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Tag Archives: Nature

Autumn

27 Tuesday Sep 2011

Posted by Anne in Cosiness, Good Life, Nature

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Tags

Autumn, Blackberries, Nature, Norway, Rowanberries

I’m quiet, I know, I’m not dead I’m still here, I’ve just been very busy living.

Autumn is here and now it’s here to stay. I really don’t mind. I bought this cute, little umbrella this summer and I now get to use it every day. I enjoy huge cups of tea at night (and at work) and I have a son who at least every weekend gives me plenty of reasons to go outside and enjoy the season.

Son has a few favourite activities that I must admit I don’t participate in as much as I should. For some reason it seems more of a hassle dressing myself properly before going outside than it is to dress him properly. The big puddles are thus reserved for my wee man. 

Another favourite activity is to pick rowan berries, throw them high up in the air and see them dance around us as they fall down. Before the berries stop rolling about, Son tries to smash them flat by stepping on them. In this activity I participate joyfully but I do restrain myself a wee bit and let him get most of the berries. 

And for those of you with culinary interests, the black gems hidden in the bushes at this time of year are the blackberries. In Norwegian they’re called ‘bjørnebær’ which translates to ‘bear-berries’. Many of Son’s teddy-bears have suffered many a stomach ache after stuffing their faces with these sweet things

The Beach

02 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by Anne in Good Life, Home, Nature

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Beach, Family outing, Nature, Norway, Sea

Husband, Son and I were sitting around the table eating when Husband turns to Son (who was not very keen on eating) and says: “Take one more bite and we’ll go to the beach afterwards”. I was a little surprised, but what a wonderful surprise!

We have often said that we ought to go to the beach. We only live a short drive away from some amazing sand dunes and really have no excuse not to go. But we have just never kicked ourselves in the butt and walked out the door.

The scenery is just wonderful. Long, sandy, beaches and a fresh ocean breeze coming in from the North Sea. The afternoon was rather cloudy, but we had no rain until a wee drizzle surprised on our way back to the car.

Son loved it, of course, and so did we. I had time to play around with my camera. Toying with the manual setting, which I am trying to figure out and eventually master. I shot some beautiful pictures of us all together, but I also managed to capture the view in, what I consider, at least a presentable way. I hope you like them. 

On top of the world

31 Wednesday Aug 2011

Posted by Anne in Good Life, Nature

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Fjord, Hiking, Mountains, Nature, Norway, Pulpit rock

A new found friendship took me up a path I haven’t travelled for many years. This sentence sound metaphorical, but it isn’t, in fact it is not at all. A visiting colleague opened for the opportunity for me to work as a mountain guide for a day. In the company of a wonderful lady I walked the few kilometres to the Pulpit Rock on a sunny weekday. The Pulpit Rock is a peculiar rock formation of a nearly flat, square mountain plateau situated 604 metres above sea level. Under the Rock there’s a vertical mountainside which ends in  a scree slope, an accumulation of rocks and fragments of rocks which again runs into the fjord a little further down. 

We started our walk from the parking lot above the Preikestolen Youth Hostel where I have spent many of my summers cleaning and cooking. Im in no better shape then I was while doing the climb, and my pulse reached new heights. The first part of the hike is quite steep. The bad thing about that is of course that me being in such bad shape will have trouble keeping my pulse down, I feel flushed, and I need to take many small breaks. The positive side is that when you stop and turn around the view is stunning; where stunning is indeed an understatement. We could see across the fjord to the city and beyond. 

We climbed a few screes, passed a few Spaniards, laughed at a few Germans, and followed the path thread by hundreds of thousands every summer. When we had finished climbing, we sat down for lunch. We found a decent plateau where we had a wonderful view of the fjord, a lake, the forests and the surrounding mountain tops. How wonderful it is to sit on top of the world, enjoying a nice meal with good company, with the heaviest part of the walk behind us, and the best yet to come. We sat down in isolation, though with quite a few tourists passing by a few metres away, but when left we left behind a group of about 30 people who had been inspired by our lunch break. 

A few minutes’ walk later we rounded the mountain and came out to the steep slopes running down into the fjord. A few balancing acts and a few metres of plain walking we saw the Pulpit Rock. 

