Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Sale in the City

 

For a long, long time, it must have been a couple of years, I've been wanting to start a blog about my city, a blog about Trondheim. This week I have been up early (as usual), and before work I have taken a walk in the city. A walk in the almost empty summer city. Every morning a cappuccino in a new place, every morning with my small camera in my hands.

 

It has felt like being a tourist in my own city. I have seen old, familiar sights with new eyes, and I have found new "treasures". Small cafes I didn't know about, houses, narrow street where I haven't walked in years.

 

I have a special file on my computer now with my Trondheim photos, and it is filling up fast. The Trondheim blog has got its name, and the first two posts are already written. I am the only one to know the blog address yet, but if you ask I might not be too hesitant to give it away :-)

 

The summer sale has started, and when you start looking into the shop windows there are images for funny photos everywhere. I wonder why all the figures are headless. Are you supposed to lose your head on the sale?

 

Well, I prefere a head on top of my body to alot of cheap, new clothes......... I am not buying anything at the sale this year.

What about you?

 

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The hand drawn postcards. So many of you want a postcard made by this charming boy, and I have only two cards to send.......I looked for the boy yesterday, but he wasn't there. I will look again today, and hopefully I will have more cards to send. Untill then no names are chosen.......

Colours at the festival

 

Colours are important in my life. During my days in Venezia in June I showered myself in orange. I have photos and words waiting for a "going orange in Venezia"-post, but haven't found the right opportunity to write it yet.......may be some day.

 

The stalls at the historical market at the St.Olav Festival, dance with colours, and I am filling up my colour basket.

 

Orange is among my favorites this summer, reds are a good number two.

 

When you start looking for colours you can find dots and spots everywhere. Look at this red pencil :-) This 10 year old boy loves drawing and sells his handdrawn postcards at the market. I buy some from him every year. Anybody wants one in the mail? I'll pick a name from the comments........

 

A red apron brightens the day of the woman baking flatbrød.

 

A little red makes this huge bouquet a piece of art.

 

The choir Schola St. Sunnivaewith their beautiful voices and sparkling red dresses.

 

Bishop of Nidaros, Tor Singsaas, at the opening seremony.

 

From the St.Olav mass in the cathedral yesterday. Huge signs told that you were not allowed to photograph. With shaking hands I couldn't resist, and I made one of the guards furious.......

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What is your favorite colour?

Merisi has made this red and orange Venezia post

Happy St. Olav's Day

 

Happy St. Olav Day!

In the battle at Stiklestad in 1030, King Olav lost and was killed. His body was moved to Trondheim. One year later his grave was opened and it was discovered that his hair and his nails kept on growing. The Saint Olav was "born" and the people of Norway turned to christianity. (history in a tiny nut shell)

 

King Olav died on July 29th, and for almost 50 years now, the city of Trondheim are celebrating the St.Olav Festival

 

The cathedral has been open all through the night since yesterday for Olavsvaka and at 11pm this morning, the main St.Olavs Mass will be celebrated.

 

Pilgrims from all over Norway, even from all over the world, have found their way to Trondheim. Some stay in the Pilgrim Center, with only a short walk up to the cathedral.

 

This photo was taken early in the morning yesterday, while the area was still quiet. Now it is filled with people and activity.

 

"But look. What is this green, yellow ansd red wreath on the Vestfronten / The Western Wall?"

 

St.Jacob, the saint of the pilgrims, was decorated the 25th of July, St.Jacob's Day.

 

Is there anything you need as a pilgrim? You can get it all on the Historical Market at the Festival :-)

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More info about Nidaros Pilgrim Center

Potato recipe II. Grill salad.

 

Tomorrow is St.Olav's Day. I took alot of photos on my way to work this morning of the Pilegrim Center and the Cathedral, still quiet, almost asleep, getting ready for the buzz of activities which starts later today. There might be a St.Olav post tomorrow :-)

 

Today though, there is time for another potato recipe. This time not with the potatoes from our garden, I will give them some more time to grow, but fresh potatoes from a local market.

 

Sunday we grilled at the cabin. Rainy, so we placed the grill on the veranda while we ate indoors. The rain played with me though and stopped just long enough for my potato photo session. With roses and a blue table.

Out main summer potato recipe is a very simple cold potato salad with diced boiled potatoes, olive oil, salt and chives.

Peel and boil the potatoes, the time depends on the size of the potatoes, but usually I boil them for 25-30 minutes. Dice the potatoes while they are still almost too hot to handle. Mix them with extra virgin olive oil, be generous with the oil, then sprinkle them with salt, I prefere Maldon salt and I send a thought to my friend Carol in Maldon, and chives freshly cut from the garden, if possible.

