What we miss (1)

The fish hanging, Lauwersoog, at Visser Vis.

 Café Mulder, in the Ellebogenburt in Groningen. (Photo is shopped from this site)

Asparagus round this time of the year. We always invite ourselves to Karel and Annet. There she makes around a kilo per person, masses of boiled eggs and ham, a few potatoes, melted butter and a suitable wine. Michael and Karel eat a couple of asparagus, while Annet and I take care of the rest.

Friends of Nøgne Ø

We decided to check out the beertastingevening at Patrick's last week. Friends of Nøgne Ø meet there regularly to test different beers, pen and paper in hand, all very serious of course, no fun at all....

For those of you who do not know, Nøgne Ø is a microbrewery in Grimstad, not far from Kristiansand. They are serious brewers, into pure taste, pure ingredients, innovation and style. Half of the guys we met at Patrick's are a part of the tasting comission. In short we learnt a lot about types, style and history in one evening. But most of all we got to taste a most fabulous (dessert) beer, the Black Tokyo Horizon, a collaboration project between Brew Dog, Mikkeller and Nøgne Ø. Finely tuned to a chocolate fudge ice cream combo, it sent us straight to gourmet heaven.

Thanks a lot to Terje, Geir, Jarle, Kenni, Erik and Peer Øyvind for a great evening. Looking forward to some more serious and responsible tasting after the summer! Then we can also enjoy the new micro brewery in town: Christiansand Brygghus

By the way, a great series on Flemish television on Belgian Beer is Tournée Générale. A great book on a piece of history of English Brewery is Waterland by Graham Swift.

Evasive Procrastination (3) The careless gardener

Yesterday the plants were allowed out to play, into the sun, the garden and the earth. They had been standing on the balcony waving at me for some days now. Reminding me of my promise. But we had just had too much fun lately, with Constitutional day, visit, writing, working...

We got a great piece of cardboard from the local bikeshop. They are just perfect, no print on, and they fill the whole plot!

The weed we leave to die under the cardboard, and above, all the plants are let out to thrive and grow.,

Then we needed a little walk with Andra. Here she is rolling with delight after a swim in Bånetjønn.

All the little plants in a row. Not a weed in sight.

Finally, the Squash, the Endive, the Perpetual Spinach and the Basil have found their places. The Borecole needs to wait till it gets bigger before it can come out and play with the others.

 

 And now it begins, war of Snails!!

Sitting on the musical chair

My former conservatory in Kristiansand, Musikkens Hus, now turned completely Music School. YAY!

My former flute teacher called me last week, if I could teach his students today. Of course I said yes. I always had a lot of fun in his lessons. Very motivating teacher, a lot because of the fun of playing together. He also teaches guitar. Guitar is a great instrument on its own, but blends perfectly in with the flute, making that very special sound.

Just listen to this little Piazolla piece, and enjoy the timbre!!

Fingers up for Norway !!

For the celebration of Norwegian national day (17th of May) Wieke, Jolanda and Ulli visited us. The weather was great and the flags waved exubarent! On may 17 Norway celebrates Constitution day (more info on  17. Mai) . Marianne got help from her mother to put on her 'Bunad' Doesn't she look lovely!!

The morning started with the parade of all the school-childeren.

We stood waving off course.

And here in front of the church of Kristiansand

Marianne made the tradtional blaudkake (wet cake) which we ate at home for lunch.

Then for a concert to Ravnedalen (the red dots in the left are the musicians).

The next day we went for a walk to Ravneheia and Bervannet. We realised that Wieke, Jolanda and Michael know each other now for 20 years. That is more than half our lives!

The view from Ravneheia overlooking the city is beautiful!

Then to Bervannet where Wieke and Ulli took a swim.

As if a four hour walk wasn't enough Wieke, Ulli and Marianne did some climbing.

The weather was even better the next day. We went grlling in Hellevika. Here Andra looking very relaxed.

Lovely sausages!

and playing Viking-chess (but in Norway known als Kubb)

A fantastic relaxing holiday!!

Gigantic Cake and New Organic Zen-Cake

Saturday there was a big party at Dampbageriet in Kristiansand. Celebrating 150 years of cakemaking pleasure and business in this town, with music and of course: CAKE!

 This cake, needless to say is enourmous, and truly covers the meaning of BIG party!

Very very good music, even though you cannot hear nor see it. The red-dressed youngsters in the foreground are the Russ. Will tell mor about this later, after 17th of May! (tomorrow) At the back, our ´Olle Grieze´.... Domkirken.

And here, at the place of the old cafe ´Det Hvide Hus´ the new café Til Stede!!!! (Present, in the now I guess it means, kind of zen-like) In Markensgata. They have been here just about one and a half month, and so have we. Talked to the very nice girl at the bar, who came down here to Kristiansand just to open this place. Very very kind of her indeed.

Here some nice cake, Carrot and Chocolate, very very tempting. All organic food, some vegan, some also raw, which is new for some, but how about the feeling of eating a healthy piece of cake!!

This guy is looking very very organic and sustainable behind his herbs. He told me he is originally from town, but brought the concept down from Oslo.

