Sky Watch Friday on Good Friday

How long was Adam in Paradise?
Where has all the flowers gone?
Did someone talk about Spring?

The winter is back!!

Thank heaven I finish the washing of my 45 (x2) windows yesterday.
Today the white snow is covering cars and streets.
My wife went down to the basement for more wood, and set fire to the kitchen fireplace before breakfast. It was like being at a mountain cottage, but we are still in the middle of Oslo.

It is Sky Watch Friday and also the most holy day in the year for someone. The white flakes coming from above cover everything. May be someone will call it a sign. For me it is only troubling. I am sick of winter and want spring to return asap. It has also made my SWF blogpost different than planned for.

Because yesterday afternoon I received a mail from British Airways saying:

Dear Mr A,
With 27 March fast approaching, the opening of our new home at Heathrow is getting closer than ever. So I'd like to tell you a bit more about what you can expect when you fly from Terminal 5.

Until I have been at Heathrow T5 you have to be satisfied with other airports around the world, and I start up the ASWF photos with Portela Airport Lisbon in the midle of the city to where this airplane is on her way.In many of the airport photos I has focused on my wife. This is from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on her way to Singapore and the former Westin Plaza HotelIn China she is leaving Asia for this time at Pudong Airport Shanghai where we earlier on the vacation last May could see The Bund shot from 350 meters up in the sky at Pearl Tower.Snow or Airports what so ever, since it is Easter and a lot of Norwegians are up in the mountain skiing, I here present a picture of Rondane from the so called Solberg place. Today these mountains are covered with snow, but as I started in this post, you don´t need to go far for using your skis today.Just had to add a photo from Aftenposten taken by Thorbjørn Leidal this morning to show you that winter is really back:Probably no BBQ of the Easter Lamb at their place.

City Easter with daffodils

Today the Easter Holiday starts in Norway.

Yellow Daffodils at the breakfast table. Painted eggs and tomato herrings, brie cheese and ham together with tea and apple juice.
Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday is the day for the Last Supper. I want my supper later today not to be the last, and have no intention to wash my wife´s feet. The shower takes care of that, and regarding the gathering I let da Vinci have his code by himself.

It is still almost zero degrees here. Cold nights and the sun is only making the temperature to increase a few numbers. But as long as it is not raining or snowing we have all the possibility to have a good and peaceful Easter in the City. Our Local is closing at 1 am today and tomorrow, but at that time we normally are well hidden under the quilt with eyes closed.
There is no traffic in the streets this morning. Almost no cars parked outside and the church bells are still silent. I am blogging and feel fine. No stress for skiing.
If somebody believe this "man" is out exercising, click on the picture and have a look. The beer garden is not yet open. If the sun makes it possible lots of people will turn into Lektern later.
May be we too will stroll down to Aker Brygge later, but most probably we will visit the cottage just for the fun of it. Due to the cold there is nothing to do in the garden at this time.

ABC Wednesday I

It is Easter, It is ABC Wednesday and what else can be more symbolic than DiegoVelasquez painting Christ Crucified from 1632 as we saw at the Prado Museum in Madrid in 2004.
I is for INRI.Next shot is from Aker Brygge, Oslo taken yesterday. Reflections in the windows of the Investment and Insurance company Storebrand, and the sculpture by Marit Wiklund ”Utferdstrang” in the Old Dock close to the bridge over to Tjuvholmen, (the new renovated Industrial area)
I is for Images
My own painting this ABCW is Inferno in Red, accompanied with the fantastic music by Igor Stravinsky. See the You Tube video Igor Stravinsky Firebird Infernal dance (Ildfuglen Norwegian, Le Sacre du printemps French)
I is for Inferno, Igor and Infernal Dance


At the end the sculpture utside the Ibsen Museumand the warm Summer day in 2006 at Ischia Italy where Ibsen worked out major parts of Peer Gynt
I is for Ibsen at Ischia
For more ABC Photos go to MrsNeisbittsplace

Easter and system problems

I am busy today. Got some hard disk system problems yesterday evening, had to call Apple Support, and am up and going this morning. However, even if my last week photos are gone in my iPhoto library, the blogger posts and iWeb Gallery are still intact. The Opera and Arne Ekeland can still be watched together with my other photo albums.

