So after some deliberation & communication with an Oslo based friend earlier this Spring, I booked a little getaway to coincide with May 17th, the Norwegian National Day. I am, unabashedly, a fan of things Norwegian- the landscapes (of which I have so many more to see!), the food, the fashion, the language, the architecture & more elements of the country and it’s elements.  So it made sense for me to return to Oslo on a day when the nation was being celebrated & citizens & travelers alike were taking part.

 Photographing the city coming to life near Youngstorget as I am about to meet my friends to enjoy the festivities of the day…

 Barnetog

(Children’s Parade)

Of course I had intentions to photograph throughout the day & “document” the festivities through my own lens.  But I soon realized I had a curiosity about all the beautiful designs & variations of dress I saw around.

I had seen a Norwegian bunad before but it wasn’t until this day, seeing so many in one place, representing numerous regions of Norway, that I became really curious about their beauty, various colors, symbolism & designs.

So I began to approach people, explaining my curiosity & asking if I could photograph them, writing down the information about their bunad in my little notebook as I went.  Of course I also gave them all my business card with the option to email them the photo I took in gratitude for allowing me to “document” their dress!

Once I started with this I had a hard time stopping!!   It was fun to interact with people & it also became a geography lesson of sorts as people wore bunads from the region they were from & often were explaining the location or particular geographical qualities of that region.

Stop I had to at some point to move along in the day with my friends as well as to eat!!!  I could have easily done this for hours!!!  The interaction created an entirely other dimension to celebrating the day for me.

Bunad (left): Sami

Bunad (right): Valdres

The Royal Family

Bunad (left): Gudbrandsdal (Østfold)

Bunad (middle): Østfold

Bunad (right): Østva

Bunad (left): Kautokeino

Bunad (right): Norwegian/Sami mix

Bunad: Sunnfjord

Bunad (3 with red & green): Setesdal

Bunad: Romeriket

Bunads: Male with Hat: Gudbrandsdalen

Female (black skirt): Telemark

Females (blue): Troms (blue for coastal area)

Baby: Gudbrandsdalen (skirt pattern of a very special pattern representing one farm called Hole)

Bunad: Setesdal

Bunad: Romeriket

NRK Produksjon

Bunads (left & right): Aust-Agder

Bunad (middle): Vest-Agder

Bunad (left): Lenvik (Troms)

Bunad (right): Telemark

Bunad: Sunnmøre (Ølesund)

-Geirangerfjord region

Scarf (handmade) represents that she is married

Bunads: Sunnmøre (Ølesund)

-Geirangerfjord region

When the downpours came!

And many were prepared with umbrellas!!!

 About to enjoy a delicious strawberry tart during the rains…

 A photo of me on Karl Johans Gate on the day of the national festivities….

A special “May 17th present” gifted to me by an Oslo based friend- the magnet puzzle is definitely up on my fridge now, in process of gradual assembly…

 One of the delicious cakes (above : The Pavlova, as named after a Russian ballerina, consisting of meringue, cream, strawberries & kiwi) at the May 17th dinner feast I was part of with great food, great dialogue & great company.

More to come from my weekend in one of my favorite cities on Earth…..

Backstage at Velodrom Theater during a pre-production rehearsal of a local dance school.  Laying the groundwork & meeting dancers, teachers & dance studio owners in the region for my new photo project : Dance in the City.

Flowers everywhere- snapping a quick photo after lunch at Haus Heuport, Regensburg.

En route to the train station in Regensburg…

enjoying a gorgeous floral display…

Love the Reef Girl Calendar & excited to turn the page to May!

Before & after a photosession is when I typically grab a bit of food & drink out somewhere & I nearly always document the moment.

Above, one recent Sunday in Parsberg, before a 1st Communion Celebration photosession, enjoying a cup of coffee & the delightful accompanying edible chocolate cup of cream.

Saturday in Nürnberg, before my 2nd ‘Dance in the City’ Photosession (enjoy some of the results on Facebook here), enjoying some coffee talk & a bite to eat at Lorenz Cafe.

Curry Carrot Soup at Lorenz Cafe

Enjoying a green waterway view in Nürnberg

Waiting for to go pizza in Parsberg- I love flipping through this Italian cook book while I wait & enjoying the beautiful & very atmospheric food & travel photography…

Back in Regensburg on a Sunday!  This past Mother’s Day I had a family session booking in this city & arrived early to grab some morning food at Haus Heuport first…

Mingling with the ducks in Regensburg

Cupcakes to go!!

