Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Postcards from an island in the sun

@brittarnhild

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Blogs updated this week:

Fløy en liten blåfugl - my birding journal, one new bird every day

Britt-Arnhilds dagboksblader - my online diary

Blåklokkeveien - one new tree every day in 2018

 

Postcards

@brittarnhild

I have sent postcards to all of you who emailed me your address (+ a couple more). Now we are back in Norway, so it is too late for more postcards. Instead I am sharing a few with you here.

 

 

 

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A few other blog updates lately:

Books on the Menu

Blåklokkeveien

Britt-Arnhild´s Blue Garden

 

 

 

 

 

Anno 2013

@brittarnhild

My postcard travel journal anno 2013 is finished.
Every day abroad I send a postcard to myself. When the year is over I put the postcards together into a little booklet.

 

 

 

 

Postcard from Gildeskål

@brittarnhild

Dear you.
We have left Lofoten and are now driving south towards Trondheim. Instead of the main road E6, we have chosen the more scenic Riksvei 17, or Kystriksveien. It is so beautiful here, to make us believe the amazing nature we see, I have to pinch Terje´s arm again and again....which is a problem for him when he drives.........
Love, BrittArnhild

 

Do you have a postcard to share?
Tell us about where you are just now in the comment section (and if you have a photo as well, you can email it to me, and I will post it here)

 

And if you want a REAL postcard, I need your address (in an email)

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Postcard from Elaine:

 

This picture was taken a few weeks ago at Asilomar when I went to check it out with a walk and a look around.  I have been to Carmel and Pacific Grove many times but had never actually been on the grounds of Asilomar.  It was a sunny day and so beautiful.  Maybe you sat on this bench when you visited in 2012.  I thought of you and now I have enjoyed your summer travel on the West coast of Norway.  

 

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Thank you Elaine for your postcard. I loved Asilomar and have been there in my thoughts many times since our visit there two years ago.

 

Postcards along the south western coast of Norway

@brittarnhild

With us living in Trondheim, Terje´s father south west in Norway at Moi, we drive the 1000kms at least once a year. One way we do it the "fast" way, 12-14 hours on the road starting  in the morning, arriving late at night, the other way we make a tour out of it, exploring the scenic, pictyuresque nature of western Norway. Every year we try to take a different route, every year we seek out charming places to stay the night. Usually we do the tour in two days with one night at a hotel, some years we spend a week. This year we will use three days on the road, which means two places for over night stays.

Starting from Moi after breakfast we could have taken the main E39 to Stavanger, but we chose a detour down to Egersund and along the area of Jæren, farmer´s country dotted with a million of boulders.

First stop was Hå Gamle Prestegård, Hå Old Vicarage, where we strolled the exhibitions, had coffee with a view and bought a book about lighthouses along the coast of Norway. When we get enough of the historical wodden hotels along the coast, we will start exploting the lighthouses, and stay overnight in them.

  

The area reminded me of The Holy Island, Lindisfarne.

Next stop was Skudeneshavn, and old seafarer village from the time of the many sailships from Norway on the oceans of the world. Today old Skudeneshavn has 225 traditional wooden houses and is regarded as one of the best perserved towns in Europe.

We walked around for a long time, and found new treasures everywhere.

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We have stayed the night in Haugesund, but before coming there we stopped at an old church dedicated to St.Olav, Avaldsnes church.

On the north side of the church with stumbled upan a stone with a legend, Virgin Mary´s Needle.......

.....but that´s a tale for another day.

 

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Today there will be postcards to ARR and Daena.

 

Postcard from Venezia. The blink of an eye moments

@brittarnhild

 

Dear reader

I have no account of all times I've heard "Venice, what is it about Venice other than millions of tourists, fake masks and glass from China? Why do you continue to go back there?"

My Venice, or my Venezia (why give the city another name as long as Venezia is the real one) is not at all like that. Well, some times I can't avoid the tourist streets, or the vaporetta during the rush hour. But as soon as possible I leave the boat, I take a "wrong" turn and I find myself in the middle of the real Venezia, the Venezia for Venetians. As soon as you do that, you will know what I am talking about when I tell you that Venezia, La Serenissima, has its very special place in my heart.

