Oslo Town Hall in the winter. Norway

Oslo Town Hall seen from Aker Brygge - the former ship yard in the center of Oslo.
In front a selection of boats very popular for  people living here the whole winter.
As you can see the water is still open while some years ago there should have been ice in this part of the harbor. Typical for the mild climate of our days.

December afternoon in the harbor of Oslo. Norway. II

An afternoon mood in Oslo Harbor - in fact one of the last photos I did in 2016.

A happy new year to all visitors

December afternoon in the harbor of Oslo. Norway

Low light and a low sun already at 1PM in Oslo this day late in December

The Royal Castle Oslo. Norway

The Royal Castle is situated at a small hill top right in the center of Oslo in fact it is ending the main street Karl Johans gate.  You can (maybe) spot a small red flag on top of the castle. This flag tells us that the King is home. When he is away no red flag....

Some more from the net:

The Royal Palace (Norwegian: Slottet or formally Norwegian: Det kongelige slott) in Oslo was built in the first half of the 19th century as the Norwegian residence of the French-born King Charles III of Norway, who reigned as king of Norway and Sweden.
The palace is the official residence of the present Norwegian monarch. The crown prince resides at Skaugum in Asker west of Oslo. The palace has 173 rooms. (WIKI)

The little house decorated for Christmas. Oslo. Norway

This time of the year some have a kind off Christmas decorating take off.

The entrance to Alby Manor. Oslofjord. Norway

December morning with some night frost still hanging in.

From my last visit to the stately Alby Manor out at the Jeloya Island in the Oslofjord.

Alby Manor is the oldest farm at the Jeloya Island and have it's roots back to the Viking age (800 AD)

Beach in December. Oslofjord. Norway. 4 photos stitched

From a fine December day along the shores of Oslofjord at Jeloya right outside the town Moss.

Under a  frosty beach detail:

A fine December day by the Oslofjord. Norway

Photo taken in the small park at Alby Manor outside of Moss in the Oslofjord, Norway.
In the back we can see one of the 4 carferries that cross the fjord every 10th minute going between Moss and Horten.

Kind of a sunset in Altitude 11km. Speed 880km/hrs. Boeing 737. Above Scandinavia

We went back from South of France a few days ago with a Norwegian plane from Barcelona to Oslo.
Over the most of Europe it was a perfect chance to look down to places we passed on this cloud free day.
I opened my app FLIGHTRADAR24 and had the pleasure to see exactly our position through the flight. (Sitting by the window and with wifi at the plane no problem being connected)

When we left the Continent and entered the Scandinavian territorium at 4pm the clouds was there and as we was facing east in the plane we had this strange sunset facing away from the sun  - like a cloud dream.

After the Storm - view from the cliffs of Leucate. Sud de France

From the cliffs of Leucate we have a fantastic view up along the coast right to some huge buildings in the far back in Port-la-Nouvelle. That is The New Port for Narbonne from a long time back.

The white topped sea is due to a small storm passing over the district the night before our visit

Franqui a small village under the Leucate Cliffs in South of France

When you look down to the small village Franqui - a small outdated village under the cliffs of Leucate. Would you believe that this was the first summer resort to be build along the coast of Aude?

Would you think that this, in medieval times, was the only safe sheltered harbor between Port-Vendres and Agde?

Is it possible to belive that this was a place with 3 military small fortifications to protect the civilians from pirates from the Barbary coast? That the place first was declared "safe" as late as 1830.

The long time history is one thing I always find most interesting when in this very South of France. The history going back so many centuries.

This photo is taken after a November storm with large waves and a high tide still hitting the coast.

Find the ERRORS in Boulou, France

Should you ever be in Boulou in the South of France - do not miss the chance of seeing the fake facade of this house.

You will find it just around the corner from the police station, close to the tourist office.

Regard the 2 large windows and the small one. They are all fake inclusive the painted shadow effect.
The only real thing here is the water post in the lower left side and the sign "Autres directions". Regard also to this sign the "real", weak, shadows around it,

All honor to the artist ******

El Port de la Selva at Costa Brava in Spain

Even in November this natural harbor along the rugged coast of Costa Brava remains inviting with all the white houses down in the center of the town and by the beach. It is just too bad as the town is almost empty of people in this off season periode.

From the Costabravatouristguide: 
In this part of the coastline the mountain masses drop drown to the sea in sheer cliffs, majestically impressive and rugged, forming de Cap de Creus with the islands of Massa d’Oros and L’Encalladora before them.

