A visit to Molde

We eventually got a half decent day of weather on Wednesday so we took a run over to Molde on the Hurtigbåt (water taxi). Some sources, such as Wikipedia, call Molde a City. But when you see the town dwarfed by a cruise liner you have to believe that those sources are wrong. :D

We wandered out to the main shopping area. Me, son, and daughter. I was really scarred how much my daughter would invade my wallet, but for once she showed some remarkable restraint, for a 10 year old.
I know this picture is squint, but my software for fixing pics ain't working just now. It's just a little flavour of the town.

After the shopping bit we wandered back into the town centre. Central to the town is the Muckle Kirk (Big Church), or to give it it's correct title 'Domkirken' (Cathedral). The building was completed about 1957, and is very unusual because the spire/bell tower is completely separated from the main building.

 The interior is fairly plain in comparison to some British Cathedrals. (Note the model ship hanging just right of centre. Nobody can tell me why every church in Norway has a model like this.)
But the ceiling is stunning, and extremely unusual.

 I took the picture of the outside of the Church from the roof of the town house. Here's the view from there down to the harbour.

Next stop was for a few pictures of the new Jazz House which is being built just along the road.
To me this is a fascinating structure.
It's being built in multiple levels into the face of the natural slope of the town. Due to be finished next year, it makes a similar project in Shetland look even more stupid. Have a look at the pictures, then I'll tell you why.

It's costing less than the 'Mareel' project in Shetland, has twice the capacity, will be finished on time, has almost no public opposition, is designed to fit into it's surroundings, and most importantly will actually make a profit. Of course Shetland readers of this will make excuses that they have a small population, etc.., etc.. Wrong, population about the same,,, but this venture in Molde hasn't got the Shetland Islands Council to bugger it up.... RANT over. :D

After a bit more walking my daughter complained that she was getting tired and needed to sit down. Although there is a reasonable amount of seating available in the town, often in very scenic areas, I spotted the best seating area available and made a bee line for it... The 'Dockside' pub on the pier.

 A truly brilliant establishment which has a nice view of the town centre.

 But it has one very serious fault..... It sells what can only be described as the worst beer in Norway,,, Dahls,,, It might look good on a warm day, but looks are all it's got going for it.

And, whilst on the subject of very watery things. I took this picture the other day of one of our garden weeds, which for some strange reason holds on to water droplets as if they were gem stones in a setting.

 And, again, whilst on the subject of water. I took this image of Mary from just beyond the range of her water cannon...

Must get her to use that on the car tomorrow. Maybe it will clear the bird poop.

Next post will be about a delightful visit to the Ålesund aquarium yesterday. Look out for that tomorrow,, or later today,, depending which time zone you're in.

Onywye,
yun's aa fir enoo.

Grief can know no bounds on a day like this.

My thoughts on this day are with those who have lost loved ones in the outrage at Utøya and Oslo.

Never has there been a more peaceful and beautiful country than Norway, and never have I met a more peaceful and caring people than the Norwegians who I am so proud to know, work with, and love.

This outrage won't change my opinion. Norway is, and always will be, the most beautiful place on Earth.

If you're reading this, please copy and paste the flag below, then add it to your blog page. And while you're doing it, take a few moments of quiet thought for those who have lost their young lives in this tragedy.

Yun's aa fir enoo.
Fae a very sad auld craetir.

Holiday, part 1

We returned from holiday in Shetland yesterday, after a week of predictably shi**y weather.
I have a few nice pictures, which still need to be sorted through, but here's a few beauties which I took at the start of our flight from Vigra (Ålesund Airport), to Flesland (Bergen Airport).
Firstly, part of the island of Vigra.

 Part of Ålesund. The main harbour area is just out of shot at the bottom of the picture.

 The next 2 shots are just nice, so I won't try to look at the map to name the mountains.

 I'll sort some more tomorrow and perhaps use the map to add location information to the images.
Time is a bit limited since I've got my little princess staying with us for the next 2 weeks. I just had to add this picture of her posing for the camera. (Actually she thought I was pointing the camera at her sister. This is just cropped out of the bottom corner of an 18 megapix image.)

Onywye.
Yun's aa fir enoo. Mair sharn da moarn.

It's been a while....

