So this is Christmas. Norway Southeast

Christmas morning 2017. Spydeberg in Ostfold Norway

Merry Christmas
God Jul

The small mini church: Hovin Kirke in Spydeberg, Ostfold, Norway

December sunset already at 2:19PM in Spydeberg, Norway

The days are very short this far north in December. The sun is rising 9:11AM and as you can see the sunset is already a little after 2PM.
But no reason to complain. I.E. North of the Artic Circle there is no sun at all.

Photo: Iphone 6+. PP: Corel Paintshop.
Location: 59° 37' 51.68" N, 11° 7' 16.51" E

Towards Christmas in the winter landscape of Valdres, Norway

Some 200km out of Oslo there is some snow and a typical winterlook these days before Christmas

Camera: iphone6+. PP: 2 Photo stitched. Corel Paintshop

Fantastic winter landscape in Tisleidalen, Valdres, Norway. Stitch of 6 photos

Incredible what you can do with an iphone6+. As here with a stitch of 6 photos. (Recommended: Click on the photo for a LARGE version)

The winter landscape is to be found in the Southern part of Norway now in December.

Camera: iphone6+. PP: Photo stitcher and camera+ in ipad.

Make room for a buddy! Lauvskrike / Siberian Jay in Valdres Norway

Lauvskrike / Siberian Jay hunting frozen bread in -18C

Up at our mountain cottage for some winter days. After putting out some old bread it takes less than 5 minutes before the Lauskrike / Siberian Jay is arriving. Even frozen bread served in the cold outside  temperature at -18C seems to be most attractive this morning.

Camera: iphone6+. PP: camera+ in ipad.

The Siberian jay (Perisoreus infaustus) is a jay found in north Eurasia. The species has a wide range (estimated global Extent of Occurrence 10,000,000 km²) and a large global population (estimated 680,000-1,400,000 in Europe). It is one of three members of the genus Perisoreus, the others being the Sichuan jay, P. internigrans, restricted to the mountains of eastern Tibet and northwestern Sichuan, and the gray jay, P. canadensis, restricted to the boreal forest and western montane regions of North America. All three species store food and live year-round on permanent territories in coniferous forests. The Siberian Jay is known to wilderness travelers as a very inquisitive and fearless species, which can be seen near camps and fires, and which will even take food if some is left nearby.
Ref: wiki

Flashback: A rainy day at Golsfjellet in Norway

Flashback to a very rainy and cold day in the autumn. From Southern part of Norway - Golsfjell

Camera iphone6+. Stitch of 3 photos, PP: Corel Paintshop Pro

Flashback to a spring river in Valdres, Norway

Flasback to a spring river in May. From Southern part of Norway by the central mountains.

Camera: iphone6+. Stitch of 3 photos. PP: Corel Paontshop Pro

Was it in the Garden of Eden or was it just in Valdres, Norway?

..anyhow it sure was quite an idyllic setting with the sheep mother and her lamb when we passed them a day in the summer.

FLASHBACK to July. Camera: iphone6+. Stitch of 2 photos. PP: Corel Paintshop Pro

Moody November under the Tramontane (Northern wind) in Collioure, South of France

The Tramontane makes the waves out in the Mediterranian and contributes to quite some mood in the Catalan village Colliore right there at the beginning of the rough landscape along Cote Vermeille

Both photos with iphone6+

The first a stitch of 3 photos shot from the entrance to the hotel 3Mas

The next a stitch of 4 photos in direction of the small chapel: St. Vincent

November and off season in Collioure SouthofFrance

The most significant photo motif in Collioure is the church which have also served as a lighthouse and prison in its time. A rather tiny population at the beach these days.

Dressed warm a lunch at Simones is still a fine weekend option

Not many people out walking but still place for a little romantic moment this November day

The work of the Tramontane in Collioure, SouthofFrance

The Tramontane is the strong northwest winds coming down from the mountains and blowing out in the Mediterranean Sea. Sometimes making big waves along the coast. As seen here in Collioure in November. 

FROM WIKI:The tramontane in France is a strong, dry cold wind from the north (on the Mediterranean) or from the northwest (in lower Languedoc, Roussillon, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands).It is similar to the mistral in its causes and effects, but it follows a different corridor; the tramontane accelerates as it passes between the Pyrenees and the Massif Central, while the mistral flows down the Rhone Valley between the Alps and the Massif Central.

A canon, some canonballs and pedestrians a November day in Port-Vendres in South of France

Seems like the big old canon not was able to shoot the canonballs further than across the street - where luckily the pedestrians could pass unhindered.
Taling motif from the harbour this November day in charming Port-Vendres in the off season.

