Dia del Andalusia, From Los Alamos and home

Today we celebrated "El did del Andalusia"
 It is not like the 17th of May in Norway, but the shops are closed and the schools too. The morning was a little bit cloudy so we decided to take a full day walk from Los Alamos to Fuengirola. 25 minutes from our hotel we took the train in 30 minutes to Los Alamos where I in 2007 stayed at St. Helena Hospital for 10 days due to a triple DVT.

At the beaches north of Torremolinos the cloudy weather made nice conditions for a full dat stroll.

 The spring is coming closer and the Bougainvillas along the road is one of the best sign for that

After 1 and a half hour we reached Carihuela and it was time for a coffee break

In the inner harbor of Benalmadena the Yachts and tourist boats are ready for entering the Mediterranean Sea.

South west of Benalmadena you can see the beautiful area where lots of bars can give you refresh menus

This tour ended with a break at Oasis before lunch / dinner was taken at RAMAZZOTTI (our favorite Italian restaurant

Happy birthdays Arne and Gerd

67 and 72 are no age for Norwegians located at Costa del Sol.

Norwegians have still not discovered Myramar (lucky us?)

This is the forth time we stay here at Myramar for some weeks in the winter / spring season. Still we notice that numbers of Norwegians are few and cannot really understand why the hotel is not more known to travel agencies back home. Maybe we should feel lucky being without the nordic hordes, and be happy that the few couples that stay here on long stay terms are easy to talk and be together with WHEN WE WANT TO.

However, the room prices (two bedroom self catering apartment) are about 250 per night and the services from the personnel are very good. Details can be obtained by entering their home pages or at the Face Book profile

Today we are heading for La Canada Shopping Centre with my Sister and Brother in Law to celebrate their common birthday tomorrow and do some shopping before eating a great lunch together. Tullen needs to maintain her black belt in shopping achieved in Singapore fifteen years ago, and a short break from the hot sunbeams in front of the hotel pool can be positive for the days to come.

The real exercise has started

It has been about three months since my last serious training activity. The cancer challenges have made it almost impossible to perform my regular training at SATS, but no, 4 weeks after the prostate cancer surgery, and away from snow and icy roads, it felt great to start walking again.

The Paseo Maritim is a fantastic exercising area, and an hour and a half walking alongside the beaches is perfect early in the mornings.

Normally the pesetas statue is our turning point but today I turned at the madonna statue on the border to Los Boliches. Tullen walked a little faster than me today and walked the normal route before we followed each other back to the hotel.

On the way back Tullen also had to try out some of the new training tools alongside the Fuengirola River.

Two success stories

Audun Bell and I have both been heart transplanted many years ago. Here we have a nice talk over a cup coffee at my hotel.
We both love Costa del Sol.

Crispy Cod

Fish and Chips at our favorite fish restaurant at Paseo Maritm Fuengirola together with Gtete and Anton. Life is Great.

The King and I

Happy birthday King Harald.

Costa del Sol.

Fruit market. No more winter snow and cold. Andalucia is lovely.

Mormor og de fem ungene

Mormor Tullen and the five grandchildren at "Fastelaven". Maja, Mari, Helene, Hedda and Henrik

Approaching Spring

It´s still winter with ice on the water surface outside Aker Brygge, but the sun is warming more and more. Spring is not a far away dream. Springtime is coming closer every day. We survived the darkness and can approach the coming weeks wherever we stay.

An ordinary Tuesday dinner

Making every day dinner is a regular process for us. We love to go out having dinner at one of our favorite establishments, but normally we have dinner at home. According to the book "Gubbe-Alarm" you know that you are in danger when you think you eat a lot better at home than in restaurants.

In spite of that "Grumpy man alarm" my ordinary Tuesday dinner was put together of
A fresh salad (lettuce, onion, bell pepper, pineapple)

A main course of roasted pork tenderloin with only salt end pepper 

The potato pellets are called apple hazelnuts or "pommes noisette" and fried in the oven. In addition a three pepper sauce made the dish as spicy as required.

Desert with chocolate pudding and custard makes the ending of an ordinary Tuesday dinner.

Cymraeg Skiing

 A normal Sunday Cross Country Skiing tour for Norwegians today, but new experience for our Welsh family. Helene has learned the Fishbone technique and enjoy her Norwegian winter activity.

