Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Autumn flowers in Oslo

@brittarnhild

Early flight down. Late flight back home again. A day meeting in Oslo, and time for a walk in the city to enjoy the beautiful autumn flowers.

I left the Trondheim rain, I came back to the Trondheim rain, but in between I could enjoy the autumn sun and the blue sky in Oslo.

And parks and statues and flowers,

most of all flowers.

 

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

My blogworld today:

Britt Arnhilds dagboksblader, my online journal

Med bøker på menyen, my reading journal

 

 

 

A Walk in Oslo

@brittarnhild

 

 

Christmas Market in Oslo

@brittarnhild

From time to time both I and Terje go to Oslo for work. A couple of weeks ago we discovered we would go at the same time, I for one day only, he for two. "Why don´t I book a room for both of us at my hotel,  and you can stay the night and take an early plane back to Norway the next day?" Terje asked. "Sure" I replied, " and we can see what´s on in Oslo, may we we can go to the theatre or something?"

So here we are. Both of us have finished our meetings, we have had coffee ansd then it was time to visit the Oslo Christmas Market before dinner and theatre.

I am not sure I am too impressed by the Christmas Market, still, walking among the stalls, hand in hand, let the feeling of the season shower over us.......well, it is quite cozy :-)

We did not buy anything, in a few days the Christmas Market in Trondheim opens, and then we will burn som money. But even without buying, there is quite a lot to see.

Do you have a Christmas Market where you live?

The Sculpture Park

@brittarnhild

I am in Oslo for three days. Three long days with meetings, and in the middle of today, in the middle of the three days, I took one hour off. I needed fresh air. I needed to move my stiff body. I needed to let the sun cherish my face. I hadn´t actually planned where to go, but as it is Women´s Day today and I found an open gate with three women, I knew I was on the right track.

Frognerparken, or Gustav Vigeland Sculpture Park. With Monolitten as a main focus.

I have visited Frognsrparken many times, but this was the first time I came during winter.
Winter light is quite different from the warm light in the summer, and somehow the cold, crisp air made the human sculpures alive in a way I had not experienced before.

What amazes me the most is how Vigeland were able to find life inside the stones. Real, eternal life.

Life ready to burst out.

The Vigeland Park is the worlds largest sculpture park made by one artist. You can read more about it here.

 

 

 

The Flower Market

@brittarnhild

If I have time, I always visit the outdoor flower market when I am in Oslo. We used to have one in Trondheim as well, though over the years it grew smaller and smaller, until it completely disappeared a few years ago. I think this is what I miss most in Trondheim. The outdoor flower market.

 

Now I am in Oslo for a couple of days, and as soon as today´s meeting was finished, before tonight´s dinner with two best friends, I set out for a few of Oslo´s less known book stores, the no chain ones. But before that........

....yes, you guessed it. The flower market.

 

Well may be it is a good thing we don´t have one in Trondheim any more. If we had I would probably have used all my money on flowers.

A walk in Oslo

A Sunday morning walk in Oslo, under a grey sky, took us to areas where we have never been before.

Tjuvholmen and the Astrup - Fearnley Museum of modern art.

Just a weekend, Friday till Sunday.
Packed with impressions, friends, art.......

....all of it done together.

We bring shared memories home,
and we feel blessed.

 

A Christmas gift in use

@brittarnhild

Terje surprised me completely on Christmas Eve. A weekend in Oslo with tickets to La Boheme.
The weekend has finally come. We came down Friday and will fly back to Trondheim tonight.

From the balcony of our hotel room we can see directly over to The Opera.......

...and from the Opera we see our balcony.

 

Puccini´s La Boheme, an opera of life and death.
In the performence at Den norske Opera og Ballett Mimi died because of cancer. Love, laughter, sorrow, tears.

 

 

We combine the weekend with visiting friends,
dinner with Estrid and Sindre on Friday. You met Estrid and Sindre in Hong Kong, now they are back in Norway. Dinner with Kari and Anders on Saturday.

In Hong Kong we went to a Cantonese Opera with Estrid and Sindre, a strange experience :-)

Sitting in Kari and Anders´kitchen,
talking, while they finish the four course meal.

Kari and I have known each other since we were teenagers.
So much shared.
So many tales to remember.

A Christmas gift
A weekend
Opera
Walks
Museums
Walks
Love
Hand in hand
Friends
Dinners

 

A Christmas gift.
A perfect one!

 

A weekend in Oslo

@brittarnhild

 

We have spent the morning in Vigelandsparken, with Sinnataggen as the main attraction. This angry little boy, made by Gustav Vigeland. Famous through the world. With a left hand looking like gold after all the millions of hands which have touched it.

It is many years since we visited the park. We are early and walk around in the grey morning alone.

Many of the sculptures we remember from previous visits.
Now we see them with new eyes.

 Others are new to us.

How is it possible to make a dead material come alive like this,
showing such vibrant emotions?

 

Here you can read more about the Gustav Vigeland Sculpture Park

 

A New Morning

@brittarnhild

"I can drive you to the train" my host said. "The traffic is crazy in the mornings, so it might take us half an hour at least, but then it should be easy to continue to Oslo by the train"

"Or wait a little" he continued. "I have a better idea. You can take the boat from here. It leaves at ten minutes past seven and you will be in Oslo before eight"

I beamed.
The possibility of a boat ride on the Oslo fjord sounded like a perfect idea.

Not only sounded like.
It was! A perfect idesa I mean!

 

This and that in Oslo

text and images britt-arnhild

I have been to Oslo on a conference.
About the future organization of the Church of Norway.

Long, interesting days,
and since I stayed at a hotel rihgt in the heart of the city,
and since I am an early bird,
I had time for morning walks.

 

Nowhere is far from the sea, from the Oslo Fjord in Oslo.
Water works like a magnet towards my body,
so I knew exactly where to walk.

Water,
the elixir of life,
of dreams,
of wandering thoughts.
Of sitting down, watching, to solv your problems.

Passing the Nobel Peace Center....

Wishing I had time to visit the current exhibition.

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

 

Cecilia Samartin is in Oslo these days,
and the bookstore windows were filled with her newest book;
Donna Maria.

I had dinner with Cecilia on Sunday night, when I came down to Oslo.
Monday was my first chance to buy her new book,
and this morning I met her at her hotel to get the book signed.

She was being interviewed when I came.
By the Norwegian magazine Tara.

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

I got her signature, and a few words of friendship,
and then I walked on,
up to the Indian Embassy,
to apply for a visa.

Some waiting time at the embassy,
gave me this lovely photo of a roof lamp.

Two nights, two days in Oslo.
Filled to the brim.

Now it is good to be home in The House in the Woods.