Nature, the origin from which all is created gives inspiration, perspectives, new visions and recharges your lifetime batteries. We are influenced by everything that surrounds us – some disturb us while other gives us relaxation.
I had another quality time with Diane (my wife) today as we took a nice walk on the nearby beach, searching for a taste spring – and of course I would love to share these precious moments with you. Let’s start with a picture to set the mood and hopefully start inspiring you too (click all picks to bigify and enjoy!):
Sitting on a bench in the sun at the beach where the snow has start melting and the air is crisp and fresh; is there anything more recreational?
This beach is close to Oslo city (only 20 minutes drive) and since searching for spring there a week ago – read the post: A creamy taste of spring at Karl Johan in Oslo Norway – I gladly show you some changes in the season from our country side. Oslo has it all you know; a lively, modern city (even with a couple of malls ) and from a distance of 20 min with public transportation, you reach the Fjord with beaches, can go deep into the Forests or bring yourself high up in the Mountains. But for now, let’s go back to the beach in spring again. Sit down on a bench with my wife and I – calm down, relax, take a deep breath – and enjoy the view:
A lot of people are walking by: The whole family is out (see the girl to the left on a sled), the smallest in a carriage and Dad with a backpack as well. Yea, they are walking on the beach, or actually on the ice at the sea shore.
Some families do it another way:
The back bag is also a carrier – a wonderful invention (I used it a lot when my children were small) – so there you have an all in one for a nice beach walk and picnic.
Norwegians might be a bit old fashion or country side type of people. Sunday is a day for outdoors activities – whatever the season (remember my saying; ‘There is no bad weather, only bad clothes’) and of course on a sunny day like this with temp around 10C (50F), even wild horses could not drag them away
So let’s take another look at this beach in spring, with people charging their batteries:
Left: Snow men. Right: Happy while dressed and carried right.
While leaving the beach, nearby, there is a marina and I saw a lot of birds there as the ice had started to break up. I was thinking; another sign of spring to share with my friends in the Blogsphere:
So what could be a better recreation than a natural adventure good for both body and soul? I’ve said it before; Offer me whatever amusement park, the world’s largest shopping mall or the most sophisticated gym for that matter. I would never exchange it for a walk in the nature – at least not to charge my lifetime batteries. As an added bonus; A day in the natures gives an even better and good night sleep – so then you are on the good and positive spiral in life
Have a wonderful week ahead – wherever you are out there on our beautiful planet!
Earth Hour in 2009 is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a world wide vote the 28th of March. Unlike any other election, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, every community and organisations – even bloggers! A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet!
WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009. Earth Hour Executive Director, Mr Andy Ridley, said that Earth Hour signals the beginning of the journey to Copenhagen, where the future of the planet rests with world leaders.
It will focus global attention on addressing the issue of climate change and ask one billion people to take part in what is essentially the first global vote for action on climate change by turning off their lights for one hour and casting a vote for earth. Earth Hour hopes to provide a global mandate for action on climate change to the world’s leaders at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December this year, where an agreement will be made to supersede the Kyoto Protocol.
Wave of participation – in Norway too:
All over the world; 2,848 cities, towns and municipalities in 84 countries have already committed to VOTE EARTH for Earth Hour, including 6,500 organisations and 21,000 businesses.
In Norway most every town and municipalities as well as our Parliament, all governmental buildings, our Royal Castle and other public building are involved. Even more; all significant organisations, political parties, some hotel chains and most sports arenas etc. take part too. There is a group for Norwegians on Facebook too of course, with almost 30,000 members. Notice also that all this figures increases every minute around the globe!
Blogging empowering people:
This all my dear friends in Blogsphere, presents an opportunity for every person in the world to have a say in that agreement’s outcome and ensure it isn’t merely an insubstantial token effort by our world’s leaders! Let’s use our power to spread the word and urge each other and all our readers to turn off the lights an hour from 8:30PM the 28th of March. You may also click the banner to cast your vote here:
For those of you who make a post about this, I ask you please to let me know in comments and I’ll update this post with a link to yours. Let’s make a Link Love Chain to show the world Bloggers Care for The Earth too!
