The new Barcelona

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Cheryl Marie Cordeiro Nilsson, Hotel Arts, hammock, Barcelona.

At Hotel Arts, Barcelona, the sundeck with rocking hammocks on the lawn.
Photo: JE Nilsson and C M Cordeiro-Nilsson © 2011

Barcelona proceeded to unveil its many faces as we continued to explore the New Barcelona, that in many respects was created thanks to the 1990s olympic sailing event. Barcelona had previously much of its focus directed towards harbour works and shipping, but is today opened up towards the sea and its possibilities as a conference, business hub and tourist resort. Here now, you’ll find a sprawling, fashionably back to back establishment of beautifully designed hotels, restaurants and bars that line the city’s beach and hot spots.

Futher up along the beach, when you hit La Rambla, political protests continues at the Catalunya Square. I was right at the square when a helicopter circled overhead and policemen surrounded the area, cutting off all traffic in an attempt to clear the square before the European World Cup that begins in Barcelona today.
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¡Hola, from Barcelona!

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Sangria, in Barcelona

Sangria along La Rambla… there can’t be a warmer hello than this, in Barcelona!
Photo: JE Nilsson and C M Cordeiro-Nilsson © 2011

It’s extremely warm in Barcelona, almost tropical though minus the high humidity.

Below, some pictures taken from La Rambla. Amidst running into the Swedish soccer team who are here in Barcelona for the weekend games, witnessing the protest in the main square and meeting people speaking languages from all corners of the world, you can settle down to a very large glass of Sangria and that favourite gelato, absorbing the central vibe of the city of Barcelona.
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A small part of Sweden in Wilmington, USA

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fore

The two first Swedish ships – we know of – to arrive in America, were the Kalmar Nyckel and Fågel Grip. In Wilmington, Delaware, USA, docks a sailing replica of the Kalmar Nyckel, where the first settlers landed.
Photo: JE Nilsson and C M Cordeiro-Nilsson © 2011

Kalmar Nyckel calm beyond reeds.

The Kalmar Nyckel replica is a smaller cousin in design to the Swedish East Indiaman Gotheborg III replica.

We visited the Kalmar Nyckel at what seemed to be at its most quiet and resting period. Beneath the apparent quietness however, were all kinds of repairs and upkeep being done inside and out, with parts of the rigging being indoors undergoing new lacquer treatments. Over the whole area lingered the sweet fragrance of linseed oil and tar.
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Långedrag Värdshus at Talatta

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Långedrag Värdshus

Beautiful dining even on a grey day…Långedrag Värdshus, Talattagatan, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Photo: C M Cordeiro-Nilsson © 2011

There’s something about lunch dining in the middle of a busy week at Långedrag Värdshus that puts a spring in your step regardless of the weather or the agenda for the day you have to deal with.

The location is one of the most significant in the history of the industrialized Gothenburg, being the location of the most famous of all pleasure sailing societies of the late 19th century where the rich burghers sought to gain some of the sun and fresh air that was not found inside of their dark, stale city offices.

The idyllic seaside location of the restaurant and the meandering drive from the city center of Gothenburg, out to the tip of land that connects land with the southern archipelago, literally relaxes both spirit and mind. Greeted by sea breeze on your cheeks as soon as you’re out of the car, the smell of the sea, warm coloured wooden panels of the building and billowing white and cream coloured chiffon curtains, for a brief hour or so, you’re transported to a Nordic Tiamo and can disconnect from your hectic day’s schedule. Here, you can mentally cast loose and set sail out in the open sea, trading in your daily chores towards the fierce competition of a sailing regatta of days gone by.
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The Biotech Center, Gothenburg, Sweden

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Biotech Center, Gothenburg, Sweden, Green Lift.

View from the Green Lift of the Biotech Center, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Photo: C M Cordeiro-Nilsson and PO Larsson © 2011

The Biotech Center in Gothenburg was designed by Per Henrik Johansson at Liljewall Arkitekter ab as a part of the Sahlgrenska Science Park of the city. It is in fact one of my favourite modern buildings in the city of Gothenburg because this building, that houses mostly biotechnology and innovation companies, is to me the very concrete extension of innovative design and architecture.

