I'm over the cold north on the long flight home. Looked out my window earlier to the whitest, most stunning mountain peaks covered in massive snow drifts & frozen lakes. I'm thinking that a trip like this, in the heat of summer, was a splendid idea. I'm sitting here on the plane poring over photos. Some of these I've shared on instagram, but for you who don't spend time there I'll include them here.
Our dining table looked like this most of the time. A big fat mess.
BUT…to be perfectly candid it was carol who made the biggest mess.
The stairs to Carol's attic hideaway were covered in this fabulous floral design.
The church across the street was being renovated so part of our view was of plastic sheeting. We didn't care. We were in Norway!
The other day we hopped on a silly little train to ride around town and sister turned to me and said, "We're on a tiny train in Norway!"
Both of us like to restate the obvious whenever possible.
We loved the little lane our favorite kaffe shop was on. Norwegians are coffee connoisseurs.
When I look at these pictures I am back here again. Smelling the heady scent of wild roses.
Marveling at how abundantly everything blooms here and how little watering needs to be done I n a rainy climate. Tidy small patios right in the lanes. Last night we watched a woman set up her clothes hanger/ dryer in a lane outside her house. Getting ready to hang out her laundry in the sunshine at 8pm!
Imagine that!
We were delighted by these yellow poppies that bloom in every crack. The wild stands of foxglove in woodsy areas of Norway were also spectacular. Up north in aalesund we saw meadows and roadsides thick with purple lupines.
There were also blooming pansies in pots everywhere. Their bright colors only made more vibrant in the milky light of grey days.
That coffee shop I was telling you about. Just up the hill from the funicular.
This fine fellow operated a small old ferry across the harbor. You sort of climbed on when the boat was next to the dock. Gang planks are for sissies. We boarded the old fashioned way by jumping on! The boat chugged across the harbor and when we were almost across our captain stepped on the gas and sped towards the dock. Full speed ahead into the tied on tire bumpers… Chuckling with great humor as his 6 passengers tried not to scream out in terror.
I appreciate a salty dog with a sense of humor.
I'm finishing up this post in Toronto…getting ready to board the last flight for home. Back to the cat posse. Back to moss cottage. My Norway dispatches are coming to an end. I'm going to unplug for a few days and finish up my travel journal. Piddle. Listen to music. Drink a cold beer on the back patio. Have breakfast with friends. See you back here next week!
Sent from my iPad
I thoroughly enjoyed the trip! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for sharing your Norwegian travels. Someone told me about your blog and I had to read each and every word. My Great Grandmother was from the old country. When she passed at the ripe age of 97, each Granddaughter was gifted a package with our names on it. (There were 16 of us!) Inside were our wedding linens and doilies to decorate our homes. I swear she died with a crochet hook in her hand. I also learned to make coffee and pepperkaker. Some swear the coffee can walk across the room and pour itself. Your posts have brought back so many memories. Thank you and welcome home.
Thanks so much for taking us on your trip with you. I had a marvelous time!
Sister! Your trip looks AMAZING SO FAR!!! You are looking great and your smile shows you are having fun!
Good grief! How could I forget your sister, The Cat Whisperer…
Oh, I know, aspirations of being the best darn porter are clouding my head. 8>)
Cannot seem to stay away: your pictures, your tales, YOU. The combination of it all puts me in a very happy place.
If you haven’t read Steig Larrson’s trilogy, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, think you would enjoy. Saw original
Swedish version movies and American, first installment with Daniel Craig,Unless you are squeamish. Anyway,
Was watching last night and looking at your and Carol’s pics. strange juxtaposition I know.
somehow it made both pics and movie more interesting. Perhaps it was the glass (or two) of Cabernet?
I know we have a mutual fondness for May Sarton, I read everything she wrote.
Have always wanted to comment about reading list and I guess now is the time.
WHAT. you’re in TORONTO and you don’t tell me. girl. i would have come to meet you and just give you a hug. dang it girl. xoxo
thank you so much for sharing your wonderful trip!!
Awww, I’m missing you! After all that travel, the food, and sights…I’m sure you are recovering and catching up on sleep…Just know that we miss you and appreciate all your sharing! Thank you!
Marianne 🙂
http://ladybirdhope.blogspot.com
ps Just bought Full Tilt Boogie! Excited about making my first book!
Welcome. Back and thanks for sharing such a beautiful trip , what fun
Thanks for sharing your wonderful adventures with us. I so want to travel there someday. Safe journey home.
Welcome home! Buck too! So blessed to have been with you on your adventure.
Welcome back MAM!! Thanks for taking us along on this most exciting of adventures!! Look forward to seeing the Norway Journal!!
