NordenBladet – Australian space beer company Vostok is aiming to raise $1 million to launch its galactic brew. As you might imagine, drinking beer in space isn’t as simple as popping a bottle cap. Typically, and somewhat less glamorously, drinking anything in space involves sucking it from a bag using a straw.
Although imbibing is prohibited onboard the International Space Station, space tourism is on the horizon – the push is on to devise a method of drinking during spaceflights just as people do on land.
In 2011, Australia’s 4 Pines Brewing Company and Saber Astronautics joined forces to create the world’s first space beer, Vostok – a “dry, Irish-style stout.” And now they’re aiming to raise US$1 million to launch it, bottled in a vessel that will pour in zero gravity. “We’ve created the beer and created the bottle. Now it’s just piecing them altogether,” says 4 Pines’ Jaron Mitchell said in a crowdfunding video.
Jason Held, CEO of Saber Astronautics, told Food & Wine magazine that the goal was to replicate the feel of a regular beer bottle, and ultimately modified technology used in fuel tanks.
“It’s got to be sitting in your hand like a bottle, not a squeezy bag,” Held said. “And you’re not going to drink beer out of a straw. We’re not going to do that to our astronauts.”
At the time of writing, 49 backers had contributed a total of US$8,690 to the Indiegogo campaign. Perks range from a US$5-digital high five to a US$40,000-voucher for a zero gravity flight experience with Held and Mitchell, and Space Beer.
For US$90, you can get your very own empty Vostok Space Beer Bottle, which can be used to drink any liquid in space.
NordenBladet – If you tend to focus your travel plans around food, you’re not alone. More travellers than ever are looking for ways to experience local cuisine and food culture. And they’re seeking locals to guide them. From feasting on yakitori in Tokyo or pizza by the slice in Rome, food tours are the fastest growing activity among travellers.
To highlight this trend, TripAdvisor mined its booking data for a new list of the 10 best food cities and food tours in the world. According to the travel site, food experiences were up 61 per cent last year when compared to 2016, and continue to dominate.
European destinations are most prevalent – with three Italian cities, two Spanish and one French making the top 10. The U.S. took two spots, with New Orleans and New York City garnering mentions. Food meccas Tokyo, Japan and B angkok, Thailand rounded out the list.
“Travellers are increasingly interested in getting local insight on their destination, and food tours and cooking classes are a great way to do that,” TripAdvisor spokesperson Laurel Greatrix said. “Coming home with a local recipe or a new favourite restaurant is the best souvenir.”
At 594 per cent growth, Canadians are the largest contingent of food-obsessed travellers, followed by Brits (583 per cent), and Australians (489 per cent). Quebec City tops the list of 10 destinations to watch, with Savannah, Georgia and Sydney, Australia rounding out the top three.
Check out the full list of the best food cities and most-booked experiences:
NordenBladet – The Museum of Pizza (MoPi) is slated to run at an undisclosed location between October 13 and 28. The Brooklyn-based media company behind the concept, it’s “the world’s first experiential pizza adventure.”
Although MoPi is NYC’s first museum devoted to the pies, the Pizza Hut Museum recently opened at Wichita State University in Kansas. There’s also Pizza Brain in Philadelphia, which houses the world’s first museum dedicated to the Italian sensation, and Chicago’s U.S. Pizza Museum.
“Pizza is more than a food—it’s a cultural phenomenon that transcends geography and language,” said Kareem Rahma, CEO of Nameless Network and founder of MoPi. “With The Museum of Pizza, we’re combining our passion for storytelling and pop culture to fuel discovery, friendship, art, music, and selfies. Lots of selfies.”
For US$35, visitors can go on a made-for-Instagram expedition, which includes a cheese cave, pizza beach, pizza art gallery and one gratis slice. Tickets are available for pre-sale at themuseumofpizza.org.
