Limi

Now the grrrls have arrived.
Yesterday we went to T&G for nice food, and today we went to Margit Island for jogging. Was nice to have some company on the track :-)
Tomorrow we´ll be off to Munich, and then Tannheim in Austria, if it's not too rainy. Weather forecast doesn't look very promising for that part of Europe... :-(

Calory intake at T&G
            
Ready, steady, GO!!!
            

For the last couple of months our neighbour downunder has repatedly complained about the water drip-dropping from her ceiling into her bed.
Her bed is under our kitchen... I have several times checked for leaking pipes, but not found anything suspicios. I've told her that the roof must be leaking, and that water comes in a mysterious way via a wall or smth...

By accident I found out the other day that when we use the water dispenser in our fridge, there is a leakage. This water is sprayed on the wall and then runs into a crack between the wall and floor, and from there into the old ladys bed.
I havent told the lady about my findings. I guess I will not ever do. We however stopped using the water dispenser and the ice machine...

Yesterday we ordered a new fridge. The General Electric built in Mexico, will be replaced by a Korean LG. I trust the Koreans more than the Mexicans when it comes to producing quality products.

The summer in Hungary has been pretty rainy and cold. Luckily we have been away in sunny locations during the worst weeks. Now it's ok weather, but not close to the 35-37 degrees we frequently have in July/August in normal summers.

On Friday H&M will fly in for a week. We'll spend the weekend in Budapest, then off to Munich, where Linda and serious shopping is waiting. Then some days in Austria, climbing some mountains if the weather allow us.
Next Friday we have to be back in BP again, so they don't miss the plane and the school, which start in Sweden the week after.

I have signed up for "Budapest Half Marathon" on September 4th. Will be a challange. Especially as I have not been able to do any training for the last weeks, as I couldn't find my pulse clock. No training without proper recording and analyzing. That's my firm rule. Luckily (unluckily??) M found it today, so starting from tomorrow there is some serious catching up to do...

This incontinent beauty will have to go....

            

Now leaving 22nd floor of Swissotel in Tallinn. Tonight we'll cross the Baltic Sea. Stockholm; here we come...

            

M seems to have had lazy dayz in the countryside in my absense...
            

Now leaving Båstad after a just a "stop and go". HeadingTallinn and some great food at "Controvento".
Btw; on my way from Munich to Sweden the other day, I got hit by a big hungarian truck. I was standing still, and the guy hit me from behind. Still he claimed to the police that it was my fault... you believe what you believe...

today M&m left for Tallinn. little m will spend the week in the countryside with Grandma and cousines. La M Grande will stay in Tallinn to meet family and friends. Meaning that I am solo here in Budapest. Thought a moment to go out and party, but reality set in, and I ended up cleaning and watching Formula one. Tonight I will watch Tatort.
I wanted to go to Austria and climb some mountains as well, but weather is not friendly enough.
New plan is to go by car to Sweden on Tuesday. Will make a stop in Munich to visit Linda.
Friday I will fly from CPH to TLL to spend the weekend up there. Monday evening we all go by ferry to Stockholm.

Regarding the title; "grass widower" looks a little Swenglish to me, but as far as I could find out in Google, it's a correct english expression...

            

Next time I will trim climbing plants (especially those climbing on electrical cables...) I will use glasses.
My fast growing Wisteria had made it up to the wind sensor for the sunblind. Had to be cut. I went up on the wall with my garden scissors, and suddenly there was a loud bang together with a bright flash. Lucky me that the scissors had rubber handles... It's about ten meters down to the neighboring house's roof.

Those moments make you think how close a possible disaster is from a happy ending.

Now I only had to mend the cables and reset some fuses, and "voila" everything was back to normal.

By the way; we are back in Budapest. Will stay here for a week to recharge the batteries, and then we're off to new challanges.

