The Colonel's Forum

Jeff talked us into going to the FiskeKrogern tonight. That roughly translates to "fish restaurant" but boy is that an understatement. Here is what I had: a glass of fine Australian shiraz to start seared Ahi Tuna with a mango chutney (a complimentary starter) a selection of fresh bread north sea shrimp with cocktail and garlic sauce accompanied with aged cheeses oyster soup served with scallops wrapped in pancetta baked cod stuffed with smoked eel in a lemon herb sauce with a side of potato croquettes French Chablis to accompany the meal Pedro Jimenez 1971 Sherry for dessert It was the best meal we've had. Exceptional service, great atmosphere, perfect portion sizes so you don't have to waddle home (as is the case in the US). I also found a bit of office humor at work today. They have 3 coffee machines at work, each one with a different type of coffee in it. There's FranksRosting (French Roast), ItalysRosting (Italian Roast), and MellanRostning (Medium Roas

Well, I'm back in Sweden. No hurricane landings this time, though I was disappointed to experience "boarding by bus" at the Amsterdam airport. I hate to think that this practice is spreading due to the broad influence that the French have across Europe... It's much colder than it was when I left, so we're always looking for new restaurants that are close to the hotel. Tonight the bartender recommended Skallgarden, and it was a great restaurant, as Jeff and Frank can also attest. I had: A slice of aged sausage with cabbage and herbs. This was a sort of pre-appetizer that was sent out compliments of the chef. An appetizer of White Roe (caviar) served with toasted bread, sour cream, and red onions. This was some special caviar that they get from some special fish in the north of Sweden and the waiter tried to explain how the cold weather slows the fish's reproductive processes so this particular variety of caviar is a real delicacy because it can develop so

It's good to be home. Ella and Tobi picked me up at the airport, and I enjoyed a few days of down time upon my return. Friday I went to my 2nd poker night - this time it was a Parrothead guys-night. We had a blast, and I even won some money. Ella sold two houses while I was away in Sweden, which means a great start to the year for her. My Dad is now teaching a course at Purdue's Morgan center for Entrepreneurship, and he's really enjoying that. We've got a good crowd coming to Keeneland this spring, and I got our seats this week. So overall life is really good here in the Bluegrass. I booked a hotel for this April in New Orleans when my buddy John is getting married. John is an opera singer, and a really good one at that. He's marrying Lisa, an opera singer he met while living with me in New Orleans. I'm always excited for a return trip to the Crescent City, and this one is no exception. We've blocked off a week so we can catch up with friends d