NordenBladet – Friday night at about 20.30 I stumbled upon the idea that I would wish to travel to South-Estonia. Once that feeling has crossed me it becomes difficult to fight it – the easiest solution is to give in to the desire. Therefore at 20.45 I already had my luggage prepared, the tiny vehicle cramped with stuff (including blankets, sheets and pillows… just in case) and we dashed from Saku through Rapla and Türi towards Imavere. While packing in a hurry one never really knows where the road runs, then I pack next to everything that I could possibly be needing – so one could find from the car everything from rubber boots to children’s toys.
We were back home in less than 23 hours (on Saturday at 19.30), yet what on Earth can one do during that limited time when one only wishes! The program was so concise that today it feels as if we returned from a one-week holiday.
First stop: Imavere. I wished to view the knight manor of Imavere (German: Immafer) in Pilistvere parish and its surroundings. Imavere manor was established in 1748 at the time when it was separated from Loopre manor. The manor has been the possession of the von Salzas as well as the von Pistohlkorses. The last owner of the manor before the 1919 expropriation was Eugen von Pistohlkors. Like most Estonian manors this, too, is breaking down, has grown into wilderness and has been abandoned. From Imavere on we headed through Põltsamaa to Tartu. We stayed overnight at my younger sister’s place from where we continued the journey next morning at about 12 o’clock.
Next stop was in Tõravere and then in Elva. The entrance to Elva was promising, turning from between picturesque fir forests, yet the centre was not that fascinating. I prefer the toy-town type of small towns like Tarvastu and Mustla. We bought water and took some cash since we thought that we’d be staying at Intsu, Männiku Metsatalu in Viljandi – I have stayed there once with my sister and I found it quite nice (see the blog post HERE & HERE). We did a bit of an excursion in Elva – to the bus station and music school – and then proceeded with the journey. I thought to myself that it would be interesting to know whether Kerli Kõiv actually lived nearby.
After passing through Elva we decided to digress from our route to anywhere that promised us some interesting sightseeing to view. The next stop was Meeri knight manor (German: Meyershof) in Nõo parish in Tartu county. The manor has been mentioned in the 16th century and back in those days it belonged to Tartu Capitol Dome. The last owner of the manor before its expropriation in 1919 was Ernst Karl Maria von Seidlitz. Unfortunately I took no pictures from the manors Imavere and Meeri, however they were very similar (two-storey buildings, red colour, relatively similar in style and as of today rather in ruins and in the hands of private persons). Both manors were originally one-storey buildings, yet later they were used as schoolhouses and another floor was added. From that moment on I decided that I would take pictures of all places of interest so that I could share them in my blog and I regretted not taking pictures of the manors already seen.
The next object on the way was Vana-Kirepi manor on Rõngu municipality territory. Kirepi manor (German: Kirrumpäh) was established in the 17th century. Throughout centuries the manor has had many owners. Before the expropriation of 1919 the manor belonged to Bruno von Samson-Himmelstjerna. The wooden main building as well as the white stone barn with three arched entrances has been preserved.
Further on from Rõngu bus station, according to the road signs on the way there was Rõngu feudal fortress (German: Ringen), that was a feudal fortress of a Tartu bishop, the ruins of which are situated near Rõngu in Lossimäe village (2 km from the small town Rõngu to the North-West). The fortress was built in the 1st half of the 14th century (approximately in 1340) and it was intended to defend the southwestern part of the diocese of Tartu. In the Middle Ages the fortress belonged to the Tödwen family. Since 1583 the Jesuit Order used the premises and in 1625 when the Swedish authority came it was blown up. Apparently we took the wrong way and thus didn’t see the fortress, yet at Lossimäe a fine design solution of mailboxes and notice-board and also the brook Valguta caught our eye.
From Rõngu on we headed through Koruste and Pikasilla to Suislepa village where we made our next stop in order to see the Uue-Suislepa manor on the banks of Õhne River. Uue-Suislepa or Suislepa manor (German: Suislep) was established in 1796 when the Russian emperor Paul I separated it from the manor belonging to the state and donated it to Ernst Mengden.
