Bench of the week (10)

I found this bench when I was out walking last week-end. It is a couple of kilometres from our summer cottage and close by the local road. As you can see from the picture below it is part of an ornamental garden that among other things includes a small bridge, but at the same time fits in with the local natural environment.

Sitting there is also the perfect place for watching the sunset in the summer.

I have not made this into a meme, but if anyone else would like to join me in publishing benches on Fridays, they are of course welcome to do so. Give me a hint and I'll come visiting.

Crowing over Sky Watch

I was inspired for this week's contribution to Sky Watch Friday by the post made by Tom about crows. As everybody knows, Tom managed SWF all by himself for quite a while, and did it excellently. Please visit him and say hello.

PS Please visit Sky Watch Friday's own site for more.

Floating stage

From Bjorøyhavn outside Bergen

S is for Sheep in ABC Wednesday

We all think we know what a sheep is, but do we? Let's see what Wikipedia has to say about the subject:

Domestic sheep (Ovis aries) are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries. Numbering a little over 1 billion, domestic sheep are the most numerous species in their genus.

Now, that should make it clear for all of us. Sheep come in many races. The one shown in the first three pictures is known as "Norwegian white sheep" and is a race that has been bred for certain qualities.

They come of course in all sizes.

Even as twins.

Like in all families, there are Black sheep. This is another race that has been bred in Norway and is called "Blæset sau". What that is in English I don't know.

The International aspect of this post is covered by these English sheep I found close by Hadrian's wall. I don't know which race this is either.


Today's post is an entry in the fourth round of ABC Wednesday, the meme initiated by Denise Nesbitt.

For more, you can log on via a Mr Linky enabled site

How not to take pictures of birds - or how to take Odd Shots

I once had an ambition about becoming a bird photographer.

Please visit Katney's Kaboodle for more about Odd Shots!

Shabby shed in Monochrome Maniacs

This Monochrome concept came from Aileni at The Monochrome Maniacs

An old dandelion has a visitor

I do not know what this insect is called - maybe someone else does?

PS The Today's flowers meme was founded by LUIZ SANTILLI JR. . Please visit and enjoy.

Hedgehog

One advantage of having a rural summer cottage is that you may find photo subjects like this little guy here. I heard some rustling among the bushes and found two of them! I took a lot of pictures, only to find that I had to delete most of them. They are so wary that even my exposure setting of 1/200 sec. was too slow most of the time. It seems that they could hear the mirror starting to lift and then reacted before the shutter had finished. This was the best one.

But next time...

Bench of the week (9)

This week's bench can be looked upon as a representative of the public benches in Bergen. This one is one of the many that is placed around the lake "Lille Lungegaardsvann" in "Byparken" (TheCity Park) in Bergen.

Below is the same bench seen from the other side with the Bergen Art Museum (formerly an office building for local The Electricity Board) in the background.

I have not made this into a meme, but if anyone else would like to join me in publishing benches on Fridays, they are of course welcome to do so. Give me a hint and I'll come visiting.

PS If anyone should think they I have been too heavy with Photoshop lately, I have not. The clear colours and saturation is due to the use of a Polarizing filter on my main lens. It acts like a sun glass for the camera, and is a very old technique. I have just used it more often lately.

R is for RED as in a fire station - in ABC Wednesday

What could be more RED than a fire station? In this case it is the old fire station in Bergen. This beautiful old building was built in 1888, and it was built as a fire station. It may look like a cross between a railway station and a church, but the dominating tower was used for drying the hoses after use and wash.

This beautiful façade was clearly meant to impress. However, first there was a hotel that hid it. After a fire(!) in 1916 that destroyed a large part of central Bergen, the façade was again hidden by an add-on for garages, stores and what-not (see below).

The picture is from 1963 and is courtesy of Bergen University Library.

Bergen has recently got a new and more modern fire station, so the add-on has been torn down and the façade can again be seen in full splendour. However, it will only be for a short while. A new building that is going to house the Courts of Appeals will come here, although there has been a bit of grumbling about that just lately. Maybe we will still get to see this magnificent building?


Today's post is an entry in the fourth round of ABC Wednesday, the meme initiated by Denise Nesbitt.

For more, you can log on via a Mr Linky enabled site

Bridge over quiet Water in Monochrome Maniacs

A Concrete Evidence of Modernity in Monochrome.

