Dream City

Barcelona - I love you!

In August, some clever friends invited me to go to Spain in February. Cheap tickets! We went. After a week of open-ended scavenger hunts, cheese orgies, wine swims, shopping sprees and pure bliss, I am deeply grateful. Go to Barcelona! Get lost in narrow streets and empty your pockets of Euros! Have a really thick chocolate caliente! Have ham!



I am a little bit sad to be back in Norway, where my red tango shoes with high heels are of no use for another few months. But I look at them once in a while (while keeping close to the fireplace) and remind myself which city to go back to.

Rain, rain, go to Spain (except this week)

Weather report for Bergen:
Strong winds and neverending rain. Felt temperatures down to -5 degrees Celsius.


Weather report for Barcelona:
Sunshine and light afternoon breezes at the most. Temperatures up to 17 degrees Celcius.

The look on my face:
:) :) :)

Peculiar Christmas

Yes, yes, I know it's February, but I just came accross some photos from Christmas, which I spent at home with a black-snouted dog, Daymon and my parents. There was absolutely no snow (but then it made sure to show up later). Still, we went tree-hunting (in legal places) with Sunniva on the day before Christmas.

I hearby withdraw all previous claims that Norway is not cold

Minus ten has been torturing my area for a week. Protruding body parts threaten to fall off, and the icy ground is too freezing to make you slip. Everyone is outrageously cold, but as some of you have already guessed, I am colder.

Skiing would be a great activity if only we didn't freeze our toes off trying to go about it. I'm so cold I don't know what to do but glue myself to the fireplace.

Rumours have it the temperature up in the inland mountains has been down to -30. Minus 30! The one time I experienced minus 20 (not in Norway, but in Freezing Finland), the dampness from my breath made my top and bottom eyelashes freeze together.

I just got myself a place to stay for three months in Sogndal, where I work. However, due to the utter graveness of the current circumstances (i.e. having to heat a whole house by myself), I have sought refuge in my parent's house until the weekend is over.

A Little January Tour

The blog has been out travelling! In one week I was lucky enough to catch Maria and Daymon in London, Jo in Brussels and Margunn in Førde (above). The short visit was a stop-over on the way between Norway and Belgium for work. Most of the time in London was spent consuming old pleasures at Chapel Market and on Upper Street. Maria managed to trap me into entering Gap and French Connection's local stores on the last day of the sales. Apart from this we feasted on Turkish food and Efes beer at Gallipoli Again and gobbled sausage and mash at The Narrow Boat down by the canal. After two heavenly days in London, I travelled to Brussels to attend my meeting (in a new EU project on local biodiesel production), staying in Margunn's old room, now inhabited by Jo, as Margunn is on her way to Sudan. Margunn's and now Jo's house is also inhabited by a lovely group of people and an insane kitten called Camille, whose maniac hobbies included throwing himself against the glass door leading to Jo's bedroom and climbing up my woolen scarf. Brussels was nice, but definitely not the bustling, hyper-international city I had expected to find. What's with the no cash points after work hours? The cobble stones messing up suitcase transportation? The medieval airport bus? And the tiny airport? I really liked it, though. Brussels has definitely found a new friend.