I’ve had another quality time with my wife Diane. Since King Winter still endures in our neighbourhood, we decided to chase for spring in the city. We started on top Karl Johan, Oslo’s parade street, where you find The Royal Palace (click all pics to bigify and enjoy):
Any sing of spring? Well, it was at least above freezing and small creaks were running down the street, so at least the ice and snow was melting. However, if you look at peoples clothing, it’s still far from bikini weather!
Then we turned around, heading down Karl Johan Street:
No buds or beginning of leaves on the trees, so the nature still struggle to get out of hibernation.
We then crossed the street to the right, heading for Oslo’s ‘meeting point’, behind The National Theatre:
Down left, you see a fontanelle, but still no spring water – so actually not the real spring feeling yet.
Then back on Karl Johan again, we heard some great trumpet music. I don’t know about you, but to me, seeing a street musician, is a typical urban sign of spring. As you can see, there where lots of others photo hunting signs of spring too:
There are lots troubadours and other entertainers from all over the world in the summer time. First of all as it’s hard to perform when you freeze your butt of and secondly as Oslo is the capital and they can make a fortune, compares to their standard of living.
My wife and I wasn’t satisfied however and sat down on a bench at the fountain behind Karl Johan, in front of the parliament; a place they make into a skating rank in the winter time:
Well, the snow has almost gone, but they are still skating!
My wife asked me what was the ultimate urban spring sign to me? After giving it a thought, I said; People eating ice cream and sitting on sidewalk cafés. My wife then made me aware of the bench next to ours and there it was; A creamy taste of spring:
I wanted to give you the closest look of these ice creams eating people, so before shooting, I said I was chasing for the proof of spring and asked politely if I could take a picture of them. They said sure and asked if they would become famous and get on the TV news? I said; you would be famous worldwide, as you will be the proof of spring on my blog
Then, as if this wasn’t the ultimate proof, when we turned around and looked across Karl Johan street again: A Mövenpick café, brave enough to furnish the sidewalk. At first I took a picture from the distance:
Then I was thinking you might not see the creamy proof, so I asked the children and their Mom’s if I could take another (explained the same reason of course) and they where more than willing to pose for me:
So this was our first taste of spring in Oslo this year and I hope you enjoy as much as I do sharing. In a few months, this Parade Street and city will turn into a green and summerly town. I promise to get back to that of course, and for those who can’t wait, click to check how the ice rank looks like in the summer time.
I had another cultural adventure in Oslo last Saturday. To mark the feast-day of the Patron Saint of Ireland; The Oslo St Patrick’s Day Association arranged the yearly parade. I was armed to my teeth with the Nokia N82 and Nikon S2 cam to be able to share with you:
As much as I love to share, I like to take these kind of events to learn something too – especially when it matches the theme of my blog about Norway; our culture, traditions and habits. Like I told you in my post about this parade last year; In 852, Olaf the White, the Ainhlabh of the Irish chronicles, descended from the same family as Harold Hårfagre (the Fair-Haired), the first King of Norway, conquered Dublin (Dubh Linn; “Black Pool”), with the adjacent territory, and founded this, the most renowned, most powerful and most lasting Norwegian kingdom in Ireland. This corresponded to most of present-day County Dublin. Norse Rulers of Dublin were often co-kings, and occasionally also Kings of Jorvik in what is now England. The region was known to the Vikings as Dyflin, pronounced “dyoov-lin” (in either Old Norse or Modern Norwegian). The English later took Old Irish “Dubh Linn” and collapsed it to the modern “Dublin” and some still use “Divlyn”.
It was a wonderful parade down Oslo’s walking street; Karl Johan, up towards the castle and I can only give you a sample and hope you get the idea of it. Let’s start with something very Irish, to get you in the right mode:
I took a lot of pics too of course and to make it short as pics says more than a thousand words:
Blogging Connecting People:
You know my saying and let me use it in a detailed way this time: Some weeks ago, I got a nice comment on one of my pics at Flickr from last years parade. I loved that and traced the commenter, got in touch and she invited me to this year’s parade. It turned out, she was very sweet and pretty young lady (but of course, she is born in Norway but are very Irish!) and involved in Irish activities here. She is a dancer in several dance troupes: Taranis Oslo Irish performance troupe as well as Sound-Irish Dance Company and Sound-Irish Dance Factory. Catherine (holding the banner) and some of the dancers formed a group in the parade and when ended at Oslo University square, she arranged so I could take this picture (click to bigify and enjoy!):
Maybe some of you recognise on person in the middle of this picture?