In 1799 the manor became the property of the gentry Kruedener family and remained so until the 1919 expropriation. After expropriation the manor was converted into a schoolhouse that is in force probably until this day. Also many ancillary buildings have been preserved from which a windmill a couple hundred meters to the North-West from the centre of the manor most catches the eye.
Tarvastu greeted us with a beautiful picnic table that immediately reminded us that we were getting hungry. I had planned to visit the cafe in central Mustla (at Posti 21), but it was closed. That was really sad as they have the world’s best homemade soups, main courses and cakes and at what a nice price! Practically for free. So instead we brought from Mustla Konsum (Posti 52a) salad and disposable forks and dashed back to the picnic table at Tarvastu River on the side of Tarvastu Park. After the meal we went to see the ruins of Tarvastu fortress. Well, really nice place it was, since there are sheep living in the fortress! The children were so delighted, and what great view there is from above! Simply wonderful!
Mustra centre was very sweet, there were pictures drawn to the walls of houses and bus stop pavilions and there were flowerpots hanging from street posts. Unfortunately the Tarvastu handicraft shop and museum were closed.
Further on we headed to Tarvastu cemetery (Tinnikuru, 69716 Viljandi). I was there for the first time while in Viljandi we usually visit Paistu cemetery where many relatives from my father’s line have been buried. Since lately I have taken a keen interest in my forefathers and our family’s origin then I sought from Geni data that at least two of our close relatives have been buried there. Peeter Pill, born in Holstre, Tokerpilli farm in 1844 (a farmer), and Jaan Pill (landlord), the son of Peeter Pill, born in Tarvastu, Oina farm. Jaan is the grandfather of my dad Jüri Ennet and Peeter is the great grandfather. I called my dad to ask how I can best find the tomb and soon we found it. First path to the left from the main gate and then on the right side. There it was, under a huge tree, Jaan Pill. Unfortunately father didn’t know the location of the grave of Peter Pill (11.01.1844-09.05.1909), I however think that perhaps it is right next to the other one without the headstone and that the relatives do not know. Maybe next time I will hear it from the graveyard guard – I will go there without children so that I can take more time to investigate the farm houses and tombs of my ancestors and seek more information.
From Tarvastu cemetery we headed further to Holstre. We were looking for Tokerpilli farm land (in archives also Tocka, Tocho and Tokre) – 83.3 hectars of forest and field and the farm itself. It was further from Holstre along Mõnnaste road towards Luige. Peeter was born in Tokerpilli farm in 1702, then in 1732 his son Jakob, then in 1767 his son Jaan, then in 1805 his son Peeter, then in 1844 his son Peeter. The Peeter who was born in 1844 in Tokerpilli farm is my father’s great grandfather who is supposedly buried to Tarvastu like his son the landlord Jaan Pill. Before those times people were probably buried in the farm land’s ground, but it is not exactly known. For more than 300 years the forefathers from my father’s line have lived in Tokerpilli, I have not yet had the chance to investigate who and when and to who sold the land – all I know is that unfortunately it is not in the hands of our relatives. Since there was a huge sign stating that there was “Entrance only upon written consent from owner of the property”, I did not dare to go any further – who knows these lunatics, they may actually take the gun and shoot you. That strict a sign – only upon written permission – a regular habitant wouldn’t use on one’s territory. Especially when in other cases in Viljandi people are very kind, more often with the mentality “Kindly find the key under the mat” and the broom placed against the door-style. With children one just wouldn’t take the risk. So therefore also getting to know Tokerpilli will be postponed. I will call them and make an appointment.
After Tokerpilli we went to Paistu cemetery. It was the five o’clock and we thought we might be going back home. Thought so, did so. The way back went through Suure-Jaani, Lahmuse, Vändra, Järvakandi and Rapla. 23 hours and so many impressions! Expenses: gas 36 EUR + ca 20 EUR (salad, mineral water, lemonade, ice cream).
NordenBladet – This Chinese panacea restores the function of your liver, kidneys and pancreas and helps you with 11 health problems! You need to use this nostrum for at least three months to recover your body. It is like a miracle. This amazing Chinese remedy removes damaged cells from your body and slows down the development of malignant cells.
