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.

Christmas time in Norway

Norway is a small country with many different Christmas traditions in various parts of the country.

The food and eating habits are mostly connected to where you grow up and live; at the coast, up north, down south, inland or in the cities.
However, people are moving around, connect to other families and take their traditions with them or adopt to new through these migrations.

We live in Oslo, are perhaps more urban than average people, but when it is time for the holiday preparation, we more or less follow "Norwegian standards". We visit the Christmas market, enjoy the lighting in the streets and eat traditional Christmas dishes.

Most people participate in at least one "julebord" (as a brunch or as dinner) This photo shows the  brunch that was served at restaurant DS Louise and had all the Christmas dishes as a buffet.
Roasted pork ribs
Dried mutton ribs
Lye-fish
Fermented trout
Marinated Salmon
etc.

On the four Sundays before Christmas the Advent lights are lightened one by one and together with the red tulips and the Christmas table cloth every home (like ours) are prepared for the great holiday.

Then back to the food:

 Lye-fish from Cod (Lutefisk) is served with green mushy pea, potatoes and bacon butter. Pepper and Mustard, Beer and Aquavit. Lovely.

 Rakfisk (fermented trout) in Lefse (a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread) with Leak, Sour Cream and Beetroot. Beer and Aquavit. Great for special interested.

Simmered Nordic Cod with potatoes and carrot and melted butter. Red wine to cod of course.

 Pinnekjøtt (Dried mutton ribs) have during the last years been more and more popular in the cities. For me, borne at the north west coast of Norway, it has been my family´s traditional Christmas dinner in generations
It is served with grove spicy sausages, mushy sweeds (Kålrabi) and potatoes. Beer and Aquevit or a great Riesling.

Ribbe (steamed pork ribs) is more used in the eastern part of Norway but due to migration you can also be served this dich in families all over the country. Served with red cabbage or souerkraut, grove meat balls, sousages and potatoes. Beer and Aquavit, a great Riesling or full bodied red wine.

I do not like the cold winter, but for Christmas we all hope for the white snow falling down.

This photo is taken from our apartment windows, and I must admit that it looks beautiful

Then it is time to dress up before the great evening and family dinner, and maybe it looks a bit formal, but we like to celebrate this evening with style.

When it is time for the opening of the gifts, everybody gather around the Christmas tree. In our famliy with no Santa, every gift is unpacked one by one under the control of all guests. This image show the exsitement of the children when their mother open their gift to her. Will she be surprised, will she like it, or .... A mother is always a mother, so hugs are distributed.

Happy Holiday from Norway to all my blogger friends around the world.

Costa del Sol - Autumn 2018 Heaven and Sea

My 3rd blogpost from Costa del Sol 2018

3. Heaven and Sea

When living at Costa del Sol in about 16 weeks a year motives from the beaches occur almost every day and night. The morning view at the delta of river Fuengirola with the bridge near Sohail Castle has been shown earlier, but a great thing cannot be left out for that reason

My wife´s images taken during her early morning´s walk, show the sun rise in different weather situations. This morning the sun had just left the horizon and the sky had a wonderful color

Another morning and some minutes later (winter-time) when the clouds hide the rising sun, the birds at the river seem to be on ice.

The wind at the coast varies almost every day and the waves are crashing the shore with different strenght. Sometimes the surfers are happy playing in the water, and sometimes people are diving in these waves,

When the clouds are black and the storm and heavy rain are stronger than usual, the beaches and riverbanks are full of "leftovers". The comunity personnel are wery good in cleaning. In a day or two the branches and mud are taken away.

When the bad weather is approaching the colors of the clouds are really spectacular.

A heaven and sea photo-serie can also contain images from above.This image of the port of Fuengirola is taken from a hotel roof, and gives us an overview of the long coastline and the horizon of the Mediterranean Sea.

Here as all over the world the moon is full every 28th day, and these images show that we often are at the beaches late afternoon or early evenings.

The next three photos can well be motives for paintings. We all know many paintings by E. Munch which contain the full moon and the light on the sea surface, so maybe these will end as paintings by me.

At last I swap the Mediterranean sea with the landscape around the Sierra Nevada mountains in Granada taken from the airplane window travelling north and leaving Andalusia this autumn.