Tag: homemade

Bergen

Place 16 – May 14 2022 to May 17 2022: Bergen – 17th May Celebrations!

Kim & Curtis Hale

Day 1

We had to get to the airport early in the morning but we didn’t mind as we were travelling to probably our favourite place, Bergen!

When we arrived, we met our great friends Espen & Marcus at the airport and they drove us to Espen’s apartment. We hung out with them at the apartment as well as meeting Espen’s girlfriend, Rikke, who is a wonderful person also!

Rikke made us some lunch, which was delicious, and we sat and had a conversation for a while.


We wanted to visit the city, as did our friends, so we all took the bus to the city and had a walk around.


Marcus’ dad owns a nightclub/bar in Bergen and he was working, whilst the FA Cup game was on, so we went to watch that with Espen (he’s a Liverpool fan) and we had some drinks and food.


We went back home and we watched Eurovision for the first time! We had a great time watching it actually, and it’s a big deal in Scandinavia. We had some homemade pizza whilst we watched that and then it was time to sleep.

Day 12:

We had some nice homemade breakfast lovingly made by Rikke & Espen.

We had a relaxed morning and watch the GB Vs Norway hockey game. We then got ourselves ready and headed into the city on the bus again.

We lazily walked around the city and tried to buy few things and look around some shops as well.

We went out in the afternoon/evening to watch Rikke in a cheerleading performance! It was super cool to see lots of different ages doing a similar thing but at different levels.

Day 13

We went out for brunch in city with our friends which was really nice! We had some good food and some amazing weather, so much so we were getting burnt from the sun.


We rented a car, so we went to pick that up. They told us there were no issues with it but it was quite scratched up, so we did a full walk around of that and then we set off! We drove to the city and parked up before going to get MANY cinnamon buns and coffee, as is the rule in Norway.

We went for a BBQ at Rikke’s parents’ place which was a really nice place, great food and they were really lovely people as well.


In the late evening, we went to meet another friend, Tony, for some drinks and a chat. The weather was so nice we were able to sit outside comfortably, too!

Day 14

This day was the national day for Norway and we were excited to celebrate!

We got all dressed up for breakfast, Curtis and Espen wore suits, Kim had a nice skirt on and Rikke had a Bunad on, the national outfit of Norway. The table looked all fancy and we had a really nice, big breakfast!

Espen & Rikke!


We took the (very busy) bus to the city to join the celebrations.


There was a parade and we were able to get a table outside to watch the parade and have some drinks! The weather was perfect again so we caught some sun, as well.


After the parade, we went out to Rilke’s aunt’s house for some food and chatting! Everyone was Norwegian so it was a good time to practice some as well. We tried some Rømmegrøt, which is basically ‘sour cream porridge’. When adding a lot of cinnamon sugar, it’s pretty good actually.

We went back to the apartment to get changed into comfortable clothes and relax after a long busy, but fun, day!


We ate homemade cheesecake and strawberries whilst we relaxed and we were all super tired.


Marcus and his girlfriend, Stine, arrived and we got to meet her for the first time. We all sat and chatted and had a really fun time. This was when Curtis finally got the confidence to chat in Norwegian and surprised everyone with how much he has improved, too!

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Vancouver, BC

Place 72 – Day 988: Vancouver, BC – New Friends?

Kim & Curtis Hale

We woke up far too late, but tlwe slept great, which was good!

We had some breakfast and watched a bit of TV and then slowly got ourselves ready to go out.

The weather was better today, so we wanted to walk down to the beach. We got ourselves a coffee and walked down! The weather was actually perfect for a walk.

We saw a person in a replica batman suit, which was random but pretty cool looking!

We walked around for a bit and then started to head back home when we saw a big beautiful dog! We stopped to say hi and the owner was actually English, too!

We ended up having a very long chat with them and took their number. They’re a lovely couple and we’d probably like to meet with them again.

Once we got back home we decided what we were going have for dinners and then drove out to the supermarket to buy our weekly food.

After arriving back home, we made a homemade chicken tikka masala and Kim made homemade naan!

That took a while to make but it was certainly worth it. Delicious!

We watched a film whilst we ate and then it was basically bed time.

This Time Last Year

Mr And Mrs Hale

Vancouver, BC

Place 72 – Day 932: Vancouver, BC – French Patisserie

Kim & Curtis Hale

We woke up and had a nice breakfast at home and then got ourselves ready for the day.

The weather wasn’t good today, but we wanted to go out to a cafe or patisserie, so we found one and drove out there.

It turns out, we actually went to the wrong one! That being said, we did get to have a delicious chocolate coffee cake there!

Chocolate & Coffee…A delicious combo!

We did have a coffee each with this, too, but unfortunately they were no where near as nice as they looked. We plan to come back out and go to the other patisserie we were meant to go to, which was only a block over!

We were parked at a mall, so it made sense to go there to do our weekly shop but also a few other things. We picked up a frame and some other items from Homesense and then went to the supermarket.

We drove back home after a pretty successful day and then when we got home we did some relaxing then Kim made a veggie lasagna for dinner!