The view is surreal, better than any postcard. I can not begin to describe and will instead leave you with these few photos a mere attempts of showing the magnificence of the goal of our hike. 

The Descent

13 Saturday Aug 2011

Posted by Anne in Good Life, Home, Nature

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Forest, Hiking, Mountains, Nature, Norway, River, Water

The bridge crossed the river and led me to a smoth, rounded, rocky surface. A few puddles could be seen here and there, and I immediately ran over the first of the larger ones. Close to the surface swam a few tadpoles. Their legs have started to show, but their tales are still long.

The wee tadpole

I left them in their bubble of a world and continued on.

The wee climb before going downhill for the rest of the walk

A small climb waited for me first. Along the path, and in the path, were endless amounts of blueberries and bilberries. The first definitely being the favourite.

After the small climb I turned right an continued down a well thread and wide path. While going steeply downhill I met people. Norwegians are said to be cold and maybe a little shy. Give someone a big smile without talking to them and you’re almost guaranteed not get one back, instead you’ll get a look which will make yourself doubt your own sanity. In the mountains, however, we ignore all social conventions, and greet everyone as a friend. I was thus met with big smiles and friendly and quite loud (according to Norwegian standards) ‘hello!’s. I only met another two people on my way down, and they too greeted me as if they had known me for years.

The water looks still, but it in fact did run pretty fast. I drank just outside the picture to the left, and the water was good!

A small stream crossed the path, and I found myself jumping from stone to stone in order to cross without getting my feet wet. I stopped on a rather large stone in the centre of the stream bent down, ladled water in my hand and drank a few mouthfuls. Any other time I would not have thought twice about drinking more. But this summer there are reported diseases coming from certain rodents infecting small mountain brooks. Not all brooks and streams are longer completely safe for quenching one’s thirst. I decided to wait until I found a suitable place in the big river. A few metres after crossing the wee stream, another brook had changed its course and now ran IN the path rather than next to it. Tip-toeing and jumping back and forth I still managed without getting my shoes soaked.

Following the combined brook and path... I believe I was quite a sight jumping from stone to stone

The path continued (also splitting every now and again) down to an old farm. Huge old oaks used to dominated just above the farm, but for some reason many had now been chopped down. It was a sad sight to see the open landscape filled with branches and cut-offs from the trees. I am sure they have been cut down for a reason, and new ones will be planted, but there and then the scenery looked like a scene from Saruman’s neighbourhood.

The land of Saruman

View from the old farm

Just below the farm I walked off the path and down to the river. The river had split into three, one was still large and wide, but the other two were small and often still, and thus more likely to pick up bacterias and the like. I took off my shoes and waded through the first two.

Shoes placed neatly on a rock in the river. Notice the slippery, scary, green stuff

The rocky surface where the water runs is often covered in green moss, and is very slippery. Where there is no water, the surface is dry, but with many larges stones. I jumped from stone to stone, stopped to wade, before jumping further.

The waterfall in the top right corner was where I deemed the water safe to drink

When I reached the main river I waded into the center and drank as much as I wanted. I scooped the water up with my hands and drank mouthfuls. I am very picky regarding water. When out traveling I have learned to read all labels, as long as the alphabet used is latin, on water bottles to find water I am able to drink. The water in the river is fresh, there’s no chloride, very little calcium, but probably with a mineral content you’d find in no bottled water. Very refreshing, tasting a bit of rocks and forest ground (no mud taste), and perfect temperature.

Perfect place to quench your thirst

I regretted not bringing my bathing suit. As the water was warm enough for a swim (that means just above 15 degrees Celsius, if at all that warm…). After quenching my thirst I returned to the path. Soon after my parents called, wondering where I’d gone. I thus had to run down to the waterworks where they picked me up with their car. While crossing the river on a small bridge I turned and took a picture of some kids bathing where I used to go when I still lived with my parents. Memories came flooding back as together with feelings of love and respect for the gorgeous nature.

Perfection

The Climb

12 Friday Aug 2011

Posted by Anne in Good Life, Home

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

berries, Forest, Mountains, Nature, Norway, Path, Raspberries, Walk

My parents live in a rural town of about 6000 inhabitants. I was raised in this town and spent 19 years of my life there before leaving it behind. Naturally we often visit, as both my parents and grandparents still live where they ‘always’ have. It’s only an hour and a half away from here.

