Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

The Book I Read, The House I Love!

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I am reading "The House I Loved" by Tatiana De Rosnay (author of Sarah´s Keys). Have you read it? I am only 55 pages into it so far, and hooked. Luckily it is Friday night, I have a quiet weekend ahead, and if you want me you will probably find me in my favorite corner of our livingroom, with my nose deep in the book.

Houses have always meant a lot to me, though the fact that my childhood home has had new owners for a long time, doesn´t matter. Past is past. Present is now.
And now is The House in the Woods.
Where we live and where my husband and I create our shared memories.

We have lived in The House in the Woods for 11 years now. When we moved here, we got the key on Sept 11th 2001, and couldn´t understand what we would do with a "new" house when the world was falling apart, all four kids moved in with us. Today Marta is an "only" child.

Life continued from that fatal day in 2001, and our 11 years here have been and are filled with blessed moments. 

I continue to read Rosnay´s book, and as the words unfold, my love for My House, My Husband, My Family grows, deepens. Fills me with thankfulness.

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Good literature does that! Creates new life in you, around you. Broadens your mind.

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Photos today are from Krakow, an old neighbourhood outside the historical old town.
Looking at the houses I imagine all the tales they hide. 

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The tale I promised you, the 80 years one about my grand uncle Sivert,
has to wait......

......tonight I´ll be reading. 

Caffe Avec. Blends of coffee

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A few years ago we spent a few days in Krakow, and it didn´t take us long to fall in love with the cafè life there.

During our Krakow days, Caffe Avec was born.

Caffe Avec. My travel blog.

It started very well, with frequent posts.

But I soon discovered than maintaining more than one blog is hard.
Very hard.

Since the first post Caffe Avec has always  ben there.....

....like a well kept secret.

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A well kep secret........

....which I now want to share.

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I will need your help with the sharing.

I am sure you know someone who loves coffee and travels.

Someone who loves coffee and travels just as much as I do.
As you do.

 

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Why don´t you invite them over to Caffe Avec?

And who knows?
There might be a "winner" in the coffee party.

A winner of a coffee surprise.........

Here is where you find the Caffe Avec travel blog.

Welcome over.

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All photos were taken in Tallinn, Estonia, this weekend.

Meeting an old, dear friend in Tallinn

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Almost a week ago I flew to Finland. Three flights from Trondheim, via Oslo and Tallinn. On the small plane from Oslo to Tallinn I had a window seat, and as we flew low over Tallinn before landing, I could see a high, green spire. I had never been to Tallinn, and was on my way to Jyväskylä in Finland, but knew that I saw the church spire of an "old friend", the St.Olav Church, or Oleviste Kirik as they say in Estonia.

 

An old legend tells the tale of a stranger coming to Tallinn being asked by the noblemen there if he could build the highest church in the world. The stranger asked more money that the city could pay, but agreed to decrease the price if they managed to guess his name. According to the story this was almost an impossible task, but in the end someone managed to find the place where the stranger came from. There a young woman was singing for her baby: "Sleep my baby, sleep. Olaf will soon come home and bring us gold for the entire life"

The true story is that the church was built buy Scandinavian seafarers some 800 years ago. The Norwegian King Olav II Haraldson,  (Nidaros cathedral was originally built on his grave, you all know that, don´t you.....) later St. Olav, was the patron saint of seafarers, so they gave the church his name.

Once, the church tower with its spire was the highest building in the world.

High enough to attract lightning and set into fire several times. Today the spire is lower than it once was, though still it is an impressing building in the old town of Tallinn.

 

When we passed the church on Saturday, it was closed due to a wedding.
But we decided to go back this morning, before the service.

At first we were unable to find any signs of St.Olav, our dear, old friend, in the church, which is today owned by the Lutheran congregation in Tallinn.
We almost gave up, but on our way out we found a little pamflet about the church, and inside we found what we were looking for;
a tiny little photo of King Olav with the text:
"A bay of vaults contains a sculptured relief of St.Olav after whom the church has been named"

In we walked again. Preparations were being done for the upcoming service. We found one of the church guards and tried to ask him about St.Olav. He spoke no English, but when we showed him the photo in the panflet a broad smile spread in his face. "Come with me" he said.......with a wave with his hand.
And there, high up behind the altar
I found my friend.

Unfortunately we were not able to take part in the service.
We had to head back to the hotel, only stopping for cappuccinos and a huge Josephine cake (will be another blog post), to finish packing, and then fly back to Norway.

The flight from Tallinn to Trondheim is only a little over an hour (I had no idea),
so we are now back home,
ready for a new week.

And with a full basket of blog tales ideas.

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The Legend of Old Thomas

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Every town and city has its own history, its own legends, its own tales.

What a joy to seek out, to explore them.

It didn´t take long to awaken out curiosity in Tallinn.
Who was Old Thomas?

At a corner in the Old Town we found a bookstall where they sold
"The Legend of Old Thomas"

Thoms, the son of a fisherman who died on the sea while Thomas was a small boy, a fishmonger wife who always took Thomas with her when she walked up to the town to sell her fish.
Thomas, who grew up and became a master with his crossbow.
Thomas who became a city guardian for life.
Thomas who loved the children of the city and was missed by them when he died.

Old Thomas is immortalised as a weather vane  on top of the Old Town House.

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Here is a link to where you can read more about the legend of Old Thomas and other estonian legends.

I am too busy to write more right now.
More Tallinn exploring is waiting.

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By the way, here is a link to another town, another legend. 

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Do you know the legends of your own home town?
Of your own country?

Tomorrow, or may be already tonight,
I plan to share with you some history, a legend, of Trondheim, which is connected to Tallinn.

The split up........

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All of a sudden, during our Saturday of exploring Tallinn, Estonia,
we split up........

.....for 45 minutes.

Me to enjoy some time with a hairdresser,
(washing, cutting, styling)

He to visit a sport center.

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A day in Tallinn,
a day filled with surprises.

 

New Day, new Country

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Another day, another country,

 

......and hopefully soon time for blogging.....