This cure is very effective in the treatment of many diseases, for example:
1. Preventing the development of cancer cells
2. For prophylactic purposes in the treatment of liver, kidneys, pancreas and even ulcers
3. Boosting your immunity
4. Removing toxins from your body, enhancing digestibility
5. Eliminating bad breath
6. Relieving menstrual pain
7. Increases the amount of erythrocytes (red blood cells) in the blood and reduces your cholesterol level
8. Lowers blood pressure and normalizes the condition of blood vessels
9. It is helpful for hypothyroidism – it is a thyroid disorder that may be the result of iodine deficiency.
10. Improves your complexion and rejuvenates skin by making it glow and look healthy
11. It is also effective in weight loss.
The recipe:
half of the big one or one small beetroot,
2 carrots,
1 apple.
Preparation:
Cut the beetroot, carrots and an apple into pieces. Press the juice out of the beetroot, use your juice extractor and pour the juice into a jar. Leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours. Then also press the juice out of the carrots and the apple, add the liquid to the beetroot juice.
It is suggested to drink this juice about 30-40 minutes before breakfast.
NordenBladet – Several of you have asked yourself: “How to become happy?”, “How to relieve stress?”, “How to come out of depression?”, “How to become independent?”, “How to bring joy to your life?”, “What to do to avoid depression?” etc. Even the most sceptical people have had to admit that their life has taken a new, fresh and positive direction with the help of Feng Shui.
Here are some very easy tips what you can do daily to improve your wellbeing!
All you need are candles! Take time to burn candles!
1. Restore passion in your relationship
If passion has faded in your relationship, put two red candles into the right back corner of your bedroom. Light the candles twice a day. Pay attention that the candles are close to each other. If you prefer scented candles, choose the scents of passion – for example, rose, ylang-ylang or jasmine.
2. Draw attention to yourself while in a company
Are you feeling forgotten or excluded? The flame of the candle will help you to reattract the desired attention. Take nine red candles and put them near the back wall. Light the candles once a day, preferably in the daylight.
3. Get motivated
When you have a fireplace, but it does not work or you do not use it, basically you have no connection at all with living fire, your motivation can increase rapidly. To improve your motivation, you should put some candles in front of the firebox and light them at least once a week. The number of candles depends on the location of the fireplace. If the fireplace is in the same wall as the entrance, use blue candles, if the fireplace is on the left of the room, use the green ones. The fireplace in the rear wall requires red candles and the one on the right needs white candles. If you do not have a fireside, orientate according to the location of the radiator in the room.
4. Bring home more warmth
The room that is cold and depressing is full of yin energy. Bring yang energy to your room by putting three candles at your entrance. Fresh scents are also helpful, like lavender, peppermint and bergamot.
5. Becoming free from excessive strain with the help of Feng Shui
If you tend to take on more obligations than you can meet, there is too much Wood energy in your home. You overidealize situations, and it also makes communication with other people more complicated. You should take nine red candles to lighten your load, put them in the middle of the left wall and light the candles every morning.
6. Getting inspiration and avoiding flat life
Buy eight blue candles, put the candles into the left corner of your room and light them up every evening. The scents that will help you are lemon and rosmarine.
7. Improving your health
If you have circulation problems, arthritis, problems with eyes or you have dry skin, put five yellow and square candles on your kitchen table and light them up once a day.
8. Growing independence
You get fire energy from burning candles that will increase your confidence. If you are too clinging to your partner, child or parent, put one big round candle near your bathroom door and light it once a day.
9. Making you feel better
When somebody tries to get at you and spoils your mood, put six long candles in the right corner of your home and light them up in the evening. While the candles are burning, you will get back your freedom and feel good.
10. Finding peace
All there is in your life is work, no fun and you would like to change it? You need seven white round candles that you have to put in the middle of your right wall. Light them twice a day and in the afternoons. Orange and lemon are the calming scents.
