Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

London, the city of books

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For me London has always been the city of books, the city of book shops.

For my kids 10th birthday I´ve given them all a travel, with their mamma of course. I took Torgeir, Øystein and Ingrid to London, Marta to Venice (and then we let pappa come with us). When Ingrid was 10, we stayed in a small hotel in the Bayswater area. One day we took a bus tour to Stratford-upon-aven. Ingrid heard about Shakespeare for the first time in her life. She was thrilled by the guide´s tales, more so when the guide told that Shakespear might not have been Skapespear after all.

Every single night Ingrid and I spent in a BooksEtc in a mall on Queensway. She played in the children´s area. I read books, read books, read books........and no nights I could resist buying one.....or a few.

Three yeards ago I was in London again, stayed near Queensway and went back to the same BooksEtc. Read, swam in memories, bought a book,no..... a few.

Two years ago Terje, Marta, Ingrid and I were back in London, again close to Queensway. BooksEtc were not there anymore. Both Ingrid and I felt sad.
This time we stay in the Paddington area. Still not far from Queensway, and Ingrid wanted to go back to her Mall. "Mamma, can you remember we stayed every  night in that book shop. It is sad it is closed now"

 

For me London has always been the city of books, the city of book shops.

When the girls left the Portobello area yesterday, to go to Oxford Street for shopping, I stayed behind. For a book shop safari.

If I happen to be in London on a Saturday, I always go to Portobello Market. I have never known that the area is a gem for book shops. Not until my blog reader and friend Fran.H.B sent me a small, hand drawn map after my last visit there, two years ago. Now I know better. It is a paradice :-)

Fran´s map showed me the way to the tiny travel book shop featured in the movie Notting Hill.

I never watch movies, so I have not seen this one, but heard enough to know it is good.
We have the dvd at home, so I guess it is now time to watch it.

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After Fran sent me the map, actually quite recently, she has discovered another book shop in the area, Lutyens & Rubinsten. Before leaving the Portobello/Notting Hill area, I visited there. And I fell in love! With the shop. With the books.

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 I came with a lot of extra space in my suitcase.

Now it is filling up.

The Dark Side of Love

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I am unable to close my eyes for the sufferings of the people of Syria. Mothers. Fathers. Daughters. Son. Grandparents. Lovers.

So much is taken away from them.

Life.

Love.

Safety.

Future.

Syria. The ancient land, where history is buried under every grain of sand.

History of the Middle East.

History of humanity.

My history.

A history I know so little about.

I don´t want to know about the blood of today, but the deep stains can not be stopped by closed eyes. 

I know. And I am unable to act.

History woven into tales.

What can I do to dye the wool, the cotton, the linen, the silk. Not blood red, But the red of love, of life.

I tie my hands together in silent cries. Why God? Where are you?

Later, much later, I pick up Rafik Schami´s The Dark Side of Love. A flying carpet. And there I am. In the middle of magic!

Booktalk on a Sunday 44

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Five years ago, on February 4th 2007, I wrote my first Booktalk on a Sunday blog post. I had planned then to write one every Sunday. Though I didn´t follow that plan close, this post happen to be my 44th Britt-Arnhild´s House in the Woods booktalk. Not bad :-)

You find them all, together with a lot of other book posts, if you click on the category BOOKS.

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Today´s bookpost is a little this and that. Ot may be I shall use the words from last weekend, a little bric a brac.

I started to read an author quite new to me yesterday. Philip Roth. Do you know him? I first saw his name on Twitter where the Norwegian Crown Princess Mette Marit mentions to someone else his name. I saw some of his books while browsing through a bookstore downtown yesterday, picked up Exit Ghost, srarted to read it last night and soon found that I like his writing pretty well. And as I am planning, the coming months, to concentrate a little on American litterature, to prepare for our July in California, Roth feels like a good choice. Ok, ok, he is from the East Coast, I know, but anyway!

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Have you read Philip Roth?
Which one is his best book in your oppinion?

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I have been on Twitter for several years. Active in periods. Quiet in other. Through the years Twitter has been a place for me to read about travels and to discover new books.

Yesterday I decided I want to share my travel litterature collection on Twitter, and I made a list #travelbookaday. There I will, yes, you got it, I will share a travel book a day. My definition on what a travel book is, is quite wide though. I stated yesterday with James S. Ackerman´s Palladio. Not exactly travel littarature, but it is the one I used when I traveled the Brenta River with my Italian friend Antonella last year.

