Bob Dylan in Bergen

Bob Dylan, 70, rocked 14 000 Bergeners, one sweet girl from Finland and yours truly from here to eterity.


I've never heard him better, rocking and rolling, twisting and turning the best from his 50 year long production.
He connected with the band, like they were one soul.

And he smiled, smiled all the time. He connected with the audience like I never have experienced it before.

My only problem was my old, outdated Nokia.
Photographing was prohibited, but I sweet talked one of the guard crew, saying this old cell phone is good for nothing.


So sad it turned out to be true.
Gunnar, Serina and I have attended Dylan concerts since Serina was 2 years old. We hope to continue this tradition for at least ten, if not twenty more years. wouldn't that be wonderful; Dylan 90 and us 80?

The rest was perfect in spite of 51, 8 Fahrenheit degrees and splashing rain.


Maybe the old heart got soft when he entered the stage after 2 hours (waiting & Susan Vega). anyway he opened with Rainy day Women # 12 & 35, and from there it only got better.
I, I had gold circle place, nothing but a low fence and the stage between me and the Master.



I am praying that Dylan must find his way home again.

RUBIES OF FEBRUARY

February first came with more light powder snow but also more light; 2 hours 6 minutes since winter solstice.
Every season has it's flowers, also at the florist's. Primroses are flooding in January. Last week they were two for 2,5 dollars. I bought eight,- food for my soul.
For the sake of Ruby Tuesday I placed them on terrace while the powder snowflakes were dancing from the white sky.

The author Ludvig Holberg (double click to read more) was born in Bergen in 1684, a child of the era of Enlightenment and the baroque. His plays, mostly comedies and satires, are well known, performed and loved even in the new millennium.
His most famous role figure, Jeppe, has a drinking problem. Holberg described Jeppe's dilemma in two sentences ; "Everybody's talking about Jeppe's drinking, but nobody's talking about why he's drinking."
This quote has helped people asking the important "why," searching for an underlying cause instead of condemning.
I think those few words alone have made us a more tolerant people.

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today.

ST: MARY IN GOLD; BLUE AND RUBY

For today's Ruby Tuesday I have chosen the main piece of a carved
altar cupboard or triptych (double click to read more) in the Church of St. Mary in Bergen.
Altar cupboards are meant to be opened and closed at different times. When this cupboard is closed can see the Nativity scene, the birth of Christ in Bethlehem.
Although St. Mary traditionally is dressed in blue, the unknown artist has found it suitable with a hint of red.
The red really enhances this elaborate tree carved altar from early 14th century.
It was made by members of the tree carver's guild (double click to read more)from Lubeck. In Norway the Gesellen of the tree carver's guild and the stone mason's guild have traveled to the remotest places to build altars and minimal and greater stone churches.
You can read about the guild system in Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth.
Great novel about an age and craftsmen almost forgotten.

Here we go! It's Ruby Tuesday again!

SIXTY

I was born December 8th 1949. I was blessed to be the first and a wanted child. Since this autumn has been extremely exhausting, with our house turned upside down, due to renovating, I decided to celebrate with only my nearest and dearest; Gunnar and Serina. We sneaked off to the city of our liking; Bergen.
Somehow my bestest must have found us, I don't know how, because a couple of hours after we arrived, this parcel was delivered at the hotel. Champagne and glasses in a nice bouquet, exquisite confection and even a gift card for coaching lessons. Wow. If you take a close look, I had tear in my eyes.

No time for waiting; The celebration started at 08oo p.m. the seventh and didn't stop until 0800 p.m. Decmber the 10th.
With three loaded cameras we started out next morning.
The Church of St. Mary is a must.
I know, I know; I should have photoshopped. Maybe some other day.
Such a peaceful quarter of the town.
Serina taking a break with her Dad's newest love; Cannon Eos 7D.
At the Bryggen Museum we met one of Gunnar's forefathers. The picture talks for itself about genes and the likes.

Lots of items found in layer under layer at the Hansa Brygge sites.

Christmas in the old city.
The Gingerbread City. Made twice through a huge common effort from kindergartens to high tech companies. It was completely crashed by a poor boy last week. Creating headlines greater than those of Obama and his peace-price.The Bergeners didn't mourn for even a day, before they set out to make a new Gingerbread town. As you will see it's placed so low, to be at eye level for the preschool children.

Walking and watching made us hungry.
A room at the top floor with quite a view.
Serina didn't complain for a second during three days of walking through new and older art. An art dive for hungry souls.
Kitty Kielland painted my Mother's Jaeren more than hundred years ago. My mother and her family also had to do hard work in the turf moors to find fuel for the winter.
From Joelster at the end of the Sognefjord, longest fjord in Norway, the painter Astrup lived with his wife and children, also a hundred years ago. He was poor, had lots of children,- and a lovely wife, but managed to share love of nature and family in a magic way.

The apex of our celebration was December 9th in the Grieg Hall. Conductor and soloists famous from Metropolitan, Covent Garden performed Beetoven's 9th Symphony; To Joy.
I hope I never get so senile, that I'll forget those magic hours.I humbly thank blogfriends, local friends, family and the great God for making these days unforgettable .

HANSA MUSEUM IN RUBY

The Hansa museum tells about how the mighty first European trade organization, The Hanseatic League, dominated all trade in Bergen and all Western Norway, and for that sake the rest of Europe, from about the 13th to the 17th century.
The young apprentices, Die Gesellen, came up from Germany and were not to fraternize with the tempting young Norwegians. They were simply locked in their beds at night.
Red evidently was both popular and cheap. Most of the interior was painted in a more or less ruby color. This stationary probably originates from 16th century.
One wonders, what's behind the locked and barred red door? The modern hearts evidently are there for air supply. The design obviously are some four hundred years old.
The young Hanseatic' dreams were more realistic concerning the natural female body, than those of today. No lipo suctions nor breast implants. Even so, the maiden of their dreams were so far away.

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today.

Ruby crowns

Bridal crowns


The Bridal crowns are photographed in a black room, behind glass and wires in the West Norwegian Museum for arts and crafts in Bergen.
They are all made of silver and some gold.
The foliage, the hanging leaves are special for our crowns and also for other bunad jewelry.

The bridal crown can only be worn by a virgin, and only together with a Norwegian bunad.
Only few families possess a bridal crown of their own. Most museums will rent the bride to be a crown for a fair price. Even in America there is a museum where one may rent a genuine Norwegian bridal crown.


bunads
The 19 Norwegian counties each has its special bunad . Rogaland, my county has at least 8 various bunads . Here a Rogaland collection from Serina's confirmation. My mother has made both hers and Serina's. She also has made one for me.

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today.

RUBY HARBOR

Bergen is surrounded by 7 mountains which make a perfect sheltered harbor on the windy west coast of Norway.
Gunnar walking in the boarded alleys between the old Hansa buildings. The lens louse to the right remind in the picture because of his bold pink & lemon green clothing.
A viking ship replica is anchored side by side of a tall ship outside the coast culture building.
Cobbled stones and the ancient town gate to the right.
Close to the old fish market where one still can buy live fish. Tourists from all over the world are mixing peacefully.

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today.