Source: NordenBladet.ee (The article is translated from the witch’s diary named Näkkälän noita)
NordenBladet – Ticks cause people year by year more and more anxiety in Nordic countries. As years ago ticks were quite harmless, today they have become so poisonous due to poisoning and spraying fields. Ticks are even life-threatening to people, there is often no use of vaccination.
Where do ticks live and when are they active? Ticks spend more than 90% of their life not dependent on the host, living in open nature, meadows and forests. Ticks become seasonally active when the day/night temperatures rise to plus degrees, approximately in March, when adult ticks like to search for food near the ground. Ticks move up to one-meter-high tops of the ground cover in the beginning of April and May when the temperatures are low and humidity is high. June and July are the periods when humidity is low and it is very energy-consuming for ticks to climb up and down the plants. Another period of activity usually begins in September and October when humidity and temperatures are low and ticks once again move near the ground until temperatures are about to drop in winter and they become almost motionless. In addition to the periodic activity, ticks have also more active periods during the day, depending on the ambient environment, which is in the mornings and evenings. Tick season is a biologically active period of ticks that usually lasts from April to October, but a warm winter may make it a lot longer. Ticks become active when the average day-and-night temperature is around 6 or 7 degrees.
The easiest “tick repellent” is a well-cared garden – mow the lawn often and remove all the fallen leaves. If possible, use wood chips or gravel between lawn and forest land to keep ticks away from playgrounds and resting areas. Avoid walking in tall grass.
How to protect oneself from ticks with domestic methods?
1. Garlic: Ticks do not like the smell of garlic. You can either eat garlic or rub it on your hands and legs. You can also put some cloves of fresh garlic into your rubber boots while going to the forest.
2. Citrus: Boil the peels of the citrus fruits (lemon, orange, lime) in water, let it cool down. Apply the prepared mixture to your skin. You can put the mixture to the spray bottle; it is easier to use it.
3. Various essential oils: You can repel ticks with the following scents – rosemary, basil, cedar, lemon, lavender and pennyroyal. Mix the maximum of three oils with pure almond oil and apply on the skin.
4. Soap: Blend 10-15 drops of essential oil (balm leaves, pennyroyal, lavender or geranium) with 30g of liquid soap and wash yourself with this solution before going to nature.
NordenBladet – Although in Estonia I am not the most earnest visitor of restaurants and cafes, it is sometimes impossible to say no to some offers – when something unique/novel takes place somewhere then I want to see it with my own eyes! Namely, cafe Amarillo has come out with a cool concept of eight guests being seated at the same table in the restaurant, enjoying a surprise menu.
I was introduced to this event by Solo by Sokos Hotels Estoria and Original by Sokos Hotels Viru Head of Marketing Evelin Org. Initially I was rather doubtful wheter I should attend, but now in retrospect I think of visiting this event once more! It was fun! I also send greetings to my new acquaintances! 😀
A table for eight can be booked by a group of friends or if you wish to attend the event individually of with some companion (like me), then besides the surprise menu you will also experience new neighbours. Hahaaa… Crazy but brilliant! This is ideal for those who like to communicate and find new contacts. What I also liked about this event was the flexible menu – you could choose a vegan menu or enjoy a rich meat selection. Also the cocktails accordingly came with alcohol or were non-alco – this ensured enjoyment for those who had arrived by car from work and also for those who had planned some sizzle for the evening. Since the event begins at six then it is possible to attend also with older children.
Estella Elisheva(12) is already quite experienced – I often take her with me so that she may see how things are done and how everything works. She is now probably more proficient than I myself were at 21. When your child travels, they will witness various circumstances, communicate – and will develop sooner. She has been to numerous foreign conferences, press travels, fairs – thanks to this she understands the importance of precision, speaking languages, having contacts and knowing the etiquette. She can comprehend business dinners, she learns the little craft manners. I have now been travelling with her nearly two years and oftentimes she is more free, more efficient and concrete than some grown-up would be. In addition to broadening the horizon this will also create a stronger mother-daughter bond. I love her so much and it is love that I want my children to feel. Even if I had in my opinion not always enough to afford to them finances-wise, then they would never have to feel the lack of love and security. I am the mother lion! 😀
But why this jibber-jabber… Let the pictures speak for themselves! Below you can see pictures from the suprise dinner event „The Table” that took place at the Amarillo’s!