From Goliath Cafe, Regensburg

 Enjoying a beautiful floral display en route to the train station in Regensburg

And as I finish this entry, I am perched to head out the door for a photosession at a store in Regensburg.  It’s a beautiful, bright sunny day here & I am going to enjoy every piece of the Spring energy.  And in two days, it’s off to Oslo!!!!

Navigating Munich Underground en route to a shoot at BMW Welt 

The onset of Spring & warmer weather this year has meant increased bookings for me over at Nomad Dakini Design.  I love using my own personal seasonal invigoration & applying it to all the details that go into photosession bookings- date setting, weather concerns, location decisions & more.

And of course, after what felt like a very long & drawn out winter (apparently the darkest winter in Germany recorded history) it just feels great to get out even more, do what I enjoy, make people happy, collaborate & also find time to pursue my own creative projects.

No matter how well acquainted I may be with a location, I often see photosessions as an opportunity to reacquaint myself even further & of course in several cases, to establish initial acquaintance with a place!. Time permitting, of course I try to find interesting, nutritious (or just simply delicious) snacks & meals to enjoy as well.

Saturday shooting with a model at BMW Welt. Capturing a shot of the very busy energy inside the building!

Visiting a dance school & studio in Nürnberg to start meeting dancers for my upcoming photo project: Dance in the City

A delicious & nutritious lunch at a natural food grocer in Nürnberg- Veggie Pizza, Red Beets & Sald – Mmmm!

Donations! Some of my photos  of local city scenes framed & ready for donation to a local Celebration of the Arts Gala.

Pre session lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in Regensburg- Haus Heuport.

Grilled prawns with wasabi yoghurt sauce, a crunchy diced veggie salad & beet chips. What a delicious dish with such an array of rich complementary  flavors -I might have to return for more!

Searching for Cafe Opera in Regensburg, I came across their old location where the Cafe Drei Mohren now exists. The discovery of their blended ice coffee ensured that I will be returning when in the city again….

The actual (new) location for Cafe Opera was actually just a few blocks from my photosession appointment so I dropped in for a quick Petit Four…

With a great photosession that ended on the heels of a beautiful Spring day, the call was made to go enjoy Cafe Opera (the 2nd time for me that day!).  I enjoyed a green tea & this beautiful strawberry tart with my awesome subjects/clients & the lovely owner of the yoga studio that we used as one of our locations in the shoot.

Spring Weather + Great People + Delicious Food & an Active Schedule =’s

One Very Happy Gal

SPRING GREETINGS ALL!!!  ENJOY….

I am a fairly avid Tripadvsior user & reviewer. I especially enjoy writing positive reviews when I have had a great experience somewhere!  But for some reason I suppose I was skeptical.  From the description and reviewer photos, the restaurant looked, well, nondescript.  I had a hard time believing this was seriously the favored restaurant by many travelers to the area!

But I am far from a Michelin Star restaurant, foodie critic & expert!   I love humble and cozy!  However, I suppose that knowing the world of reviews these days (writing them & reading them often), I take things with a grain of salt sometimes….

Well, all I can say is that I am very glad I left this one in the hands of my husband!

On our last night in Lisbon, we took a taxi through the hilly central city to the reservations only Cantinho Lusitano.  We were left off at what appeared to be the front door.  We could see the diners inside but the door would not open.  After a couple of minutes of pacing up and down the sidewalk trying to figure out the apparent mystery of how to get in, one of the diners on the inside opened the door.

We entered and settled in.  I must repeat, this cozy little place is “reservations only” and there appears to be no point taking chances with that!  There’s probably no more than about 20 seats inside.  I regret that I actually did not ask staff a bit about the back story of the place, but we were too busy from the moment we sat down perusing the menu and then digging into the simple and divine starter…

Just bread, butter and olives right?

Wrong!!!

These were far beyond what we were expecting for a simple start.

I don’t know how many “Oh My!” glances we exchanged as we

chewed on these meaty olives & slices of bread perfection.