 

A friend of mine gave me this recipe many years ago, and at once it became a summer favorite in The Blue Garden and The Blue Café.

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My search for new potato recipe continues. Do you have any to share?

A moment with friends is never wasted....

 

On a rain cabin summer day we are invited to friends for coffee.

 

We bring our leftovers from the week-end. They share theirs. Words, smiles, friendship fill the cabin. Sometimes silence falls, as it does comfortably between friends. We look out the window and let our minds wander through time and oceans.

 

 

When it is time to say goodbye our friends follow us back to the car. in rain, though wet moss the friendship deepens.

And we make plans for more meetings.

Next time we plan a mountain climb. Or a barbeque. Or out on the sea fishing.....

 

Fru Guri av Edøy

 

Friends have been visiting at the cabin. When they arrived yesterday we greeted them with rømmegrøt and spekemat(take a look at the videos on this link). Unfortunately the weather was grey so we ate indoors, but the huge cabin windows still gave us a great view of fjords and mountains, framed by the millions of roses.

 

A little later we took the ferry over to Edøy, at Smøla, to watch the outdoor historical play Fru Guri av Edøy.

Edøy church was built in 1190, and the play showed is the daily life from that period, leading up to the building of the church.

 

Through life and death, happiness and sorrows, deep pains and rejoicing pleasure, we followed Fru (Mrs) Guri and her family.

 

A mixture of professionals and amateurs gave ife to the performance. I laughed and cried, and felt proud to be a woman, following the paths of strong foremothers.

 

A church fire made me hold my breat....I forgot it was "only" a play.

 

Summer is the peak period for many historical plays in Norway. Fru Guri av Edøy follows in this tradition. The story is good and manage to capture your interest through the whole play, the scenery with the real nature surroundings is superb.

 

I've got a deeper knowledge of the life of people who built this country. I am a richer human today.

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More photos from the preparations of the play.

Filling my basket with cabin roses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No better place to spend a summer week-end.

Happy week-end

 

 

 

The week-end will be a cabin week-end.

I plan to fill my tables with food, my chairs with family and friends, and my basket of life with happy memories.

To capture the cathedral

 

Living and working close to a cathedral. I had my confirmation there. I was married there. Now I work for the bishop of Nidaros, and I pass the cathedral every day on my way to work.

 

The city is filled with tourists, most of them are paying the cathedral a visit.

Among them are also artists, or artists to be.

 

How can I best capture the cathedral?

 

Studying the cathedral. From a distance. Close.

 

"Pappa", Marta said, "come here and I'll show you something. Did you know that the old stone masons who built the cathedral left their signatures. Many of them couldn't write their names, but they had their signature which they left on their creation."

 

Photo: Marta showing her pappa an old stone mason signature.

 

Today's masons also leave their signatures.

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The Creator has left his signature on Creation. Have you opened your eyes and your senses to see it?

The first potatoes and a recipe.

 

Sunday we decided to check on the new potatoes. Well, I decided that Terje was to do a check! He was sure it was too early yet. I had a plan though, to make a special dish with mini potatoes.

 

After a lovely fish meal with one of the deans in the diocese in the early spring, I praised the potatoes (and the fish) so much that the only thing the dean could do was to give me a box of potatoes ready to plant. This special type of potato, called Molt can not be found in the grocery stores.

Proudly I came home to present Terje with the potatoe box, and he knew that the only thing he could do was to prepare the potatoe field.

 

The potatoes were planted, and every morning, during my garden walk, I have been checking on the growing potato grass. When we came home from vacation a couple of weeks ago the grass had started to bloom, and it was with a hard beating heart I watched Terje dig for the first ones on Sunday.

18 small potatoes under the one plant he dug out! That's something!

 

I washed them, but did not peel them. The skin is part of the delicatessen when the potatoes are new. Then I boiled them for just a few minutes before frying them in extra virgin olive oil. Before serving the small gold beads were sprinkled in Maldon salt.

 

While the potatoes boiled I picked the green for a Blue Garden salad and Terje sat up the grill. Sunday dinner in our favorite restaurant, The Blue Café.

 

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I hope to do a weekly potatoe post, here or over at The Blue Café. I already have a long list of recipe sent me by you some time ago, but I am always looking for more.

What is your favorite potato recipe?

Or a favorite potato story? Click on this link and you will be taken to mine.

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Click here and you are taken to the post where you gave me your potato recipes.

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A Norwegian potato site.