NordenBladet – Yesterday we jointly celebrated in our garden the birthdays of Estella Elisheva (12) and Ivanka Shoshana (10). Estella started out the morning with a 4 km run and a fresh smoothie, Ivanka chose the clothes to wear for the occasion of guests arriving. My preparations began already on Wednesday. For many days I was tidying and beautifying the garden, I mowed the lawn, and on Friday I started preparing the food – I compiled the menu all on my own. At the same time the menu was homely – macaroni salad, baked potato, wiener, fresh salad, fruit and for dessert raspberry-strawberry-blueberry-banana cake with whipped cream. And beside that also popcorn and Balbiino ice cream!
I assume you have seen the delighted face of a child that is eating an ice cream? But have you seen the face of a child witnessing an ice cream vehicle entering the garden drive and loading off 12 large boxes of ice cream, every box containing 20-40 ice creams?! If you haven’t seen that face, I might try to describe it… Actually I suppose it is not possible to put it in words and I believe the best authors throughout history would lack the most suitable words. Briefly, there it was – Balbiino Jätsiabi driving to our garden and making a memorable present for our darling little birthday girls. We ourselves as well as our neighbours now have the fridges filled with ice cream for quite some time. Many thanks for this, Balbiino!
Estella had thought of various thrilling games – from finding the treasure to several sports games. She is very creative – with only a few instruments she builds intriguing plots. Three of her friends stayed overnight at our home, the girls stayed up late and played Alias, Monopoly and nicely integrated – a few of the guests speak Russian at home while others are Estonian-speaking. At school (the Tallinn Jewish School) Estella speaks Russian, in music classes (Saku music school), at the training and with the neighbours she speaks Estonian. The weather was wonderful and our sweet garden party was a success in every way!
NordenBladet – Ivanka Shoshana became 10 years old today and finally was able to get the presents she had been waiting for (see HERE). Since she had been so keenly looking forward to receiving them and had reminded me every day about her birthday wish then she announced already yesterday that she won’t be going to school today, Wednesday. In the morning I baked rhubarb cake and we woke her with the birthday song. As soon as she had glanced at the presents she began playing with them. It is indeed a fierce doll – it can talk, weep, move the lips, etc. Ivanka is now like a little mommy – cares for it, sweeps the tears, blows the nose, cuddles, etc. She was really excited to get the presents and then I, too, were happy 🙂
Estella Elisheva gave an interview today after school to the Russian media. They are reflecting her success at the violin playing contest (see HERE), she is now officially the third best violinist in Estonia! So cool! I went to meet her after school and while it weren’t a day for training or violin because she was going to compete in cycling in the evening (she does the mountain bike, or I do not know the exact namer for that), then we decided that we head to Viru Centre. I wanted to visit the book store as I had some Viru Centre gift cards, and we thought that we also have a look at the new greatly praised vegan restaurant FAFA’S that was open in mid April on the 1st floor in Viru Centre (next to Amarillo’s). It is an original place since it has three different menus – something for vegans, for vegetarians, and even a selection of meat (chicken, kebab). Though it is not a kosher restaurant they offer a fine menu of delightful Jewish dishes. You can find the following exotic tastes from the menu: tabbouleh, hummus, matbukha, tzatziki, aubergine, tahini, pesto, just to mention a few.
I ordered Kebab Meze salad (recipe: tabbouleh, hummus, matbukha, aubergine, tahini, valaffel, tomato, cucumber, lettuce, rucola, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and pita) – the price 9.90EUR, Estella Elisheva chose Fafa’s chicken (ingredients: tzatziki, matbukha, aubergine, tomato, cucumber, tabbouleh, salad, parsley, pita) – the price 8.90EUR and then we also took French fries for two with matbukha for 2EUR and water 2EUR and lemonade 4EUR. What large platefuls and how pleasant tasting! Yummm…
