Nine Years in Norway

An American's Reflections

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created by Cindi at nordic-pine designs

the interplay of clouds and sun: a perspective

April 26, 2015 by Cindi 31 Comments

While sitting together over coffee this morning, we watched the interplay of sun, clouds, and rain across the fjord over Fanafjellet. I didn’t get up to get my camera; I just sat and absorbed the subtly changing scenery.

These photos aren’t from today, but they have cloud, sun, and rain patterns similar to what I saw.

January 12, 2015 - interplay of sun and clouds
January 10, 2015 - interplay of sun and clouds
February 16, 2015 - interplay of sun and clouds
February 20, 2015 - interplay of sun and clouds

 

We’ve lived in this little piece of paradise for almost two years now. Our views here are a different perspective compared to those we saw when we lived at a higher elevation on Løvstakken overlooking the southern Bergen valley.

December 21, 2010 - interplay of sun and clouds
May 14, 2008 - interplay of sun and clouds
September 20, 2012 - interplay of sun and clouds
October 26, 2011 - interplay of sun and clouds

 

The intermittent rain stopped a couple hours ago, and the sun and clouds have been playing hide and seek. It’s a little nippy to sit outside and enjoy it, but I did go out for a bit … just in time to catch this.

April 26, 2015 - 8:01 pm - interplay of sun and clouds

A magical moment.

And then, just as I was about to hit the “publish” button, my husband called me out to see this.

April 26, 2015 - 8:54 pm - interplay of sun and clouds

That sun and cloud glow: two magic moments in one hour. Thank you, Norway!

Filed Under: Bergen, Norway, Os Tagged With: Fanafjellet, fjords, Løvstakken, Lysekloster, nature, rain, rainbow, sunshine

a short trip to Fusa

March 29, 2015 by Cindi 25 Comments

My husband has been researching his ancestry. He’s always known about his Bergen ancestors, and in his recent explorations he’s discovered relatives in the States … and met one! Their common ancestor comes not from Bergen, but from Fusa, very close to where we live now in Os.

Last week Jan and I drove out to Fusa for a couple hours’ visit. A short journey away — about thirty minutes, including the ferry — Fusa is a small community along the side of the Bjørnefjorden. I was entranced with the location and the views. It isn’t as expansive a view as where we live now, as it’s more level with the fjord on one side and a steeper mountain hill on the other. I felt an intimacy with the fjord waters that I can’t get from our view from 100 meters up.

Here are photos from the day, beginning with the short wait on the Osøyro side of the fjord for the ferry that runs about every thirty minutes (and doesn’t offer any view) …

March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa

 

… a quick shot over Bjørnefjorden from the Fusa side of the crossing …

March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa

 

… and another quick shot over Bjørnefjorden from the area that Jan’s ancestors lived …

March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa

 

… stopping to take few shots across the Bjørnefjord towards Solstrand and Osøyro …

March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa

 

… driving down to stand next to the fjord, again looking towards Osøyro …

March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
cindi-keller_2015-03-25_12.13.03_fusa

 

… laughing at MacKenzie, who couldn’t get enough of the dry winter grass that felt so good on her dry winter coat …

March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa

 

… standing transformed by the silence and calm of the fjord, watching the ferry as it made its way back and forth across the fjord …

March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa

 

… pausing for a moment to look behind me towards the mountain hill, notice a slide that emptied into the fjord, and mentally plan to get back in the summer to watch the kids and parents having fun …

March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa

 

… traveling towards the cemetery, and discovering a place of ancient and modern monuments representing history, love, and tranquility a few steps from the fjord (not visible in the photos is the small creek that ran beside the cemetery on its journey from mountain to fjord; its sound was soothing and comforting) …

March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa

 

… and finally, waiting at the pier for the return ferry, watching the gulls and fish eagles active on their own little island, their own little piece of Norway …

March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa
March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa

 

You’d think I’d stop being surprised at my delight in every newly discovered place in my part of the world. I hope I never am!

Here’s where we were on Wednesday …

March 25, 2015 - a short trip to Fusa

… and here’s where Fusa is in relation to the rest of Norway and the world.