They’ve had Son visit them alone for a few days at a time the past weeks, as I have started work and Husband is offshore. I spent part of the weekend with them before taking Son home again. While there I made time for a hike in the mountainous area surrounding the town.

The starting point for the hike

Five minutes from my parents’ front door I find myself at the foot of the mountain. Up a small hill and I’m in the middle of the forest, junipers, birches and grass dominate the landscape as well as smooth and often slippery roots. The path is not very well thread, I wade through high grass and often have to climb over knee high rocks to continue on the path. The first part of the walk is steep. I realise the treadmill I use to get my heart pumping is nothing compared to the real deal. I can feel my pulse, I pant and increasingly find myself leaning my hand and upper body on my knee as I climb the largest rocks. After a few minutes I find myself on the first plateau. I stop to catch my breath, sit down and eat a few blueberries. The proper kind of blueberries that make your tongue and teeth blue, while the fingers are left with purple stains. I enjoy the scenery and fresh mountain air before I get up again and walk towards a clearing at the edge of the plateau.

The view from the first plateau

The town is stretched out beneath me. I call my father who takes Son out in the garden to wave at me. We then hang up. Son calls me from the porch. His voice carries all the way up to where I stand. I’m amazed at how well the sound carries. I raise both my hands up in the air and wave the best I can for him to see me. He claims he did.

I turn off the path and continue along an even less thread path than the previous. I again wade through high grass, climb rocks and even fight my way through tall junipers. I scratch my arms and sting my fingers on the needles. I’m not sure where this path ends up, I have been in the area many times before, but the paths have been wider. The path suddenly comes to a halt in between two tall junipers. I am about to turn, in doubt about whether I have actually found a proper path. I am reminded of a song by the Proclaimers, one line goes “do you want to follow paths or blaze a trail”. I smile at myself. I’m no quitter at least. I barge through the bushes and continue in the same direction. I hear the river roam somewhere in front of me and thus would always find my way, even if my own sense of direction would abandon me completely. I am headed for a narrow, country road, I’m not sure where exactly on the road, but I know I will find it soon.

The tall grass covering the path, the path got worse, before it got better

After the path had widened

The sun is high in the sky, it’s warm and I am now on the narrow road. The air is drier than in the forrest, and there is no shade along the road.

Tourists often complain about the speed limits in Norway, as do many Norwegians, but I've never seen a tourist drive according to the speed limit on this road. There's a reason why there are many good rally drivers from this country 😉 (btw, the sign sets the speed limit to 80 km/h - about 60 m/h)

I’ve left my bottle of water at home, and am now getting thirsty. I eat a few wild raspberries. The quality and taste is the same as those found by the sea. There are more of them here, outside the city.

Wild raspberries

The scenery around the road is different to how it was last time I was here. Many trees have been cut down, and a large water pipe has been removed. The forest is still very much the same, and has not suffered much. In fact the changes might even be good for the fauna.

There have been waterworks in the area for many decades. These are now rebuilding and changing their location slightly. I pass an old English looking house. The house was built at the same time as the first waterworks as Brits assisted with their knowledge and a bit of work force in the initial phase.

A taste of England in Norway

I continue along the road. Climbing. It is longer than I remembered it to be. I turn right at another dirt road, and soon find myself by the river. It is dammed, but there is still a proper river running down the mountain and hills towards the town. A new bridge has been built. I cross it and find myself in a different world. The descent will follow tomorrow

The bridge

A stroll by the sea

10 Wednesday Aug 2011

Posted by Anne in Good Life, Home

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Coast, Nature, Norway, Sea, Walking

I suddenly felt the urge to walk here the other night. I needed to get out, get some wind in my hair, feel the breeze, the cool (or almost cold) summer air and soak up the last rays from the sun before it set in the pale blue sea. I only have a five-minute-walk to get to the sea, and there are some wonderful paths along the coast.

I walked through the neighbourhood, it was quiet and few were out, despite it being a summer evening and the sun was still up.

I walked through the neighbourhood, down to the main road and along that for a minute or two. I stopped to pick a few raspberries. They were pale pink, firm, and the sweetest berries of its kind that I have tasted this summer. The berries I get in the shop are nothing compared to these. These raspberries grow wild.