I still have some work to do. Uploading Aperture 2 and Office:mac 2008, but it´s Easter and very good weather (blue sky and a little cold wind) so in addition to window washing, we have to visit the summer residence for more season preparations.
The photo today shows the gardener 4 years ago in the beginning of February. We have had climate variations before as well.

Monday Odd Shots and a little more

First I want to make my contribution to the Monday Odd Shots; The roots of trees at Høvik and the Veritas Garden.
This recreation area became open for the public after DNV took over the area mid 70s and build the great Veritas Center as the company´s Head Quarter. In addition we made a previously closed park available for people by making paths in the forest and small walking roads close to the sea. Yesterday thousands of people was strolling along the beach, licking sunshine and looking at the spring flower - Blue Anemone (blåveis)At Høvikodden and Henie Onstad Kunstsenter we can now see an exhibition of The Norwegian painter Arne Ekeland.
Ekeland´s works has for many years been my very most unobtainable. Prices far above my no Lotto winning wallet. I fell in love with Arne Ekelands art at a visit to Trondhjems Kunstforening in 1984 and hardly regret that his art only after his death in 1994 has got the place it should have had many years ago. His clear political view may be one of the problems. This is also expressed through his paintings.
I really hope the plans for a permanent museum for his art can be realized and end up with more than his studio at Bøn in Eidsvoll.

In the mean time and until until May 18 his monumental works can be seen at the walls of the Haaken Room. If it is not possible to go there, take a lokk at My photos of Ekeland from the gallery. I have added two here.
The Ammunition Beltand the Divorce

Saturday City walk, photos and Palm Sunday blog – The new Opera House in Oslo

Have you wondered why Easter comes on the day it does?

In Wikipedia you can find the formula saying that Easter day is the first Sunday after the 14th day of the lunar month (the nominal full moon) that falls on or after 21 March (nominally the day of the vernal equinox).
A week earlier (Today) we have the Palm Sunday.

Yesterday (Palm Saturday) we took a trip to the new Opera House in Oslo
Click on the link and join us on a tour at the new Opera House photos.
Palm Saturday is also the starting day of the OUTdoor Beer drinking season. Truly have some Cafes already put some chairs and tables at the pavement, but the volume is announced through the restaurant Lektern´s Opening. Spring is here to stay.

Urban Saturday Coverage

In the week before Easter I shot some photos that cover an ordinary story from city challenges. Maintenance of the old water pipe systems in the underground. Since we had sky watching on Friday, I feel it´s ok to look to earth today.

This Saturday Urban coverage is my experience concerning the repair of Water Pipe Leakage in our own city street.

First the digging and uncovering of the broken pipes and destroyed joint to the right. The man has to stay at the grab head to avoid drowning.

Second the preparation of the new joint by a plumber. He was very proud of the color and the material. He told that this the joint would last for more than 40 years. (The old one was from before the war.) Third the new joint for ramifying water distribution at the crossroad is connected to the system and we could open the tap in our house again.Forth the ramification is protected by a concrete bowlFifth the bowl is supported by peppleSixth the excavator is filling up gravel around the manholeSeventh and last surfacing of the road with asphalt makes the process come to an end.
Now everything is ready for Easter and the Bunnies are coming in their yellow dresses.

Sky Watch Friday

Previously I have presented Sandbu Mansion in my blog. I have shown photos of the fireplace in one of the cottages´ living room, and photos covering the internal environment and art with and without my Old Bunch. This Sky Watch photo is taken outside the Hall of Knights, towards west, and shows the fantastic landscape in the Vågå Valley.My next photo is of some Spanish Seagulls taking off from the beach at Estepona, SpainMoving around the world with a camera, the Botanic Garden in Singapore with the black swan, is a heavenly peaceful place. When living in Singapore mid 90s we used to exercise almost every second day around this Eco Lake before dawn. That early the heat had not yet reached above 30 deg C and humidity was still below 96.Under conditions like that, when we stay in Asia or Europe, the parasol is a must for a bold person like me. Watching the Sky through a large blue umbrella is also a photographic shot or even a scoop.Go to Tom and join the SKF. Have a nice weekend.

The end of an Era

Home for breakfast and blogging. Returning to the hospital for Echo Doppler and summarizing the evaluation of Blood samples, Roentgen Thorax, Pacemaker control and Angiographic scanning. Everything seems to be satisfactory.
The photo show how we stopped the blood flow from the artery in the groin earlier. Yesterday they put a Vascular Plug for the artery occlusion. Earlier we had to be in bed and stable position for 6 hours. Later when doing the Angiographic through the arm and using a splint the waiting time was reduced to 4 hours.
With the plug I was up walking around after 1 hour!
Development and I feel fine.

