Springtime in Oslo 2019

 Back in Norway and we experience springtime in Oslo. The blossom at our "local" Tekethopa is awesome every year, but last unfortuneatly only a few days.

 For many years we spent a lot of time and work during spring to prepare our summerhouse for the summer season. Now our daughter has taken on the responsibility, but we are still sometimes invited for a bbq sausage lunch

 The outdoor activity in the afternoons has moved from the cottage to the bacony at our apartment, but there we have a shorter distance to the Carlos Primero

 Springtime in Oslo are full of different competitions for those who love running.

This is from the dance display performed by one of our grandchildren. The children are good.

Photos from the last weeks at Costa del Sol this spring

After a more than normal cold and windy Winter and Spring-time this year at Costa del Sol we are back in Norway for some weeks before we once more turn our faces to the lovely Spain, the beautiful Mediterranean and hotel Myramar; our second home.

However, there is a lot of images at my iPhone not presented in earlier blogposts, so here I will give you a brief documentation of our last weeks in this long stay periode.

As previously mentioned Malaga City is a place that we visit many times during our stay at CdS; normally every 10th days. This time we spend some hours guiding our friends Anton and Grethe around in the historic city, and as everybody else a photo at the main street Calle Marques de Larios is a must for us

We found also time for a second tour along the path from Calahonda to Cala de Mijas. Something chilly, but lovely. A lot of pitstops are open for guests, so take your time.

Easter is a very interesting time in Spain. During our last visit to Malaga city this time we also entered some of the churches, looking at the heavy thrones people are carrying every day at Semana Santa. The prosessions have we seen earlier but never before been so close to the spectacular "Tronos"

Of course I eat lamb in Easter, and the "Pierna de Cordero" at La Farola is highly recommended.

In Malaga the exhibition "Mujeres Fatales en el Arte Moderno" (Perversidad) takes place at Museo Carmen Thyssen between 30.Mar - 8.Sep this year. An intriguing and spectacular visit this time.

This beautiful landscape painting is from the permanent exhibition at the gallery / museum showing the Bay of Estepona and Gibraltar late 1800.

We have always something to celebrate in Spain. This time we celebrated our 42 years of living together and had a great dinner at La Farola with their fantastic Chateaubriand and a good Ribera del Duero

One of our newly discovered cocktail bars in Fuengirola is the SkyBar at Hotel Puerto.

The view from the SkyBar at 10th floor is great, and gives a different expression of the beaches

So it is time to say Goodby and Gracias to Myramar. The sunbeds are ready for new guests, but we will return later this year. Hasta Luego.

Picasso, Mari and windy coastline

 For people knowing me and my interest in modern art, it will not be a surprise that I present an image of the great Picasso and myself. This is from Mijas Pueblo where Pablo is sitting outside a nice library restaurant. The wine is super.

 The same day I received a greeting from Norway where my granddaughter Mari had made her painting in Picasso style. Lovely.

 You may see some difference between Mari and Pablo when lokking at Picasso´s painting of Dora Maar "Buste de Femme"from 1938. Today value about 25 mill Euros, but no one knows what Mari can grow into.

Back to Fuenfirola, Spain, and the last weeks windy and heavy waves (estimated to ab. 3 meter today) The forces of nature is spectacular.

Walking along the coasline and the beaches these days require some more clothes than you normally use in March, but the sun is warm and we are far away from the storm and snow in Norway these days.

However, the strength of the wind can make a lot of troubles for those working on the beaches.

This shed was lifted and moved from it´s base, and cornered into the promenade close to the beachbar Gali Gali. The shed is heavy and full of sunbeds and mattresses. Great forces must have been in action..

But the windy weather also make time for surfers and kiters to play in the waves. The summer is coming closer for every day.

Puerto Banus and Malaga City and a little more

 In last blogpost I promised you images from Puerto Banus and Malaga city.