I went for sensible lunch, and took the bellpeppersoup, which was delicious. The complemetory bread is better than/close to homemade, and the olive oil dip is just divine.

Around area, Baneheia and Kvadraturen

 Sorry about that, fair view of Andra's tail, difficult to focus!

 This guy is better at sitting still. This photo is taken at Revetjønn, Fox's pond.

 Cherry tree blossoming in Kvadraturen, or in fact, Posebyen, from Torvet on the way to the river Otra.

 Some people know what kind of boat this is, and I would just call it a fishing boat.... On the Otra, on the way out where the river meets the Kristiansand fjord.

 There!! With lots of rainwater and upcoming tide you dont want to get caught in the meeting waves!! We bike further and get to the Tangen:

 This used to be a place where campers could park for free, right in the middle of town. Not anymore. Regulators have realized its recreative potentials.

Even Lion's club put down a couple of public training sets, where you can work your abs, biceps etc after your run around the Kvadraturen, which is only 3 kilometers though, maybe not enough for a decent warm up for some of you...

Admitting also that this was taken a week ago, in radiant sunshine, while the rain is now pouring down. We don's take photo's that remind us of bad weather.

On walking (1) or in fact: On shoes

(This post has been written by Marianne, and might contain issues where Michael does not agree. Well, he'll just have to go in and change it....)

These shoes (Meindl) have been very very naughty, and must now sit in the cellar and wait to either be discarded or adopted by a merciful new owner. Michael still believes that there is such a thing as the 'perfect fitting pair'. This results in several, hopeful, visits to different outdoor shops with yet another wish and belief that his mission will be accomplished: getting those perfect shoes. This costs lots of time, and we normally both end up with the same painful blisters year after year. Michael believes that he should've bought a bigger pair this time.

These shoes are also quite naughty, but they are still upstairs here in the appartment, being taken out once in a while for a walk in the neighbourhood. They are not really trustworthy, as we saw last year, when both of us were trying to tend our blisters on numerous places on our way from Kinsarvik to Haukeliseter. But, they were bought on a whim in Wales some years ago, because the colour looked cheerful. Marianne does not believe in 'the perfect shoe'. She has had one comfortable pair once in her life, a pair of Gri-Tech, but they were worn down after one summer of walking in Skarvheimen.

When Michael goes to an outdoorshop in the Netherlands, they always advice him to buy a pair of really sturdy, type B sole and frame for Norway. That is allegedly the only way to support the ankles etc. for that rugged type of path and the unwelcoming mountains. Marianne still keeps asking herself if that is not taking a short-cut into walking comfotably in any mountain. Every time she walks with stiff and sturdy shoes, she tends to feel destabilized. Mostly because she cannot adjust with her ankles, or because the sole of the shoe is so thick that she does not feel the stones and how to best place her foot.

Btw, these shoes are a pair of Timberlands that we accidentally bought in Geilo, one time a pair of shoes had gotten the best out of Marianne (plus a walk from Geiterygghytta to Østerbø). This type has been very kind to both of us, but mostly to Michael, and they are still allowed for walks from time to time by him (like Gaustatoppen last summer).

These boots are great, and Marianne wishes there was a way she could use them on longer walks in the mountains without creating rainforest-conditions inside them. They keep out the rain, which is seriously the reason for wearing Gore-Tex at all in Norway (unless we are ill informed) They are not good against the cold, or, that still has to be tested. Guess a pair or two of granny's socks would do...

These shoes are now functioning as 'the perfect ones', for everything. Jogging, walking in the mountains, walking far, adjusting ankles and knees, feeling the stones, roots on the paths, everything. Michael does not agree on this completely, but Marianne has almost gotten him far enough to buy type A shoes... for a start....

Next blog on walking will be about: walking!

Evasive procrastination (2)

Just so that y'all are aware of the fact that in this neighbourhood we are having the year of Forget-Me-Not! They are everywhere, especially brightening up our entrance path and tea-corner in the garden.

The seeds that Marianne was boasting about a blog and a half ago, are coming to life!! Especially the Hokkaido pumpkin and the squash are taking charge. The Borecole on the other hand is being quite mischievous, refusing to join the party above the soil..

 Marianne still doesn't know where to plant out the pumpkin, considering its wild and uncanny ways, unless under the pear-tree in the garden. The problem will be falling pears in the fall (pun not intended). But this problem is tiny compared to other places (farm on the eastcoast) where one year the badger dug out the whole patch of pumpkins, and the other year the deer were marching into the middle of the patch (under the apple tree) trying to reach for the fruit, or digging up the fallen ones inbetween the poor pumpkin-plants. My sister who lives there has come to develop quite a passionate hate(they eat all my tulips)-(but they are so sweet)love relationship with these creatures.

The little square is where all the Rocket, Dill, Coreander and Boreage has been planted out. Had to cover it with some boards to make it dog/cat-proof. With two dogs and lots of chicken-dung to pluck out from the patches, we found this to be the most animal/plant friendly way. The tables and chairs were graciously lent to us by our landlords. Placed under the plum tree, looking into the sunset!