There was hundreds participants in the parade and even more spectators along the parade route. Everyone supporting and feeling a bit ‘Irish’ (also wearing something green) that day. They showed a warm hearted patriotism, just the way I like it: not to demonstrate power or superiority … but pure happiness and passion for the country and culture they love and care for. I got the 17th of May (Norwegian National Day) feeling and of course I’ll get back to that in two months.
I love winter and snow because of the fresh & crisp air, the way the sun and the moon gives a reflection & special lightening and the scenery you get just after a snow storm in Norway:
This picture was taken outside my living room window some weeks ago, but could have been from today as we had another big snowfall yesterday. I live in an Oslo suburb, 100M (328F) above sea level, so we normally get a bit more here than in the city and we get the spring flowers a couple of weeks later too.
I’m not a masochist, so it’s not the cold in the winter time that engages me – besides, you know my saying; ‘There is no such as bad weather, only bad clothes’ – and I’ve learned how to dress for being outdoors to play for a whole day, so the scenery brings me wonderful memories from my childhood. However, with spring soon knocking on our door, it’s the change in the season and the fact that the nature will break out of hibernation with warm, sunny weather and longer days that fascinates me. I think living with thesa significant changes, makes you appreciate the first flowers peeking up from the snow (snowbells and crocus) and the leaves on the trees and like magic, the scenery has changed:
This picture is taken out of the same window in 2007 the 17th of May (Norway’s constitution day), only two months from now, so it’s not even full summer yet. That’s what makes us ‘survive’ and manage through the winter, even when we have to shovel snow from the roof (click all pics to bigify and admire the shovel work in details):
While I’m at it, I’d like to show you another example of the significant change in the nature and how we’ve learned to love the beauty in both of them. Diane (my wife) and I had another quality time at our vacation home in Mariestad, Sweden, some weeks ago. It’s close to the lake Vänern (north Europe’s largest lake) with wonderful beaches and great scenery too:
Left: Skiing with your dog on the lake. Right: Picnic by the shore.
Left: Sun bathing and swimming at the same lake. Right: Kite surfing in fall at the beach.
I hope I won’t lose your interest if showing examples from the same spot in Mariestad city:
By the town square alley in February and in September.
So now you know Renny is back on track again; proud of Norway and the Nordic country and the appreciation of each of our four seasons. Thanks to all you regular visitors and commenter’s on my last post where I reviled more of my professional life. I’m glad you didn’t give up after the first paragraph, but read through and got it in the end. I loved all of them, e.g. EastCoastLife, who said: ‘My eyelids were getting heavy when I was reading the first two paragraphs.’
I’m also happy to report that I’m back on track again for another reason too: Some might remember my complaints of a sore back and problems with typing. I did not want my blog to turn into a sickness journal, but the main cause was tension in my muscles due to stomach pain. For months, I’ve been to many tests as the doctors thought it might be a tumour. Thankfully I am now able to tell you about it because this week my doctors have gone in with a camera and believe it is just an ‘innocent’ cyst from a strong infection. They took samples but the doctor expects them to be okay. Thank you for bearing with me.
As proof of the pudding that I am getting back in shape and happy to enjoy the snow; here is a picture of me and my wife breaking out the skis near our home some weeks ago:
Please notice my good old ski wear (click to bigify) which I have been using since the 70’s. Skis and wool lasts a good while you know!
) and from a distance of 20 min with public transportation, you reach the Fjord with beaches, can go deep into the Forests or bring yourself high up in the Mountains. But for now, let’s go back to the beach in spring again. Sit down on a bench with my wife and I – calm down, relax, take a deep breath – and enjoy the view:
