This made me smile as we've just come back from western Norway. I've got the same photo of Trondheim, including the cloud cover. We went into the Kunstmuseum and admired the Hannah Ryggen tapestry. The Husfliden shops in every town were a surprise and delight. I had done a bit of research on Norwegian yarn with the help of Norwegian knitting friends so came prepared. What blew me away is the range of colours available which, to me, looked like Norway on an extensive painters palette. Every shade of ochre, terracotta, deep reds, greens, like the very essence of Norway is being spun and dyed into its yarns. Luggage restrictions meant I've "only" come away with 2kg of yarn but the colours look just like the houses in Bergen and Trondheim, and the forests and lakes we passed on the long rail journeys. Our aim was Lofoten but we didn't quite make it (picked up covid on the long train journeys) but my lasting memory will be the gorgeous colours of Norway represented in Husfliden's yarn section across tens of square metres of shelves!
Your posts are always the perfect accompaniment to Sunday breakfast, especially when the news is bad. A bit of creative inspiration is the ideal pick me up.
At first glance, I thought the figure pictured on the moose/elk mitten was someone playing a guitar. When I read it's a hunter, I wondered why I saw instead a guitar player, and realized the Beatles had been singing "Norwegian Wood" in my head the whole time I'd been reading. I guess a hunter makes more sense, but wouldn't it be fun to replace the hunter holding a rifle with a Beatle playing guitar?
P.S. I also have 'Antarctic phases'! I thought I was the only one. Looked up Skating to Antarctica and it does sound disturbing, but intriguing…
We trained but didn't Interail around Scandinavian for our honeymoon a few years ago. The languid journeys were perfect, accompanied by choice reading. I especially liked Notes from an Island By Tove Jansson | World of Books GB https://share.google/rHNtRCocO3Ld0WCKZ
We'll be back but by Interail having practiced in Spain.
Another great post which introduced me to wonderful new things. Hannah Ryggen’s tapestry We Are Living on a Star was just the shot of beauty I needed today, and the Kunstsilo is brilliant! One of the oldest grain silos in Chicago is heading for demolition—I wish someone had had the imagination to turn it into something similar.
I took a train from Gothenburg to Trollhättan in southern Sweden at the start of the month, and the carriage felt like a spacious, comfy living room with Scandinavian furniture.
We were taken on a cruise by my husband’s sister from Bergen to Kirkenees and it was fascinating. I bought my mum (93) a pair of mittens in a small village shop by a fjord. Knitted by a local. She was highly impressed by them and at about £25 a pair I should have bought more. I also have the same photo of Trondheim in cloud. If you know the Calm sleep stories there is one that’s about a railway journey from Trondheim to Bode…it’s my absolute favourite but it surprised me that it was overnight as the distance wasn’t SO great. So this post explains that. Thank you!
In defence of the Oslo-Trondheim route, the train has to climb quite a few hills on the way there! Hjerkinn station is more than 1000 metres above sea level. Happy you are enjoying your trip!
Lovely!! The Husfliden would be my choice stop for all the variety of work being done! Personally, once I knit with Norwegian wool I wasn’t happy with anything else…… except maybe British…. Lol
Last night was one of the hottest in Reading this year. After wrestling with the sheets it was lovely to read about your Scandinavian trip. I now know what I want to do next June! I too have discovered that Norwegian trains aren’t the fastest, but trains will always be my default travel choice. Thanks for the lovely article.
We visited Norway 2 years ago but did the Hurtigruten ship up the side, all the way from Bergen to Kirkenes in the far north. It was early April so there was snow everywhere. Trondheim was one of the places we stopped too. Beautiful country and very friendly people but everything was expensive.
I adore Copenhagen and visited Norway as a child, but a summer travelling around Scandinavia is almost my entire bucket list. Also totally get the thinking about something you don’t need to do it in the end, thing!
