A Day Trip to Solvang

aebelskiver anyone?

After just passing by the town hundreds of times for the past 9 years, I finally was in Solvang on one Saturday this month. Solvang, a little Danish replica village nestled in the Santa Ynez valley has everything "Danish"; windmills, horse drawn wagon, Hans Christian Andersen Park and of course Danish pastries! But when I look at the architecture of the houses, I felt like I was in a small traditional town in Germany.Maybe houses in tradionational towns in Europe are similar? I don't know. I have never been t to any tradional towns in Danemark. But a few houses off the main road in Solvang looked very similar to those of houses I saw in Koenigswinter in Germany. 

Obviously you cannot compare a small town with a big city, but other than a copy of the famous Little Mermaid statue, Solvang didn't remind me of Copenhagen I visited in 1989. It is also a little bit too touristy for us.  But, overall, Solvang is a charming little half-day escape destination.

We had lunch at Greenhouse Café at 487 Atterdag Rd for tasty, beautiful open-faced roast beef Danish sandwich for my hubby and hot grilled chicken sandwich with danish cheese and pesto for me. I wanted to try some danish entree such as danish meatballs & red cabbage, but they are made of pork which I don't eat. Oh well I guess sampling aebelskiver, a hearty dough balls with powdered sugar and raspberry jam just do the trick to consume some Danishes.

Beautiful Marigold flowers near Solvang

Relaxing in Jakarta

Is it all possible?

It is for me... As I don't go places or to the shopping malls there. Unless I am on a business trip, I just stay put in one place with my family for a few days or a week to relax, eat delicious food and spend a great time with the gang. Hubby and I just did that on our most recent visit to Jakarta.


All together, at last! 

Untuk pertama kalinya setelah hampir 10 tahun nggak ngumpul (gimana bisa ngumpul, tiga dari 4 bersaudara hidupnya mencar-mencar di lain negara) alhamdulillah bulan Juni-Juli yang baru lalu kami bersaudara bisa berkumpul lengkap dengan kedua orang tua. 
Walaupun cuma sebentar dan tidak semua pasangan kami bisa gabung, we had a lot of fun. Every minute of it. 

Kami tidak buat rencana apa-apa, yang penting kumpul dan menikmati kebersamaan. Kebanyakan waktu kami habiskan buat leyeh-leyeh di kamar hotel. Kecuali adek sekeluarga yang rumahnya dekat hotel, seluruh keluarga ikut menginap dengan kami. Kebetulan bisa dapat kamar-kamar yang berdekatan. Sempat juga semua boyongan dan menginap di Bogor untuk beristirahat beberapa hari dan menghindari Jakarta untuk sementara.  Kadang kami berempat adek kakak seolah lupa anak dan suami. Untung mereka kompak dan get allong well together. The boys akan main kartu cangkulan di kamar hotel, berenang atau pergi makan.  

Bicara makanan lain lagi ceritanya.  Setiap  waktu makan tiba, pasti butuh waktu lama untuk mutusin makanan apa yang akan dipesan atau kemana akan pergi makan.  Seperti biasa, anak-anak maunya fast food kaya' McD, pizza hut dsb.  Sementara para ibu maunya makanan tradisional. Tapi karena ibu-ibunya cerewet dan dominan hihihi, keseringan kita menikmati makanan tradisional.  Untung anak-anak akhirnya selalu suka dengan semua tempat makan yang kami pilih.Kegiatan lain yang dilakukan sama-sama adalah berenang. Maklum para ibu dari masih bayi sudah dicemplungin ke air oleh orang tua. Jadi sekarang tertular ke anak-anak.  Semua jadi jurig renang. Kolam renang hotel serasa milik keluarga. Yang nggak ikutan berenang, pada nongkrong di pinggir kolam nontonin yang berenang. 

Of all restaurants we visited on this trip, here is a list of my top 6. 

- Warung Daun, Jl. Walter Monginsidi, Jakarta, (021)7278 6138
- Sate khas Senayan, Jl Kebon Sirih Raya 31A, Jakarta, (021) 326238
- Rumah Makan Cibiuk Bogor, Jl. Pajajaran No.21C, (0251) 380303, Bogor
- Satoo at Shangri-La Hotel, Kota BNI, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav.1, Jakarta 
- Gado-gado at Plaza Indonesia Food Court, Jl. MH Thamrin, Jakarta
- Toscana Kemang, Jl. Kemang Raya 120, Jakarta, (021) 7181216

On the plane: Cakep read, I played with camera :-)