Friday, August 29, 2008

SUMMER IN THE CITY & ON THE ISLAND


The town and the island are siblings, connected by a bridge. The town thinks she's more modern and sophisticated than the island.
The
island knows she posses the roots, the culture and the beaches.
I enjoy the mixed company. This summer more than ever. Due to sickness we have stayed home, vacating in our immediate neighborhood. It has not been bad at all.


T
he last days before Serina went off to college we cruised along late nights and early mornings with a thermos, photoshooting. I with my cellphone, Serina with her SLR cam.


The Bay Of Whales, our best next door destination.
The nights have grown darker, but the warmth of summer still lingers on.

Nevertheless; a nice cuppa coffee helps towards midnight.Shopping rest in the main street.
We are hard on the double espressos.

Second week of August Christa came to stay all the way from Schliersee in the German Alps.
We have been friends since she worked a year in Norway back in 1970, and have followed each other
ever since.
The vulgar-posh town was in between Herring-jazz and film festival, so her galleries and churches were closed to prepare new exhibitions. The island has built The North-Way History Center midst among ancient King graves and the Medieval Church.
Christa very much liked to visit our stone age-viking collection.

No horns on their helmets emphasizes the guide.
On Island of Rams is a "real"viking farm. School kids are having camps here, learning ancient methods of burning tar, building with wood nails, weaving, spinning, cooking.
Christa and the five foolish virgins. They actually are menhir stones from the time of the druids, but as Christianity won, the old stones got biblical names.
They were not removed though. One did not feel quite sure about the strength of White Christ.
Daisies is English, Mille Fleurs in French, Thousand-Joys in Norwegians. That's one of my nicknames for Serina.
Night south of Bay of Whales
Me, I guess, facing town.The island, Karmey is 35 kilometers long. Down at the southern peak Skudesnes, with authentic white wood houses built for the tall ship owners and captains at the end of the eighteen hundreds.
Their descendants still live and thrive in these narrow idyll.

These streets belong to my favorite places on earth.


Serina and I was here, so was Christa and I, and late one night Gunnar and I had a slow stroll through South Street of Skudesnes.

Serina of course went raiding in the small shops there. This old lady made all of her goods herself, knitting and sewing. Serina bought a green and violet cap. Just what a young girl need.Here once was a thriving industry, sailmakers, fishsalters, barrel makers, rope braiders, smiths,- the lots.
The founder of the fog horn factory is embraced by Serina.

Like any town of class old Skudesnes had and still have its park.
Not any park has a moon stone though.
Double click to read. Any picture on my blog may be enlarged this way.
Young Jane climbing to actually touch the moon stone.

The park ends here. Convenient viewpoint over the sea for the old captains' wives, scouting for white sails afar.My monkey girl was not contented with the view, so she climbed down the rock side. I could barely bend over the stone fence to take this pic.
Sky and Sea is the name of a little cafe. To honor Jim I'm posting these homemade Belgian Chocolate confectionery. These were the last for that day. Fresh would be made next morning.There were absolutely jammy with the double espressos.




The best beach on the island. This day it was crowded, but weekdays and evenings one can have the sand all alone.
We were eating, drinking water and coffe while reading crime novels. What a day.

Gunnar one late evening in The South Street.

Lots of cats are lazy watching us go by.These kids were at a wedding and therefor allowed to play alone in the street.
So peaceful, you would never believe.

Gunnar resting in front of the Fog Horn Factory.

Outdoor restaurant at the waterfront.

Gunnar having a great time.
Flower dress meets The Lady of The Park. The Lady being a former figurehead of a tall-shop.

One night we went to the island again.
This time to the Saint Olav Church to listen to The Orthodox Singers from Estonia.
Four girls and four men filled the church with unbelievable choir music in honor of Saint Olav, who's memorial day it was.
The church was restoered two centuries ago. This door handle have I but only seen in Greece.
Outside the church is a huge bauta (menhir) stone.
The druids again. Old cult places were taken over by the Christians, so that no one could worship the old gods there.
The stone is called Virgin Mary's sewing needle.
The saying goes; if the needle touches the church wall, domesday will come. One can see the old priests were anxios to postbone that event. On the inside they have cut off the stone as it moved.
Saint Olav's Church from south side.
A lilly for aunt Lilly who has been hospitalized for six weeks now.
Sundown at Harald Fairhaired's memorial.
This is how they thought Harald's ship looked like when he gathered Norway to one kingdom.
Opposite view from the memorial. A lighthouse and sheep grassing amongst the ancient graves hills.