We watched a bit of TV and then Kim had a bath and watched a film.

We watched some more TV after Kim’s bath and then headed to bed. Another busy week is coming!

This Time Last Year

Mr And Mrs Hale

Vancouver, BC

Place 72 – Day 931: Vancouver, BC – Wreck Beach

Kim & Curtis Hale

Breakfast & Wreck Beach

We had a good sleep and then woke up and had some breakfast. Kim went out to get croissants and we ate those and slowly got ourselves ready.

We went out to Wreck Beach, which is right by the university campus. This beach, it turns out, is actually clothing optional, though most people that go don’t go for that.

We drove out there and found ourselves some parking and then walked down the many steps through the trees to get to the beach.

The beach was nice and peaceful, with most people just lounging around. There are a lot of logs around, so we sat on one of those after having a walk around and just took in the air and the scenery. The weather wasn’t amazing, but not cold, so it gres to just sit and relax at the beach.

We walked a little more and then headed back up the many steps to get to the car. As we walked back to the car, another car drove very slowly beside us, trying to wait for us to leave our parking spot so they could take it. This was much to the dismay of other drivers who got very annoyed, so we intentionally just walked away and let the guy drive off so he didn’t hold up traffic.

A Surprise!

On the way home, Kim surprised Curtis by driving to the British shop, where we were able to buy a lot of British snacks, similar to what she did for his birthday!

We bought a lot of stuff there and then drove home.

Homemade Pizza

After relaxing at home a little, we went to the supermarket to buy everything we needed for a homemade pizza. We bought the dough this time, though, but it was fresh dough.

We made the pizza and it came out great, though quite soggy in the middle, so that’s something to work on, but it was very tasty!

After eating, we watched a film and had some of our snacks. After that, we watched some more TV but Kim also ordered herself a blanket she wanted to get.

This Time Last Year

Mr And Mrs Hale

Vancouver, BC

Place 72 – Day 912: Vancouver, BC – Homemade Pizza! 🍕

Kim & Curtis Hale

We woke up late today, as it was a day off, then we made a fancy breakfast!

Curtis had something akin to an eggs Benedict whilst Kim had mushrooms on toast, with egg. Both were delicious.

We got ourselves ready, slowly, and then went out to the the supermarket.

Turns out, where we have been parking for the last 2 years is now paid parking, as is most of the area around it! We had to find another spot, which we did, but that’s a little frustrating.

We completed the shop and came home, then Curtis watched the leafs game whilst Kim chatted with a friend.

Kim then went out to buy a kitchen mixer and a few other items. Kim was very happy about getting to buy and use a KitchenAid for the first time… Very exciting!

Once Kim got back, we made homemade pizza! First, Kim made the dough and let that rise for a bit, then we chucked our toppings on.

We had chicken, red onion, red pepper and sweetcorn atop of BBQ & tomato sauce.

We are that, which was excellent, and then relaxed for the remainder of the evening.

We are both getting up early tomorrow, Kim for work and Curtis to watch the next GB hockey game!

This Time Last Year

Mr And Mrs Hale

Vancouver, BC

Place 72 – Day 879: Vancouver, BC – Homemade Espresso Is Great!

Kim & Curtis Hale

Curtis’ Day

Curtis was very excited to make a coffee this morning! Once he was ready to start the day, he made a coffee right away. It took him a second to figure everything out, but he then made one for the first time.

The coffee was alright, but he had some tweaks to do to get it perfected, but that’s part of the fun!

He then got right into the swing of the day. He had a couple of meetings in the morning and then he had a lot of tickets, admin and a few other things to get done in the morning.

Curtis was able to get another couple of people helped with their computer setups, which took a while but there are only a few left now!

Curtis’ second coffee was much better and he really enjoys making them.

In the afternoon, Curtis had some project work to get done and also a bit of security work to do due to a notice he received, but it was interesting.

Kim’s Day

To start her day Kim reviewed candidates with her teammate to prepare for a recruitment meeting just after. The meeting went so well and Kim got some great direction for the next steps with a few positions.

Kim then hosted a meeting and had a quick chat after to discuss what happens next and review how it went. She was then late to a team meeting that went really well. She then had a quick call with a new hire who will be joining the company in a few months.

In the afternoon Kim had another interview and then a great post interview discussion. She set up some time with the hiring managers to review all the candidates for the open positions tomorrow evening. It will be great to take a look at applicants and make notes.

She then popped out to run a few errands in the late afternoon. It was great to get out and get things done that she has been meaning to do for a while now!

Evening

Once Kim got back home, she made a chickpea salad, which we had from Hello Fresh before and kept the recipe!

We devoured the dinner and then Kim did a bit more work as she had more to do but didn’t plan to be our for so long earlier. Curtis played some games whilst Kim worked and then we hung out and watched some TV.

This Time Last Year

Mr And Mrs Hale

Vancouver, BC

Place 72 – Day 452: Vancouver, BC – A Lot Of Cooking & Baking

Kim & Curtis Hale

We woke up a lot later today, and Kim made some Crepes for breakfast. Kim had chocolate crepes and Curtis had sugar and lemon.