The church in the inner part of the deep water harbour in Port-Vendres

A marina in Strømstad (Stromstad) at the West Coast of Sweden.

6 photos stitched - originals iphone6+

The city is known for its yachting harbor, which can be very crowded in the summer. From Strömstad there is a ferry line over to Sandefjord, Norway, at the west side of the Oslofjord. There are also some local ferries to the Koster Islands.

(See last post for more info of Strømstad.)

Fishermens cabin in the harbor of Strømstad

Ref. text: WIKI
Photos: Jack R. Johanson / iphone6+

A town called Strømstad (Stromstad) at the West Coast of Sweden

Strømstad harbor as seen in a 4 photos stitched version (iphone6+)

Originally, the province Bohuslän, where Strömstad is situated, was Norwegian territory, which was transferred to Sweden according to the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658.

At Strömstad, there was a small fishing village known as Strömmen. The town got small privileges as a merchant town (köping) shortly thereafter, which seems to have made it expand, because it is documented to have gotten a charter in 1676 by King Charles XI of Sweden, although some documents show it was already considered a city in 1672.

A moment of romance in the late autumn in the harbour

The city was a seat for Sweden's warfare against the Dano-Norwegians, and more than once it was conquered and reconquered throughout the centuries. The warlike King Charles XII of Sweden, for instance, used it as his outpost for his campaign against Norway in 1716–1718.

At the time it had a population of 300 inhabitants. But soon the fishing blossomed, and its population increased to 1,100 by 1805. The late 18th century also saw the spa and bathing attract visitors, a position it kept throughout the 19th century. By 1917, its population was 2,949 inhabitants.

The church in Strømstad . 1817-1820.

The city is known for its yachting harbor, which can be very crowded in the summer. From Strömstad there is a ferry line over to Sandefjord, Norway, at the west side of the Oslofjord. There are also some local ferries to the Koster Islands.

Ref. text: WIKI
Photos: Jack R. Johanson / iphone6+

The Barcode building project in Oslo, Norway

Barcode buildings with the new library at right

Bjørvika Barcode consists of twelve narrow high-rise buildings of different heights and widths. The buildings are built with some space in between them, thus jointly resembling a barcode. Barcode houses leading national and international businesses, and 10 000 people work here on a daily basis. The buildings also contain 400 apartments and a daycare center. On street level, you'll find a varied and attractive selection of restaurants, shops, galleries and other service providers.

Barcode-buildings in the back as seen from Sørenga (to the left the new Edvard Munch Museum)

The Barcode architecture
The BARCODE architecture concept was developed by the Norwegian firms DARK and a-lab, in collaboration with the Dutch agency MVRDV. The BARCODE concept is designed as a geometric system that stands out architecturally. The concept incorporates values such as openness to the fjord, admittance of light and airiness.
Based on the BARCODE concept, the twelve buildings are designed by different architectural firms. Besides the overall shape, the buildings are very different. Each building has its own distinctive character, and enjoyable architectonic details and quirks make Barcode an architectural experience quite out of the ordinary.

Ref. text: visitoslo
Photo: Jack R. Johanson (iphone6+)

More October mood from Valdres in Norway

A small lake close to the Danebu Resort in Nord-Aurdal, Valdres, Norway

Same lake in backlight

Moody October morning in Valdres, Norway

Morning by a small mountain lake in Nord-Aurdal

As the sun rises an October morning outside our cottage

The Madam enjoying the fine October day

The first snow in the season. Valdres in Norway

Mid October but already the first layer of snow is in place.
The small gravel road leading  into our mountain cottages in Mid Norway.

Karl Johans gate the main street in Oslo, NorwaySaturday

Saturday in Karl Johans gate

Karl Johans gate is the main street of the city of Oslo, Norway. The street was named in honor of King Charles III John, who was also King of Sweden as Charles XIV John.

Karl Johans gate is a composite of several older streets that used to be separate thoroughfares. The eastern section was part of Christian IV's original city near the ramparts surrounding the city. When the ramparts were removed to make way for Oslo Cathedral, three separate sections eventually became Østre Gade.

The wider western section was built during the 1840s as an avenue connecting the newly erected Norwegian Royal Palace with the rest of the city. In 1852, it was named Karl Johans gate in honor of the recently deceased king. 

When the Norwegian parliament building was completed in 1866 at the junction of the two formerly separate streets, the two streets were joined and the whole length was named Karl Johans gate. 

Ref:  WIKI.

The same view under the Oslo Marathon  - the tail of the runners.