I crossed the street and entered onto a graveled path. The salt water air blew in from the North Sea. I filled my lungs and stopped to look at the scenery in front of me.

I thought about Tes while walking here. She showed some beautiful pictures from a beach during the monsoon season (see here and here) and thought maybe she would find my pictures from my home town as I found the pictures from the area she lives in.

I found a place to sit down and sat for a minute watching a man fishing, and a man in a boat just off the shore tossing out fishpots to catch crabs. I sat there and only watched the world. Lowered my shoulders, breathed the fresh air and felt utterly and completely at peace with myself and everything around me. There is nothing more relaxing than fresh air and beautiful scenery.

I got up and continued walking. The pat looked like this most of the time:

There are pink clovers breaking up the usually monochromatic green of birches, junipers, and grass. Every now and again there were also patches of bluebells and various other flowers and plants. The colour combinations were lovely.

A few more photos


Monday view

15 Monday Nov 2010

Posted by Anne in Good Life

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Tags

Nature, Office, View, Work

I’m sitting in my office, freezing. The room just won’t heat up today… But well, that’s also all I have to complain about. And who am I to complain? Look at this view I have from my office window.  That’s a biologic farm in the background, so we have a hens running around here all day and roosters to tell us when to stop daydreaming and get back to work. Deer visit almost daily and are a welcomed distraction. Now I need to put the kettle on again and make myself a cup of tea.

Hope you’re all enjoying your day!

Jeg sitter på kontoret og fryser! Rommet vil bare ikke bli varmt i dag… Men, men, jeg har egentlig ikke mye å klare over. Sjekk ut den utsikta jeg har fra hvor jeg sitter. Kontorbygget ligger rett ved en økologisk gård og en skog, så her har vi høns som springer rundt, og en haner som galer for å få oss tilbake til arbeidet når dagdrømmene tar over. Vi har også rådyr som nesten daglig tar seg en spasertur rett utenfor vinduet, en distraksjon som alltid er hjertlig velkommen. Nå må jeg sette på vannkokeren så jeg kan få meg en kopp varm te.

Håper dere alle har en fortreffelig mandag 😀

Autumn Walk

28 Thursday Oct 2010

Posted by Anne in Good Life

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Autumn, Friends, Nature, Outside, Son, Walking

Some days back, a friend of mine, Silje, her two children, Son and I, went for a walk in a forest nearby. The autumn colours are so beautiful right now, the weather was chilly and it was raining on and off all day. We only had light sprays as we walked and absolutely nothing to complain about. We walked slowly, letting the kids play, and took almost thee hours walking a round that would normally never take me more than an hour.

My friend’s oldest child is thee years old and play extremely well with Son, who is a year and a half. My friend’s youngest is only two months, and spent the entire trip wrapped in duvets and blankets in his carriage. And he slept like a baby for all the hours.

We chit chatted and laughed and smiled at our kids running around. We also dropped by an local farm where they sell biological groceries and homegrown vegetables. The kids were thrilled as they got to pick out some biscuits and dried fruits.

 

Bop!

18 Monday Oct 2010

Posted by Anne in Good Life

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Nature, Outside, Son

Son loves to throw rocks in the water and we often walk down to the beach and spend some time throwing rocks. He mimics the sound and says ‘bop!’. (plopp – bopp) After we have been there he talks about it all day long. Just had to share 🙂

Walking home

12 Tuesday Oct 2010

Posted by Anne in Good Life

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Autumn, Nature, Neighbourhood, Outside, Seasons, Walking

After some hours of intense reading at the office today, I decided to take the time to walk home. It’s about an hour and half walk, which is more time than I usually have to get home, but today I wanted to make it a priority. I don’t regret that. The weather was beautiful and 90 mins of crisp, clear, autumn air felt great! I really should try harder to make time for a daily walk. 

It is just lovely outside these days. I love autumn, I think I love all seasons, I just don’t like the time in between seasons. I don’t like the insecurity regarding the weather and how to dress when going outside. I want it to be so cold now that I have to wear a jacket when going out, a warm jacket that won’t be too warm as soon as I start moving. Well, I’ll leave you with this and sit back and enjoy the season, in a few months I’ll be sick and tired of it and longing for spring. Well, that’s then and this is now. Enjoy autumn everyone!

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