Haven't posted anything for ages, purely because there's been nothing to post.
Almost every day has been grey, wet, and miserable. With nothing worth looking at, or telling about. But that is set to change soon.
We break up at the work for 4 weeks holidays at the end of this week. During the holiday the main event will be a 2 week visit from my youngest daughter, so at the moment I'm straining my brain to think of activities which will keep her out of the shops, and out of my wallet. No doubt my efforts to achieve this will result in failure on both counts, likely some tantrums from her, and maybe a few posts to my blog.
Also somewhere during this 4 week period we will be visiting a newly upgraded museum which has great links with the Norwegian west coast. We'll be seeing some 'real' sailing ships, and maybe taking pictures of some Horny Vikings... Maybe even catch a picture of a moder-dye ;)
At the very least we will be away from the shi**y weather we are having here and experiencing shi**y weather elsewhere.

Anyway, check back soon and follow what happens when Auld Rasmie gets round to travelling again. ;)

Yun's aa fir enoo.

Garden

So far this summer the weather hasn't exactly been nice, but since the wife bought that damned hose the garden has had plenty of watering.. Not from the hose, I hasten to add.
Most of the flowers are coming along nicely now but my favourite flower in the garden is a very small wild one called 'Maria Gullsko', which translates roughly as 'Mary's Golden Shoe'. It's a beauty, and my youngest daughter is called Mary, hence the reason I think it's special.

One of our bushes is now fully in bloom, and it actually looks like it's got snow on it.

Here's a close up of the flowers,, there are millions of them....

The other flowers and roses are also starting to look good.

And, as seen in the last picture, the ants are everywhere.

And finally. Nothing to do with the garden, but I had to sneak this picture in somewhere.... An early picture of my wife, when she really was a Peerie Trowie... British readers will know what I mean when  I mention the 'Deardrie Barlow' glasses. ;)

Onywye,
yun's aa fir enoo.

Sometimes a big house is nice.....

Especially when the house is too big to fall through the gap you're trying to cross.....

I love these little guys...

Yun's aa fir enoo.
:D

Recent thoughts and pictures..

Firstly, I never did get round to explaining the 'Guiness Can in the oven', which appeared in my last post. The explanation is quite simple. Some fool had turned the fridge thermostat too low, likely the same fool placed the can of Guiness right next to the back wall of the fridge, likely that fool was me, and yup, it was frozen solid. Nothing more than a small dribble exited the opening of the can when I pulled the ring and attempted to pour the beautiful Irish nectar into a glass... Even after half an hour in the oven with the door open so as not to cookit, it was still a frozen chunk of disappointing.

But, on to happier things. The weather.......  Nope, try again, the weather isn't worth mentioning.
Apart from, possibly, this picture.

 That's the kind of beauty that can be seen about 6am here. Just before the damned rain starts again.. At least our plants are being well watered.

And, while I'm still not mentioning the weather, yesterday saw the worst floods in east Norway for 50 years...
The mountains are wearing what the wife calls their 'summer duvet'. The blanket of cloud which lies down to about 300m

Sometimes the cloud clears and everything looks as though it has been washed clean, even at 5km away.

 I've been desperate lately to get out with my new camera and try for some wildlife shots. But between the showers the best I could get was Jeemie fishing from the pier, which will likely make him wild that I've posted it,

 And a nice little Wagtail prancing through the garden.

 On the wildlife front, there is one point worthy of note. The Swallows have eventually arrived this year, over a month late, compared to last year. The blurred image before the mountain is the only proof I got.

Summer here has many other obvious indicators. Least of which are the increasing numbers of caravans and camper vans which appear every day. These vehicles are a pain in the bum on the road, and personally I feel they should be banned.
But, just every now and then you see something which makes sense of it all... This is what caravaning should be about... Classic equipment, designed for the job, and well worth admiring.

Not much else to say just now. But the wife had a birthday at the end of May and her collection of garden ornaments expanded a little bit. The deer she got last year suddenly found a wife and baby.

 Now, before I go, did I mention the bloody rain which has caused so much trouble in Norway recently?
Well, I'll mention it now. And it's all my fault. You see the wife bought a garden hose, which I was supposed to connect for her. Being a man, I avoided this task as long as I could. Then female pressure was brought to bear one day, and like a fool I did as I was told.
The hose was connected,,,,,,, used once,,,,,,, and it's rained ever since. So here's a pictures of what is responsible for all the flooding in Norway.

Onywye, yun's aa fir enoo.