Papa goes X-Mas shopping with Grandson and visiting great-grandmother

Grandson Metin Leander and his Mother Ingelin arrived some days ago.  From Germany. Papa picked them up at Oslo Airport in the Northern Seasonal darkness.
December 21-22 is the longest Night here. And December 22 the shortest Day.
 
Well, look at the bright sides of life.  Or what Metin Leander? He agreed. Here before we went out shopping. Metin Leander had to check out the advertisments before we went shopping.

I want quality, he said

Take it easy, I said – have a biscuit
- See, quality?
- yes I do mama
 
Shopping might be boring.
- I blew a balloon

Wedensday was special. 3 Generations went to the Family Chiropractor. Who happens to very good and trustes friends as well. Ingeling and his family and kids have met often, both in Norway and abroad. Papa like this fact.

After our treatment, we went for a Lunch. Metin Leander had pancakes, Ingelin Salad, papa as well and some pressed fruit

You want a taste?
You cant’t see it, but it was red berries
We did some X-Mas shopping, which can not be revealed, at this moment;-) Then we went across Oslo to visit papa’s Mother.

Here Ingelin, Metin Leander enters Papas Mother – she was 92 in October.

We stayed there for a while and hope to see Great-Grand Mother on Christmas Eve.

This is the view from Great Grandmothers Window. See the Ski Jump in the Hill? Holmenkollen.
 
Another view from my Mothers home

Yet another view. In fact the primary School for the Royal Norwegian Family.
 
Hope to see you all again soon. Here in fact, Metin Leander and Marie Louise watch TV…
More to come…..
From here and there
PS. Papa had wonderful moments

Papa goes shopping Flowers on TORsday

Handing Papa a Credit Card and asking him to buy Flowers to our Summer Home is like asking for bankruptcy.

In the Green House - see all the tempations?

However, enjoy the beauty of the Flowers. Now at our Summer Home

Here they are - at our Platform

Platform Flowers 2009

More Flowers

Fucsias

Georgine

Geranium

Charming and expressive

More Flowers here

Papa goes Shopping - again

My dear bloggerfriends who have followed my modest blog in the past, do know that Papa from time to time goes shopping. Well, not shopping the "things" you need to "compensate" for what you forgot while doing the BIG SHOPPING for the week.
Please enjoy Papa's shopping on a TORsday. From Norway to Sweden and return.

We had a very special Guest- Shopper, to be picked up at the Railway Station nearby. Who could that person be?

Wow, It's Ingelin. Papa's daughter. (Papa had not seen her since Dec 26th last year)

Papa asked the ladies, Anna and Ingelin, to sit in the back seats.
Papa needed to listen to the Radio to avoid the "sound" from their talks (I did not say blah - blah - -- I mean: Do not disturb the driver. They talked without a pause (on in breath) - what they talked about? Don't shoot the Chauffeur, papa had to concentrate on the very special driving conditions: Heavy Snowing for 132 km (about 80 Miles) with heavy traffic- ok?)

Well we arrived in Sweden. 1hrs 15minutes.
We did shop.
What we bought is of no interest, but for us.

We did watch the Swans just outside the "Cold Bath"

Anna and Ingelin asked for something for Lunch.

Papa had to eat something as well.

Then we went for a walk in the small Town of Stömstad. A Summer Paradise Winter Dressed.

This small Town is a Nordic Summer Paradise.

But, as you see: It's Winter.

And there are small Boats to buy for what might be a good price (SEK)

Hope you enjoyed the trip. To a Nordic Summer Paradise for all of you that loves boating.
Here, on Feb 19 - 2009
Papa has once again gone shopping.
And - you - have not seen what we bought;))

Have a great end of the Week.

Hugs to all Papa's readers
from
Anna and Ingelin as well

Cybercuisers - on their way to meet the Captain

If you are looking for Photo Hunters: Music, Click here

Töcksfors, Sweden:
– Meeting the Natives in a Norwegien shopping Paradise.

--- and the raise and fall and raise again off a tiny Swedish border settlement

--- come back to life due to lack of oil in Sweden and currency changes

We went from Norway to Sweden on a Friday afternoon in July in the year of 2007.
Our purpose and goal was to meet a blogger friend and Captain at Faaroe in the Baltic Sea. A trip of about 7-9 hours – depending on the traffic – to the Car Ferries at the Mainland. ++ 3 hours on the Car-carrier to Gotland ++ n hours from Visby to Faaroe.

We left from Oslo (Norway about 4 pm) on E18 – or for US readers E18 - that might be similar to an Interstate-xx. Heading east for about 100 km (62 miles). 75 minutes. Lucky us. We were invited to non the less but Johs and Bettan. For dinner and stay overnight before our next leg in direction of Captain and Mr Lifecruiser.

Butt – where did we stop?
In Sweden. Only 10 km (6miles) from the border. In a tiny “village” named Töcksfors.

This is what met us

What the %#”%?&% is so interesting about such a place?