Filed Under: Norway, Os Tagged With: Bjørnefjorden, dog, ferry, fjords, Fusa, labrador, Osøyro

Wordless Wednesday: just a bit of fjord ice, winter 2015

March 11, 2015 by Cindi 23 Comments

Wordless Wednesday: fjord ice

Filed Under: Norway, Os Tagged With: fjords, ice, Lysekloster, nature, sunshine, wordless wednesday

nature in black and white

March 10, 2015 by Cindi 16 Comments

Almost a week ago my blogging friend Nancy from Two Trails One Road challenged me to the 5 Day B&W Challenge. I’m late to the party, and I’m breaking the rules. I should post five photos for five consecutive days — but you’re going to get them all today. And I’m supposed to tag five others to take part in the challenge — but those I would tag have already posted theirs. (That’s what I get for being late!)

I love photography, and enjoy using Inkscape to manipulate images into a vector format. But although I use GIMP (the open source equivalent of Photoshop), I’ve not explored photographic enhancement too deeply, and wasn’t quite sure how black and white images would turn out.

Since most of my “enhancement” is by Mother Nature, I decided to take a few of her shots and convert them to black and white. It was fun picking out four of my favorite nature photos to see what they’d look like with the color striped away, making the lines and texture front and center.

I also have a “true” black and white image, one with bare December winter trees and snow covered landscape, taken with my old film camera (and real black and white film) while visiting family in upstate New York in 2002. I don’t have the original any longer to scan at a higher resolution, but the snow, tree, footprints, house, and snow fence (to stop the white stuff from drifting across the road after its journey over the unbroken farmland) are a powerful combination for me when mixed with the emotions and memories of many visits. I’m glad it’s found a place on my blog!

January 22, 2015 - nature in black and white
December 28, 2014 - nature in black and white
July 6, 2014 - nature in black and white
March 2, 2015 - nature in black and white
December 2002 - nature in black and white, upstate New York

 

Thank you, Nancy, for inviting me to join you in your black and white images fun. Head over to her blog to take a look at what she’s posted!

Filed Under: New York State, Norway, Os, United States Tagged With: family memories, fjords, home, nature, photography

Wordless Wednesday: sun and shadow fjord reflections

March 4, 2015 by Cindi 39 Comments

Wordless Wednesday: sun and shadow fjord reflections

Filed Under: Norway, Os Tagged With: fjords, Lysekloster, nature, sunshine, wordless wednesday

glorious moments

February 22, 2015 by Cindi 15 Comments

Ahhh, Bergen area. Just when I think I can’t handle another blah and dreary day, you gift us with glorious moments like these: Warm, muted, or brilliant sunshine; contrasting and textured clouds; a subtle rainbow; glimpses of blue sky; a sparkling dusting of snow; glistening tree bark; dancing snow flakes gently falling.

January 19, 2015 - glorious moments
February 20, 2015 - glorious moments
February 20, 2015 - glorious moments
February 21, 2015 - glorious moments
February 22, 2015 - glorious moments
February 22, 2015 - glorious moments
February 22, 2015 - glorious moments
cindi-keller_2015-02-22_16.41.20_glorious-moments

Thank you.

Filed Under: Norway, Os Tagged With: fjords, ice, Lysekloster, nature, snow, sunshine

Wordless Wednesday: travel on a foggy fjord

February 11, 2015 by Cindi 33 Comments

Wordless Wednesday: foggy fjord

Filed Under: Norway, Os Tagged With: fjords, fog, Lysekloster, wordless wednesday

the serenity of Kysthospitalet in Hagavik

January 23, 2015 by Cindi 30 Comments

Yesterday I was at Kysthospitalet Hagavik for medical appointments. This is a specialized hospital, one I’ve gotten to know fairly well in the last five years.

Yesterday’s fourth-day-in-a-row of sunshine (and, as it turns out, the last for now) was glorious. After my appointments were through I took a brief walk in the sun while waiting for Jan.

It was so peaceful to stand in the warming rays and experience the calmness of the area from the different perspective of being outside the hospital instead of in. The crisp air, sparkling ice-covered fjord, bright sunshine, and winter-bare surroundings were magic.

January 22, 2015 - serenity at Hagavik
January 22, 2015 - serenity at Hagavik
January 22, 2015 - serenity at Hagavik
January 22, 2015 - serenity at Hagavik
January 22, 2015 - serenity at Hagavik
January 22, 2015 - serenity at Hagavik
January 22, 2015 - serenity at Hagavik
January 22, 2015 - serenity at Hagavik
January 22, 2015 - serenity at Hagavik

 

It was the very definition of serenity.

Filed Under: Norway, Os Tagged With: fjords, Hagavik, ice, postaday, sunshine, weekly photo challenge

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