This made me smile as we've just come back from western Norway. I've got the same photo of Trondheim, including the cloud cover. We went into the Kunstmuseum and admired the Hannah Ryggen tapestry. The Husfliden shops in every town were a surprise and delight. I had done a bit of research on Norwegian yarn with the help of Norwegian knitting friends so came prepared. What blew me away is the range of colours available which, to me, looked like Norway on an extensive painters palette. Every shade of ochre, terracotta, deep reds, greens, like the very essence of Norway is being spun and dyed into its yarns. Luggage restrictions meant I've "only" come away with 2kg of yarn but the colours look just like the houses in Bergen and Trondheim, and the forests and lakes we passed on the long rail journeys. Our aim was Lofoten but we didn't quite make it (picked up covid on the long train journeys) but my lasting memory will be the gorgeous colours of Norway represented in Husfliden's yarn section across tens of square metres of shelves!
Your posts are always the perfect accompaniment to Sunday breakfast, especially when the news is bad. A bit of creative inspiration is the ideal pick me up.
I enjoyed this so much!
At first glance, I thought the figure pictured on the moose/elk mitten was someone playing a guitar. When I read it's a hunter, I wondered why I saw instead a guitar player, and realized the Beatles had been singing "Norwegian Wood" in my head the whole time I'd been reading. I guess a hunter makes more sense, but wouldn't it be fun to replace the hunter holding a rifle with a Beatle playing guitar?
P.S. I also have 'Antarctic phases'! I thought I was the only one. Looked up Skating to Antarctica and it does sound disturbing, but intriguing…
We trained but didn't Interail around Scandinavian for our honeymoon a few years ago. The languid journeys were perfect, accompanied by choice reading. I especially liked Notes from an Island By Tove Jansson | World of Books GB https://share.google/rHNtRCocO3Ld0WCKZ
We'll be back but by Interail having practiced in Spain.
Another great post which introduced me to wonderful new things. Hannah Ryggen’s tapestry We Are Living on a Star was just the shot of beauty I needed today, and the Kunstsilo is brilliant! One of the oldest grain silos in Chicago is heading for demolition—I wish someone had had the imagination to turn it into something similar.
I took a train from Gothenburg to Trollhättan in southern Sweden at the start of the month, and the carriage felt like a spacious, comfy living room with Scandinavian furniture.
I don't know if you collect Beatles memorabilia but Oxfam online is a very good source for original sheet music by the band. They currently have a nice copy of the music for When I Get Home with the band depicted on sun loungers. It's £35 but at least it goes to charity. Also various other titles. https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/searchresults?N=&No=0&Rdm=826&Nr=product.active:1&type=search&Nf=sku.listPrice|GT+0&Ns=null&Ntk=&Nrpp=30&Ntt=beatles%20sheet%20music
We were taken on a cruise by my husband’s sister from Bergen to Kirkenees and it was fascinating. I bought my mum (93) a pair of mittens in a small village shop by a fjord. Knitted by a local. She was highly impressed by them and at about £25 a pair I should have bought more. I also have the same photo of Trondheim in cloud. If you know the Calm sleep stories there is one that’s about a railway journey from Trondheim to Bode…it’s my absolute favourite but it surprised me that it was overnight as the distance wasn’t SO great. So this post explains that. Thank you!
In defence of the Oslo-Trondheim route, the train has to climb quite a few hills on the way there! Hjerkinn station is more than 1000 metres above sea level. Happy you are enjoying your trip!
Lovely!! The Husfliden would be my choice stop for all the variety of work being done! Personally, once I knit with Norwegian wool I wasn’t happy with anything else…… except maybe British…. Lol
My Sunday morning smile - thank you. xx
Last night was one of the hottest in Reading this year. After wrestling with the sheets it was lovely to read about your Scandinavian trip. I now know what I want to do next June! I too have discovered that Norwegian trains aren’t the fastest, but trains will always be my default travel choice. Thanks for the lovely article.
We visited Norway 2 years ago but did the Hurtigruten ship up the side, all the way from Bergen to Kirkenes in the far north. It was early April so there was snow everywhere. Trondheim was one of the places we stopped too. Beautiful country and very friendly people but everything was expensive.
I adore Copenhagen and visited Norway as a child, but a summer travelling around Scandinavia is almost my entire bucket list. Also totally get the thinking about something you don’t need to do it in the end, thing!
Delightful. Now I long to visit.