Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Afternoon walk into evensong

@brittarnhild

 I got a message on facebook from an American friend. She loves languages and had just discovered that in Norway we don´t say "boyfriend" or "girlfriend", but we use the word kjæreste, which is gender neutral and means dearest. Terje has been my kjæreste for 37 years now, and the other afternoon my dearest and I walked hand in hand through St. Stephen´s Green.

 Walking like this, in the low afternoon autumn sun, hand in hand with your kjæreste is like getting a double doze of life. You live though your own heart, and also through the heart of the one you love.

As dusk fell, we went over to St.Patrick´s Cathedral and evensong.
Oh. how I love the anglical tradition of evensongs.

 

 

Howth, the fishing village

@brittarnhild

To get the feeling of a country, you need to get outside the big city. Dublin is great, with so much to see, but we wanted to get some country life feeling, and took the train out to the sea, to the small fishing village Howth.

Only 20 minutes by train, and all of a sudden we were in quite another world.

The weather was perfect, just like I imagine Irish westher to be. A little reain in the morning, then a combination of sun, clouds and a lot of fresh wind. With the wind came the smell of the sea, and everywhere you could hear the seagulls´music.

 

Howth is known for its local food, and everywhere you found local restaurants serving fish and seafood. We looked in at several along the pier and had to smile when we found small coffee shops inside the fish markets. A great combination :-)

We had tea and scones with butter, cream and jam down there, but walked up the hills for lunch. There we found The House, a combined restaurant and art gallery. And we found great food. I had a fishcake of haddock, served with the best tomato sauce I have ever tasted. After I had finished my meal I had to ask for some more, to give Terje, and to try to figure out how it was made.

......yes, I do think I could pick out the different ingredients, and will try it when I come home :-)

By the way, The House has a special recipe webpage, take a look here.

 

My mother´s gift

@brittarnhild

My mother is a woman of a million talents. My mother is the best mother you can imagine. My mother never stops to surprise her children with gifts of love.

Tonight was a night filled with her love, even though I am on Dublin, she is back home in Trondheim.

We spoke on facebook this morning, aged 85 she is the one who har taught me to use the facebook phone. After I had told her all about our day yesterday here in Dublin she said: "BrittArnhild, autumn is here and it is time for me to give you my autumn gift. I want you and Terje to do something special in Dublin, and I will pay for it"

So tonight Terje and I unwrapped my mother´s autumn gift at The Winding Stair, a restaurant servin local gourmet food. We had three courses, we had a lovely night, and my mother´s love seasoned it all.

Thank you mother :-)

And thank you Laura for mentioning The Winding Stair.

You can read more about Winding Stair Bookshop and Restauramt here.

When Terje decides the way

@brittarnhild

With Terje as the map reader and the guide book master, all I have to do is to follow. Something I do gladly, because I know everything is okay with him in the lead.

After lunch today he told me he would take me to a shopping center. I did not feel quite safe right then, because I am not a shopping center girl. Absolutely not. But when the center is called Powerscourrt, is situated in a series of old brick buildings and has an entrance through a flowershop called The Garden.........well, I was lost.

Inside were a multitude of colourful, great cafes and restaurants, and small, artisan shops, one greater than the other.

We did not queue for this antique store.......

.....but when I found this candy store, I was lost!

 

This man of mine knows how to take care of me :-)

 

Here you can read more from this unique shopping center.

 

 

37 years

@brittarnhild

37 years ago today we became sweethearts. We are celebrating in Dublin, Ireland and took a selfie along the river Liffey tonight after dinner.