“Mafra” Bread, Garlic Butter & Seasoned Olives

Grilled Choruico Sausage with Muscatel Sauce

Meat Rolls with Mint & Greet Yoghurt Sauce

Fava Bean Salad with Cumin

Cod “Pataniscas” with Rice & Beans

From start to finish we oohed & ahhed over each dish that arrived. Throughout the meal, a few more diners arrived – some with reservations, who had similar entry “issues” with the door, & some who didn’t – neighborhood locals we suspected who have the ease of just swinging by to see if their are perhaps openings.

The restaurant is indeed a bit nondescript & of course it really doesn’t matter.  It’s cozy & the main purpose is to focus on the incredibly savory ingredients of the small yet filling dishes & of course, to enjoy the company you are with.  We could not have had a cozier or more delicious last meal in Lisbon.

A building in the  Parque das Nações neighborhood

Seating inside Museu da Cerveja

My husband’s beer order at Museu da Cerveja.

He enjoyed it very much!

Having breakfast in a typical hole in the wall cafe. Delicious!!! We swooned over this complimentary cheese & the pillowy bread with perfect crisp crust!

Enjoying a brisk morning walk by the water…

Getting a little falafel fix in central Lisbon

Viewing the 25 de Abril Bridge while aboard a relaxing afternoon boat cruise

After a bit of a rainy boat ride, enjoying viewing the rainbow over the bridge while en route back to dock.

The gooey caramels purchased from Charles de Gaulle when we were en route to Lisbon were one of a few treats enjoyed in the hotel room.

Hunger stroke quickly at the Lisbon airport a couple of hours from departure & fortunately there was a great restaurant there for me to satisfy it. Not to mention, we had somehow spent the entire trip thus far in Portugal without ever having this very traditional national dish, Bacalhau. Many variations exist & this one did not disappoint at all. I can still taste the savory bed of greens, tender fish & herbed potatoes & olives now! One last fantastic Portugese dish before flying home!

Architect: Santiago Calatrava

Flying on Air France from Nürnberg, our changeover was at Charles de Gaulle in Paris.

Not the most direct of routes but a nice opportunity to revisit this airport.

Having a quick Laduree vanilla macaroon at Charles de Gaulle….

What my husband ordered at Confraria Sushi.

We arrived to our hotel, LX Boutique Hotel, around 11 pm & decided on a bite to eat before settling in.

The sushi restaurant attached to the hotel was full &  buzzing quietly with an apparent mix of locals & travelers enjoying the delicious & beautifully laid out plates.

1st morning in Lisbon…

Delicious breakfast & atmosphere at the restaurant adjacent to the LX Boutique Hotel

The impressive Museu Militar…

Exploring Alfama neighborhood

The interesting & informative MUDE Museum

Probably one of the most photographed subjects in Lisbon: the yellow trolley

Praça do Comércio

25 de Abril Bridge

Generous offering in the lobby of LX Boutique hotel of the renowned & delicious local custard tarts

 I also have always enjoyed the experience of the airport.  This does not mean I always like the airport & there are a number of airports I will be very content to not have a layover at ever again.  But there are also several which I became very fond of- for their design, general ambience & sometimes for specific features & amenities.  Sometimes these connect to memories.  There is a bar & restaurant at the Honolulu airport, for example, to which I typically connect many memories of grabbing a bite to eat & drink with friends or family while waiting to hop on an interisland flight en route “home” to the Big Island.

Food memories tend to stick out for me in my airport memories.  Either they are dismal, overpriced events, or, surprisingly delicious & interesting experiences.  I think no matter how many good airport meal memories I accumulate, I will always have gratitude when I encounter another one!

And so it was en route to Lisbon…we had a good 3 hours at the Nürnberg airport & found our way to one of the few restaurants in the building.

Terminal 90 Restaurant & Lounge has a great atmosphere.  The entire airport was pretty low key on this particular day & it was nice to settle into a table, relax & check out the menu- many appetizing entries before ordering.

I opted for the Cream of Spring Onion Soup with Samosa.  I love trying out all the different vegetable soups here in Germany (often “Cream of” something).  This was by far a favored one & nicely paired with the crisp samosas.

For my main course, I had the Chicken Curry in Coconut Milk with Vegetables & Rice.  The meal was both delicious & well proportioned.

And, I suppose also critical to note when commenting on an airport meal, the prices were, we felt, completely fair & equivalent to what we would pay in the city.  There was no absurd inflation of price & most importantly, we thoroughly enjoyed eating here.  I look forward to returning when we fly out of Nürnberg again!

