Pensioner´s Meeting in Det norske Veritas, Norway

Occasionally members of the Pensioner´s Club in Det norske Veritas (now DNV GL) meet for a presentation before friendly talks over a luncheon in the HQ premises at Høvik.

Today we met Wolfgang Plagge who gave us an intriguing presentation of how great political and cultural events in the world became source and influence for creation of important music by Mozart, Berlioz, Grieg and Tveit. Plagge´s knowledge and competence in performing music made a great Tuesday for about 100 former DNV employees.
(photo by Kåre Lindemann)

On the photo above Gunnel D and Tullen confirmed the importance of coming together.

Rikshospitalets Apothek

 We are not alone at our new Local 150 meter from home. The sidewalk restaurant at St.Olav Square;  the old "Rikshospitalets Apothek" Tekehtopa

Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day, which takes place on April 22, I here present this year Rhubarb at our cottage. The first faithful vegetable arriving from Earth every year.

Easter in Oslo

 Outside our new "Local" Cafe Tekehtopa the blossom is fantastic. It is springtime in Oslo.

Spring is here too - Birch Alergy

After six weeks in Malaga with all the challenges pollen have given us in southern Spain, we now start with a new pollen period here in Norway. According to the meteorologists this Thursday makes the start of one of the hardest periods for people with allergy here in Oslo; The Birch Allergy.
Fortunately it is light rain today, so the problems starts after the late supper, or "Nattverd" as they say in Norway. That means Evening meal (last supper, il cenacolo or l´ultimo cena)

In Norway we also have the word "Dagverdr" (or dugurd) for the morning meal, if you did not know.

However, back to the pollen challenge. This photo tells us that the snow has left our cottage and it it time for summer season.

Hasta luego Andalucia, See you in August

This Sunday it is time to say goodbye to Andalucia, Malaga and Fuengirola. We have this time stayed 6 weeks at Costa del Sol , and the coast´s reputation of giving us the best weather during springtime has been confirmed. Now it is only 4 months till vi once more will arrive.

 The last super this time was at restaurant VIVA, which we many times have recommended for friends and acquaintances. My dinner this Saturday was the "Plankebiff" as seen above. If you have not tried it yet, run and experience a great meal.

The last "Tardes" ended up at the Old Pub where we could watch the sunset. This morning at sunrise a taxy will take us to the airport departing for Oslo and Norway.

HASTA LUEGO MYRAMAR, FUENGIROLA, MALAGA AND ANDALUCIA 

Congratulation with your 75th anniversary John

One of our good friends here in Myramar is the Irish John Rowland. Today he can celebrate his 75th birthday. Send all your regards to this gentleman at jrowland39@sky.com.

To the left John in his Norwegian Marius Genser and to the right his first red rose from a lady.

Happy birthday John

"Viernes de Dolores" (Passion Friday)

"Passion Friday" was a new understanding of the Friday before Jesus´  triumphal entry into Jerusalem. 
In Norway this Friday is always linked up to the traffic jam in roads, airports or railroads.

I do not know if we had some restrictions on this Friday, and being together with Spanish people, we did not experience any change in their behavior compared to other Fridays.
Here at one of our often visited Tapas Bodegas the Spanish people was shouting and drinking as usual.

Our late lunch this Friday became a fore-spiel of the traditional eating of lamb during Easter. The Leg of Lamb at restaurant La Farola is always a great experience, but today´s leg was remarkable good.

After our trip down town, a "cola Vino Blanco" at the Aqua Bar at Myramar made this Passion Friday  a different experience than Passion described in the gospels. However Feliz Semana Santa, Happy Easter or GOD PÅSKE to all my readers wherever you are.

Hats

 In Malaga for the last time during this stay. Great Burger at Plaza de la Merced and the Jamon at El Pimpi is always one of our pitstops in the capital.

Els and Pieter + Knut and Lillian

Longstayers are continuing to leave Myramar. Early this morning Lillian and Knut left Malaga with DY5550 at 6.59 am. At blogging time they have just passed Rotterdam and they will be back in Norway at lunchtime.
Weather forecast is bad: Weather at Lørenskog

This photo from our farewell drinks last afternoon will therefore be a reminder when they wonder why they left. Happy Easter from us in +24 C.

Last week Els and Pieter left by train to Holland. Yesterday we suddenly found 2 bottles of Pot Still One Jenever in our message box in the reception.
Thank you Dutch friends. Since we missed Pieter´s birthday celebration on 25th March we will cheer you today, and look forward to meet again next time.

Sierra Nevada

This first day of the last week is just as we like it down here. No wind, no clouds, shadow temperature above +20 C (>40 in Knut´s hedge) and a clear blue sky that show us the white snow in the mountains above Malaga called Sierra Nevada

In Oslo it was snowing on Saturday. Do we want go home?

Departure time

There is a time for everything.
These days many of the long-stayers are leaving Spain for this spring. They are returning to their homes up in the north to experience springtime once more.
Two of our friends went to the airport this morning:

John returned to his home in Portadown, Armagh N.Ireland

and Ola Hilari to his hometown Ålesund, Sunnmøre Norway. (Ola left together with his wife Kari and daughter Ellen)

We are now only four couples left (two Norvegian and two British) and the departure of us all will take place during the coming days and weeks.
The weather at Costa del Sol has been very good this spring although the wind has been a little too chilly sometimes. Only two days with rain (part of the days) and that is the first time we have experienced since 2010. (see my earlier blogposts from these springs)

I will use this opportunity to thank the managing director Carlos and his crew at Myramar for their hospitality and good services. We will return, first in August and then October this year (if the health condition allows us to do so)

A Friday to Marbella and home

Normally we take one or more trips to Marbella during our long stay here in Andalucia/ Malaga. This Friday we took our first and probably only bus trip this spring to this perhaps more famous place than Fuengirola ay Costa del Sol.
(However Fuengirola has the prizes of Torremolinos and Quality of Marbella)

Today we planned to explore the walking area from Marbella to Puerto Banus. We wanted to find out if it was an easy trip walking along the Paseo
On the photo above we see Banus in the background when walking on the beach called Playa de Casablanca. I do not know the distance, but felt it was too long for my legs so soon after the problems last autumn.

Therefore we took a break or two on some of the benches along the Paseo, turned around after ab 2.5/3 km and returned to the Plaza de Naranjos after having Tapas (1Euro each) at one of the restaurants along the Paseo.
After that we returned to Fuengirola (bus leaves 17 min past every half hours) by the 220-bus.

Well back to our hotel Director Carlos C took this photo of Tullen and me outside The Old Pub.
A nice Friday and tomorrow it will be even more sunshine at the poolside. We start the last of our six weeks of our long spring stay at Myramar Fuengirola.

La mejor tapas de Fuengirola

A Tapas lunch with Salmon Pate, Flamenca eggs, Peppered sirloin and Fried camembert can absolutely be recommended at Taperia La Cepa. (close to restaurant La Farola) Very good.