Sunday, October 8, 2023

Peruanisima Bakery, Altamonte Springs *SWE/NOR Travel Notes

I tried this Peruvian bakery on Wednesday at lunch. It is in a strip mall near Lake Brantley HS on 434. I just grabbed a chicken empanada for $5 because I just had all you can eat sushi and the prices were a bit high. The empanada was ok to below average. Small. Not too filled. Poor flavors. They also sell eight sandwiches. $9 egg salad to $13 pork lomo saltado. Six breakfast items. $6.70 tamal to $19 plate with fried pork. Two sides. Both $9. Nine empanadas. Eleven cakes and pies. $28 to $60. Fourteen dessert. $4 arroz con leche to $8 picarones. Eight pastries. 75c yuma bread to $12.50 Choco Alfajores. Small space. Maybe one table. They charge for credit cards. Open for six months. I was around here to also knock out Torchy's. Still not open. I did see a hidden (from view) place around the corner called Stonington's Fried Shrimp. I can't recall if I've been there. Couldn't find it on the blog. They also have one on Kirkman. 

*Travel Notes - Sweden and Norway: Exchange rates were about 11 Swedish krone and 10 Norwegian krone to the dollar. I flew Delta through JFK to Stockholm for $635. Mid to late morning flights. The weather was only overcast with drizzle on the first and last day (and most early mornings). I also took two flights while there and I might as well list the prices now. I bought a ticket to Trondheim Norway from Stockholm when I booked the first flight. A one way on SAS in the afternoon cost $59. I also scrapped the train idea in Norway and bought a one way from Trondheim to Oslo for $78 on Norwegian (out of bankruptcy and flying domestic) the day before. In Arlanda airport I eschewed the Arlanda Express train that was like 360SK for the 148SK Vy Flygbussarna from Terminal 4. You come in the new terminal 5. It takes slightly longer. Like 45 minutes. Pay at a kiosk or driver. It makes a few stops (6). Final stop at Central Bus (and train) Station in city center. I forgot the layout and booked the first two nights on the South island. The Stockholm Classic Hotel for $71 a night for two nights. It was a bit of a walk. There is a subway stop right there though. It was interesting to see a new area. They let me in at 10am, so, I just took a nap and then walked the area when the sun came out. The next day I went to Lindigo via the subway. 39SK for a 90 minute pass. You have to take a bus over a bridge as well. In Lidingo (one of the fourteen islands), there is the Carl Milles Garden. He is their number one sculpter. It cost 170SK. It was cool. Back via another 39SK subway trip. I walked to an island called Langholmen and back towards the old town on Gamlastan. Saw the Royal Palace and Cathedral and Parliament (Riksdagshuset) and Nobel Prize Museum and some churches (kyrka). And then back through Riddar Holmen to the hotel. You can't buy wine in the supermarket. The best wine shop was called System Bolaget. Good selection and prices. I will interject here that you shouldn't expect many non-supermarket or fast food meals eaten by me. It was either full sit down (too tired) or kebab/pizza dives where everything started at 130SK and over or overpriced Asian (Thai, Viet and especially sushi). And coffee and pastries. I'll list the stuff from the market at the end as usual. Walked to the station through Kungsholmen (island) on day three. Saw the City Hall (Stadshuset). Bus to the airport. Every twenty minutes. Unibuss Express bus from front of Trondheim airport (nice) to city center (seemed to be the way everyone took) was 220NK. About an hour. Some stops. Credit card only. These idiots want cash to be done away with. Oh, that's another reason for fewer real food purchases. They wouldn't take cash. Even BK! I should add here that I prefer cash because of foreign transaction fees and I prefer (even though I seem to be freely telling the whole world my business) not to participate in unfettered surveillance. Stayed three nights at the P Hotels Brattora for $85 a night. I should add here that none of the hotels had heat. Few had more than a couple tv channels. None had bar soap. Bed pads on box springs. I got in near nightfall, so, I just found the Rema 1000 market (had Rokt Orret Smoked Salmon and beer) and a McDonald's. Wine shop was closed. The next day I walked the town. Marina, Radhuset, Nidros Cathedral, river, old town bridge, fort, etc. Got answers I didn't want from the train people. Had skole brod and kanel bolle at Rosenberg Bakerias. Had more McD's. I will say that I had the 25NK (and SK) McVegan burger and Truffle CB quite a few times. Just because every other fast food cost much more in relation and these were by far the best values Ronald had. Tasted good too. Dinner of Rokt Laks and salami from Rema 1000. Asked the bimbo there if things would be open on Sunday. She said yes. Answer was no! That skewed and screwed my Sunday meals up. Walked this pleasant path around the city. Saw the uni, sports complex, art museum and another marina area with more restaurants. The next day, I took the bus back to airport. To Oslo. Slower Vy train (not by much) to Central Terminal for $118NK (vs 220NK for the fast one). Machine took cash. The buses were more than the trains. Stayed at the P Hotels Oslo (up the road from the terminal) for $83. Peppar Makrell (good), roast beef, camembert, Krydder Laks and cider from Kiwi. Wine from Vin Monopalet at the station. Train to Goteborg for 615NK. Should have taken the bus. Didn't remember if the station was close. I will add here that I learned that trains in Norway are known as the most expensive in the world. Stayed at the Sure Stay Hotel near the station for $85. Almost stayed on a ship. Should have. It was easy enough to find. Next to it was a ferry they turned into a floating parking lot. Somebody tell Scarlett Johanssen that her husband should do this with the Staten Island Ferry. Walked the city. Down to Johanneberg and Landala neighborhoods+. Stadium, arena, uni, park, water front, opera house, etc. Grabbed a Thuringer Bratwurst and a Kosaken Wurst at Sausage Haus in the terminal. One of the better meals. Tried to get a train ticket. Some jerkoff in power has made it so you can only buy local tickets from the ticket office and other ones through a machine that only sell four hours in advance (and never seemed to have any train ones only buses). I found a Flixbus machine and bought a ticket to this town just south called Helsingborg in hopes that they had people you could interact with (they did). 109SK. By far the cheapest. I later found a VY bus ticket office with people. Oh, well. The next day I roamed around a bit more. Arts (3) museum complex, some churches, fort on a hill (Skansen Kronan), Haga shopping district below it, Briggen food hall, Salu food hall, Garden Society Park (Tradgards Foreningen) with Palm House and Rose Garden, etc. I will add that so may places were only taking credit cards that I bought a tuna sandwich at Subway. It was the best ever and one of the best meals I had. No kidding. They put (my choice) curry sauce on it and the bread and veg were so superior to here that it isn't funny. Sesame bread too! Had other types. Bus to Helsingborg the next day. Stayed at the Comfort Hotel for $73. Cute city. Walked to the city hall, fort on a hill, marina, churches, stadium, etc. These cities are on the southwest coast. You can see Denmark from there. Tried pork pastrami and Swedish beer from Hemkop. More McD's because of the credit card bs. Bought a train ticket to Kalmar the next day (they told me no advanced purchases) from a person for 331SK. It went through Lund. There was a fire at some relay on the track. It looked like I may be stranded there. They fixed it. I spent two hours in Lund. Uni, Cathedral, food hall, cute streets, Radhus, Stadshall, etc. I bought a Kardemumma bolle at Mormors (Grandmother's) Bageri. Some Gallerpokt Peppars Skinka (pepper ham) at ICA. Kalmar is on the southeast coast. It was smaller than I thought. Stayed at the Profil Hotel next to the Cathedral for $158. It was a Friday and they had some festival on the neighboring island (Oland). That was the real reason I was here. Didn't end up doing it because of the lack of hotels. Got in late because of the delays. Bought a Flix Bus ticket to Stockholm (which was good because these idiots don't work on Saturday or Sunday and there were no machines either) for $309SK. Trains were double. Walked the city walls, etc. Some feta and roast chicken from Coop. Wine from System Bolaget. The next day had breakfast buffet at hotel and walked to the castle and that area. Long bus ride. Stayed at the Thon Partner Hotel Kungsbron (across train tracks from where bus drops off) for $111. Breakfast buffet. Walked to marina to buy a boat tour to Vaxholm for 365SK for the next day. Walked to Djurgarden and the Nordiska Museum, Vasa Museum, Viking Museum. Did them before. Not this time. Went into Skansen (like Williamsburg with a zoo, etc) for 185SK. Back through the National City Park to the Opera House, shopping district, etc. Next day took the boat tour. It rained. Stayed on the boat. No Vaxholm. A bit more walking around. I stayed the last two nights at the same hotel. $73 a night now. Bus to airport in the am. 

