March 27, 2010

Easter bunnies

Hope these bunnies cheer you up! I've sewn four before I got bored (in pure Gemini style) and now that they've been received, I can show them. For once my Easter envoys will not be late! Due to lack of time, I wasn't able to send to all the persons I would have liked to but I've sent so many packages out for Christmas that I'm choosing to forgive myself :)

I was in Oslo/Norway for a few days last week. Mainly to bring 30 (thirty) frozen dinners to H. who had a major health problem and one of its effects was an internal bleeding in one leg, hence not being able to walk without pain. Now the only thing he has to do in the evening is to warm the oven :)
But also, it was a delight to see again the cat-boys after 6 weeks. Those little devils are just unique!
My flight from Warsaw was at 6 am... that meant leaving home at 4 am! Thank you Wizzair!! I couldn't sleep on the plane and when I looked out at one moment, we were already flying over Sweden's south-western coast. For fun, I took this picture because I was curious if H. would be able to find out where exactly that was and yup! We found out by comparing the picture with Google Earth and the funny thing is that of all the places I could photograph, this is the one spot where we spent a week-end with fellow translators from many countries, staying at one of them's house by the fjord not far from the little village of Lysekil. Isn't technology amazing nowadays?



On Saturday, H. could walk a little bit so we drove to see the new jumping tower on the Holmenkollen hill. Just a 5 minutes drive from the center and the view from up there rarely disappoints, in every season it has its charm. Splendid in the summer sun, but equally interesting with a thick winter mist...


We were not allowed to stop though. The World Biathlon Cup (or whatever it's really called) was held since a few days so the organizers put fences to block cars from stopping. You want to see, you have to pay. Norwegians start to find it outrageous that they have to pay outrageous prices (55 usd, if I remember well) just to see events which once were part of their life. What makes them angry is having to pay even for standing in the woods to see the skiers! Ah but, your favorite Polish reporter managed to take a picture of a biathlonist with its riffle on the back...


... and a picture of the new jumping tower, big deal for the Norwegians. It was inaugurated in early March, replacing the old wooden tower, one of Oslo's landmarks. It is seen from faaaaar away. I am not sure, but I have the feeling the old one was more easy to see.
The new one has funny sides aimed to protect the jumpers from the wind, I think...


Then we drove down again to Akerbrygge, a central spot in Oslo. I was surprised to see new modern ferries which connect the town with nearby places around the fjord, mainly used by people commuting to work and sometimes by tourists.



Once industrial, these buildings were transformed into a modern place with many shops, offices, a cinema, and lots and lots of places to eat. All that extremely expensive, of course. I love the place though! Lovely modern architecture and very peaceful even when it's very crowded.


Lots of very, very expensive apartments, too... Probably the most expensive in town.


On the other hand, Oslo's Town Hall (where the Nobel Peace Prize is delivered) looked sad... it's much nicer in the warmer season with flower banks around!




7 comments:

Melissa said...

Hi Anna!

Thank you so much for my pressie! It was such a lovely surprise and really brightened my week when I needed it as I had a sore neck/back!

Love the photos you took - it was like a mini holiday for me!

Longer email coming soon!

DaisyGirl said...

Tell H that I hope his leg gets better soon. That will help him out by you making all those dinners for him! What an awesome girl you are!
Hugs,
DaisyGirl
ps:love the bunnies!

Anonymous said...

What a BEAUTIFUL picture of the bunnies together with the tulips!! I'm so lucky to be a recipient of one of these pretties!! Have a great week!!

Cheryl said...

Oh those bunnies are adorable!
Thanks for the invite to your blog. Really enjoyed the pictures in this post, im surprised that that event happens so soon after the winter olympics.

Jennifer said...

Hi Anna,
Thank you for inviting me to your more private blog. Unfortunately my blog-updater in my sidebar doesn't tell me when you have made a new post. So there I sat, waitng and waiting, and already you had made TWO new posts!
I hope that your husband is doing better. How kind of you to fly from Poland with many meals for him.
I notice in the past few years that gymnastics is also going the way of the Winter sports in Norway...always baracades and security and very high prices for tickets. No more pure enjoyment of sport! The barriers on the jump hill you see are probably not only to block the wind, but to block the view of anyone who has not paid for a ticket.

Anonymous said...

Nice pictues thanks for the tour. I think I will pass on the jump tower, rather watch on TV those type of events, but brings a entire new perspective and appreciation for the sport. The bunnies are more of my kind of sport, speed stitching.:)

Le Lapichat Brodeur et ses amies said...

merci pour la visite d'Oslo ! et bon rétablissement à H....
les petits lapins sont trop mignons :-)