I therfore present my wife at the Banus harbour in front of some of the city attactions. If it is not boats you are looking for, the luxury cars are also all around in front of the many restaurants

We normally go to Banus for a lunch at one of the restaurants behind the city tower, but on the way to these nice restaurants I just had to make photo of this dark blue yacht. A spectacular high speed creature and mostly in contrast to the other white shining boats and white houses in the city

This is our 11th year at Costa del Sol. I have in previous blogposts presented almost hundred photo from the city. Today I only show the backside of the tourist trap El Pimpi taken from the square in front of the Roman Theatre. We normally stop here for a drink on the way through the city, and can recommend the speed  of the servants. In high season there is always a long line of people waiting for  tables.

Semana Santa or Easter is approaching and the decorations are popping up in shops. At the cafe LePanto at calle llario the candy tables are filled with Easter sweeties.

This year my sister Brit visited Costa del Sol and joined us for a Malage trip. She and Tullen also walked the coast road from Los Alamos to Benalmadena and made a pitstop at La Fregata at Playa Carihuela. (Tullen and my dating place)

Every year at this time  the hotel gives a free lunch for all long-stayers. Don Carlos, the hotel Manager, is here caught between Lillian and Tullen in her Vestido Andaluces.

Birthday celebration at Costa del Sol

In my last blogpost I gave you a photo from the birthday lunch of my sister Gerd. In this post we continue celebrating birthdays with fieldflowers from the riverbed of Rio Fuengirola, and:

an outdoor lunch at La Farola with my two sisters Brit and Gerd. Mago Manuel (head of the restaurant) did no magic triks this time but he is always smiling and makes the party great.

 When Tullen has her birthdays at Costa del Sol we normally do something extraordinary. This year we walked from Torremolinos to Benalmadena along the Carihuela beach as we often do, but instead of using bus or train back to Fuengirola, we used the ferry and got a different view of the coastline.

 The weather was nice this day and you could almost not feel the waves and wind facing us.

 Benalmadena beaches with the many hotels up against Arroyo de la Miel

 Carvajal and Torreblaca are two small areas within Fuengirola municipal close to the Benalmadena boarder.

Further south along the coast we find Los Boliches where the statue of the Pesetas is a milestone for my own slow walking experience.

Next blogpost will cover Puerto Banus and Malaga city.

Spring at Costa del Sol

The Springtime sky is light blue at Costa del Sol this year.

  The first image showing my wife at the main promenade at the beaches of Fuengirola.
At the horizon you can see Torrequebrada and behind that around the corner: Benalmadena, Torremolinos and Malaga city.

 Turning 180 degrees over the eastern horizon to the south the waves and wind show a typical chilly day at the same beach.

 From La Cala de Mijas (east) to Calahonda (west) the municipality has built a great walking path along the coast. This winter they have done the last hundred meters around the Tower of Calahonda so now you can walk, run or bike 6 km on the wooden coastal path.

 With the beautiful background scenery of sea and sky we celebrated my sister´s birthday at a restaurant on the coastal path. There are many other pit-stops along the route so do not hesitate to take the distance (both ways)

 In the afternoon and the sun is coming closer to the horizon you may have many opportunities to get great photos from the beachareas.

 Another traditional springtime activity is visiting Malaga city during the Carneval. The main shopping street Calle Marques de Larios still have part of the Christmas decorations but the Historical city is the same as every time we go there.

 At Plaza Merced we also have some places to visit every time; for a lunch or a glas of wine.

At Hotel Myramar the old hotel-cat is always coming to meet us at our arrival. Older but still searching for food and cuddles.

Lights of Oslo

The light of Oslo in the beginning of 2019 tells a lot about where on earth we are located.

The dark evenings and nights, the low sun and the cold winters are part of what we call the Northern Lights

So it is in Oslo as well.

Lamps and candle lights are used indoors as decoration but also as enlightning the dark corners of our rooms.

A walk along the harbor promenade early in the morning can document the rising sun behind the eastern part of the city. (Photo stolen from my wife)

In the midle of the day the sun gives a beautiful light of our old castle; Akershus Fortres

In the center of the city, along the main street Karl Johan, the trees glitter and the shopping facades are full of lights although it is only afternoon and the city is full of freezing people and skating children

When the night is approaching and the city is covered in black,  the Operahouse is a contrast to the dark sky, and we are once again waiting for the morning to come

January 2019

To all my blogg friends all over the world:

Happy new Year, Feliz ano nuevo, Godt nytt år, etc.