"Camping" in Bergen

As I showed the other day, Bergen is undergoing major repair work. Some places it looks like you could either do a bit of winter-camping, or set up a circus. It was just too bad that there was no animals in sight

M/S "Nordskott"

Saturday I had a posting about the coastal traffic passing by. Today I have another one - this time it is MS "Nordskott" belonging to NOR LINES.

BTW, the mountain in the background is called Lyderhorn (I have probably mentioned it many times before)

SC Aberdeen

The coastal traffic does not stop even if there is frost in the air or snow on the ground. Vessels like this one, Sea-Cargo's "SC Aberdeen", is just one of the many, many of the same kind that one can see pass along this fjord outside Bergen every day.

I wonder if the ship is going to Aberdeen. I've been there several times, and the Scots are nice people. I'll be back.

Repairing Bergen

Bergen was according to tradition founded in 1070 by king Olav Kyrre (the peaceful). It is of course then only natural that something must repaired from time to time. At the moment it is the streets in the town centre that is undergoing a much needed enhancement.

Not everyone at the same time. It only looks that way.

Finally - snow!

So it has happened. The last couple of days some strange, white powder has fallen from the sky. Experience tells me that it is snow, but I haven't seen this phenomenon for at least a year. Some of it fell on our thuja on the terrace.

The weather forecast has promised us rain for tomorrow.

Green winter in Bergen

I took this picture today. It was taken on "Ole Bulls plass" in the middle of Bergen. And the lawn is as green as in May.

Since the temperature is not quite May, the recumbent poet in front must be a bit cold...

Morning has broken

For those of born many, many years ago, the song "Morning has broken" by Cat Stevens (now known as Yusuf Islam), still remains one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Thus I cannot pass up motives like this without thinking of him.

If only the morning had broken for everyone else.

A house on tour

Living where I do, I see lots of things passing beneath my windows. Many kinds of boats and ships are part of the daily routine. But from time to time one sees something a bit out of the ordinary: in this case a house "taking a stroll".

It probably belongs to a fish farm.

Changing of the guard

Hans Majestets kongens garde (HMKG - an English translation would be: His Majesty The King's Guard) is the Royal Family's lifeguard. The guard was started in 1856 as a guard consisting of Norwegian soldiers guarding the Union king in Stockholm. It was moved to Oslo (then called Christiania in 1888). The uniform has remained virtually unchanged since 1860.

As this changing of the guard shows - even Norwegians can look and behave like real soldiers.

Karl III Johan

The statue shows Karl III Johan (in Sweden known as Karl XIV Johan). He was born as Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte in France in1763 and became one of Napoleon's marshals. In 1810 he was elected crown-prince of Sweden. In 1814 he was instrumental in adding Norway to the Swedish realm as a double-monarchy through the treaty of Kiel. He served as king in the combined nations from 1818 to 1844.

The statue in front of the Royal Palace was made by Bryjulf Bergslien in 1875.

The Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway

Norway is a monarchy (King Harald the Fifth), but we have no nobility. So we do not have many castles or palaces. But we do have the Royal Palace in Oslo. The architect was the Dane H.D.F.Linstow and the Palace was officially opened in 1849.

To get a picture like this, without buses, tourists and passersbys, you have to be there before noon on a frosty Sunday in January.

A tree in the winter

One might suspect that this is a flash-back to the black and white photo-graphical techniques of the 70's. It is in fact a tree outside the Henie Onstad Art Centre at Høvikodden near Oslo in Norway; covered by a cm of snow.

It might not be acceptable inside the museum, but to me it is fitting that motives can be found outside a museum to.

Icicle

I had hoped to start the 2007 edition of this Blog with a beautiful winter picture of Norway in January 2007. No such luck. So far I haven't taken a single picture outside of the house. So I found you a picture from January 2006 instead. It is even a winter picture since it shows an icicle, although it is one that is melting.

Happy New Year!