ABC Wednesday - H

Today only one photo should be enough: The picture of my two grand children.
H is for Helene and Henrik Isak.

However, as the slogan at my graduation card was a free interpretation of what Goethe once said: “In der beschränkung seigt sich der Meister”, The Great Master shows himself NOT in limitation, I have to add some more photos on this ABC – H – Wednesday.
H is for Houses as they may be seen at my beautiful Home street.In the 70s almost every Saturday from around 12.30 cet I frequented the restaurant Casino in the basement of the old Norwegian Theatre. In summertime, prior to the development of Aker Brygge, if the light was not too bright, we moved out of the Brown Café to one of the 4H (Huk, Herregaardskroen, Hawk and Hemsedal)
The restaurant at the Manor House of Frogner (Oslo City Museum) we used to call the Casino Pasture.
H is for Herregaardskroen.
When it comes to Culture I was not sure if I should choose the Concept Artist Marianne Heske with her Orgone Accumulator after Wilhelm Reich,
or the Norwegian Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature1920, the author Knut Hamsun´s book Growth of the Soil (Markens Grøde) with Isak.

I choose both.
H is for Heske and Hamsun


This Wednesday Music with You Tube videos are
H for Johan Halvorsen March of the Boyars and
H for Joseph Haydn Concert for Pianoforte



My own Paintings on this ABC - H - Wednesday Is
H for Hell in Chernobyl and Hiroshima and
H for Heading West.

I will be doing my annual Heart Evaluation at RiksHospitalet today.
H is for Healthy Heart condition at the Hospital.

Have a Hilarious Wednesday by visiting Mr. Linky at Mrs Nesbitts Place.

Top ten Red Photos and some Odd

To some of us and more focused Photographers I will draw your attention to Wired´s challenge to readers about RED PHOTOS. The TOP TEN Red Photos were presented on Monday. Take a look, they are Beautiful shots.

This week photo contest is Self-Portrait. Participate!

However, I have seen that many of the ABCW and SWF bloggers use Mondays like Paulies Monday Odd Shots
What an Odd Photo is may differ around the world. I have a lot of strange situations in my photo library, and if I follow RuneEs advise to crop more, I am sure new Odd Photos will occure.

I have to use Tuesday this week for some of my odd photos, and may later join the MOS bloggers. The widest definition of "Broer som Binder" can also be a photo within this category, and anemone was closest this first monday in March.

Here are some of mine Odd Photos from Lisboa, Firenze and among relatives.

The End - Holmenkollen is history

One of the worlds most famous ski jumping hills - Holmenkollen - is due to rebuilding. For a long period the hill has not been up to the requirements from modern ski jumping, and yesterday the last competition in the "old" hill was done. The winner: Gregor Schlierenzauer from Austria.

Holmenkollen has been a landmark in Oslo. This photo is taken from Frogner.
Now this special shape will be replaced by something not yet decided. Norwegians are conservative. They are very afraid of changes, and especial if it may cost any money. The design competition of a new "Kollen" came out with a clear winner. The winner´s project is refused, and that ends up with a "Hill" which no one today can tell how will be.
The country has a fortune of 2 000 000 000 000 nok placed in foreign stocks, but the government does not want to use more than 100 000 000 nok for a rebuilding, and 900 mill are set as the max cost for restoration. A new "Holmenkollen" must be ready within 18 months.

In the meantime they talk in closed rooms.

Street Art as a notion

In many ABC Wed. Blogs last week the G is for Graffiti was used. In comments many also gave the impression that Graffiti is Great, Wonderful, Exciting and something that they love to see.
Sorry, I disagree.

However, Street Art is something different although this kind of "decorating" the city also can be seen as vandalism of other persons property. Some of the Street Artists around the world have during the years become famous through ordinary paintings and graphic art, and city counsels have had discussions about all the millions they have overpainted and removed. Street Art is not meant to last. They are made for and in the moment, the process is most important. You have to be a morning city walker to see some of them. That´s why you always have to carry your camera and make history. Yesterday I made one of these shots at Ruseløkka in Oslo.

Street Art in larger scale and even more as official decoration have I documented in Madrid and in Brussels.