Other foods: hvete bolle (sweet rolls), kokos bolle (coffee coconut chocolate balls), priokig korv (salami), cognac medwurst, Marabou chocolate (bad), Vasterbotten (cheese from north Sweden) and Norsk Granddost (cheese from Norway). Drinks: Ramlosa water, Grevens cider with pear (Norway), Aass Pilsner (Norway), Norrland's Ljus Lager and Guld Lager and Melleruds Utmarkta Pilsner.

Good trip. Probably the last week you should go. I wish I did northern Norway as planned. However, it was supposed to rain and the trains and buses there were more expensive and more of a pain than I expected. Flights were reasonable. Less so if you factored in the transport to and from the airport on both sides. Everyone spoke English. They were a little over the top with the eco-madness/smugness and the automation. I may have done other things if I had a local human to consult with. Maybe a wasted day or two. I tried to find good seafood places. I swear. It was next to impossible. Few sites were free (inside). Also, few banks. Mostly ATMs. I used Bankomat in Sweden and Nokos Minibank in Norway. Reminder - never take their conversion inducement. It is always a worse rate than "risking" it. They aired Rules of Attraction (the Brett Easton Ellis one) in Sweden. There is a scene where this guy tells of his trip to Europe in rapid fire. I seem to have become that guy. And why do I get so many views from Singapore? It must be bots. I had nearly 90k views last month!? And you don't have to drill down to other pages.

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