We are on our way back home from two fantastic weeks in Sweden and Denmark. We have spent the night in Helsingborg in Sweden and will be driving all day up to Trondheim. But somewhere along the way we need a proper lunch stop, and the very best place to do that is in Fredrikstad just over the Norwegian border. "Why Fredrikstad?" you wonder. You see, there they have built a cathedral, or more correct, they are building a cathedral, and the material they use is waste plastic from the oceans. A hope cathedral
I have heard about this project for many years, and today I finally got to see it with my own eyes. To visit the site. To go inside. To pray.
Hope Cathedral. An interfaith cooperation on environment, creation and sustainability
For many years I have had a dream to visit Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, and today I finally had the possibility. From Ringstedlund, Karen Blixen´s place, there is just a short drive up to Louisiana, just enough time to clear my head, brain, soul and heart for new impressions.
The day was bright and beautiful, and we started out in the garden. But it did not take us long to continue inside, just to explore one great exhibition after another. I had absolutely no idea! I walked around oh-ing and ah-ing, smiling and I don't know what!
Explosions in colours by Shark Hughes
the permanent installation Gleaming Lights of the Souls by Yayoi Kusama,
but most of all Dorothy Iannone. I simply fell in love with Dorothy Iannone´s work.
Can you imagine writing/drawing a travel journal like this?
We have started to drive north, but still have a couple of places in Denmark we "must see"! The first of them is Ringstedlund, where Karen Blixen lived when she came back from Afrika. Karen Blixen who wrote Out of Africa. I had brought with me one of Blixen´s books, Letters from Africa, and of course had to walk the bridge where I had seen Karen walk (in one of the museum videos)
Nature was important to Karen Blixen, the was actually quite an environmentalist, and at Ringstedlund she had a huge garden and also a bird sanctuary with some 35 species breeding, and quite a few more visiting.
As we also had yet one place to visit today, before crossing the border to Sweden, we did not have much time for birdwatching. But nothing could stop me to go for a walk in the garden,
and to take a tour indoors. I wonder how many books, articles and letter have been written at this desk.
Have you read Karen Blixen´s Babatte´s Feast? It is my favourite book of hers.
It is our last day at Sjællands Odde, with our son Øystein, his wife Silje and our granddaughter Vida. Siljes parents have also arrived now, and after breakfast Terje and I leave the others to visit a nearby small town, Nykøbing.
Both of us love coffee shops, to sit down with a cappuccino and also often something sweet, and as soon as we arrive in Nykøping we stop to visit one. It turned out to be a most charming place, with very good cappuccino and also sweet and very good cakes.
Now we are fit to walk around town, which turns out to be even smaller than we had anticipated. One, quite long shopping street, busy with people. We walked up and down a couple of times, enjoying a new place.
Later, many hours later, back at the summer house, we walked down to the sea, with Siljes parents, to watch the sun go down.
Our granddaughter Vida is not two yet, her second birthday is coming up in August, which means she is still too young for Legoland and the amusement parks which you can find so many of in Denmark. But our son has found a kind of homestead historical museum just an hour from where we stay, and today we are heading there.
I am about to start the shawl, from the kit I bought at Fanø. The shawl is covered in poppies, and I tend to see poppies everywhere. And take photos and footage.
The museum turns out to be a perfect place for all of us, three generations. In an old building I find a woman doing kniplinger, or lace, the old, traditional way. As you might remember, from a previous post, I had been searching for this old craft in Vadstena, Sweden, almost without luck, but here I found it, and was able to spend a long time watching, and talking with the artisan.
The bobbins, the thin thread, the twists and the knots, the time consumed, it all looks so fascination, and difficult beyond words.
And I was allowed to film, and will use the footage in an upcoming episode om Britt Arnhilds verden on YouTube.
At home or at the cabin I always go for a walk in the garden before and/or after breakfast. As often as possible I also do that when travelling, and as the summer house our son and daughter in law has an old, charing garden.......
.......it is a perfect place for a morning stroll.
My fingers are itching to do some weeding, but I resist, and instead sit down with a book and a cup of tea.