Oilplatform in the shipyard in the background. A tired, but lucky Gunnar up front.

11 comments:

Saija said...

what a TREASURE your homeland is ... so full of rich heritage ... and the chocolate! yum! ... i loved the sky, beach and the picturesque streets ... it would have been absolutely a slice of heaven to have joined you for a few hours ...

your are indeed blessed - and more so, because you know it!

big hugs from the prairies, saija

Jim said...

Thank you for the nice tour, Felisol, these pictures are all wonderful. I am glad you had time with Serina before she leaves (left??).
Thank you for thinking of me when you were having coffee and those Belgian Chocolate confectioneries.
I know you couldn't save me one when there were only four. LOL
..
Oh yes, did you guys buy a fog horn?
..

Amrita said...

Really enjoyed looking at the pictures and reading about all your August activities.

Your surrounding are so lovely, like a holiday spot in itself.

I like old European buildings, such history and romance in them.

Your flower dress is so lovely.

Felisol said...

Dear Saija,
Yes, we are really blessed,
especially when the weather is bearable, which is has been this summer.
I sure would have liked to have both you and Leo over.
Who knows what the future will bring.
Have a blessed week.

Dear Jim,
Serina has left and is enjoying her life as a student.
The first week has been more of a time for socializing than studying, I guess.
Serina has been lucky and found promising friends and activities as well.
The fog horn production was over after ww2. The boats are better equipped now..
I do remember fom the early seventies though, fog horn blowing all night down on Jaeren. It was a sinister and bone chilling sound, especially when we learned that there had been a shipwrecking.
I'm praying for you and your bunch these days, with the coming Tornado and all that.

Dear Amrita,
How nice to see you, midst in all those tragedies of India.
I love to live among historic sites, they are some of my identity as well.
Besides they say, if he who does not learn from history, is bound to live it all over again.
There are so many things I don't want to relive.

Have a blessed week, all of you
From Felisol

Renae said...

Oh, how I wish I could come and travel with you! You should be a history teacher. You make the past come alive with your pictures and stories!

You look so pretty in your flowered dress!

Sue Seibert said...

Elise, what wonderful photographs. I feel as though I have been with you. Thanks for all the history about the druids and the Christian church.

Sounds as though you're doing well...and Serena is now back at college?

Love you!

Felisol said...

Dear Renae,
Glad you like my country.
Big or small, we all feel attached to the place we are rooted.
I like history. My father used to tell from the old sagas instead of bed-time stories.Gunnar is 3/4 Icelander and history is probably in his genes, also in his education.
He took history, religion and English as subjects for his master degree.
(He is not responsible for my English blogs though; they would have been redmarked all over).
My main inspirator, and always
supportive helper and tutor, that's what he is.
You know you would be welcome to visit; anytime.

Dear Sioux Sue,
How nice of you to tag along.
Yes, Serina is off to college.
I do miss her, but when she is fine, I am fine. She seems to be thriving this year as well.
A Mom can have no better news, than that of her only child being lucky, don't you think?
Love you too. Sioux Sue.

From Felisol

Terry said...

Dear Felisol...I have been missing so much the last few days and I am so sorry. I hope that you don't think that I would ever forget you. The Goldens are always talking about you and I feel I have been so lax with you and many others on the blog scene. It seems that your friends are my friends Felisol!
I am going to the docs next week about my leg and I will let you know how it goes. I will come back and visit again because it is a little late now...three in the morning...Love you and I love all of these commenters....Love Terry

Felisol said...

Dear Terry,
don't you ever sleep?
I know you have had a lot to do lately, with your computer problems,
illness, birthday blogging and first and foremost over at the Pilgrims'. I see you there, you know.
Do not feel guilty about not visiting too often. I think visits should come when the time is right, not because one ought to.
I, for certain, have not been a regular blogger this summer.
Good friends will remain friends, they don't have to sit on each others lap.
You know you are my bestest.
Finally September has arrived with your doctor's appointment.
When you told you had to wait for three months in June, I thought that was too far away.
Suddenly, just in a wink, the months have flown.
Now you sit tight in that doctor's chair, and don't move until he's given you a thorough check. Your time is too valuable to spend waiting.
Until then, be blessed
From Felisol

Terry said...

Dear Felisol. I have emailed you but I think that you aren't getting the letters. This computer is acting up!
I had a question I was asking you. Can you email me?...Love Terry

Felisol said...

Dear Terry,
I think your problems have been solved. Now I am exited about the continuance.
You sure are a terri(er) when it comes to solving complicated tasks.
Where do you store all that energy??
From Felisol