Ola testing water temperatur

It is still cold water in the large swimming pool, but Ola is testing the development from last week.

He is the only one.

Happy birthday Rikke

Yesterday we received a photo showing our granddaughter with a painted face. She is at the moment with her sister and parents at the Canaries and enjoy being part of the children-group at the hotel

That photo reminded me of another old scanned photo in my photo-library showing her mother (and her mother again) 30 years ago. This is taken during the Oslo Carneval in 1984.

Today my youngest daughter celebrates her birthday, and whether they paint their faces or not, I prefer to show her face on an image taken six years ago.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RIKKE !!

Happy birthday, Brit

Together with my two sisters, brother-in-law and my wife we celebrated my youngest sister BRIT´s  birthday this thursday. Age not mentioned.
We had a great late lunch / dinner at the restaurant La Farola here in Fuengirola with starters, main course and afters together with drinks.
Thanks for a lovely meal, Brit, and may your years ahead be prosperous .

Ladies on the red carpet

Another week and another visit to Malaga.
The Malaga Film Festival are running at the moment and these two ladies stopped on the red carpet posing for the photographer

 My sister Brit for the first time in Malaga and my wife ready for another day of shopping, tapas and some wine.

 On the way through the narrow streets close to the arabic center in the Centro Historico, we found this workman hanging above our heads repairing the facades. Hopefully he later returned to the ground safe and alive. Reminded me of the way they painted ship sides in earlier times.

Film divas also need some rest and this image is from the Plaza de la Merced end this Tuesday blogpost

I and Pablo

 Another visit to Malaga, Bodega El Pimpi and of course coming close to my second painter favorite; Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruiz y Picasso

At the Tapas bar close to Picasso´s child home there can be time to reflect about some of the works that have inspired my own painting development.

The painting above is one of my own imitations of a Picasso paintings.

Sitting on the bench together with my painter "friend" and with his childhood house in the background makes me only think about another imitation shown under here. It may be difficult to decide if this is a self portrait of PP or me.

Quality art on net-auction

Of our over 20 paintings and graphics we put on auction a month ago when we moved out of our large apartment and relocated to less than half wall space, only 4 are still pending. Grab your chance and acquire some very nice quality paintings and graphics at Blomqvist Net Auction

We have found out that the art marked at present is not what we expected. Both the estimated prize level and the bids have been lower than preferred, but that gives YOU an extraordinary possibility to get spectacular works from some of Norway´s most famous artists.

Great TX-Cor friends at Costa del Sol

Once again Audun and I had the opportunity to meet here at Costa del Sol. This spring in Los Boliches together with our two wives. A glass of Cava and a Tapa and light talks about common friends, RH, the situation of our transplanted organs and what ever comes up.

Audun returns to Norway next week, when we will be here for some more beautiful days.

Walking from Torremolinos, along Carihuela and Benalmadena Beaches to Fuengirola

This morning the weather forecast told us that a trip to Malaga could end in rain.
We therefore decided to make a stroll along some of our favorite beaches instead.
We took the bus from the hotel and continued with the bus to Torremolinos. After climbing the staircases down to the beaches we started out walk going south west, and this photo is from the eastern point of the Carihuela beach.

During our walk I found a hat for 12 Euros ( in Norway the prize would be about 70 Euros ) and when coming to the western point of Benalmadena Beach this image once again documented the waves.

The last pit-stop before returning to the hotel was at a small Tapas restaurant in Fuengirola. Last time we were here (12 months ago) the establishment was closed, but now reopened with a glass of wine including a tapa for only 1,50 Euros.

A lovely wednesday with almost 15 km walking. My leg and muscles are improving.

Friday afternoon in Fuengirola

After a lovely dinner at Bodega Charolais a stroll along the beaches in Fuengirola together with Gerd  and Arne, made the afternoon a day to remember.
Children were playing in the waves, but we do not know the temperature of the water. Arne, my brother-in-law had made some swimming in the sea yesterday and meant that it was around 15C.

Turning to the right we could see surfers preparing for the more heavy waves.  The wind direction was east / southeast making the waves a real challenge.

With flowers from Gerd and Arne (the large bouquet) and from Knut and Lillian (the nice small one) together with a glass of Cava the afternoon sun-beams made it lovely to sit at the veranda of our apartment.
We now have been here one out of six weeks and feel fine.

Malaga on a birthday

 Yesterday we visited Malaga City. During our stay in Andalucia we normally take the train from Fuengirola to Malaga at least three times, but the city is so lovely that it can be even more visits. The train takes only 45 minutes and leaves every 20  min from the stations.
The weather this thursday was very nice although we are not sure if this measure was correct

 After our ordinary visits to shops, Pepa y Pepe  and El Pimpi for drinks and tapas, we moved up to the Plaza de la Merced and Pablo Picasso´s birthplace. The walking stick is good to have when we was walking almost 10 km over the day.

 The new (for us) cafes and bars along the facade of the building close to Picasso´s birthplace (to the left on the photo) was a very nice experience. A little higher prizes than in the middle of Malaga´s old town, but what can you expect on a place like this facing a burning sum and no clouds.

This blogpost´s last photo and comments are connected to the fact that my wife this thursday celebrated her birthday. Age? Up to the readers to assess but she is still in good shape I mean.
This photo is at the last pit-stop before returning to the train.

10% of our long-stay in Andalusia

 Arrival day.
Welcoming party with friends Evald, Lillian, John-John, Knut, Ola and Britt. Of course they wanted Cava; sponsored by the hotel. Thanks :)

 Saturday walk to the Fuengirola Puerto. Some grey clouds, but +23 C in the shadow.

 Our new pit-stop on the way home from the daily 5km walk.

 In the hotel bar, relaxing in the corner chair with the left leg in higher position.

