Olive Oil Cake

Temperatures have dropped (for those not knowing we've had a serious heat wave in Copenhagen and the rest of Denmark, I assume) so today I actually enjoy staying indoors curling up reading Kinfolk and contemplating the end of summer. I know august is still ahead but when people start returning from vacation I always feel fall is just around the corner.

Today I got inspired to bake the famous Olive Oil Cake. Photographer Alice Gao shares her recipe here so of course I decided to make another one, ha! Mostly because I have a hard time with the conversions so I think it's time the entire world converted to the metric system. Anyway, it's very simple and easy to make and I also just used the olive oil on hand since I was too lazy to make a store run.

The result is very good especially after it cooled down. The taste of olive oil is there but not in an overwhelming way and I like the sudden taste of tiny flakes of salt. Next time I will probably add a little more olive oil, less sugar and bake it a tad longer so the crust gets darker. For coffee lovers, such as myself, know that it goes terrifically well with a strong cup of mocha.

Holiday Magazine

I've been very interested in getting my hands on Holiday Magazine which was one of the most exciting magazines in the US between 1946 to 1977. Holiday was relaunched in April by Atelier Franck Durand, a Paris-based art direction studio. The first issue since the relaunch, no. 373, is dedicated to the year 1969 and Ibiza. 

What made the magazine so exciting was that writers and photographers were being sent to a singular destination, far away or near by, and given free hands and a generous budget to interpret the subject in whatever way they wished. At the top Holiday had more than one million subscribers. 

The most puzzling thing about Holiday back in the day was that the magazine published so many famous writers: Arthur Miller, John Steinbeck, Kerouac, William Faulkner and Truman Capote. Even Papa Hemingway appeared.

As a sucker for anything retro (and as someone who hasn't got a Master's in Comparative Literature for nothing!!) I am excited to be following this and Holiday is now, of course, added to my list of magazines I subscribe to (Kinfolk is on that list, too, albeit not as old.) 

I love the large format of the magazine and how heavy it is and also the feel of the paper. Below are a few random pics of what caught my eye while flipping through and I also love that the envelope was adorned with cool Holiday stamps. 

Summer on Christianshavn Part II

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." 
-Henry James-

Summer on Christianshavn Part I

"Summertime, oh summertime, pattern of life indelible..." 
-E.B. White- 

Weekend Inspiration #31

Biking Around the Island of Hven

Arriving on the ferry "Jeppe"

I must be going through some crazy nature phase (or maybe it's just called "summer livin') because today I once again ventured out into mother nature. This time I grabbed my bike and boarded a ferry named "Jeppe" and sailed to the Swedish island of Hven located about 1,5 hours from Copenhagen. 

I dare to say that I have never seen so much beautiful landscape crammed into so few square kilometers and what stayed with me after I left the island were the many different shades of blue mixed with greens and yellowish hues from fields bursting to be harvested. Also, to be able to bike in such beauty without getting a flat tire made this day pretty close to perfect... 

You can either bring your own bike, like I did, or rent bikes on the island. They are all yellow and it's fun to spot them all over the place. You have about 5 hours on Hven before "Jeppe" departs for Copenhagen but that leaves plenty of time to explore the island and its surroundings, have a nice leisurely lunch (I had fresh mackerel and potato salad from "Fiskeboden" on "Kyrkbacken's harbour) and even take a swim without feeling rushed. There is also a nice camping site if you feel like staying for a few days. 

It's evening now in Copenhagen and while writing this I still feel kisses from the wind on my face.

Kyrkbacken's Harbour

A Beautiful Walk

Saturday I went on a 22 km. hike in southern Denmark. The path I took is called "Trampestien" and runs from a little privately owned fishery village called "Bøgeskov harbour" to another little harbour called "Rødvig." This path is on UNESCOS heritage and takes you through fields bursting of wheat, barley and rye, flowers of all kinds and wild berries (the raspberries were delicious) plus, of course, a breathtaking view of the water. You actually walk by the edge with only a row of bushes between you and the cliff. 

Bøgeskov Harbour - the starting point

Only you and a row of bushes. Signs along the way informs you that you're walking at your own risk :-)

Now a balcony where the alter used to be.

When you reach the cliffs at Stevns you see "Højerup church" in the distance where part of the alter tumbled into the sea in 1928. You also notice the rough chalk cliffs and that the chalk at the sea bottom colours the sea azure. The clay on the side of the cliffs is more than.... 60 million years old! 

Weekend Inspiration #30

A Few Summer Favourites

Have you ever looked around and instinctively known what purchases are spot-on favourites - and what purchases were made in a spur of the moment craze and now just lie around unused because as pretty as they may look they aren't essentially you?? Well, I have but here's a few summer favourites which I continue to use and love. I guess these items also pretty much sums up my personality.

My Isabel Marant jacket which I bought last year from Net-A-Porter is a constant favourite and I wear it with jeans, skirts and dresses. Whenever in doubt this little jacket goes with everything and is relaxed and classy with flats and formal and stylish with heels. Living in Scandinavia the weather changes constantly so I wear this all year round. 

I love bags - they're my vice and it all began with Kate Spade back in the days. Mansur Gavriel is my favourite go-to bag and I love the minimalistic design and classy look and something free of logos. This is a perfect summer bag and a bag you buy for yourself - not to show off. It has an orange interior which adds humor. Their bucket bag is next on my list, for sure. 

Since I had laser surgery a few years back (yes, I was blind as a bat) sunglasses have become a necessity more than a fashion item and the cat-eye shape works well for me. Christian Dior has the best fit, in my opinion, but these from Céline are right up there and I love them as they remind me of the golden Hollywood days with a twist of fun and sophistication.   

It's funny because I am so not a sneakers person preferring ballet flats as my regular footwear. Probably because I enjoy walking and Copenhagen is great for that. But I needed practical footwear for running errands and I love these. Everyone sports them in Cph. so for me to pick them weren't original but they are super comfortable and look lighter and chicer than other sneakers I've seen around.  

I just had these framed and hung them up Tuesday - I've lived here on Christianshavn for almost a year and is still looking for the right things to adorn my walls. But these photos of a very young Marilyn Monroe by André de Dienes are among my favourites. I get to enjoy them a lot since we're still enjoying the light Nordic evenings well into 22:00 (10 pm.)

I have been a fan of Mr. Allen all my life and had the pleasure of meeting him once (I grabbed his arm, he had no choice but to speak to me - and he did and is every bit the gentleman and also quite shy) and although I am familiar with snippets of his prose and his stand-up sketches I've never read this book but it's now on my summer reading list. He makes me laugh so much.

What are your summer favourites or go-to pieces?