Evi - m's Hungarian Grandmother said yesterday evening that it was nice that weather is better again. I thought about rain and thunder, but oh no, she meant back to bearable temperatures again. It was 38 degrees here the week we were away.
We had "only" 37,5 in Tuscany... lucky us (again)

Reconstruction of todays event;
            
Tuscany didn't quite reach the temperature of Budapest
            



  

In Villach I found out that the net adapter for my laptop was still in Budapest. Tried to find a new one but Dell have their own type of connector, meaning that no universal cables fit :-( But now we have a new Notebook :-)

Next stop was in Firenze. Full of American tourists with stickers on their chest, all numbered, not to get into wrong bus or follow the wrong tour guide I guess. Maybe practical, but not very cool... :-)
We stayed in a hotel called "Palace" something, but there was definately no palace feeling about it...
The grrrls shopped a bag each. Both very nice. Now we can tick that box - done!
If you will eat only one T-bone steak in your life. I know the place to go. Perseus! A very cozy and "Italian looking" place for serious meat lovers, We had a smallest. Only 1,2 kg. For bigger lovers they offered up to 2,8 kg of very tasty meat. We'll be back. That's a promise!!

Next stop was Sestri Levente, just south of Genova. We stayed in "Villa Balbi", big as a palace, and with palace feeling. m spent the most of the time in the pool. Grilled Branzino for dinner.
The local kids above 1,5 years  all had glasses it seemed. Thick coca bola bottoms that made the eyes look big and crazy. Either the local optician is a very good salesman, or people just marry sisters and cousines...
Our breakfast waiter was a result of such a relation i guess. No glasses, but very good in not noticing guest waiving and jumping. He had a perfect tunnel vision, and he all the time kept his head looking towards the floor between the tables. When a younger collegue occasionally helped out at his tables, he all the time mumbled in their ears; piano, piano... It was a long breakfast :-)
Today we had our first beach day in Cannes. Same procedure as last year. Same procedure as EVERY year James!

            

The left overs. I will use it in my "Limi" logotype...
            

M&m are the shoe and bag lovers - not me, I'm only a fan of the shoes and bags fan page in FB
            

Heading "Grand Café"
            

What else is a girl supposed to eat???            
            

we had a wonderful "quality-family-time"  in Sweden last week, with nice activities like Liseberg (Swedens biggest amusement park), picnics, swimming, fishing, restaurant visits, birthday parties, house checking and so on and on. Not much time for work... :-) Weather was playing along, much sun and warm winds. In other words; Sweden at its best.
Now we know why; they rain what normally should be pouring in Scandinavia, have made its way south. Now grilling under an umbrella... From tomorrow however everything will be back to hot and sunny. Has actually been nice with a little rain. Makes it easier to enjoy pancakes in bed... :-)

Yesterday we went to see a movie; "The Lincoln lawyer". It's based on a book written by Michael Connelly. One of my favourite authors. The movie was as good as the book, doesn't happen everyday...

Tomorrow I will catch up some work in Slovenia for a couple of days, then we're off for our yearly Cannes trip. We leave for Villach in Austria on Thursday, then via Firenze (Florence) and La Spezia area to Cannes. Then a quickie to Velden at Wörthersee, and then back to civilization again. Will take us about ten days or so.

            

            

            

            

just came back home after a week in Sweden with all the kids.
Will write more some other day, as now we're heading TG's...

Not everyday we meet all together... :-))

            

Late last Saturday night I decided it's time for my first half marathon ever, so early on Sunday morning I went out in full jogging gear. Two hours and 29 minutes later I was done. Even well done. I felt like a piece of burnt meat. Now two days later I'm almost able to walk normally again...
Yesterday morning I flew to Stockholm for a meeting, but was home in the evening again. Stockholm was cold and rainy, didn't feel like summer at all...
Little m started her last week in school with an excursion up in the Buda hills.  Today the whole class went to zoo. One kid is still missing after feeding the crocodiles, at least that's the rumour...
Friday afternoon, after graduation, we all go to Sweden, but after a look at the weather map, I'm not so sure it's a wise decision... On the other hand, looking at the perspective to meet all the kids, it's a mega nice thing to do.

