If looking for recreational nature, Norway including the capital Oslo, is home to a number of great environmental attractions where you can get up close and personal. So if you really like to stress down and get away from it all, take the tube or a bus 20 minutes to the outside of Oslo and get yourself an outdoor adventure. We do that often on the weekends (like most other Norwegians) and since the in-laws from the US are visiting, we shared one of our favourite spots to give them a taste of this Norwegian natural pearl. It’s just 30 minutes walk in the forest and here is the scenery: It’s a photo – not painting!
While sitting there at the water edge, the cutest little duck family came along and they were relatively tame. I had my Nokia x6 on hand of course and started to shoot pics (click all pics to bigify & enjoy!):
Scenery like this – at least to us – is breath taking. You don’t say a word as silence in the woods is golden – you just enjoy the magic moment and let your thoughts go with the flow. Like if you have the chance to see things like this:
To share this with the in-laws from US was kind of special we have taken our children up here for years to experience the natural environment. We use this place in the spring, summer, fall and winter as a recreational area and all seasons have their charm. We have hundreds of pictures of the family at this spot, and now it was especially nice to bring Diane’s family here to experience this place for themselves.
My in-laws are leaving tomorrow so I am glad that the atmosphere was good and that we could share one of our families treasured places with them and give them plenty of memories to take home from their trip. Last night we all exchanged pictures; the beauty of digital photography is you can share it with many without reducing the quality of the photo. So my in-laws will have plenty of good photos to remind them of their trip.
I am sure to be testing my new Nokia X6 much more in the days to come. We have some vacation left before OsloBG and will be online more after our guests have returned to their home in New York. Hope you will stay tuned and share the fun!
Update:
This post is part of Petunia‘s photo competition with the theme “Mitt lille land = My little country“. Click link to visit and see a lot of great pics from Norway!
Connecting to Social Media and the rest of the digital world with real time news, online map navigation, worldwide free calls and net meeting as well as calendar, tasks and notes management is now reality. To an always online gadget geek like me, it’s both a thrill and professionally a must. So when all this is merged into a sleek little mobile phone device, I feel free like a bird. I’ve had a Nokia N82 for a while and am looking for the next step: a Smartphone.
This time my wife DianeCA was one step ahead of me and we had a real great weekend when she got her new Nokia X6: Playing with wife’s new toy.
I know I am lucky being married to a woman who takes advantage of digital connectivity too. Then again, that’s how we met 12 years ago: She living in NY, US and me in Oslo, Norway – we met on the net in a news group. Then mail followed by photo exchange and chatting until we both “met” in video meeting. Love was growing, she moved over to Norway and we are happily married for over 10 years, and both a bit geeky.
So let me give you a peek of our playing with her new tool this weekend (click photo to bigefy and enjoy): My digital beauty with brain even let me play a bit
Synchronizing the digital world:
A new Smartphone with standard installations is a start, but to me there is way to go. Upgrades and updates is of course the first things to do – then adjustments, setups for Social Media accounts as well as email, makes it even more useful. Then synchronizing with all the necessary digitized stuff at you’re PC adds the contents that make it a joy to use like for me: about 2000 contacts, all my appointments and tasks, photos and videos of course and then favourite places marked on the map as well as bookmarks for web browsing and all RSS subscriptions. For that, Nokia Ovi Suite is brilliant and saves me years of work, collecting digital beauties.
Makes travelling much more fun:
We have AUX connection on the stereo in our car and even my “old” Nokia N82 connects with that and gives: hands free phone calls, music from the favourite list, listening to Podcasts and of course GPS Map navigation. Our car stereo does not includes that, and I am glad, because I want it on a portable device (yes, the Smartphone!) so when we stop at new places, I bring it along to find the best restaurants, entertainment, tourist info office or other public services etc. If I am travelling abroad, I always find a free WiFi zone and call my bellowed wife via Skype – with video to see her lovely face or show her something around me – for free! You may say I am addicted, but it’s all for a good cause, don’t you think?
Digital Beauties with brains:
Talking about things digitalized and the vague difference between the real and the virtual world: when playing with Diane’s new toy this weekend, I all of a sudden was thinking of a song a friend of mine performed at the Norwegian Computer Society annual meeting once. His name is Henrik Wigerstrand and he is a brilliant singer and guitar player – as well as writer. I recorded it with my compact camera and the lightening conditions were very difficult, so the quality of the video isn’t so good. I do hope you will turn up you’re speaker and listen to a very funny song with subtle and thoughtful touches in the equality debate:
Visit from FIL & preparing for OsloBG: Diane went back to Oslo now to work for 3 more days before her parents come to visit and to prepare our house for guests. I have to admit to a dash of withdrawal now that she took her new Nokia Smartphone with her. Now I really hope to get the new Nokia N8 in time for the Oslo Blog Gathering as I can see I really need this device to maximize the experience. I want to be able to post live as things happen along the way and make it more fun for my readers to check in and keep up to date with our events.
Btw: Talking about connectivity features; Nokia N8 supports options like: GPRS, EDGE, micro-USB, Bluetooth connectivity, HSDPA, WiFi connections, GPS along with A-GPS support. That should make me capable of keeping my readers up to date and keep my guests from getting lost at the same time!
The artist in film, web and graphic design, Charles Ravndal has redesigned my blog using WordPress platform. The brand new look for RennyBA’s Terella really fits my theme I think; About Norway and the Nordic countries, our culture, traditions, history and habits – and even better than before. Of course I’m thrilled about the result and just had to make a post about it:
The new logo: One example of Charles artistic design capability and with his own explanation: “This is a logo created for RennyBA’s Terella, a blog based in Norway. The symbol’s form was shaped after a terrella or terella (means Little Earth) which is a small magnetised model ball representing the Earth. The wave-like pattern inside shows the spiral movement of the terella and an abstract letter “R“. While the colours red, white and blue represent the colours found in the Norwegian flag. The font used in this logo is called Helvetica Rounded”.
From Blogger to WP & good to excellent:
I met Charles almost 5 years ago in Blogsphere and we soon we became good friends. Already at that time, he had an eye for special and characteristic blog design and soon he changed my blog from a dull, ordinary Blogger design, to something unique; The Norwegian look.
Then about two years ago, he helped me migrate to WordPress on my own domain name; Terella.no. Soon he suggested a brand new look, even more special, but still faithful to the theme of my blog. Here you see both of them: Left: Unique Blogger design – Right: Special and unique WP design
Charles Ravndal: Geek is chic: He calls himself an ordinary guy from Bergen, Norway – to me he’s kind of special! As a film/multimedia design student at “Noroff Institute in Bergen” and currently freelancing, he is hunting for a stable design related position. I would say this design of my blog is a perfect proof of his talent and of course I give him my highest recommendations. If you like more facts about his skills:
He is Articulate in HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP and Actionscript in that order. Can Flash, Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, After Effects and Avid as well as ambidextrous with OS X and Windows.
Click to check out his home page, and take a look at his blog, his portfolio and learn how to get in contact with him!
So what do you think about my new blog home? I’m curious to know so please leave a comment and tell me what you think!
Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere gives longest period of daylight. In Oslo, Norway (latitude of 60°) we have 19 hours and actually quite bright even at midnight. Let me show you by a photo I shot around 11PM at a BBQ-party on Saturday:
The word solstice derives from Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still) and this year it occur the 21st. The term is also colloquially used like Midsummer to refer to the day on which it occurs, except in the Polar Regions (where daylight is continuous for half of the year) – like north in Norway; The Land of the Midnight Sun – see my report from a few years back: Arctic Adventure Rafting The Barents Sea!
Since it’s the end of a season or semester and beginning of summer (schools close for 8 weeks and people normally use at least 3 of their total 5 weeks vacations), there is a lot to celebrate – and mostly outdoors. Who blame us; in 6 month we have winter & snow and 5 hours daylight. So we party, party, party – with co-workers, colleagues and friend. Let me give you a couple of examples:
Culinary sensations at Nodee Asian cooking:
This year’s party with colleagues at the Norwegian Computer Society was at an Asian restaurant, 5 minutes by Tube out of Oslo center. Okay, we ate indoors, but it count as a summer party anyway Let’s go directly to the 5 course serving and start with a friend of mine, well known to my regular readers: The one and only; TorAa Colleagues around the table.
1: King Crab, Soft shell Crab & Sea Bass. 2: Crispy Duck 3: Lobster wok Shao. 4: Ching Lak Ao Lau 5: Grilled Scallops
University collage mates from 73-75 at Aker Brygge:
The last 10 year or so, I’ve invited old school friends (yea, I’m kind of a HUB ) to summer party in Oslo. They are spread all over Norway, but 10 to 20 persons shows up; this year at Aker Brygge:
In the background you see Akershus Fortress! Aker Brygge (former ship yard established in 1864), across Oslo harbour and close to the Town Hall, is the city’s finance and amusement aria with shops, restaurants, cinemas, office space and apartments as well as a small boat harbour. Let me show you what we had to eat, before I show you the aria: I had Blue Mussel (love seafood you know), some had just a burger.
After dinner we walked around to soak in the summer atmosphere at Aker Brygge and checked the service at some of the restaurants (click to bigify & enjoy!): These photos is shot around 9PM – still sunny and bright
Don’t you love this summer party rituals and the late, sunny – and even romantic – nights? Norwegians have learned to take advantage of this, since we don’t have it all year around you know
Would you like to experience this and soak in the summer late night atmosphere yourself? Well here is you’re chance: I invite all to the Oslo Blog Gathering in August – click to check the program and book to join us! – if you then go to bed at sun set and get up at the rise; you haven’t waste you’re stay in Oslo by sleeping
An original twist in a 50th birthday celebration, that’s what Edgar Valdmanis, a colleague and friend, invited to last weekend. I’ve been to a few 50ths, but never one planned, prepared, arranged and conducted like this one! So read on if you are desperate for ideas about how to through a creative party no matter what the occasion.
I took tons of photos – some for public, and others for more private use As pics often says more than a thousand word, I will reveille some along with my report and start with the whole gang to give you a hint and invite you into the mood:
The best party formula ever:
Invite all you’re very best friends, give them a chef hat and an apron to set the stage. Then the most important thing: A menu with detailed recipes for all courses (we had 4).
So what’s happens then? Well everyone starts to read the menu of course – which in the beginning we thought were the party songs – but no:
Then you divide them into groups and tell them they will be making tonight’s dinner. Do not forget to buy the ingredients! Invite them a bit earlier than normal of course, and then you tell them we’ll have dinner in two hours: and let the game begin (click all pics to bigify & enjoy): Soon the kitchen looks like a professional restaurant’s.
The 14 guests were divided into four teams, each being responsible for one dish for the party – for example the starter, the main course etc. The given menu was complete with ingredients and step by step instructions to making each dish. We were divided so we were with people we did not know very well, but the process of creating the best dish possible broke the ice and got us laughing and acquainted in the process.
The dinner is served:
I can tell you we needed the two hours to prepare as we made it all from raw ingredients; we peeled the shrimp, made all the gravy and sauces from the bottom up and so on – this was no fast food feast you know! So when we finally sat down at the table, we were a well mixed and hungry group: Left: Around the table – Right: Edgar giving his speech
The 4 course and the recipes:
I’ve saved the best for last and again pics say more than a thousand words, so let’s start with my groups contribution – first to the left and eat on: Left: Natural Shrimp Cocktails – Right: Filet mignon with wine sauce & baby roasted potatoes Left: Fruit and cheese plate – Right: ice cream with fresh strawberry sauce
Edgar Valdmanis, a network evangelist:
Before I end, I’d like to introduce the jubilant: He is a nice guy, a Professional Networker, a great colleague and Marketing Director at the Norwegian Computer Society. He invited his best friends, but just a few knew each other in before hand. I can tell we did after making this dinner together – and quite a few business deals was done too! You can meet Edgar in most all Social Media of course – some examples; at LinkedIn as well as Twitter and Facebook.
Let’s go directly to the 5 course serving and start with a friend of mine, well known to my regular readers:
) to summer party in Oslo. They are spread all over Norway, but 10 to 20 persons shows up; this year at Aker Brygge:
