an asian store). Add the ingredients you like. Martin used Wakame and tofu, with a Swedish twist of leek and radishes.