The way a Guinness should be served...with a shamrock made in the foam! Doesn't it just make you so thirsty to look at it?!

My room now, March 2006! Wow! What a mess!

My room has definitely added some clutter in a year and half since this picture was taken! This is from September 2004.

More of the monestary from 1506.

I went downtown today to enjoy the Sunday calm and the nice, warm, above-freezing weather. I took advantage of the clear-blue sky and took some photos of one of the oldest buildings in Aalborg...built in 1506. I believe it was an old monestary. Now it is apartments for people who want peace and quite in the middle of the city.

I was very much into the Irish St. Patrick's Day spirit this year, and added to the fun by drawing up my own Leprechaun ears! It was an idea that I was first introduced to by my 6th grade teacher. It is amazing how much pointed ears can make a "normal" person look so elf like!

Irish Soda Bread...typically a dry, crumbly, bland bread, this one was a great recipe by Martha Stewart, which I will definitely make again...most likely not just for St. Patrick's Day! I will, however, not use the carraway next time...I'll possibly try a Swedish version and add cardimum! :)

By request: Marieke and Marta doing the Gosia pose! :)

Very interesting...but probably not.

You Should Date An Italian!

You love for old fashioned romance, with an old fashioned guy An Italian guy is the perfect candidate to be your prince charming If your head doesn't spin enough, just down another espresso with him Invest in a motorcycle helmet - and some carb blocker for all that pasta!

Which Foreign Guy Should You Date?

At least I know how to make a real espresso now and I have been complimented by an Italian for my pizza dough making skills! But these little blog surveys are bogus. If I had checked that I wanted to go to Sweden on vacation, then they would've stuck me with a Swede. Denmark was not a choice of destination, unfortunately. Although, I probably wouldn't visit here after living here for the past 2 years. That is why I chose Italy. I want to go to Venice!

Marieke's view of the piano as it falls (okay...hangs) from the ceiling in Cafe Klostertorvet. We met up with Marta today before Marieke caught her flight back to Munich. Now I am all alone again and forced to work on my darn thesis. I had a really great time, though, while Gosia and Marieke were here! Come back anytime!

Aah! The piano is falling on Marieke!!

A group shot

Using the tripod!

My tripod came in handy for taking a group shot: Annelise, Marieke, Gosia, Marta and Joao.

Sunday night, Gosia made dinner and we had the Brazilians, Joao and Marta over the occasion. I set the table with my new green table cloth that I am very excited about! It was very inexpensive, too! :)

As you can see, it was quite cold as we looked over the chalk deposits. Marieke wrapped herself up very efficiently in her green scarf!

Acres of chalk, covered with snow.

The AalborgPortland cement factory gets the material for their cement from this huge chalk/calcium deposit. The water in Aalborg is extremely hard and it is full of chalk. Danes are used to regularly using de-chalkers to clean their coffee machines and washing machines, etc. A build up of chalk collects on everything that the water touches. It is a pain in the ass to clean and you can taste it when you drink the water, too. It took me a long time to get used to the taste, but now, I am sure my bones will be much stronger because of it!

The windmill in Oester Sundby

A row of trees between the fields. I actually ride my bike close to the other side of this field when I am going to the university. This is only a 10 minute walk from where I live.

On Sunday, we took an afternoon walk to the country side...to Oester Sundby. It was so cold, but very beautiful outside!

After baking, I attempted to learn to tune a guitar. I really wish I could play one of those things!! But the strings hurt my delicate fingers! ;)

On Saturday, we had an American baking day at some Danish friends in N�rresundby. We made chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, chocolate muffins, and brownies. For dinner we had a delicious salad, roast turkey and delicious homemade mac 'n cheese! L to R is Gosia, Anne, Helle, Marieke, Christiana, and Julie!

We had a great dinner at Rai Friday night.

Great Danish advertising...2 times a week...what do you think you should do (at least) 2 times a week!?

Annelise and a drink at Cafe Skaal

Brazilian Joao and Marieke at Cafe Skaal Thursday night.

We made a lot of espresso this week...and I finally learned how to make it correctly with my little espresso maker I got from my Italian friend Luca!

After pizza at the guy's place, we went to the Studenthouse...Marta, Gosia, and Marieke.

Joao, Annelise and Marieke after dinner...we were looking at all the funny city names in the US. You should try looking it up sometime...it gives great entertainment!

Wednesday we took the ingredients for pizza to these guys place and Geane Paulo (the Italian butt boy) put the pizzas together. I got a wonderful compliment from him telling me that I made the pizza crust very well! That was an honor to hear coming from an Italian! (Joao, Marieke, Gosia, and Geane Paulo)

It's hard to see, but we broke the key inside the lock to Gosia's bike, which was wrapped around Marieke's bike, so they walked the locked-together bikes home from the Irish House! It was funny!

Monday the 6th was the Jam Session at the Irish House, so we were there to support the two guitarists and the one banjo player. I drank a Guinness with the gals; Marta, Gosia and Annelise

Look what is allowed to be printed on a billboard in Denmark! Don't you love it!?

Marieke and Gosia in the hygge corner at Rai, our favorite place for coffee! :)

Yeah! And Marieke has finally arrived after all the snow delays in Munich and the cancellations in Copenhagen! We were prepared with hot tea and fresh baked goods! I could open a bed 'n breakfast!

I look like a freak...but it was cold outside! Layers are important!

We went for a walk after all the baking we had done that day. We needed some nice negative degree weather to prepare us for dinner making. Damn! It was cold outside! Gosia is on the hill behind my house.

Despite the cold, it was very nice to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine (as it came and went) and freshly baked poppy seed muffins and tea!

In preparation for the arrival of Marieke from Munich, we made Martha Stewart's shortbread cookies for tea time. Gosia is great when it comes to baking!

Marta and Annelise

Gosia and I went to have tea with her friend Marta, from Brazil! It was very nice on such a cold winters day. And then I found out that Marta is flat mates with a girl from Tacoma, Washington...my birthplace! Small world!

And then Gosia and I took a picture so that we could show to Hector while we chatted on msn messenger. Gosia had just been on a very long bus ride all the way from the middle of Poland to the very tip of Denmark...I think it was about an 18 hour bus ride!

Ole! I got a mini purple sombrero from Gosia as well, imported from Mexico via Poland by Hector, the Mexican who studied here in Aalborg last year.

And Gosia brought a Polish basket full of delicious Polish chocolates! Oh dear! They are tasting so good! But it sure is lovely to have friends come to visit! :)

My wonderful friend Gosia arrived on Friday, March 3rd, and brought these beautiful tulips! They lasted nearly a week and looked great in the stein I brought back from the Oktoberfest!

March came to Denmark with another layer of the white stuff. We have had probably only 3 days at the most with no snow since the snow started to fall the day after Christmas. It has been pretty bright and white around here. This is the view from out the kitchen window. That is my neighbor, Kirsten, walking her bike in the blizzard like weather. (March 2)