Brunch at Archie’s

Back in March, Anna and I used the “Dining by Amex” benefit for a gourmet dinner at SK Mat & Människor. This month, we decided to mix it up with brunch at Archie’s, located on the ground floor of Jacy'z Hotel & Resort.

While Anna went for the Sloppy Joe, I opted for the Egg Royale as my “mid-size dish,” accompanied by an extensive buffet that featured oysters and a dedicated Caesar station. We each had a glass of cava – on our own dime – bringing the total to 252 SEK, while the remaining 710 SEK was kindly picked up by American Express. Still, all in all, our March dinner felt like better value, but this was nevertheless a fun little escape to a fictionalized America.

Abruzzo

Just before leaving for our ultra in Wales, Anna and I had a sunset drink at VRÅ, in my case a glass of white wine from Abruzzo. Finding the same wine from Umani Ronchi in “beställningssortimentet”, I ordered a bottle which came to good use last night when I made risoni with asparagus, goat cheese and salmon for dinner. 

Stage 6

A month ago, I ran stages one and two of Bohusleden. Today, I found the time to pick up the trail where Anna and I ended our run last summer, continuing in the opposite direction with stage number six. This means that I have now completed the first six stages – 85 kilometres in total. Fortunately, that still leaves me with 265 kilometres of trails left to explore.

Starting beside the whitewashed 13th-century church in Angered, I set off at a brisk sub-5 min/km pace. But after a few kilometres, the trail turned more technical and began to climb, meaning that by the time I reached Stora Stentjärnen, I was more than ready to plunge into the ice-cold water. Unlike much of the world, Scandinavia has been stuck in a cold spell lately, so unsurprisingly, I had the lake all to myself.

The trail remained rough and rooted until it crossed into Bohus around the 12-kilometre mark. From there, the surface turned to asphalt, and I was able to pick up speed again, finishing the entire 17 km stage with an average pace of 5:52 min/km. I ended the run at Fontin Nature Reserve, in high spirits and already looking forward to returning, maybe for a hike with the kids later this month?

Teaching IR

For the first time in six years, I gave a lecture on International Relations theory – to a mixed group of our Halmstad students and international exchange students. Practicing “internationalization at home”, it was great to see students learning not just from the material, but from each other. Overall, I think today's lecture went really well, especially considering that I have not taught in English for quite some time.

Meanwhile, beyond the classroom, tensions are once again rising between India and Pakista, driven by decades of sectarian indoctrination on both sides. One can only hope that the nuclear taboo holds and that further escalation can be prevented.

Death of Daydreaming

Today I read a Substack post titled “On the Death of Daydreaming” and it made me a bit sad. It reminded me how accustomed I have become to reaching for my phone whenever I am bored, rather than simply accepting a lack of stimulation. As someone who used to daydream a lot (and still does, just less often), I could not agree more with the author’s suggestion that “living a full, meaningful human life means coping with the liminal - those in-between moments of life when we must endure uneasy or uncomfortable experiences”.

After working over the weekend and starting again at 5 a.m. this morning, I decided to treat myself: 5k of indoor rowing at the gym, a second breakfast at Bar á Kaffe, and a 12k lunch run up and down the hills of Skatås in the most beautiful early summer weather. Tomorrow it is back to commuting and teaching statistics even as the weather forecast promises more of the same.

Harbour Half

Waking up super early, I took my new Asics Novablast 5s out for a half marathon around the harbour of Gothenburg just as the sun was rising, passing Älvsborgsbron, and being reminded of the rich maritime heritage that makes up this city. 

Returning home with 80+ kilometres in the legs this week, I am back on pace after my cold, and very happy with my new shoes. Despite keeping a steady 4:53 min/km pace, my heart rate stayed around 145 bpm, which gives me some hope of beating my current half marathon PR of 1 hour and 35 minutes.

Asics Novablast 5

Doubles

Leaving the house shortly before 5 a.m., I made it back just before the rain began to pour. With 12 kilometres logged before dawn, I decided to double down with another 12k in the afternoon sun for a total of  24 kilometres. As in the past, running doubles remains the most efficient way to build volume while still carving out time for work and family.

Afterwards, all of the family went down to VaccinDirekt to top up our tick-borne encephalitis vaccine with a third dose each, which feels extra warranted considering the coming summer of trail running, including races such as Alpaca 53k where you a running through a lot of vegetation. As for summer, I picked up a bottle of Masi Pinot Grigio from Venice to go with a parmesan, lemon and cream salmon dish.

Nissan

A year ago today, I ran all 80 kilometres of Gotaleden, following parts of Säveån and its valley, carpeted with wood anemones. Arriving early in Halmstad this morning, I sought a similar river encounter along Nissan with the spring that is now unmistakably here.

With thesis seminars starting at 10 am, I limited myself to 13 progressive kilometres. Stopping to reply to student e-mails and snap photos, the run became a kind of unstructured interval session. The legs felt surprisingly fresh after Pembrokeshire Ultra – perhaps thanks to the extra rest day yesterday.

Lounge hopping at Heathrow T3

As long planned, Anna and I made full use of a delightful loophole in the lounge access policy at Heathrow’s Terminal 3 when flying to Gothenburg. By booking Club Europe seats for just 15,000 miles each plus 14 SEK in taxes, we were able to visit, in turn, the Qantas, Cathay Pacific, and Centurion lounges. We began with an Australian brunch: a smoked aubergine salad with zaatar cauliflower, baby spinach, broccolini, and a poached egg, followed by salt and pepper squid with green chili and aioli. Paired with a sparkling wine from South Australia, we were instantly transported across continents.

Served with a sparkling wine from South Australia, I was in true lounge heaven even before heading over to Cathay Pacific in time for the lunch departure to Hong Kong. Picking up some Korean fried rice at the bar to go with a Layton’s Brut Reserve champagne that was simply divine. I both cannot recommend this loophole enough – and urge you not to spread the word too widely. This is an unbelievable way to fly home to Sweden after an ultra weekend adventure in the UK.