Farewell, Norway. Thanks for taking me with you, Mary Ann. It was delightful and charming and just what I needed.
Mary Ann, wow and totally wow … loved your Norway adventure. Every bit of it. I’ve enjoyed all your travels but Norway was flippin’ amazing and you captured it beautifully. Safe travels home and looking forward to seeing the finished travel journal.
OOh, sad that the trip is over already… It looks like you two had a swell time. Great photographs, lots of flowers in little baskets, can’t wait to see what your travel journal will look like! It will be the cherry on top of the cake! I so enjoyed your views of Norway.
So lucky are you for these memories will last you a lifetime. I am but a little envious, maybe a lot, but it is combined with so much enthusiastic joy for a lady I don’t even know that you can barely noticed. Enjoy being unplugged.
What a trip! Thanks again for taking me with you. Can’t wait to see what you do with the rest of your summer; welcome home!
Very satisfying holiday. So glad I stowed away. Kudos to you for charming the customs’ sniffers before they discovered me, although I did fold myself into a crone to fool them. Nighty night.
I’m sorry the beautiful journey is over so soon…seems it just flew by. I would love to travel to that part of the world, especially this time of year when it is hot as a blast furnace in the intermountain west, the high desert. I’d love to smell the brisk air laden with flowers and sea…I grew up on the coast of So. Calif. and miss the smell of the sea more than anything.
Lovely photos, yummy food, delish coffee…life is good. Glad your trip was wonderful and happy you’re nearly home (probably are by the time of this writing) I’m sure the cat posse was thrilled to have you home again.
Enjoy your week of relaxation and catching up. Where are we going next?
Happy trails, landings and comings and goings and most importantly a warm welcome home…honestly I love tagging along on these walkabouts with you and your sweet sis too but once you are settled back into the embrace of Moss cottage, hanging around the patio with ya via my view from here is just fine too…don’t really matter where you hang your hat; as long as you have tales and snippets to share I will be right here patiently waiting and enjoying every, big and tiny moment..PS. Your photos thus far have been amazing…all those twisted streets and steps and nooks and crannies tucked everywhere and all the greenery and floral-ry..my own…it’s my kinda of place.
I think there is something magical about Norway. I enjoy all your posts, and your travelogues, but Norway really did it for me. I could IMAGINE myself right there. The food looked amazing. The PAPER. And when I am saying that I am saying PAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY PPPPPPAAAAAAAHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! The cats! The mountains and boats and cups of coffee! Yep. I’m going there someday. You’re my travel hero. Also? I almost finished my art journal I started for Full Tilt Boogie. I didn’t do a handmade journal yet. But when I bought FTB I started working in an old children’s encyclopedia. AND. I. HAVE. ALMOST. FINISHED. That *never* happens. I blame you and Judy Wise. And by blame I mean thank 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your trip. It was wonderful. Food, flowers, cobblestones and lovely abode to rest and create in. It was delightful seeing you both is sweaters and feeling the breeze and salty air with our 90+ degrees here. Safe journey home and lots of rest and loving with the kitties.
So glad you had a great time. Enjoy being back a home with the cats and in your own bed. Have a beer for me. Can’t wait to see the finished journal.
Thank you so much for taking us all along. I can’t believe you got so much done with such a large group – we are usually quarrelsome and take too much time getting ready and so mess up the schedule – but we saw so much and had so much FUN! This was my first trip with you and I had a marvelous time. But I would have bought the bra bowls.
Oh Mary Ann, I loved this visit to Norway. Beautiful and cool, the light so soft and the flowers so vibrant. And the food! I could almost taste that beautiful food. Thank you for taking us with.
Well, now that you are a beer drinker, I think your next trip might be to Belgium. They have beers there that are truly the nectar of the Gods. Go to Bruges, visit Staminee De Garre whilst there. http://www.degarre.be/ Have their peach beer. Sit next to the little guy that plays a hand cranked accordion down at the flea market, see the locals do what they’ve been doing for hundreds of years. And then, when you’re on cozy overload – they bring out plates of cheese on toothpicks! It is divine, and they play classical music too.
Can’t believe you are in Toronto and not calling me (or the rest of the Toronto ROD chapter) to say hello!?! Then again, I don’t speak Norwegian and no doubt you are fully fluent by now and we wouldn’t have time to translate to Canadian, eh? Safe travels on the rest of your journey.
Hey, welcome to Toronto. I live about 1 hour West of TO. Hope they treat you well. I have thoroughly enjoyed your Northern adventure. Love the pictures and stories. You’d be so much fun to travel with. Can’t wait till you share your journal.