Several weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a housewarming. The host was a charming, eloquent, and cultured fellow. Adorning his walls were art pieces procured from all over the world. In front of the state-of-the-art speakers, there was a varied music collection. His study had a designated corner for his music stand and instruments. He even designed the living room lights himself. There was no dinner - just a selection of cheese, chocolate, fruits, and wine.

Very enjoyable, absolutely delightful affair. What impressed me most was how conversation was the focus of the evening instead of food being the highlight and the conversation on the periphery. Rather easily overlooked distinction - 'Let's have dinner' vs 'Let's catch up'. #Adultgoals indeed; I'd love to do something similar ten years from now.

Pancakes and Cheese

I finally got around to editing the backlog of photos that has accumulated since 2013. The trip to Bergen happened in September 2014, which was a great time since the weather was cool enough to only warrant a layer of clothes and a jacket. We touched down on a Sunday and made our jolly way to the Radisson Blu Hotel Norge (which, on a side note, has a scrumptious breakfast spread that I thoroughly enjoyed).

Wanting to make the most of our limited time, the three of us headed out almost immediately and spent a good portion of the afternoon checking out food. First was the fisketorget, or the fish market, where I sampled (dried) whale meat for the first time. Do not try it, unless you like the fishy tasting over done roast beef with an oily aftertaste. Admittedly, I've heard the whale steak is pretty tasty. Until then, nope. 

If you didn't know that cavier comes in bright pink, now you do, even if you can't see it in the photo. Flying fish roe stained with beetroot, apparently.

Luckily for me, there was a farmers' market pop-up that weekend. We're talking cheese, pancakes, reindeer burgers, grains, organic juices and produce, and more. Always interesting to amble from store to store. The most notable was brunost, that caramelised dairy goodness that the Norwegians have successfully kept a secret from the rest of the world. They need to export it to every corner of the earth.

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They've got breakfast food right. Then again, anything with cheese is right by me. Even smoked salmon comes in second to it.