I haven´t decidet yet which travel book to promote today, but you will find it on twitter.

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Back to American books. I made a list some months ago, based on your suggestions. I still have the list and I´ll use it now to chose books. But the list is not finished yet, so if you have a favorite, a book you think is a MUST before we visit the US/California, please let me know and I will add it to the list.

It is a grey winter day here in Trondheim today. Icy cold. Slippery roads. Soon time for breakfast, then church.

And then the rest of the way, well, at least a few hours, will be dedicated to reading.

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Have a blessed Sunday. 

The cross in light and shadows

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I am a believer, a christian. To live with my Creator is like breathing. It is there, without me thinking. I breath in. I breath out. God is there, walking with me. I know there are other religions. I know there are people who believe in no God at all. I like to share stories. I like to share experiences.

In church yesterday we heard about Jesus as Living Water. This water is there for us to drink.

Light was shining in through the window during the service. During the hymns and the prayers my mind wandered. The day before I had got an email from The Interfaith Observer, they asked if they could use some of my photos from Deir Mar Musa in Syria. Only minutes before walking to church I read a message on Twitter written by Alain de Botton where he tells that his newest book, Religion for Atheists, is out. I wrote to him telling him that I am a christian, still interested in his book, wondering if the book could be anything for me, I also wrote that I love his The Art of Travel. Right away de Botton wrote me back: Absolutely, the book is for you......

I have written back to The Interfaith Observer to let them know that I am honored that they want to use my photos. I have ordered Alain de Botton´s book.

The road I wander is widening my mind and I am pleased.

The Passion We Share

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Our oldest son Torgeir and I share the passion of reading. The passion of books. I remember I started to buy children´s books when I was pregnant with Torgeir, 30 years ago, and I started to read for him when he was still a baby. Bed time reading was our favorite time of the day for many, many years. Øystein was born 21 months after Torgeir. Breast feeding time became reading time, and over the months and years we travelled through hundreds of books.

All our children are readers, Torgeir and I are passionate readers! We are both book collectors as well, and from time to time I call Torgeir, or he calls me: Saturday is coming up. Shall we meet in town for a book store safari?"

Torgeir has his own appartment in Trondheim. Rooms completely filled with books, always with ideas on how he can make room for more.

Even though he lives in Trondheim, he spent Christmas at home.......reading though a huge pile of books. One day during Christmas we decided at was time for another book store browse, this time with an extra treat "Mom, when we get hungry I will take you for lunch at Hjørnet"

We not only share the passion of books and reading. We share two other passions as well. Travels and coffee houses. 

Book browsing. Discussing books. Reading while waiting for the coffee. Discussing travels. Mother and son!

Perfect morning.

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What passions do you share with your children? With your spouse? With your parents? Friends?

The reading. The books

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Books. Colours of my life. Dreams close to my heart. 

Friends are travelling to Croatia, asking for readind advise. With a smile I take down Rebecca West´s Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, a Journey Through Yugoslavia. I read a few pages, this is a book to be eaten in bits and pieces.

A newly married couple, best friends of my oldest son, are planning a trip to India. My son calls: "Mamma, can Ragnar and I come home for dinner on Saturday? I want to show Ragnar your books from India. And one more thing, a friend of mine is thinking about going to Laos. You have been there, haven´t you? I am sure you have a list of books to recommend" With another, very broad smile, I take out from the shelves Ant Egg Soup, The Adventures of a Food Tourist in Laos, by Natacha Du Pont De Bie. My collection of books from and about India are too many to mention here, Ragnar will have a look on Saturday.

A friend in England emails me: "Hi Britt-Arnhild. I know a woman in USA, an elderly lady, a fresh widow. She is planning to spend a couple of months in Venice this winter. Can you suggest books for her?" Now I and Natalia are busy emailing each other, discussing Donna Leon, Sally Wickers, Marina Fiorato and all those others.........

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In a few days Terje and I are travelling to Madeira. I have bought a couple of guidebooks, and a walking guide.......but have found no real litterature from Madeira. There must be something? Can you help?

 

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I do have more than enough to read though. My pile of Himalaya books is growing. Fast. Right now I am reading Dervla Murphy´s Tibetan Foothold. Then, there are about 10, or 20 (don´t tell Terje, but if you meet my father in law you can mention to him that I will soon need another shelf) Himalaya books waiting to be read.

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One day I will travel to Himalaya.

Dreams. Lovely dreams.

 

The books and where I keep them.

