Fall Color

Today, it's cloudy, grey, raining off-and-on, and with a raw cold feeling outside. I put this post together a few days ago, and it's a good memory of the beauty this Fall has been. 

According to locals, this Fall has been exceptionally mild and beautiful.  We've had only a little rain, and mostly beautiful clear days.  Now the nights are getting cool, but days are pleasant to be out in. I love the crispness of Fall, and of course the colors. I want to share some of the photos we've taken of the colors around us. Here are some from the morning walk.

These are from downtown Oslo.

And these are from Bygdøy where we live.

A Weekend in Sørlandet -- Part 2: The Coast

The southern coast of Norway is known for its picturesque seaside villages of white wooden houses with red tile roofs.  Our host took us to visit Brekkestø on a small island just off the coast. What a beautiful place! We  enjoyed walking the streets,  climbing to the highest point, and watching the fishing boats at the harbor. There were no sounds of traffic; only the breeze, the waves, sea gulls, and an occasional fishing boat motor.

I love these blue doors.

After exploring Brekkestø, we headed to a more remote, rocky coastal area. I'm impressed with how rocky the Norwegian coast is and how people manage to build homes there.

Thank you, Anne-Grete and Ole-Petter, for a memorable, beautiful weekend. 

A Weekend in Sørlandet -- Part 1: Setesdal

A few weekends back, we boarded the train early Friday afternoon and headed for Kristiansand in the south of Norway (Sørlandet).  Sten's mother's family is from this area of the country, and we had been invited to spend the weekend with a cousin and her husband. We always have much in common and we had a great time visiting, cooking, and eating together as well as experiencing some beautiful places.  They drove us up to the southern end of Setesdal where they have a hytte (cabin) -- a typical Norwegian place to enjoy the out-of-doors. We also saw some wonderful places along the Southern coast which I'll show in Part 2 of this post. Here are some photos of our day in Setesdal, first some scenery from the drive to the hytte.

Yes, those are sheep in the photo below. 

The sod roof is seen quite often in this area. I really like it.

Here's the cabin we visited. It has such a rustic, yet comfortable charm. 

Sten with his cousin and her husband.  Such delightful people!

 Don't you just love this cozy bed?

  I felt so relaxed by the warmth of the wood fire, the cozy surroundings, the peaceful company, and the quietness of the woods. 

After a brief nap, we enjoyed some Norwegian waffles, 

fruit preserves, apples, nuts, and a hot drink.  

What could be better?

As you can see, Fall was just beginning.