This Monochrome concept came from Aileni at The Monochrome Maniacs

17.05.2009

On most Norwegian bloggs you will today find pictures of people dressed up in their finest clothes, maybe in national costumes ("bunad"), cheering, waving Norwegian flags and generally having a good time. What you will not find is military parades, a show of advanced weapons etc etc. Oh, you may find the odd troop among the civilian parades, but they will be unarmed and probably marching not quite in step.

I have chosen a slightly different approach. I have done this to emphasize that the day is in commemoration of the signing of the first national, Norwegian constitution in 1814. After 400 years of Danish rule, the Napoleonic wars had left Norway to be transferred as a booty of war from Denmark to Sweden. Sweden had just lost Finland to Russia and the Swedish Crown Prince Carl Johan (Jean Bernadotte - a former Marshall under Napoleon) wanted Norway as a replacement.

However, the Norwegians wanted it otherwise. A national assembly was called at Eidsvold outside Oslo (then called Christiania) and they signed the worlds most liberal constitution on this day. True, after a short war with Sweden, Norway had to accept a personal union with Sweden under the rule of Crown Prince (later King) Carl Johan. But the constitution was kept almost unchanged and Norway had a very high degree of independence within the union until total independence was declared on the 7th of June 1905. But the 17th of May is acknowledged as the greatest day in our history.

So it is our Constitution we are celebrating - in our own simple, a bit nationalistic, but harmless way. May you all have a nice day!


PS Of course certain recent events in Moscow can't go unmentioned...

Now we have one more reason to celebrate!! Cheers to Alexander Rybak!!

Bench of the week (8)

I found this classic, Norwegian, white bench in front of a small classic, Norwegian, white house in Alvøen in the outskirts of Bergen.

There is a whole village of these small wooden houses that were built in the 19th century for the families that worked at the paper mill here. A whole little society was created that contained most of what was needed. They have now been rehabilitated, and although the mill was closed some years ago, many small businesses now use the buildings of the old mill.

I have not made this into a meme, but if anyone else would like to join me in publishing benches on Fridays, they are of course welcome to do so. Give me a hint and I'll come visiting.

Sky-Watching Birds

" What, no light for Sky Watching?"

PS Please visit Sky Watch Friday's own site for more.

Views from a quay

When I'm out strolling I often take a break at a small more-or-less disused quay a couple of kilometres from home. It is seldom that I don't find anything worthwhile to snap. There is always something "new": The light may be different, the weather, the season, the time of day - even I may be different, or at least feel different.

Examples - I know I have posted the workshop above

This old boathouse has also been snapped many times.

Not to mention this bridge ("Sotrabroen"), this time with M343 from The Royal Norwegian Navy passing beneath.

Q is for Quay in ABC Wednesday

According to Wikipedia:

A quay, is a wharf or bank where ships and other vessels are loaded. A quay may be constructed parallel or perpendicular to the bank of a waterway.

Right - so above is an example of a larger variety with two cruise ships at Skoltegrunnskaien in Bergen.

Or you might walk a bit further in and find where the sailing vessel "Statsraad Lehmkuhl" is moored at Festningskaien.

However, quays come in all sizes and shapes. This is an old quay that once served a small ferry at Alvøen, in the outskirts of Bergen.

The ferry served between Alvøen and Bjorøyhavn, on the small island of Bjorøy, just outside Bergen. The connection has now been replaced by a sub-sea tunnel.

Or you might prefer the very small, floating variety... (also at Bjorøyhavn)



Today's post is an entry in the fourth round of ABC Wednesday, the meme initiated by Denise Nesbitt.

For more, you can log on via a Mr Linky enabled site

Odd Shot Moose

Do you want anything handy to bring home from your trip to Bergen?

Please visit Katney's Kaboodle for more about Odd Shots!

Heavy Metal in Monochrome Maniacs

Let's have a ball!

This Monochrome concept came from Aileni at The Monochrome Maniacs

A red tulip in Today's Flowers

A beauty is on the way

PS The Today's flowers meme was founded by LUIZ SANTILLI JR. . Please visit and enjoy.

Bench of the week (7)

You will be forgiven for thinking that these stone arrangements are the work of Asterix, Oblix et al. It is not. As can be more clearly seen in the picture below, it is from a picnic area by Riksvei (classified road) 561 in the municipality of Øygarden in Norway.

And if you think that the authorities do everything this way over here, then look below.

This bridge (Rongesundet bru) is just to the right of the benches and is obviously built of concrete, although the design is spectacular enough.