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If you walk up the stairs from our hallway to the first floor landing, you will be met by a new bookcase, two new bookcases actually, put together. Filled with my collection of artbooks and my old paperback classics.

The bookcases were made especially for me by my 88 years old father in law this summer. Put up on the landing by Terje last week.

Terje and I decided to change rooms, dens, the ones where we have our desks, our computers, where we do our paperwork. He got the small one, the one I have been using for a couple of years, I got the big one, which is actually an extra livingroom, the one we used together for many years when the house was still filled with kids living at home.

In this moving process I decided to go through all my books, there are thousands of them. Dusting, sorting, giving away, filling new space, rediscovering old treasures.

Children´s books from my parents childhood, from my own, books collected, read and cherished for and by our gang of four.

 

In the guestroom, which is also a room where I display many of the children´s toys, I have set up a bookcase for the children´s books.

A heaven for any book loving child.

When I and my oldest brother were young readers, there was an elderly couple without children living in our neighbourhood. In their basement they had a special room where all four walls were filled with children´s litterarure. Once a week my brother and I were invited there, to look at the books, to feel them, to read, and to borrow. I was in paradise.

 One of the old books in this case is a bedtime storybook by Enid Blyton. Bestefar (grandpa) Johannes always read a story from this one when he took me and brother Frode to bed.

There are books in every room in our house.

Terje despair........shake his head.......and then helps me with the measures when I need a new bookcase carpented by father in law.

On top of mormor (grandma) Olga´s old sewing machine books, there are books waiting to be read, or like Jomfru Lide, which is the book Terje and I have been reading aloud the past months. Only one chapter left now.

 

In the hallway I have my collection of travel litterature. The crown of my book collection. The books mostly read.

Travel memories. Travel dreams.

Travel plans to be made.

 

There are still books to sort, to organise. But most of my dear books are in shelves now (most bookcases are in the basement........I forgot to take photos down there) Some are also in a couple of baskets, searching for new owners. If you lived closer I would invite you over and you couple see if you found something you like.

I love my books. You can see that, can´t you :-)

Last night I started to read..........well, that´s a tale for another day.

What is your favorite book?

Who is your favorite writer?

Not an ordinary Sunday morning walk, or Booktalk on a Sunday 43

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WARNING: text and images do not quite go together today..........or may be that´s exactly what they do? Let´s see what happens.....

At lunchtime today we are invited to nephew Benjamin´s 10th birthday. Tonight Torgeir, Øystein and Marius will come home for dinner. Enough on the board for one day for me right now, so I have no early Sunday morning down in the city planned.

 

Instead I am doing quite another walk. A memory walk down the Book Lane.

I am in the prosess of sorting through a lifetime of books.

Somehow there are always too many books around. Somehow there can never be enough books.

You know what I mean?

I have thousands of books, have never actually counted, but I know there are several throusands of them. I have managed to keep my travel litterature together, in two IKEA shelves with glass doors between the hallway and the livingroom. 

The rest of the book collection needs sorting.......and it needs dusting. Badly!

My goal is to get this sorted out before going back to work in a week´s time.

This Sunday morning it is the children´s books. A few from my mother´s childhood. Many from my own, my brothers´, my husband and his brother. Books I started to buy as soon as I knew I was pregnant, 30 years ago. Books collected for two sons, two daughters.

Now I am gathering them from around the house, we have bookshelves everywhere, putting them together in a special bookcase in the extra bedroom we call "the children´s room", which is also our guestroom.

As I gather the books, sort them, I am again and again taken down memory lane. A bedside storybook my grandpa Johannes always read from, a Nancy Drew with the inscription "to Britt Arnhild on your 12th birthday from Torodd" - brother Torodd was exactly three weeks old on my 12th birthday, a very old Johanna Spyri´s Heidi from my mother in law´s childhood, a series of "If you give a mouse a cookie....." which I used to read over and over for Marta.

.............The books are so many. The books are so filled with memories. All of them blessed, sweet memories.

The bookcase is not big enough. Many books will have to be put into boxes and stored away. Waiting for grandchildren, nieces, nephews. Waiting for new generations of readers.

Some of the books have the names of my brothers in them. Benjamin will get three of them today, for his 10th birthday. One of the Bobsey Twins, with his father´s name inscribed. Two about the Hardy Boys, is that also what you called them in USA, in the rest of the English speaking world, The Hardy Boys, the detective  brothers Joe and Frank?

When the children´s books are done, I will go through the rest of my collection. But right now there are more childhood memories to bring out of the mist.