The spring flowers are everywhere. These are close to my wife´s pool-bed.
Windy, but no clouds this tuesday. Asian food for lunch later today.

Medical condition and health status

Yesterday I had my last medical examination at the National Hospital after seven months of health caring after the horrible infection last summer.
I will not present any photos from the  infection but after the hospital visit it became clear that the postponed long stay in Malaga now could take place. We were free to travel and stay in Fuengirola under the same restrictions as before. But less sunshine, the newly transplanted skin on my leg shall not be exposed to sun beams.
We therefore immediately booked flight and mailed the hotel about our arrival. Everybody are happy, we are back in Andalusia next week.

However, some photos from our last stay in Spain can show you what we have been longing for:

 Relaxing at one of our favorite restaurants for a drink in the beautiful spring weather.

Having Tapas at El Pimpi in Malaga, the beautiful capital of Andalusia.

 Visiting Marbella and Puerto Banus for Sunday late lunch.

 Daily walking along the beaches at Fuengirola an windy weather.

 Pitstop in Benalmadena on our walk from Los Alamos to Fuengirola. (may be shortened this year due do weak leg)

Climbing up the staircases to the top of Mijas for a drink at the small restaurant at the top.

Therefore we celebrated last night in our new apartment the medical status and that booking had taken place. Thanks to all helpers and supporters during my stressful and painful last seven months.
Andalusia, here we come.

Sundaay stroll and visiting a Brown Cafe

 This Sunday I explored our new neighborhood. First a very steep walk up to the Midsummer Summit     (St,Hanshaugen) with the nice view over Oslo in the direction to the fjord and Oslo City Hall.

 There is a lot of sculptures and interesting photo motives at the hill, and as an old "Guttemusikant" I very much liked this one. No tears in the eyes but lots of nice memories.

Well down from the hill it was time to visit our most famous local "Brown Cafe" Restaurant Schrøder for a beer.
The restaurant has some nice paintings made by Sigurd Fosnes. The largest one is from Torggata and Youngstorget, where the first establishment of Schrøder was before The Norwegian Labor Union - LO, made their modern building to the right on the painting. The market place is not the same today, but I can very well remember going to Youngstorget to buy fruit and vegetables.
I have lived in Oslo for 46 years now.

Realization of arts. Auction at Blomqvist

As a consequence of our relocation many of our paintings and graphics have to find new owners.
For many years they have been a beautiful decoration of our apartmentt´s walls. Now we do not have space for them any more. Sad but a necessity.
If you want to get one ore more Quality Art objects to a reasonable prize, you should visit Blomqvist´s Net Auction in the coming days.
The painting below made by Thore Heramb, will be presented later this spring.

Relocation completed

Moving from an old apartment in a house built in 1888, gross area of 165 square meters located at Briskeby, Frogner, Oslo
to
a modern apartment in a house built in 2006 , gross area of 85 square meters located only 10 minutes walk from Karl Johan, Oslo´s main street

have now been completed. The keys have been delivered to the new owner and we are well settled in our new apartment. We have lived almost 30 years at Briskeby, and hope the new owner and her family will enjoy living there too.
The new and modern facilities in the modern house with elevator and parking in the basement, are just what we need in our present situation. We are happy for the relocation.

6 months have passed, a terrifying autumn

Half a year or 6 months have gone since the the night my summer world disappeared and I was in coma for the next two weeks undergoing surgeries day after day to fight the horrible bacterial infection Necrotizing Fasciitis.
I have covered my rehabilitation in previous blogposts so no repetition here, but this poster from the FaceBook site I Support Nurses should be rewritten; "Every patient have many nurses that they can thank for being alive". At least I have several nurses that I during my 19 weeks stay in two hospitals will never forget. Thank you all.

Relocation finished

 Today the last load of old furniture left our home for the last 30 years in a horse wagon. We have tried to sell some of the furniture through the Norwegian Finn.no market, but the interest for our inventory showed up to be Zero if we wanted money for the antique buffet, piano or bedroom items.
The consequence was then to give it away for free if the new owners could take costs to remove them. Then the interest exploded, and we saved lots of money not having to pay for removal.

Our new home is located even closer to the city centre and we have been relocated to our great satisfaction. Our urban lifestyle can continue. The apartment is only half the size of our old one and therefor no need for the old furniture. The address is still my Email if anybody want to be in touch.

Carine´s Blog

One of the nicest persons I met during my stay at Sunnaas was Carine. Her story can best be told by herself, and her blog PLUTSELIGRULLESTOL can give you an insight to the tremendous change it is for many young people that lives a "normal" life when they wake up in the morning and some hours later have all plans turned upside down. She uses Norwegian text, but I have tried to translate some of her own reflections about 2013 and from the accident on June 2013:

Although I could dance till dawn the night had to end. I was going to meet a student mate the day after to practice oral examination. I was not ready to quit dancing, so I danced down the stairs from the third floor. In bliss and with some vine, it ended terrifying, I stumbled. A small mistake and suddenly life was turned upside down, both figuratively and literally. I tripped over in the staircase and took me to the window on the landing. The window looked closed, but it had just blown again. Thus, the window went up and I plunged into the summer night from 6-7 meter above the ground.

and

2013 was suddenly not as I had imagined. Admittedly, I completed my education to Master. I did take an oral examination on Sunnaas. I was also married. The wedding was not near what I had planned, but it was an unbelievable nice day and the most important thing is that I got MY man. We did not go to Chicago, but Sunnaas. Today I am not on a beach in Thailand, but with my husband and new apartment Loren. I am rolling instead of walking.

If you want, and I recommend you to do so, go into her blog PLUTSELIGRULLESTOL and participate in her rehabilitation at Sunnaas.