Since its opening in 2004, it has become today, a star attraction to many of our visitors who come from abroad, of which its most interesting features are reflected in this article in Arkitektur 4:2004 (Pdf file 4.8Mb), in a journal on architecture that describes in greater detail, the Biotech Center project.
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Things I love about Philly!

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The Philadelphia Museum of Art at Fairmount

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the largest museums in the USA. Still, when asking for directions in Philadelphia people might not immediately recognize what the huge building at the small hill near the river is, but if you ask about the “Rocky” stairs … aha!

fashion_art_museum

An ongoing exhibition here that is not to be missed is on Italian fashion designer Roberto Capucci: Art into Fashion that goes on until June 2011.
Photo: J E Nilsson and C M Cordeiro-Nilsson © 2011

Far from being a cliché, running up and down the “Rocky Stairs” is exactly what people do up until today in Philadelphia. That, and posing in front of the Rocky statue for pictures.
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A Red Dot meet-up at Penn

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LOVE at the University of Pennsylvania, USA.

On University of Pennsylvania campus ground, a replica of American artist Robert Indiana’s iconic Love sculpture whose original is on display in the ‘Love Park’, near City Hall here in Philadelphia. The girls to the left? Haven’t a clue.
They were just there. Beautifully draped all over the thing.
Photo: J E Nilsson and C M Cordeiro-Nilsson © 2011

Founded by Benjamin Franklin, the University of Pennsylvania has consistently ranked one of the world’s top universities, with its business school, Wharton, being legendary. Even now as my work brings me side by side with faculty drawn from this ivy league university, I was happy to visit the actual campus, especially during Cherry Blossom season!

University of Pennsylvania, campus.

The Upper Quad Gate, the number one popular “dorm” or college house, among most Freshmen at Penn, scenic in the Spring sunlight.

Cheryl Marie Cordeiro Nilsson and Jan-Erik Nilsson at the University of Pennsylvania, USA.

JE and I at Penn, directly across the Upper Quad Gate.

boyz

Campus life – just brilliant!

I completely enjoyed walking down some of its numerous pathways that bathed in the early spring sunlight, exploring buildings, the libraries, the bookshop and slightly beyond the campus grounds, a cozy shop that sold all things chocolate. Fictional Hogwarts excluded, I could never dream up a more vibrant campus life than what I met with at Penn walking down Locust Walk.
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Postcards from Philadelphia, USA

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Cheryl Marie Cordeiro-Nilsson, Philadelphia, March 2011.

In Chinatown, just outside the restaurant Penang in Philadelphia, USA. It was colder than usual for this time of year in Philly with temperatures hovering around 0C. In this picture on me, a beige wool coat from Patrizia Pepe, a mole coloured wool knitted scarf by Isabel Benenato, both Italian designers. Brown denim jeans from Warehouse, a deep pink wool sweater by Karen Millen. Boots are from Clarks.
J E Nilsson and C M Cordeiro-Nilsson © 2011

Cherry blossoms were supposed to be in full bloom during this time of year that is end of March in Philadelphia, USA. In fact, Washington DC is right now celebrating its Cherry Blossom Festival, but where I was in Philadelphia, it was chillier than usual with temperatures hovering between -3C and 3C.

Cheryl Marie Cordeiro-Nilsson, University of Pennsylvania, UPenn, USA.

The University of Pennsylvania or UPenn has got remarkably beautiful grounds. In fact, their school’s Quad is featured in the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, 2009.

I was in Philadelphia on conference as one of several invited speakers, to be part of a panel discussion on Singaporeans living and working abroad. The conference was held at Wharton, University of Pennsylvania, where I thought the univeristy grounds were breathtakingly beautiful, despite the chill.

Philadelphia warms my heart. And I’ll be back in short, with why.