Then there are Isla Culleró, Punta de Moli, Isla Poraló, Punta dels Farrallons, Penyas Roges, Cap Gros, Punta Blanca, Punta de la Creu and many other steep rocks and islets.

In the midst of all this ruggedness — remember, Costa Brava means ‘Wild Coast’ — El Port de la Selva is a haven of calm.

Monestary Sant Pere de Rodes at Costa Brava in Spain

Travelling along Costa Brava and not least exploring the Emporda where the first people arrived already some 5 centures BC is always a most exciting travel.

This time in the hills by the Port of Selva not far from Gerona we visited the impressive Benedictine Monestary and other nearby places around the Monestary.  And what a story to be found about this place at WIKI:

The true origin of the monastery is not known, which has given rise to speculation and legend; such as its foundation by monks who disembarked in the area with the remains of Saint Peter and other saints, to save them from the Barbarian hordes that invaded the Western Roman Empire. Once the danger had passed the Pope Boniface IV commanded them to construct a monastery.

The first documentation of the existence of the monastery dates 878, when it was mentioned as a simple monastery cell consecrated to Saint Peter, but it is not until 945 when an independent Benedictine monastery was founded, led by an abbot. Connected with the County of Empúries, it reached its maximum splendor between the 11th and 12th centuries until its final decay in the 17th century. Its increasing importance is reflected in its status as a point of pilgrimage.

In the 17th century it was sacked in several occasions and in 1793 was deserted by the benedictine community, which was transferred to Vila-sacred and finally settled in Figueres in 1809, until it was dissolved.

The monastery was declared a national monument in 1930. In 1935 the first restoration work was initiated.

(As the sky was almost blasted in the white light I added some coffee filter to the uper part)

Interior detail from the Monestary

The Monestary from the inside (a 3 photo stitch)

Santa Helena de Rodes. Costa Brava. Spain

Not far from the big former monastery Sant Peres de Rodes outside Silva at Costa Brava we can find this church ruin: Santa Helena de Rodos.  This was the village church for the people who lived up here in the hills and was there mainly to support the big Monestary with all kind of services in Medieval times.

On the plain below the hills: The Emporda (a place for trading) people was coming from Greece and Phoenicans as early as the 5th century BC representing the first settlers to this part of the world.

Recommend to visit should you be in this region: Gerona/Figueres.

Walking to the Naval Station at Cape Bear. Cote Vermeille. Sud de France

A fine walk by the road or the Coastal Path from the small village Port-Vendres and out to the Naval Station and the Cap Bear Lighthouse. In November with the crisp and clear air.

A sunny November day in Port-Vendres. South of France

This is the entrance to the deep sea harbour in Port-Vendres in Sud de France a fine day in November.
Taken some days ago as for today we have rain and thunder going on....

Some more from the net:
Port-Vendres is one of the few deep-water ports in this part of the French Mediterranean coast. It takes freighters and cruise ships, as well as large and small fishing boats which may be seen arriving with their daily catch.

The geomorphology of Port-Vendres meant that it developed in a different way from the nearby port of Collioure. Whereas Collioure has two beaches which slowly descend into a relatively shallow sandy-bottomed harbour, Port-Vendres is deeper and rockier. Collioure and Port-Vendres have therefore been used for different purposes - Collioure for small commercial ship and Port-Vendres for larger vessels and military transports.During the 20th century, this made it a main point of embarkation for French troops going to serve in Algeria. (WIKI)

The lighthouse at Cap Bear. Cote Vermeille in South of France

Outside of the small Catalan village Port-Vendres, close to the Spanish border, you can follow a narrow road along the cliffs by the Mediterranean out to the significant Lighthouse at Cap Bear rising 27 m of the cliff.

Autumn in South of France. Lac de la Raho.

Walking around the artificial lake Raho is app. a 7km tour. There is a fine gravel road around the lake following the shores. From this point we have a good view also to the majestetic Mont Canigou in the back - The Holy mountain of the Catalans.

Some more from the net:
Lac de Villeneuve-de-la-Raho is a lake located in the town of Villeneuve-de-la-Raho in Pyrénées-Orientales, France.

The former lake of Villeneuve-de-la-Raho had a size of 150 hectares. Considered useless, it was dried in 1854 and the land was then used for agriculture. Recovered by the General Council of the Pyrénées-Orientales, it was filled with water and became once again a lake in 1977. (WIKI)

The Bee Hotel with a Beezzinezz Clazz at Raho in South of France

I guess also the bees needs a place to stay over the winter - and of course what could be better than a warm place in a Bee Hotel with a Beezzinezz Clazz...