HTL Stockholm, a Beautiful Boutique Hotel

Kaunis putiikkihotelli HTL Stockholm - Suomenkielinen käännös löytyy alta.

When Hertta & I traveled to Stockholm we were first thinking of renting an Airbnb apartment but we ended up going to a hotel. We choose HTL Stockholm as I got a good blogger deal with them. It is quite new hotel in really good location on Kungsgatan. They also have a new hotel on Upplandsgatan, and two others in Oslo, Norway.

HTL Hotels focuses on the essentials. A beautiful boutique hotel like this can keep their prices down when not offering some of the services you can travel without. For example they don't have a gym but you will find the best gyms in Stockholm nearby.

There is a possibility to check-in by yourself on a selfservice counter. And you can use your smart phone as a key to enter your room. Everything is made quick and easy.

At the lobby you will find a cafe and a small shop to buy something to eat or everyday necessaries.

Rooms are modern and decorated with Scandinavian style. Everything seems to be functional. The color coral runs thru the hotel.

HTL Hotels can also compete with their tasty breakfast. It is one of the best hotel breakfasts I've had. As I do not enjoy buffet style eating I enjoyed the simplicity of this quality breakfast. They serve musli, joghurt, fresh fruit, croissants, jams, smoothies, juices and hot drinks. All the items are beautifully set and carefully selected.

More pictures on Instagram #tlhstockholm #HTLkungsgatan.

HTL Hotels
Stockholm, Sweden
htlhotels.com

In cooperation with HTL Hotels.

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Kaunis putiikkihotelli HTL Stockholm

Viimekeväisellä Tukholman-reissulla yövyimme Hertan kanssa funktionaalisessa ja skandinaavisen kauniissa HTL Stockholmissa Kungsgatanilla. Hotellista on karsittu kaikki turha poissa, joten he voivat tarjota huoneita edullisemmin kuin putiikkihotellit yleensä. HTL Stockholm kilpailee myös laadukkaalla aamiaisella. Toivovottavasti saamme tämän hotellin myös Helsinkiin.

Lisää kuvia Instagramissa #tlhstockholm #HTLkungsgatan.

HTL Hotels
Stockholm, Sweden
htlhotels.com

Yhteistyössä HTL Hotels.

Blogville - Balsamic Vinegar

On my BlogVille journey after visiting the parmigiano reggiano factory we also visited a balsamic vinegar factory Acetaia Picci. The factory is run by a family and the son was the one who gave us a tour at the farm and their museum.

The procedure to make the balsamic vinegar is slow, and the more aged it is the more thicker and tastier it gets. We had an opportunity to taste all the balsamic vinegars they produce. You could really tell the difference between the youngest and the oldest vinegars. The producer told us that when he travels he has his own small bottle of basamic vinegar with him to use it even at the restaurants. I think that is so cute.

After learning about the balsamic vinegar procedure we had a lovely lunch made by the mother of the manufacturer. They used to own a Michelin Star restaurant so the lunch was amazing, naturally.

Erbazzone is one of my favorites in the Italian cuisine. It's a spinach pie.

Pannacotta with strawberries and thick blasamic vinegar, naturally.

Acetaia Picci
Via Roncaglio 29
42025 Cavriago
Reggio Emilia, Italy
acetaiapicci.com

More photos on Instagram #tlhblogville.

Sponsored by BlogVille & Emilia Romagna Region Tourist Board.

BlogVille - Parmigiano Reggiano

During the BlogVille journey we visited a parmigiano reggiano factory Caseificio Scalabrini and learned how the cheese is made. It is more difficult procedure that you would guess. Read more about the procedure from here.

The milk is freshly milked every morning from the cows that are living at the factory's farm. When we visited the factory there we three workers all the time working with the milk in tanks and making the cheese. We followed through the procedure. After seeing the whole procedure we went to see the hall where the cheese is matured. It was amazing, shelves filled with an enormous amount of parmigiano reggiano cheese. The smell was heavy but delicious.

We also had an amazing opportunity to see when they cut open one huge 40 kg parmigiano reggiano cheese. It took quite a while for two man to cut it open. The smell was incredible and we got to taste fresh and the best middle pieces of the cheese. It was definitely the best parmigiano reggiano I ever tasted. So soft and creamy. We also had a tasting of different age parmigiano reggianos to see the difference. What a fantastic opportunity.

The percussion hammer is used to tap the cheese on various points to test how the maturing is going on.

Caseificio Scalabrini
Via San Michele 1
42021 Bibbioano
Reggio Emilia, Italy

More photos on Instagram #tlhblogville.

Sponsored by BlogVille & Emilia Romagna Region Tourist Board.