We watched some TV and relaxed and then got ready for the day.

We planned to take the recycling out, but the elevators were very full and only 2/3 were working, so we decided to wait instead.

We did the vaccuming and a few other cleaning jobs around the apartment.

Kim then made some more cinnamon buns, with the plan for them to be bigger ones than last time!

They took some time as it was enough dough for a very large batch!

The came out pretty good, actually, though Kim wasn’t sure to start with.

We went out to get some more milk and some cheese in the evening as we needed some to make dinner!

After we got back, Kim made a veggie lasagna which was absolutely delicious.

We then tried one of our cinnamon buns and they’re pretty great too!

We played some games and watched TV for the evening, getting prepared to work again tomorrow.

This Time Last Year!

Mr & Mrs Hale

Vancouver, BC

Place 72 – day 411: Vancouver, BC – Homemade Curry & Naan!

Kim & Curtis Hale

Curtis’ Day

Right away at 09:00 this morning, Curtis had a call with a new hire to go over IT related things, which is a new thing that Curtis’ team is doing to ensure a good experience for new starters.

Curtis finished that and then not long after he had his 1 hour weekly team meeting.

Once that was done, Curtis did some tickets and then had some lunch.

After lunch, Curtis had a meeting to discuss some timelines and plans for a project which was very successful.

Curtis then had to amend the flow chart he had made for this, to reflect the changes and to add the timelines also. Curtis is very happy that he is getting to do some more Business Analyst work.

That was most of the afternoon and he had a bit of admin to do in the late afternoon, too.

Kim’s Day

Kim had a pretty relaxed day, but did apply to some jobs!

Kim found a couple of jobs she was very keen on, which are a little different to what she usually does for work, but she really liked the sound of them, so thought she might as well apply!

Kim moved the slats in the bed to make it more comfortable and she changed the sheets too.

Homemade Curry & Naan!

For dinner, we had homemade curry, which the chicken was already marinated for, overnight.

Kim made the sauce as well as some naan! Curtis had to run out and grab more flour for this, but it was worth it!

Kim made the curry from scratch and also made the naan completely from scratch and she was very happy with both outcomes.

The curry was excellent and as were the naan.

We watched some TV for the evening and played a bit more Crash Bandicoot.

This Time Last Year!

Mr & Mrs Hale

Vancouver, BC

Place 72 – Day 332: Vancouver, BC – Homemade Mac & Cheese!

Kim & Curtis Hale

Curtis’ Day

Curtis got some admin and tickets done in the morning and then there was a company wide meeting with information about the company’s plans, financial information etc which he attended.

At the end of that call, he went to the office as someone was picking something up so he had to get that sorted for them.

Whilst at the office, Curtis took a shock take of the current laptops so the whole team knows what the Vancouver office has.

Curtis headed back home and had lunch when he got back.

Curtis didn’t have too much to do in the afternoon so he did some admin and some training.

Kim’s Day

This morning Kim started her day by researching stuff for events that are coming up and dealt with some other small admin tasks.

Kim the helped IT set up a new computer but before sending it out she compared FedEx to UPS to see how the prices differ and how easy the system is. The price was good so Kim tried UPS. She packaged up all the things and got it ready to go. She had an issue with part of the paperwork so had to redo that.

Just as she finished that Kim joined a call with two teammates to discuss processes that will be going in place over the next few weeks. It was very productive and needed as it was only meant to be 15 minutes, but lasted the full hour.

Before she left Kim set up a few meetings and sent out a few emails.

Homemade Mac & Cheese

Curtis ran out to get some milk and then when Kim got home, she made Mac and cheese! We bought smoked Gouda and some nice cheddar to use and it was excellent!

Kim did some pole dancing at home properly for the first time and loved it! She loves having the ability to do that!

We went out for another evening walk which yielded beautiful photos once again!

We watched some TV and played some games as usual and then went to sleep.

This Time Last Year!

Mr & Mrs Hale

Vancouver, BC

Place 72 – Day 330: Vancouver, BC – Warm Sunny Walk

Kim & Curtis Hale

Birthday Chat

We had a chat with Curtis’ family as it is his mum’s birthday today!

We chatted for quite a while and then hung up and started our day.

Shopping

We went to get the shopping done and actually paid to park underground as we were getting a lot of heavy and bulky things, so it was easier to do it that way.

We got back home and decided to go out for a nice walk as the weather was beautiful!

Warm Sunny Walk

We walked down to the seawall and just kept walking! The sun was beating down and just beautiful!

We walked all the way around to English Bay Beach, but it got a little too busy, so we headed back home.

We got a Vietnamese coffee on the way home, because they’re delicious so we can’t say no!

Homemade Thai Curry

We got home and Kim ordered some things online and then she made a Thai curry!

The curry was delicious and Kim also made a ‘lazy egg’ with it, too, which was something we really liked in Thailand!

This Time Last Year!

Mr & Mrs Hale