I mean, check this out, it's only yellow up there...;


              

Some accidents are nice, other not...
On the way home from m's school this morning, a big SUV crashed into the side of police car. The whole front of the SUV fell off (probably some kind of Korean brand...) The police car managed to stop after 25 meters or so. A very grim looking police-man stepped out of his car. Stopped outside the car, and slowly lit a cigarette. Then he approached the poor SUV driver, who stood outside his car and looked like he would like to be somwhere else. I understand him...  The police stepping out of his car reminded me of some Humphrey Bogart film or smth. Very cool :-)
In the afternoon I picked up Stan&Karo, who will stay with us for some days.
On the way home from the airport there was the not so nice accident; motorcycle vs truck. :-(

Days are flying, only a week and a half, and we go to Sweden to meet the rest of the kids. All six of them will be there. Nagyon nice :-)
Linda is planning some forest adventure that obviously will include tenting, fishing and grilling. And probably loads of mosquitos. Under such circumstances I LOVE mosquitos :-)


Preparing for grilling
            

Birthday girl at Iguana xxx :-)
            

Last week I managed two trips to Slovenia. Tuesday just over the day. Then again on Wednesday evening and back again yesterday. Had a nice mix of work and good food. Went one evening to Piran to eat grilled Sea Bass.
Piran is a tiny but pittoresque village on a small peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. Just on the border to Croatia.
Today little m is with Kriszti to see Snowhite, in ballet version at the big opera.
Tonight we're gonna grill, and I am now preparing a nice spaghetti/curry salad. My big problem with cooking and preparing food, is that I taste a lot during the work, and that I normally end up full before the food is ready. Today I'm wearing my new anti-snacking mask. Works pretty well actually :-)

Weather? Fat sun and hot as hell :-)))

          My new anti-snack helmet - just impossible to get any bigger chunks through the net :-)
            
          The grrrls heading for the opera  
            

Lazy me. But weather is to nice to sit inside and blog. And outside the sun is so strong that you cant see what's on the screen. Beside those very good excuses, we have had Linda here over the weekend. She flow in from Munich, which is her new home. Kajsa a l m o s t joined her. But she decided to stay in her new home country; the Nederlands.

            

            

Sunday morning, and soon time to summarize this weekend. M caught up on my London shopping. She's now even well ahead, as you can see on the pic...
We have as usually managed to avoid all tourist attractions, even if we by mistake saw the Spanish Stairs from the distance. Main interest is as you know food and wine. In this perspective we have been very lucky, as always.
We have consumed fishes, lambs, cows, wine and ice creams en masse.

A funny?? thing is that sellers on the street, who normally have a good eye where people are coming from, kept telling/asking me " ja bolshoi brat president Putina", "kak pagoda v Moskve?", "to moi russki ljubov",  etc. I don't know if to get flattered or insulted?? At least it seems that I'm not THAT obvious Swede as I thought... 

            

            

Now they have finally opened the new terminal at Budapest Airport. Looks great. Much more spacious than  the old one. Almost wished that our flight would be delayed, so we could check it out closer...

Anyway, after 1,5 hour in a  noisy  Crash (Dash??) 400, we landed at Leonardo da Vinci. After the SAS Dash crashes, those planes are now renamed "Bombardier 400" New name, same shit, eller hur Kajsa???

Arrived late, but we still managed to get a great pasta, a good steak and a beautiful bottle of wine. Then ice cream...


Il grande
             
Al dente
            

After almost two weeks on the road, or more correct; in the air, we are now back in beautiful Budapest.
TG's yeasterday, Pomo d'oro tonight, grilling tomorrow and then school again for m on Monday. Life is not THAT bad... :-)



Where else than in London you'll find those funky shoes?

            

Or stumble on celebrities roaming the streets?

            

I don't know how far we walked today, but it was far, even according to our standards! We made the London Eye, some 4D show, bought tickets for the musical "Wicked" for tomorrow, and shopped a lot. At least me and little m.
Jamie Oliver was if not a disappointment, at least not THAT hilarious. The guy has skills and ambitions, but not a very motivated staff. He has a bunch of restaurants in London. We went to "Jamie's Italian". Atmosphere was promising, food was ok. Not more. First of all we had to send back all our dishes to the kitchen. Little m's pasta with butter, came out with tomato sauce, my fish dish came as a another pasta with tomato sauce. I asked the waitress if this really was the white fish I had ordered. She told me that the fish was cooked in to the tomato sauce. Then I asked for the menu, and showed her the ingredients according to this. She reluctantly admitted that I had got something else, and asked if I wanted to wait another 15 minutes for what I actually had ordered. YES PLEASE! After 20 minutes I got it. By then M's risotto was cold, and had to do another round in the microwave oven.
Maybe our expectations were to high, due to the fact that we have really good Italians in Budapest. Tomorrow we try something else.