Henrik in his first really ski experience is perhaps more interested in the ski poles, but during the day he was really good and liked the challenges. The "new" sport fashion presented by their mother is about 100 years old, but when Trine used skis the last time, she was 15 years old.

Mormor is leading the race as supporting manager.

Day 15 - Catheter removal and Solvang 4

This morning I got rid of the urine Catheter that has been my 24/7 companion in the two weeks since my Radical prostatectomy. Now the challenge to be housebroken again starts.
Will manage.

After the visit at Radiumhospitalet I felt for visiting our cottage at Solvang 4. The white snow and blue sky was an encouragement for the weeks and months ahead. The image is from Plassveien.
Hopefully the snow has disappeared from this area when we once more move in that direction at Easter.

Aker Brygge, Lunch and Walkabout

 Café Sorgenfri at Aker Brygge is a place where also children are welcome and can enjoy a lunch together with adults. The Bjørkmann Berry family gathered around the large table having large Danish Breakfast Platter and Children menu including ice-cream for dessert.

 The hosting (read paying) couple had a nice time with daughter / son in law  and grandchildren. An event to be copied.

After lunch Hedda decided to go Walkabout between the shops and restaurants at Aker Brygge.

Playing with Path

I have to find out more tomorrow, but the Path update gave new possibilities in photo editing.
Do not know Path? Path is the smart journal that helps you share life with the ones you love — your thoughts, the music you’re listening to, where you are, who you’re with, when you wake and when you sleep, and beautiful high quality photos and videos. And for those of you who like to share on public networks like Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr, and Facebook, you can easily check-in, upload photos and videos, blog, and tweet directly from Path.

Oslo Wine Festival - Wine Testing

 Benjamin Trainer from Gaia Wine and Spirit is a professional marketing fellow regarding his wines, their origins and services. Thanks for the hours at D/S Louise and the great and various tastes you and your people gave us.

 Lots of people gathered around the tables for this annual event. Some more serious than other and the upcoming sommelier at Trattoria Popolare made his notes for his education and recommendations for coming guests and others feeling the pleasure of great wines.

 D/S Louise served some delicious food in addition to the wine, and with a glass of Faustino Primera Gran Reserva I look forward to the weeks in southern Spain coming soon.

The host  at D/S Louise, Atle Minoti, made a short visit behind the tables, and from us to you: Thanks a lot for the Oslo Wine Festival venue. You performed it well this year too.

Day 10 - Cold morning but Wine Festival

 This morning we registered 29 degrees C isolation of our kitchen walls. The temp outside was minus 14.6 C and inside before we ignited our fireplace the temp was + 14.3 C. We know that the apartment is from 1887 so there is not much more to expect.  Rather chilly morning, but increasing.

The look of my son-in-law David with a woolen hat can symbolize the winter we have in Oslo now. It is the first time ever that he has to put on protection of his head and ears. He is adapting to our customs.

Later today we will join some of the activities at Aker Brygge and the Oslo Wine Festival. Report from these events may come in a later blogpost. Hopefully the tasting of excellent brands at D/S Louise at 2pm and learning how to mix Aquavit as Cafe Sorgenfri before 5pm, will warm us up.

Day 7. A week has gone

It is Wednesday. I have emptied my night bag, had a shower, had breakfast and read incoming mails and comments on FaceBook, Twitter and Path.
It is a week ago when I on this hour I was deeply sleeping and undergoing the Cancer surgery.
Life is great.

It is also February 1st, and my El-meter has been controlled and reported to the El-net supplier.
My EL-consumption for January this year was 3215 KWH, compared to 3602 in Jan 2011 and 3407 in Jan 2010. Outside my window the temp is minus 8 C, and the forecast for the coming days are down to minus 12 C.

This is average temps, but in som part of the days (Saturday morning) the temp can go down to minus 19 C.

The incoming photo from Rikke, Tor Marius, Maja and Mari shows that the gap between here and the south-western Spanish islands are almost 45 degrees. I am in no doubt that Mari feels much more comfortable in her "mafioso" sunglasses ( see photo to the right ) covered with high UVE factor protections than the Cymraeg children freezing in the Norwegian winter.

Andalusia, I am preparing for my visit within short..