BlogVille - Reggio Emilia

A month ago I spent amazing time in Italy all arranged by the BlogVille. When I arrived to Bologna we left the same day to visit Reggio Emilia for the weekend. We spend there three nights and stayed at the hotel Albergo delle Notarie. Reggio Emilia is a small and beautiful city in Northern Italy. First night we had a dinner at a traditional restaurant called Ristorante Canossa. We had a lovely meal with pasta, meat and desserts all combined with lambrusco wine, typical for the region.

The next day we visited parmigiano reggiano factory Caseificio Scalabrini and learned how the real parmesan cheese is made. And after that we visited a balsamic vinegar maker Acetaia Picci. (A blog post coming up soon!)

At Reggio Emilia there was the annual Lambrusco Wine Competition Awards event at the Teatro Municipale. The theater is old and amazingly beautiful, build in 1857. After announcing the awards there was a lambrusco tasting and a buffet dinner. We tasted many lambrusco and rose wines and had a fun evening.

We also had an opportunity to visit Rinaldini's lambrusco and rose winery. The journey also included a visit to Frattoria Rossi to learn how to make pasta and enjoy a lovely dinner.

Reggio Emilia is a beautiful city to visit. I could go again, definitely!

More photos on Instagram #tlhblogville.

Sponsored by BlogVille & Emilia Romagna Region Tourist Board.

BlogVille - Ciao dall'Emilia Romagna, Italia!

I got a wonderful opportunity to attend the BlogVille in Italy. BlogVille is a program for bloggers to attend and explore the local life at Emilia Romagna and Lombardy in Italy.

I arrived here four days ago and have already experienced a lot! I flew to Milan and took the train to Bologna where we have the BlogVille apartment with other bloggers. The same day we traveled to Reggio Emilia with our host Nicholas Montemaggi who has taken us to amazing places. We visited Pamigiano Reggiano factory Scalabrini, balsamic vinegar producer Acetaia Picci and lambrusco wine producer Rinaldini, the lambrusco wine awards Terre di Lambusco - Matilde di Canossa at the beautiful Teatro Municipale in Reggio Emilia. We also attended a pasta cooking class at Frattoria Rossi in Montecavolo. Among of all this cool stuff we have eaten lots of amazing food, drank good wines and also visited a small village called Dozza.

Yesterday we came back to Bologna and are staying at the BlogVille apartment. Most of the bloggers left today and at the moment there are me and CC Food Travel from Malaysia and from tomorrow on there is also Big Picture from Russia. We will stay here until 6 July.

Stay tuned there will be more blog post coming up! Until that you may follow my Instagram posts under hashtag #tlhblogville.

Sponsored by BlogVille & Emilia Romagna Region Tourist Board.

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BlogVille - Ciao dall'Emilia Romagna, Italia!

Sain mielettömän upean tilaisuuden osallistua BlogVilleen Italian Bolognassa. Saavuin tänne neljä päivää sitten ja olen kokenut jo monta upeaa elämystä. Pysy linjoilla, tulossa lisää blogipostauksia lähipäivinä! Siihen saakka seuraa Instagram-kuvia: #tlhblogville.

Matkan sponsoroi BlogVille & Emilia Romagna Region Tourist Board.

Awsome Friends & Some Cake

Upeita ystäviä ja kakkua - Suomenkielinen tiivistelmä löytyy alta.

I have many awesome and dear friends who have helped me in bad times and with whom I've had loads of fun during the past years. Recently I invited some of those amazing friends over for a dinner to celebrate our friendship. We drank bottles of champagne and I cooked them some creme ninon and saffron risotto. For the dessert we had a really tasty cake from Theron Catering.

Photo print on the wall by Marina Ekroos.

Theron Catering offered me to try their cakes so this was more than perfect occasion to use the opportunity. The cake I choose to share with my friends was named Bonnie and it was baked with liqourice and white chocolate with a hint of lemon. I am a big liqourice lover so this cake was just a perfect choice. Everyone just loved it. It wasn't too heavy, actually quite light. Those kind of cakes I like!

The next day the mess in my kitchen didn't look so bad as it was so bright and sunny day.

Theron Catering was so generous that I got another cake as well. We enjoyed that with my family on the Mother's Day.

Scarlett Cake

My niece Sohvi, my sister Suski & me.

Sponsored by Theron Catering.

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Upeita ystäviä ja kakkua

Theron Catering tarjosi minulle testiin kaksi kakkua. Ensimmäisen nautin upeiden ystävieni kanssa heidän tullessaan illalliselle luokseni. Toisen kakun tarjosin äitienpäivänä perheelleni.

Kakut tarjosi Theron Catering.