Passionate about food, a walk through Passion för Mat 2011, iGothenburg, Sweden

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Leif Mannerström testing homemade ice-cream.

The Grand Old Man of Western Swedish Gastronomy and Guide Micheline star Chef Leif Mannerström gives the thumbs up of one of the new flavours at the Österhagens ice-cream stall. No surprise perhaps. Stig’s and Inger’s efforts are well known, and recognized by Diplomas of Execellence awarded by the Western Swedish Academy of Gastronomy in 2008 and by the Swedish Academy of Gastronomy in 2010.

Adding the last touches, ahead of opening

Vintage 1960 van crowd puller, used for serving coffee.

Early Friday morning the staff at the Swedish Coffee house Löfbergs Lila were adding the last touches to their stall. Besides coffee, they feature a vintage 1960 French delivery truck with forward opening “girl catching” doors, painted in their corporate colors and rebuilt into a coffee van. Together with the smell of freshly brewed coffee samples, nothing beats this as a crowd puller.
Photo © JE Nilsson for CMC 2011

Yesterday, Friday the 25th of February, 2011 – the forth installment of the food fair Passion för Mat 2011 at Eriksbergshallen in Gothenburg opened its gates for the expectant crowds.

This particular food fair is a crowd pleaser in that its exhibitors are overwhelmingly generous with giving out samples of most everything displayed to be sold.

I had arrived well ahead of opening hours this first day, since I had planned to help some at the booth of the Western Swedish Academy of Gastronomy friends organization. The steady paced group of exhibitors – bright, friendly and enthusiastic – are so passionate about what they do that it’s a joy to be there. Taking my time, I strolled around the expansive hall to say hello to friendly faces who like me, were adding a last few touches to their stalls.

One of the trends today in upscale dining is that the food comes with a story. The produce should be grown as close to the consumption as possible. Both in time and geography. The fish should ideally be alive when it goes into the pot and as one Chef puts it, if we push this just a little bit further, people will need to bite into the cow in the barnyard. So, people here know what they are selling. If they hadn’t baked, cooked or canned everything themselves, they at least knew those who did.

After grabbing a coffee from the remarkably attention grabbing purple vintage 1960 van at the Löfbergs Lila stand, I wandered on.
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Meet-up with old friends in Stockholm

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Cheryl Marie Cordeiro-Nilsson at Stockholm's östasiatiska Museet, the East Asian Museum, Stockholm.

At the Östasiatiska Museet, Stockholm.
Photo © JE Nilsson and C M Cordeiro-Nilsson for CMC 2011

The Terracotta Army Exhibition currently ongoing at the Östasiatiska Museet in Stockholm plus girlfriends in town and a love for long drives all provided excellent reasons for a cross country weekend getaway from Gothenburg to Stockholm. Whichever way you choose to travel between the two largest cities of Sweden, the time needed is about half a day. If you can flash the corporate plastic and use a cab for the transfers, travelling by air is of course the best.

If you have plans to visit a number of places as we did, and like the freedom, a car ride is worth considering.

There is surprisingly enough, no expressways between Gothenburg and Stockholm but rather three choices of roads. One pretty much okay in terms of speed (E4), one decent (E20) and one, lets be polite and say – scenic – road (E45/E18). Being in no particular hurry we of course chose the last one for the leg up, while the return trip home was made on the E4. The former being an interesting route through a snow blanketed provincial Swedish landscape and the E4 with a few exceptions around the Lake Vättern, pretty much one long stretch of asphalt.

We made it to the Östasiatiska Museet early on Sunday to avoid the mid-day crowds. This exhibition which shows a number of pieces never before exhibited outside of China has so far turned out to be a great success, not in the least because of the fact that the museum managed to make accessible and use some formerly secret military caverns just under it for this exhibition, but the sensation of actually meeting with these lifesized figures – underground – where they were actually meant to be, gives an eerie aspect to the entire experience of it all, where you now and again catch yourself making sure that the figures are actually standing still.
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