Victoria, BC, Canada – Walking around with Jen (Expat Traveller) etc

I can’t believe it’s more than 3 Months since we met
Jen, P and Cammie in Victoria at Vancouver Island.
Face to face for the first time.
We miss them all and Victoria.
Just see the Photos and you’ll understand why.

Left: P and Cammie. Above: Jen and Cammie Jen is mostly known as Expat Traveler

Here you see our wonderful hosts and for many years blogfriends.
 
One of the wonderful things to be better known is to make dinner together. Here Jen and Anna.
 
The result – What’s better on a Summer Day?
We walked a tour along The inner Harbour of Victoria, and we felt at Home.
Before the arrival of the Europeans in the late 1700s, the Victoria area was home to several communities of Coast Salish peoples, including the Songish (Songhees). Coast Salish refers to First Nation or Native American cultures who inhabited areas in British Columbia and Washington state. Up right you see a Totem, that is now dived in 3 pieces. At a holy ground for the Songhees. In respect of this native nation please read.

South view from Victoria: The Olympic Range in Washington State, USA.
 
World's Tallest Totem Pole, Victoria, British Columbia
Details, including Anna – for you to imagin the seize of the Totem

More to come from wonderful Victoria, Jen, P and Cammie,
Adjust your GPS to...


Next destination?
Might it be Provence in Southern France, Germany, Norway, USA or from our Archives?

So stay tuned ---

Happy Birthday to my Mother – 92 years, October 12

Hello my blogfriends, today I will celebrate my Mothers 92. Birthday.
With You. 
She lives in a nursing home in Oslo, Norway. She has her own room with private restroom, TV, cellphone, fridge and freezer. Even a small sitting group. Meals are served in the "Dining Room" and coffee/tea and some snacks served in her Private Room. Health Care People are there 24/7.
92 Candles on a cake? Well, we dropped it. Why? A Cake that big would be too much for my Mother;-)
Photos from today are taken with a bad iPhone 3Gs Camera.

 
But her hips are bad, hence she needs a Walker.
 
Together with, my now, eldest Son, Niklas, we paid her a visit this afternoon. I picked up my Son, who works close to my Office, and we went to visit our Family’s Grand Old Lady.
 
Here you see my Mother and Son: She loves her Cell Phone.

We brought her some red wine, which is good for her Blood Circulation, but most important photos (A-4 Seize) of her Grand Children who lives abroad – and their respectives
 
– Here Ingelin with Kaya at Cypros October 2011 – They live in Germany. 
- Mats and his Wife Lori and Anna – in Chicago – July 2011. They live in USA.
 
Even papa was there;-)

and not to forget, I brought some Photos of her Great-Grand Children – important Photos.
I printed a douzen  -  Below some of them...


Metin Leander (2 years on Oct 25)
 
Sebastian (He was 10 in June this year) – Anna in the background
 
Filip ( 26 years)

Here is Marie-Louise back in the early 1950’s – with my Father in the Garden at the peninsula  Bygdoy  in Oslo

My Mother, Marie Louise, was very happy about receiving the Photos, but she was very occupied watching a TV-series;-)  So we stayed about 80 minutes. Then I dropped off Niklas for his afternoon work and picked up Anna from her work before returning to our Winter Home - 15 km south. (Nearly 10 miles)

My Mother has her own Life. No doubt;-)

Have a great week everybody.

There will be more from Provence in my next post: A visit to a very special Restaurant in Ollioules…. I say no more…

Did you know this about your Internet-speed?

My regular readers may have observed I’ve had problems with my Internet connections since long: Lack of Speed. Time outs. No connection.
This afternoon I had professional help.
Line Speed is OK.
But Line Speed is only a part of what you experience: Quality of Line, Routers and Servers are as well important. I did a test this Afternoon: The Test showed that between 55-89% of the Internet Packs in my Network were lost. Hence sent again and again and again…….

Hope my Vendors will do what they need to do to deliver the service they are expected to deliver.

You can test your own connection: http://pingtest.net/ 
See the Picture above.

Papa meets blogger friends in Norway

First Weekend of April we had the pleasure to meet Ginnie and Astrid who came up from Holland to Oslo, Norway. Remember?

Last Sunday, the two adventure women returned from a 5 Days Cruise from up North in Kirkenes, close to the Russian Border down to Bergen. And even a Day and Night in Bergen when they met another blogfriend, Charles. On Sunday they embarqued the Day Train from Bergen to Oslo, crossing the Mountains.


Papa picked up the beautiful Ladies at Oslo central Station and had the pleasure to drive the to the Winter Home, about 10 miles (15-16 km south in Oslo).
 
Winter Home? We could sit at the Veranda.
 
Later we went inside for Dinner. Avacados with Mayonnaise and Caviar as starter. You might also use pilled shrimps instead of Caviar. Or what your fantasy figures out.
 
And Homemade Gratinated Fish. They listened to Anna when she explained her recipe.

Dessert? Raspberries from our Summer House.

More to come from Ginnie and Astrids visit. 
So stay tuned....

Saturday report from Oslo – March 26-2011

It’s Springtime and a Sunny Day here in Oslo this Saturday. What are people doing when the Sun shines and it is still lot’s of Snow in the Hills and Ice on the Fiord?  How does it looks like?
Lets take a tour along the shores of the inner part of the Oslofiord.
 
Ice on a Rock with Sunlicking Birds. Click to enlarge. From Huk.
 
Lets start our tour in Southern Oslo, at Hvervenbukta. See, it is still Ice on the Fiord, which has been rare for many years. Far out you can see some people – fishing.
 
Some people prefere to enjoy the last of the Winter for a final Cross Country Skiing in the Hills. But it is as well popular to go to the Seaside and enjoy the Sun.  Here is the proof.
The two photos on top shows divers traning under-ice diving. They did find a wreck.  The Divers are connected to the Ice surface with a Rope. Down left: Memories from last Summer and down right: Young girls checking the Ice.
Naked trees at the Seaside. It’s a nice walking path along the Shore, you can walk for around for45 minutes. Go up on the Hill with a nice view over the Oslofiord. Or just sit down in the Nature and have a nice time at the Beachfront.
 
Well, this was a short visit to Hvervenbukta in Oslo South. Now I will bring you to the Peninsula where I grew up:  Bygdöy. Here from the Royal Farm. Still lots of Snow. 
 
We will go to the very popular Beach at Huk.  It’s about 20 km via the Operatunnel and then to the West and South again. The Photos are taken from the Naturist part of the Beach, but no Nudes this time of year. LOL:-)
I think you will understand this Day was not meant for swimming…  Fascinating with the Iceblocks on the Rocks. From top left: Ice on rocks. the inlet separating the Naturist Beach from the textile beach, down left view westward and down right view eastward.

West of the Beach the old Oslo Airport used to be (until Oct 7, 1998). Today it houses IT-industry, In-door Sport Arena, Businesses and a new City is under construction.
Sun reflexions on Fiord Ice
 
Let’s end this tour at a very special place: Rodelökken Kafe, located at the northern part of Bygdöy.
 
First part of the House is from 1780 and the Cafe opened in 1874
The Cafe is very popular during the Summer Months. It opened for the Season this Saturday. Up right  you see part of the original building.  The Panel is renewed. Down under you see the view from Rodelökken. Oslo West End and Frognerkilen, one of the two  inlets that makes Bygdöy a peninsula.


Out here at Bygdöy peninsula you will also find the Viking Ships Museum, The Kon Tiki and Ra and the Polarship Fram and the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History outdoor and indoor museum where you can see how people have lived here in Norway the past 1000 years.
Among others.


PS. Still waiting for a new permanent Internet connection