 

The last few days I've been counting golden moments

- lunch for two on a small table along a canal. He with a sketchbook and colours, making a painting of her while she read aloud for both of them from an old book in her lap. The food getting cold, but who cared

- the pure joy of two dog's first meeting of the day

- two empty spritz glasses

- the whistling of the glass workers across our canal

- four small girls playing in a campo while their parents chat

- me: Terje, why is our life so good? Terje: because it consists of you and me

 

Postcard from Venice. Pellestrina and a moment of fame

@brittarnhild

 

Dear reader

I am not quite sure, but I think this must be my 10th visit to Venice. Through these visits I've seen quite a lot of La Serenissima, and through these visits I have learned and still is learning every time I come that there is so much more to see. This time Terje and I wanted to come here for kind of "just being", without a long to do list, but when we had lunch with Paolo, the owner of our apartment, in Bologna last week, we asked him if he had a suggestion for us, for something new to see, somewhere new to go. "Have you ever been to Pallestrina?" Paolo asked. We hadn't then. Now we have. And now we both know that we will go back, it was too lovely out there not to.

When lunchtime came we sat down at a restaurant we had passed earlier in the morning, Da Celeste. We had to wait a little for the kitchen to open, "You see, we are so busy today because of television" the waiter told us.

As we sat waiting quite a few people came out from the kitchen, a table was set next to ours and all of a sudden we found ourselves in the middle of a BBC2 program about food and travels. Today was their first day of filming, after Venice they will continue up the coast, around to Croation and further on to the East.

I would love to show you some of the photos I took of the filming, but we still have the same slow internet connection. I have posted the photo via an email done on my cellphone, it refuses me to send more than one photo, I am adding words though Terje's computer, but the connection will not let me add photos :-(

 

Well, as we sat there, we were filmed several times, but I am sure we will not be shown in the program, which will be sent next year, some time. My "moment of fame" is about something else. From last night. Terje and I were having dinner at a small restaurant close to where we stay. As we sat there waiting for our food, another couple, a bit older than us, came in and sat down at the table next to us. I saw the women looking at me, looking again, and then yet again, then bending over to her husband, whispering something......all I could hear was the word "blog" :-) They never said anything to me, I never said anything to them, but I sat there beaming. I had my moment of fame!

 

 Love, BrittArnhild and Terje

 

Postcard from Venice. The Glass Blower

Dear reader.

I have not called Mauro a glass blower before, but a glass artist or a lampworker. But this looks very much like a glass blower, doesn't it?
Since we last visited, three years ago, Mauro has developed his style quite a lot. And he has some amazing plans ahead. BrittArnhild's House in the Woods plans to follow, and take all of you along.

Keep on commenting. The winner of the travel letter will be drawn when I am back home.

Love, BrittArnhild and Terje
 

Postcard from Venice and time for a Blue Garden Letter

@brittarnhild

Dear reader.

Most of this day has consisted of a lunch on Murano. One of Mauro's goal in life is to teach me everything about spaghetti vongole. Today this meant cooking while Terje and I watched every step. When I am back home I plan to write a proper post with a series of photos, meanwhile you can comment on this post and may be be the winner of todays Blue Garden Letter, aka Spaghetti Vongole at Casa Mauro Letter.

Love, BrittArnhild and Terje 

Postcard from Venice, Cannaregio

Far from the tourist crowds we have 'our' charming little apartment, in the Cannaregio area in Venice. Across the canal is a glass factory, and I am already looking forward to Monday morning when the workers will wake us up with their singing.
We left Terracina early this morning. Changed train in Rome. Stopped in Bologna for lunch and almost missed the train to Venice as the track information confused us. But now we are here. We have been to the local Billa for grocery shopping, we have had our first Spritz and we've had dinner where we always go when we are here, Trattoria Antica Moro.

Love, BrittArnhild and Terje

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Looks like you have to turn your computer to see the photo properly. OUr flat has wi-fi but it is so slow it is making me crazy. Then I tried to post this using my cell phone, and look what happens.....
Well, well, a postcard can come in all shapes :-)