When It is time for lunch, Terje and I drive down to the nearby fishing village, Odden, and have a wonderful fish meal.
After our days in Århus with daughter Ingrid and her family, and the detour out to Fanø, we are heading back east. To Sjælland and the long, narrow peninsula Sjællands Odde. Our son Øystein, his wife Silje and their almost two year old daughter Vida, have rented a summer house here, and we have been invited to visit for a few days.
We arrived late last night, settled in, had a good night´s sleep, spent the morning with Vida, and when she had her afternoon nap, I walked down to the sea. I love the sea, the colours, the smell, the waves, the stones and the sand, the fauna. Can spend hours there, just breathing.
This plant is edible. I did eat it, but did not bring it back to the summer house to cook it for dinner. I am not sure that the others would have been as keen on it as I was, lol.
After spending the morning in Christel Seyfarth´s yarn store we were ready to explore more of this time island which is situated almost right out in the North Sea. Christel found a map and told us where to drive and what to see. Like not taking the road while driving south to the small village Sønderho, but drive along the beach, just like everyone does.
Sønderho was filled with these typical old Danish houses, and I couldn't get enough of them. I really find them so charming, and in my dream I find myself living in one of them :-)
We walked around for a long time, and I took loads and loads of photos, and when it was time for lunch, we found a lovely little place which Christel had told us about. The weather was nice and warm, so we sat out in the garden, so it was only after the meal, when I needed to go inside to the toilet, I discovered the real treat.......
.......a museum with old, blue tiles from the area.
A few months ago I did not know where to find the island Fanø. Well, I knew it belonged to Denmark and I knew it was the home of the knit artist Christel Seyfarth. I also knew that the island had lots of old, charming houses. Then, in June, I met Christel at a knitting festival not far from Trondheim. I even interviewed her, for a video I was making for the festival.
You can watch the video here.
After our days in Århus, Terje and I were to head over bro Sjællands Odde, actually just a quite short ferry ride away. But I persuaded Terje that instead of the ferry we could drive "around" and then visiting Fanø would be just a short detour. Well, Terje has worked with roads all his life and he loves to read maps, so I really could not cheat him. But the understood that the "short detour" meant a lot to be, so off we went.
Our first stop on the island, well, second actually, the first one was for coffee and cake :-), was Christel´s yarn store. She knew we were coming, I knew she would be there waiting for us, and since we were early we were almost the only customers, which meant that Christel had time enough to show us around, and to talk knitting.
Before arriving I had decided I wanted to buy yarn and pattern for one of Christel´s lovely shawls. Now the difficult task of choosing came.
Here you see Christel with one of them. No, it is not the one I bought.
Christel is the founder of Fanø knitting festival, now called Nordby Wooldays Fanø. Now I have a deram to go back to Fanø for the festival.
I could have spent all day in the shop. But this was only part of our "short detour", we wanted to explore the island before leaving it. I bought my kit and we said goodbye to Christel.
Ingrid, Marius and the boys wanted to spend the day in the amazement park, Tivoli Friheden. "This is not for us," I said to Terje, "let's go to the botanical gardens instead." Ingrid overheard what I said and told me that there would be more than enough flowers for me at Friheden, actually there was a Flower Festival going on there.
We changed our mind of course, came with them to the park and had the most lovely day. No carousels for us, but walking around, enjoying the flowers and the live, sitting down with coffee and cakes, meeting up with the grandkids here and there, more flowers, and more flowers and more flowers.
Do you want to follow us around? Ok, here we go.
A greenhouse for two, I would love that in my garden.
What about a green hair wash?
A group of Danish garden artists had designed gardens around the park. Here is Claus Dalby´s White Garden.
Every flower its own jar. Great idea.
A greenhouse with a double bed. Green leaves as curtains. Well, I am not quite sure about that.......
Our day in the park was a happy, blessed, perfect one. Unfortunately, the next day a fatal accident took place, where a 14 years old girl died.
All texts and photos by Britt-Arnhild Wigum Lindland
About me
About me
I am living in a red house surrounded by a blue garden near Trondheim, Norway. I love everydays and post about my steps through life. Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods is open to everybody. Welcome over!
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