Going back in history a frontier settlement like this, the people that lived there, during centuries were trapped between the Kingdom of Sweden and /Denmark/Norway. They really did suffer. That’s from these period the name Toecksfors is originated ( popular translation: Put down place). They suffered because of the wars and hostility between the the two neighbouring countries for centuries. In reality, it was a question of power between Kings - not people in general.
Some hundred years ago. Iron was discovered, and the place blossomed, but it was suddenly time out for iron mining. Then it was timber, and the channel- Dalslands Kanal were opened in the early 1800. Bancrupcies and new industries came and left over the years. People moved away from the area.

To day it is very popular to sail/boating on this Channel (Dalslands kanal)during the summer. You can go for days at the channel and lakes. And cross the border in to Norway. It's also interesting to know that the local radio station do cooperate with local Norwegian radio stations. And that the sport club together with a sport club at the other side of the frontier has build a cross country ski track - ligthened in the evenings - that goes on both sides of the border. No customs or passports needed. And no security control.

We were served crab shells and shrimps and white wine
Johs and Bettan. They live in Töckfors. That’s their home. In Sweden. Natives so to speak. Butt they are Norwegians. 75 minutes drive to Oslo. Where they work. Crazy? Not at all. House prizes is about 40% of what it is in the Oslo area – and when only a few years from retiring; Very wise.

Having dinner outside in the evening Sun

Here are some pictures from their home and the food we had. Please enjoy. It was a very pleasant evening and stay. Excellent food. A mild, sunny summer evening. After the meal we went to the river and Lock. There is 2 Locks in Töcksfors and total height difference is 9 meters.

You want an egg? Not far to go here.
Back to the Village. Number of habitants were decreasing year after year. Until the Norwegian currency suddenly became more valuable than the Swedish. When I was young we in Norway had to pay NOK 1,20 for oneSEK,. Today we pay NOK 0.84. That has led to a blooming in Toecksfors. Serving Norwegians hunting for cheaper Meat, Pasta, Wine, Tobacco, Chicken and even light beer and sodas. And sweets.

They live close to the channel and river (just behind the trees)
Butt, the Swedes have neglected this small village. It’s so far from Stockholm (400 km - 250 miles). The Capital at the border of the Baltic Sea. So what do you think have happened?

From the Trumpet glasses, you can see we had come to the end of a fantastic meal. PS. We are sitting outdoor.

Norwegian retailers have build a large Shopping Mall. 30000 square meters. It's expected 3 million customers a year. Also new housing has been buildt. In that tiny village, last year the number of citiziens grew by 50 – to 1692. That’s much to be declared as a “non-place”. But this is only the beginning. In a short time new shopping Malls (60000 sq meters) will pop up. New houses (100 villas). And new hotels. Thanks to the strong Norwegian currency and relative low food prices in Sweden. Tobacco and Wine is also half price. For Norwegians it’s a shopping paradise. Only 6 miles from the frontier. Special busses goes from Oslo directly to the Shopping mall. All thanks to the Oil and Gas found in the North Sea, which have made Norway a very rich country - and the people too.
For us, it’s a canoeists paradise. On the Lakes and rivers. And Johs and Bettan.

Thanks Johs

Lifecruiser Cyber Cruise in Technorati

More cruises at Lifecruiser

Papa goes hunting

Wow, can you believe it. Me hunting. yes I did. And what a hunting team: Anna and my X. Into the deep forests. Where we allways find the best Mushrooms. It's only a very short ride with car from our Summerhouse. And easy terrain to walk in and pick mushrooms. We thought.

This is what met us, at the entrence to our favourite mushroom forest:

The papermill owners had been there. What at mess. OK-ok - I accept the need for trees to make paper - but to leave the forest in a mess like this? No-no. Vandalisme.

We dropped this part of the forest and went further into the wilderness. Moose, Sphinx, wolves, bears, foxes, birds? Fishes? Mushrooms? Everything is possible here:

At least it looks like an illustration from a Norse Fairytale:

On our way back -we stopped. To give you an idea of the inner bassin of Oslofjord.

East: Dröbak in the background:

North. Oslo is under the hills way back:

Then, the result of our Mushroom adventure:

Surprised? So we were too. Global warming or fake?

I wish you all a wonderful week to come. Mushrooms or not.

Papa goes shopping - in the Blue

The Day after Mid Summer Evening Anna and Sylvi just wanted to sit down and enjoy the Sunshine.
Papa had to go shopping. Not a regular shopping. But the most important shopping of the year.

Approaching the Shop.

No neon. No big words.

Beautiful surroundings.

Guess what’s inside.

After shopping – a coastal walk.

Still water after the rainfall. Forms a pictogram on the rock.

Shopping on the Farm was step two. But, what’s this? A woodbird...

Here is what I had to buy – the most important object of the Year.

New Teddy with all brothers and sisters.

Here is what papa bought at the Farm. Best bread in the World.