Back from Syria...

Back from Syria... I've uploaded the photos in full resolution, including those from the last blog post. You can see them here.

My trip took me to Damascus, Palmyra, Homs and Deir Ezzor, as well as the drilling rig sites in the deserts and hills north east of Palmyra where the Bedouin still herd their sheep. Highlights were the Roman ruins in Palmyra and the seemingly endless market stalls and alleyways of Damascus. In the west there are olive groves, almond trees and vineyards, giving way to desert in the east. The Euphrates river passes though Deir Ezzor, not far from the Iraqi border - the river valley is very green and fertile.

The people were friendly and hospitable and the food was good - olives (grown locally), hommus (sometimes with tahini), halva, lentil soup and everything served with flat bread. Also good was the Lebanese wine - from Chateau Ksara or Clos St Thomas.

Postcard from Syria

On assignment in Syria. I'm staying in Der Ezzor at the moment, and it seems there's no agreement on how to spell it - not in the Latin alphabet, anyway. It's on google maps as "Dayr Az Zawr". So far the weather has been good and the people friendly, but finding internet is not so easy... Here's some photos of Damascus and the Roman ruins in Palmyra.

Early autumn...

A few photos from the start of the autumn.


In Häckeberga, a nature reserve in Skåne.


The house in the autumn.


Apples by the hundreds.


Summer barbecues still continuing.

Lamb roast beef

Spotted in a restaurant in Malmö: "Lammrostbiff". Time to ask the obvious question -is it beef, or is it lamb?

"It's lamb roast beef". We're none the wiser then.

Turns out lammrostbiff is lamb sirloin or chump - the "rostbiff" implies the cut, not the animal.

Reminds me of a trip to eastern europe, where the english description of a menu item reads "Chef's special turkey".

"What is the turkey?", I ask the waiter.

"Is like... you know, big chicken."

Fiskbilen: Sweden's answer to the ice-cream truck*

Just when you think you have seen it all... Today I got a visit from Fiskbilen - the "fish car". A guy came to the door with a price list for fish and seafood, by the kilo. In his van he had a big household freezer, presumably full of the fishy stuff. He says he comes around every three months. You can even pre-order on the website.

According to the site, the company was started in Sweden in 2004 by two guys from Norway. Certainly sounds like something your Norwegians would be into. The site also says other businesses have started with the same idea, and asks customers to check that the van has the right logo and web address written on the van - so beware of rogue fishmongers!

*OK, there are ice-cream trucks here as well. I've even seen one out here in the countryside around midsummer time.

Scandinavian taxis: "Engelsk Herre"

Scandinavian taxis are full of machinery. They usually come equipped with GPS navigation, credit card machines, several meters and CC-television. (The issue of why Taxi Skåne drivers can never find my house I'll leave for another post.)

Similarly, Scandinavian taxi receipts are extremely detailed. They come complete with addresses of pick up and drop off, the exact times and distance travelled. If you call one up, your name often appears on the receipt.

I went to a meeting in Denmark the other day. I arrived at a small train station - no taxis were present so I called the number on the taxi stand, and ordered the taxi in English (I could order in Swedish, but the reply would be pronounced in the Danish way - with 80% fewer consonants). I thought it a little strange they didn't ask my name, but it was apparent later that the operator thought me being non-Danish was enough. The name "Engelsk Herre" ("English Man") appeared on the receipt.

Need help? Ask Anna...

Ah, IKEA... it was only a matter of time before this appeared in the blog. I usually use the Swedish IKEA website, but sometimes skip over to the British one if I can't handle the language. On the website if you need help, you are invited to "Ask Anna" - but I notice that on the Swedish site Anna (and on the Australian and US sites) is a redhead. But on the UK site, Anna is a blue-eyed blonde. Next stop: ABBA...