Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Playing ball with the sun

text and images britt-arnhild

Three pm. Me walking from my new office over to the Archbishop´s Palace and the old office.
Sun in my eyes. Made it hard to see the pathway. The ice. Made it easy to see that longer days are on their way.

It started with a letter. A penpal through 17 years. Bad news.
I couldn´t believe when I read,

It continued through out the day. A phone call, an email. Words across a table.
The more I got the smaller I became.

In the end I felt I could creep into the wall and become invisible.
Hide from the world.

But the days are becoming longer. The sun is rising.
Life will go on.

I will survive.

Shadows are here to show us the difference between light and dark.

When Friends Share a Passion

text and images britt-arnhild

 
Sunday we had lunch together. With the king. Monday we took part in the same seminar. About structures for the Church of Norway in the future. A long day. Sitting. Listening. When we got a 15 minutes break my best friend looked at me "Do you have your camera with you?" Seeing my smiling nod she continues, "Let us run out in the cathedral park for photos!"

 
A long, ordinary seminar day can me transformed to an adventure when best friends share a passion.

 
With hidden treasures under every tree.

A gate open. More adventures ahead.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Do you have a passion you share with your friend?

The historical event, with no tricks......

text and images britt-arnhild

I had planned to watch it all on television. But because of the delayed surgery I was able to take part. The inauguration of a presiding bishop in Norway, bishop Helga Haugland Byfuglien.

For the first time in modern history Norway has got a leading biskop, and this also means that the diocese of Nidaros now have two bishops.

This was celebrated yesterday with a service in the cathedral. With the 12 bishops of Norway, several visitings bishop and church leaders for all over the lutheran world, our king, members from our government, and a full cathedral of other people.

Norwegian television was there, you can see the whole service here, and because of the filming, the cathedral was enlightened by 400 spotlights. I have never seen the cathedral so beautiful, and started to shoot photos........until we were told "no photographing"....and I decided this was not the time to be mean, do my silver hair tricks :-)

After the service we walked over to the Archbishop´s Palace.

But first time for historical photos outside the cathedral

...

A red carpet waiting patienly to be unrolled for the king.

A lunch worth both a king and a silver haired woman waiting for a delayed surgery.

A silver haired woman proud to eat her lunch with the king :-)

The king´s laughter...........nothing I said, this silver haired woman was seated next to her best friend and was busy eating and chatting.

Early morning walk

I work in the Archbishop's Palace, the house next door to Nidaros Cathedral. Untill this winter my office had a great view of the cathedral park, and I especially loved watching spring through my office window. A couple of months ago I had to change office though, so now I have quite another view, actually almost no view at all, and to the opposite side. But still I walk through the park every morning on my way from where I park my car and to the office building.

The Nidaros Cathedral is built upon the grave of St.Olav. It is the biggest, and of course most beautiful cathedral in Scandinavia. Untill Martin Luther and the Reformation the archbishop used to live next door to the cathedral, and the Archbishop's Palace was built for that. Unfortunately part of the buildings were destroyed by a terribe fire in the 1980ies. About 10 years ago the new building were finished though, and the diocese administration of Nidaros could move in. Our office buildings can be seen to the left in the photo.

Here is a better photo of the cathedral.

The first photo is taken from my parking lot. If I turn around I can see the river Nidelven, and the old and famous warehouses along the river. And also part of an old bridge "gamle bybro - Old City Bridge" which we are very proud of.

Trondheim, or Nidaros which is the old name of the city, is a famous goal both for tourists and for pilgrims. The season for both groups has started and the city is getting more and more people every day now.

Today has been a beautiful sunny day, quite warm for the season, and we had the first dinner of the year out on the garden. Enjoy the photo :-) Seen

is Marta and her friend, Øystein and Terje.