On a photoshoot in Regensburg earlier this month,

discovering new paths, areas & backdrops…

Winter showed brief signs of perhaps coming to an end & making way for Spring a few times this month, but alas, we still remain here in Bavaria on the border of Winter’s end & the breaking of Spring.

In addition to Beer & Peppermint Tea, Aperol Spritz seems to be one of the most popular regional drinks of choice & very much associated with outdoor seating in Spring & Summer.  On a fine, sunny (but chilly) early mid March day in Regensburg, I saw glasses of these populating the tables of the crowded outdoor seating areas in central Regensburg.  A strong chill may have been in the air, but the sun was shining bright & a bit of a quiet celebratory mood was in the air.  I interpreted it as a strong promise of Spring beginning, but as the March days went on & the snows returned I revised my interpretation…

Outdoor seating in Regensburg

The days have arrived for me to start seriously indulging in tea.

Seeing this healthful tea presentation on our neighboring table was a fantastic (and beautiful) reminder…

Navigating the Munich subway system en route to a photosession

The photosession was at the BMW Welt in Munich.

I had pre-arranged a special permit to photoshoot there but didn’t consider how buzzing BMW Welt on a Saturday afternoon would be!

We still managed to have a fun & interesting shoot…

To feed my insatiable magazine reading hobby, freshly ordered & received- the first issue of “Rebel Times” by Copenhagen based Art Rebels.

Great photography & rich interviews with entrepreneurs of many walks of life.

]]> http://annikalundkvist.com/2013/03/30/late-winter-ends-bits/feed/ 0 http://annikalundkvist.com/2013/03/16/five-days-in-berlin/ http://annikalundkvist.com/2013/03/16/five-days-in-berlin/#comments Sat, 16 Mar 2013 20:05:57 +0000 Annika http://annikalundkvist.com/?p=5482 5 days, 7 photoshoots & time to spare for some relaxed social time with friends!

Since we have been living in Germany, I have been revisiting Berlin a few times a year.

Each time reinforces my interest in the spacious city, its people and neighborhoods, its food and social culture.

Thursday morning in Friedrichshain- Simon Dach Str. gradually “waking up”

Heading into a “Parent/Child” cafe with a good friend and her young girl

Ordering up some Chai at the Parent/Child cafe

Friday at Haus der Kulturen der Welt- preparing for a shoot that will capture the exterior.

Delightful little structures at Neuer See

Cafe am Neuen See

After a photoshoot with the beautiful Emily,

grabbing a bite to eat & a hot drink together at the delicious (and deliciously cozy) Cafe am Neuen See

Yes, indeed Spring is coming.  Eventually!

Neuer See

Checking out the interior of the very well reputed Das Stue Hotel

Myself in Tiergarten

Friday night Concert at the Berliner Dom,

where a good friend is singing in the Berlin Choir.

Interesting stage performances & incredibly moving songs.

I like this activity for a Friday night…

Post concert with a friend enjoying a hot beer!

Saturday at Reiterhof Baumgarten in Gatow, Berlin.

Despite the cold, this was a tremendously satisfying photoshoot :

2 models, 3 horses & this fantastic outdoor environment.

Results from the shoot can be seen here

A photo with the models at the end of the shoot

Back in the middle of the city, grabbing a quick bite to eat at Burger de Ville.

Above: french fries with parsley & garlic.

Sunday morning.

Snow has returned.

Breakfast.

I loved the painting on the wall.

On the S-Bahn to Berlin Sudkreuz to catch my train home,

I saw this scene at Tempelhof out the window

and had to jump off to snap a few photos.

Delightful pouch from a good friend in New York-

handy when I travel for all my sticky tabs, pencils & pencil sharpeners!

Grabbing the March issue of Monocle on the way to Munich in late February.  March issue is Germany focused!

Heading through the streets of central Munich one late February Saturday morning for the #qved 2013 conference…

The #qved 2013 conference was held in the Literature House, Munich.  Checking out the first floor cafe before the presentations begin….

You can see more of my photo documentation from the conference here

Speakers dinner at #qved 2013 conference

The fantastic food at the Speakers dinner…

Fashion Days Nürnberg

More of my photos from Fashion Days here

Nürnberg Underground Tour Evening

Getting goofy on some motorcycles at Fashion Days Nürnberg Night

 A little bit of city fabric…

 Chirping, golden performers in Mirabell Gardens…

 Now that is what I call some stellar marketing for ‘Alpen Gemuchlichkeit’!!!

