Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dinesen

I woke up this morning to thunders and lightning and the rain has been pouring down. It feels refreshing; I like the darkness accompanying it. Well, the sky is slowly brightening up so maybe today will be yet another sunny day.

Yesterday we celebrated our boy's birthday (the living room floor is a Playmo Knights battlefield) and I also went into the city to go to the library. I so enjoyed revisiting Karen Blixen's book Out of Africa earlier this month and I wanted to read more by Blixen and about her life. I was telling my parents on the phone the other day that I don't know why Blixen fascinated me from a young age. Maybe it was the Danish vibe that I felt in the home of my paternal grandparents, who were both part Danish.

I wanted to borrow - and did - Seven Gothic Tales, which Blixen wrote in English under the nom de plume Isak Dinesen after returning to Denmark from Kenya (Out of Africa came later). Then I got a few books that Sidney Pollack's film Out of Africa (1985) was based on: Shadows on the Grass, where Blixen continues with stories about her life in Kenya, Isak Dinesen: The Life of Karen Blixen by Judith Thurman, and Silence Will Speak by Errol Trzebinski. The last one is about the life of Denys Finch Hatton and his relationship with Blixen (played by Robert Redford in the film).

Maybe I should have warned you that this post was about books, but I guess the photo gave it away. Have a wonderful weekend!

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

I was sitting here with my coffee thinking that it cannot be Friday already, or pizza-day as we refer to them in this house. What happened to this week? It has flown by but it has been a good one. I spent yesterday morning in the city. I went to the library and brought home a stack of books and pink peonies. I know, I thought I wasn't feeling them this season but then I saw a bouquet and before I knew it I had purchased it. I had a cup of latte at one of my favourite cafés, where I also ran into an old school friend of mine from Iceland, whom I haven't seen for probably 11 years. This world is simply too small sometimes. One of the books I borrowed yesterday is Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls, which I'm now reading for the first time and thoroughly enjoying.

Speaking of books, this morning my Amazon birthday package arrived. As my birthday isn't until July, I'm not going to share its entire content with you yet, but believe me, it's a good one. Well, you already knew that I was expecting Blixen's Out of Africa, but I have to finish Hemingway before I go on a journey in Kenya with Blixen.

For the very curious cats reading this blog I will share one of my new coffee table books, because I have already talked about it: Bringing Nature Home by Ngoc Minh Ngo (the book I meant to give to myself on the Icelandic First Day of Summer, see this blog post). It is even more beautiful than I had imagined - the photographs and the floral arrangements simply take my breath away.

Enjoy a wonderful weekend!

Espresso macchiato & lunch at Konrad

On Saturday I spent a lovely day in the city with a friend of mine. On the agenda was to try the coffee and have lunch at Konrad in Rue du Nord (follow the link to see the photos I took a few weeks back). We got a table outside where we sat in the shadow and started with the coffee. I know that I'm a self-proclaimed latte person but lately I have been stepping out of my latte comfort zone; ordering espresso macchiato when I sit down at cafés and grabbing a latte if I'm on the run. Brave steps.

I am no coffee expert and have no idea how to explain the perfect coffee cup but all I know is that my espresso on Saturday was perfect. (In case you are interested, a friend of mine who happens to be a coffee and an IT geek/expert has created this awesome app called Barista's Log. Makes me wish I knew more about coffee tasting.)

After the coffee we went inside to enjoy lunch. Konrad is well known for its curry dishes but on Saturdays things are kept simpler in the kitchen so I ordered a quiche (vegetarian) with salad on the side. The food was delicious. Seriously, I'm still thinking about it and just waiting to go back to have some more. With my meal I enjoyed a glass of organic rosé, which added to the perfection.

As you can see in the photos, this place is one of those unpretentious ones that I happen to like very much. Konrad is a non-smoking place in an old building in the heart of the city with a mix of industrial, wooden and leather chairs. There are exposed beams in the ceiling, the walls are white and one wall is covered with flowery wallpaper. There are no menus, everything is written on blackboards. It's also a bar and a comedy club.

I don't do uptight places. I like it when café/restaurant owners put more effort into creating a relaxing atmosphere than spending money on fancy decor. Konrad is exactly that kind of place, unpretentious and relaxing with a friendly staff.

Konrad, Café & Bar
7 rue du Nord
Luxembourg