(Yes, I knew the photos would be perfect for my book travel this Sunday morning.......)

 

Tonight, after the boys have gone home, after the dishes are done, I plan to reread a very special book, Secret Garden. I know that holding this special red, hardcovered books will bring memories. Of poor orphaned Mary, of a robin, a key, a garden coming to life, of friendship.........and of hours and days of sweet childhood reading.

 

Happy Sunday.

Happy reading.

Venezia - food & dreams -

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Tessa Kiros loves food and she loves travels. A perfect combination. And she write the most wonderful books where she shares her passions.

I have most of Tessa´s books, alternately I bring them out of the glass vitrine where I keep them. To dream.

In a few weeks Terje and I are going to Madeira for a week, so Tessa´s book from Portugal, Piripiri starfish is often out of the shelves these days.

But most of all I enjoy her Venice book, Venezia - food & dreams -

Travel tales, diary notes, restaurants, recipes, photos.........

Cicchetti, antipasti, zuppa, pasta, gnocchi, risotto, secondi, contorni, dolci......

A stroll at the Rialto fish market to get the best fish, a visit to the kitchen in a restaurant to learn a few secrets, a meal alone or shared with friends.

My mouth waters.

My dreams travel east of the sun, west of the moon.

 

Venezia - food & dreams -

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Soon you find me in The Blue Cafe´s kitchen, cooking.

Today a fagioli soup is on the menu. Partly inspired by Mauro and the huge pot of soup he made us on a hot, hot laguna beach day, partly inspired by Tessa Kiro´s recipe.

Most of all my own.

 

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Enjoy your day.

Nurture your dreams, and your cooking.

 

 

 

What is it with those Californians?...or Thank you Cecilia and Steve

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This summer is teaching me that Californians are wonderful people. In June and July Jane and Lanny stayed with us for three wonderful weeks (if you read my blog regularly you already know a lot about that), last night another amazing Californian couple came to The House in the Woods, loaded with wonderful gifts for the hostess - flowers, two bottles of Californian wine, a book fresh from printing.

Cecilia Samartin and her husband Steve Myles.

I met Cecilia last year when she came to Trondheim to sign her book Mofongo. My friend and I went to the bookstore and while there I realized I had forgotten my camera - which turned out to be a blessing. Steve took a photo of me and Cecilia and emailed it to me......and a kind of a tiny little online friendship started.

 

A few weeks ago I learned on facebook that Cecilia was coming back to Trondheim, to sign her new book. I sent her a dinner invitation to The House in the Woods, sure that she and Steve would be too busy to accept. Then, to my pure pleasure, she wrote me back; yes, they would LOVE to come.

 Last night was The Day. Cecilia and Steve, me, Terje, a couple of friends, brother Børge (from Iceland) and son Torgeir. 8 people around the table. A perfect number for a dinner.

When I woke yesterday morning I was all cold feet. What could I serve this famous author and her husband. She has not only written novels, but also a wonderful cookbook sharing her most precious, delicious family recipes, and here was I, trying to compose a meal.

"Don´t forget to put your woollen socks on" my best friend wrote me in a message. I did, and soon I was enjoying myself in the kitchen. Making fish soup, baking foccacia, cutting chicken, brokkoli and paprika, preparing the dessert.

Some nights are just meant to be perfect. Last night was one of those. Cecilia is not only a fabulous writer, she is also a wonderful person. And I am sure Steve´s middle name is charming.

Tales and laughter shared during the meal. The hours passed too fast and soon it was time to start a long session of saying goodbye......which included photos, book signings, words to remember in our guestbook, hugs and kisses. And an invitation to come to California next summer.

We could then tell Cecilia and Steve that we are actually planning a vacation in California next summer. To visit Jane and Lanny. And yes, it will be a pleasure to stop a few days in their home in Los Angeles on our way.

Marta and a friend came home from their night out then and Steve told Marta - we live close to Universal Studios, we live not far from Disneyland, we have a silboat, do you want to go sailing with us.......

I am sure you can imagine Marta´s smile.

Before Cecilia and Steve left it was my pleasure to give them a gift. The book I have written.

A wonderful evening. Great memories.

......and a dream of next summer in California.

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Thank you Cecilia and Steve.

Thank you Heidi and Noralv, Børge and Torgeir, Terje.

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Cecilia gave me her newest book last night, La Peregrina. I am tempted to start reading it right away, but will save it till I wake up after the surgery......