 Stocking up on some salty Swedish licorice at the lovely Swedish candy shop on the river…

 Enjoying local coffeehouse culture with friends…

As time went by and my tastes expanded, so of course did my interest in various publications.  Moving to Seattle in my early twentie’s and living in “urbanity” for the first time in my life set off a domino chain of interests that would have impact on my future studies, several relocation decisions & a love of publications featuring architectural & city space photography.

A few years ago I got into blogging because I was not satisfied with just consuming media.  As a writer & photographer at heart I wanted to produce it too, even if initially just as a “documentation” project for myself.  I cannot recall an initial “greater agenda” when I began blogging other than to capture moments of life & chronologically document them.  Of course, as time went by, I  (like many other bloggers) saw it as my “virtual calling card” that I might use in the future when I got the gumption & organization going to submit to publications.

However, I remained busy with day to day life & my fiction writings remained piled conspicuously on a corner of my desk (they still do but I have plans for resurrecting them soon & the characters have never left me).  I still snapped away & saw this blog as a travel log of sorts & for the time being was quite content with that.

When a local friend & business owner visited this blog in late Spring of 2011 & quite readily offered me my first photo gig (product photography!), I was surprised but gladly went full steam ahead with it.  In late 2011 I quit my day job to fully focus on my photography business (Nomad Dakini Design)  & have been steadily building it since.

 I have been an architectural hobby photographer for years, so to begin to flesh out a photo business in which my clients range from business owners to  families & individuals to events has been exciting. As a military wife, transient soul & mercurial worker, a portable career also makes ultimate sense for me. Though I don’t doubt that I will seek & hop into related freelance positions in the future, photography will always remain part of the heart of the work I do.

I doubt that in this life I will ever stop producing or consuming content & media.  The beginning of this year (much of it my self ascribed “creative retreat”) has already started off with a bit of a media indulgent frenzy in my workshop.  A fresh subscription to Conde Nast, delving into my growing collection of architecture publications, as well, of course, filing,  categorizing and in general dealing with my own media (namely the creation of my portfolio site Arkkod, but also a lot of “behind the scenes”, desktop organization).

And now for some photos!

Not media, but connected to my days & nights of this year.

My 2013 planner, purchased at one of my favorite International Press shops at the Nuremberg Main Train Station.

SHINE: How to Survive and Thrive at Work, by Chris Baréz-Brown

I gobbled this fun book up on a train ride in late 2012.

I had a photoshoot in late 2012 with a lovely gal in Nuremberg & had been fixated on creating a “70′s vibe” for the shoot but struggled for the words to describe what I was looking for.  After a beautiful photosession, her & I meandered around the city, stopping off in Urban Outfitters where we came across Vintage Style: Iconic Fashion Looks and How to Get Them, by Sarah Kennedy.  The book generally moves through the 20th century focusing on eras and “decade fashions” & was a timely, fun & practical find that we both then looked over together over a cozy coffee in the city.

Monocle!  My monthly magazine treat!

Simply part of the Alpha of mag publications today!

Part of my Architecture & Space related library..digging into some visual “research”

Taschen’s recent sale (in stores & online) no doubt had a lot of book lovers worldwide excited.  Among the forefront publishers of books on architecture, design & fashion (among other themes) Taschen’s books are beloved &  quality.  I was thoroughly blown away when my package arrived to start exploring the beautiful & info rich 2 volume 100 Contemporary Houses set.

Alas, I cannot keep all magazine subscriptions.  And while I definitely enjoy hoarding my collection of magazines, sometimes it makes sense to pass them on to friends who I know they would find a better home with.  Electronic Beats, a Berlin based publication, is fascinating to me, but I know my issues belong with an extremely well versed music aficionado friend of mine in the Pacific Northwest.  Oh, I enjoy sending post as much as I enjoy reading & collecting magazines!  It’s all print love baby!

Last but not least, freshly arrived in the post today- Berlin Inspires, a Liganova City Guide.  Participation in an online contest at the Stuttgart based company’s website led to this rich little gift.  This very portable city guide is packed with great photos, fresh writing & interesting features such as profiles & portraits of Berlin based business owners & artists.  Just in time for me to devour before my next Berlin trip!