The street as it looks when you enter it from the side of the Central Station

Autumn in October. Alby Manor. Jeløya (island) in Oslofjorden. Norway

The park in front of the Alby Manor at Jeløya.

Alby manor

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coordinates: 59 ° 25'27,944 "N 10 ° 36'36,436" Ø (map)

Alby manor is the oldest farm in Jeløy, and has roots back to early Viking times. 

Jeløy is also a special area with its distinctive nature. Søndre Jeløy Landscape Protection Area was established in 1983, and helps to preserve the historic character of the landscape.

The park of Alby consists of a lawn of fruit and acacia trees. The park is designed so that you have the feeling of being on a beach ground by a mound hiding underlying fields that lie between the park and the sea.

The woods located at Alby are a very popular hiking area. There are high-quality trails that make the area easily accessible, also for disabled people.

Jeløya was actually a peninsula in the Oslofjord, but was divided from the mainland in 1855 by the Moss canal (Mossekanalen) a 20-meter broad canal that was built through the low isthmus. 

Walking the gravel road from the Manor - a popular path at Jeløya

Along the shores to the Oslofjord

Boxing in the Oslo Opera (Norway)

The couple in the boat can still see the Oslo Opera behind some foreground construction work.

The opera as it was after the opening in 2008

What a shame. After opening the new Oslo Opera in 2008 Perfectly situated in the "new" Bjørvika Harbour right at the shores of the Oslofjord - the town council is now boxing in the magnificent architectural and Significant building at 3 of 4 sides.

Offices and residential buildings is of more importance than a cultural "lighthouse"

From this sea side the Opera is almost not visible in the back

Some tourists sits on the lower ground end of the opera roof . In the back the New town library

The promenade outsid the lobby restaurant - more like we like to see the Opera environment

It remains to see how the Opera will be presented after the end of all the constructions taking place on 3 of 4 sides of the Opera.

At the soil of ancient Oslo, Norway there is a new neighbourhood: Sørenga - Fjordbyen (FjordCity)

3 photos stitched from the new Fjordbyen in Oslo, Norway

We are out on Sørenga, looking back to the new skyline of Oslo East. To the left, foreground, the signal building with the Oslo Opera backed by the former high Post building and the Hotel Oslo Plaza. The new high buildings in the back is the new so-called Barccode buildings, private estates and offices. The significant big grey building in front (Middle) is the new Edvard Munch Museum. The panorama ends to the right in the new fine apartments buildings at the formerly quays of Sørenga right under the old Ekeberg hill - where the very first settlers found a place to live in the stone age.


Come for a time travel back to 8000 BC :

Fjordbyen, Sørenga seen from the Ekeberg Plateu - where the stone age family  was sitting 8000BC

New discoveries by archaeologists indicate that some of Oslo’s history may need to be re-written. Field research on the Ekeberg Plateau, which rises above Oslo’s eastern harbour, has unearthed evidence of settlements from 8,000 BC, much older than those previously found.
“This is the most exciting and complex work I’ve been involved with in my seven years at Byantikvaren (the city’s cultural preservation agency),” archaeologist Kristine Reiersen told newspaper Aftenposten .

She and her colleagues have been working on the Ekeberg Plateau and have found many more signs of Stone Age life than expected. Until now, most historians and archaeologists traced Oslo’s earliest settlements to around 8,000 years ago, or 6,000 BC.

Now they have found evidence of settlements from 8,000 BC, 2,000 years older. They found what they claim are remains of a place where eight to 10 persons lived on what at the time was waterfront property. The land was pushed up from the sea around 10,000 years ago, after the last ice age, Egil Mikkelsen of the Museum of Cultural History told Aftenposten .
The new Edvard Munch Museum in Oslo.

Also the present Munch Museum is placed in the East end of Oslo. Still there was a long and tough political debate before also the new museum was placed right here in the top modern Fjordbyen.

Background. In the present museum at Tøyen an increasing number of visitors come and additional space was needed in order to exhibit more of the collection. The Munch Museum has long outgrown its current premises. In May 2013, after years of debate, the Oslo City Council voted to build a new Munch Museum in Bjørvika in the Oslo's harbour area, close to the Opera. Spanish architects Herreros Arquitectos won the design competition and the new museum will be completed in 2019.

The fashionable new residential area at Sørenga 

At the old quay new residences have been built the last years

Some green environment is facing the fjord and the West side of Oslo

Some very interesting architecture

Even a beach is included direct by the fjord

There are several restaurants in the area. our choice for lunsj was the popular Cargo Restaurant. here a short timelapse: