Photos from Oslo-Dalen-Utne-Rjukan-Oslo trip

As promised in my recent post (A New Yorker in Oslo: Oslo-Dalen-Utne-Rjukan-Oslo (paulamdeangelis.blogspot.com), I'm posting some photos from our recent trip around Norway, with overnight stays at Dalen Hotel (one night), Utne Hotel (two nights), and Rjukan Admini Hotel (one night), with a one-day trip to Rosendal. 

Unfortunately, since Freya the walrus was killed by Norwegian authorities, I am ambivalent about promoting tourism in Norway. It's a beautiful country, yes, but not one that is friendly to visiting wildlife. 

Dalen Hotel

The grounds of the Dalen Hotel, facing the Telemark Canal

The Haukelifjell mountain area

Haukelifjell mountain area

Utne Hotel from 1722

The picturesque town of Utne 

Hardangerfjord

Hardangerfjord

Baroniet Rosendal Manor House and Gardens 

The grounds of the Baroniet Rosendal

Leaving Utne by car ferry

Rjukan Admini Hotel

The lovely town of Rjukan 

Garden update--photos

Here are some recent photos of the garden, which is always a work in progress that incorporates new ideas and new additions to the garden family.......

Wisteria growing on the fence

Wisteria flower in bloom--a heavenly fragrance

The new addition to the garden family--a cherry tree

The forsythia bush blooming happily

The magnolia tree also blooming 

How the garden looks behind the greenhouse and the adjoining fence

Another forsythia bush planted between the birdbath and the cherry tree

the part of my garden facing my neighbor's garden--separated from mine by a large trellis

facing the greenhouse

pumpkin and zucchini beds covered by fiber cloth 

A friendly visitor to the garden

There are cats that roam the neighborhood near the allotment garden, and every now and then they make their way into the garden to wander around. Last summer my garden was graced by a visit from one such cat, a black and white cat that is very friendly and docile. He found a cozy place on the floor of my greenhouse and promptly went to sleep for half an hour or so. After his nap he stretched and then moseyed on his way to visit someone else's garden.

The other day the same cat returned to the garden and found his way into my greenhouse. At this time of year the greenhouse is quite a nice place to be, cozy and warm. He jumped up onto one of the metal benches, made himself comfortable, and went to sleep for a half hour. Like last summer, I was able to snap a few photos of him. He is an affectionate and nice cat; he lets himself be petted and does not go after the birds in the garden (he is well-fed at home). Quite the opposite; it is the birds, mostly magpies and crows, that have harassed him to the point where he is forced to leave the garden. I have seen it happen once. They grab at his tail; when they did this last summer he did not fight back, rather choosing to leave the premises. 

I look forward to his visits. I am a cat lover, having had several cats up through the years. Becoming friends with this cat has made me want another cat, so we'll see what time brings. In any case, I hope he'll be a frequent visitor during the summer months. 

Happy Easter

Wishing all my readers a very Happy Easter!

Honeybees enjoying the snowdrops

It's still quite early in the season, but the snowdrops have bloomed first as they always do, providing food for the honeybees that are no longer dormant in their hives. We've had exceptionally nice weather in Oslo for the past two weeks, with daytime temperatures around 50 degrees F. So the bees are out in force during the early afternoon when the sun is at its warmest. I took this video the other day and wanted to share it with you. Turn up the volume for full effect!

Englene (The Angels)--my new poem

I was out walking yesterday afternoon, thinking about a collection of poems (in Norwegian) that I hope to publish this year. One of the poems I happened to be thinking about is called Englene (The Angels). As I was walking under some large trees whose branches were covered in snow, some of the snow fell on me, landing softly on my head and shoulders. I burst out laughing, because my first thought was--angels having fun, dropping some snow on me to see my reaction. It was one of those moments that was more than coincidence, at least that's how it felt to me. 

Here is the poem, first in Norwegian, and then in English: 

Englene               copyright 2021 Paula Mary De Angelis 

Engler på skulderen min Som hvisker i øret mitt Når mørket faller og vinter skraper Mot vinduene med sine skarpe negler Engler som vandrer rundt de gamle traktene Vi hilser dem velkommen selv om Vi vet at de bor et annet sted Langt fra denne verden vi kaller hjem

Jeg står i døråpningen og ser utover vinterenga Dekket med snø og iskrystaller Den strekker seg så langt øynene kan se Et kaldt landskap, men et som kaller til meg Jeg tar på meg kåpe og vandrer ut over den frosne jord Jeg vet ikke hvor jeg skal men jeg vet innerst inne At englene som sitter på min skulder vil vise vei

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Angels on my shoulder Whispering in my ear When darkness falls and winter scrapes Against the windows with its sharp nails Angels wandering around the familiar tracts We welcome them though We know they live somewhere else Far from this world we call home

I stand in the doorway and look out over the winter meadow Covered with snow and ice crystals It extends as far as the eyes can see A cold landscape but one that calls to me I put on my coat and wander out over the frozen earth I do not know where I am going but know deep down That the angels sitting on my shoulder will show the way

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Oslo at Christmastime

I wanted to post some photos of Oslo at Christmastime before the Christmas season ends. Winter has been exceptionally lovely this year in Oslo due to the snow, which when it first falls, is magical. The combination of darkness, snow and lights is beautiful to behold. Enjoy!

Hotel Bristol's gingerbread hotel

Hotel Bristol's Christmas tree at entrance

Hønsa-Lovisas house decorated for Christmas

My wonderful new nutcracker that is now added to my collection

A place to buy fireworks--getting ready for New Year's Eve

The beauty of frost in my garden

Winter has its own charm and beauty. I need only go to my garden to experience it. Some people would say they only see a dead garden, which is partially true. On the surface, most (not all) of the plants appear to be withered and dead. But there is a lot going on underground in a garden and other places where there is plant life, during the wintertime ( In the dead of winter, plants are already starting to prepare for spring — underground | The World from PRX). 

So a winter garden may be resting, but also preparing for spring. Be that as it may, I am fascinated by what a winter garden can offer in the way of beauty. Yesterday the temperatures were in the low forties, but when I went to my garden to add some dead roses to the compost, there was frost on the ground, which I might not have expected given the temperature. Wikipedia states that "As a rule, except in conditions where supercooled droplets are present in the air, frost will form only if the deposition surface is colder than the surrounding air". So this means that the ground surface in the garden is colder than the surrounding air--very interesting.  

I captured the beauty of winter's frost in photos. Enjoy. 

The rhododendron bush is not covered in frost

The bamboo bush is also not covered in frost