We just moved house and after unloading all the boxes from the previous house to the new one, we decided to use the next few days to travel to Sweden.  Not to do so is to miss out on a chance to go on a summer holiday and be stuck unpacking boxes for the rest of summer.

 

From Oslo, we drove to Stockholm expecting to visit a friend who we have not seen since we left Australia many years ago.  If we don't get to see him one way or another, we can still explore the delights of Stockholm, the city of islands, also known as the jewel of Scandinavia.

 

Since the trip was a spur of the moment thing, we arrived in Stockholm late at night and grabbed the first room we can find at the city center.  Needless to say, it was a bad idea since they can smell the desperation in our bodies longing for some rest and sleep after driving for almost 10 hours from 1 pm.  But, be forewarned, nothing comes cheap in Scandinavia.

 

The next morning, we are consoled by the idea that getting a room right in the heart of the city takes us very close to all the tourists spots, particularly gamla stan where the parliament, royal palace and the opera house are located, not to mention a stop to the famous boat trip around the islands.  I was completely bowled over my the old charm of gamle stan which offers old narrow streets and alleys that reminds me of Rome, a lot of souvenir shops and cafes and very impressive structures.   

 

Another thing that we wanted to go to is the island of djurgården home to several popular swedish museums such as Nordiska and Vasamuseet and Skansen, the first largest outdoor museum in the world.  Since it is a very large island to explore, I zeroed in on the Nordic animals which are found in Skansen, such as the bear and the moose.     

 

In Norway, unlike in the Philippines, christmas trees are put up a few days before Christmas eve.  To do it the Filipino way is to risk having the all needles from the pine tree fall off even before you can get the presents under the tree opened.  That is because we prefer to have a live tree cut from the forest and sold in garden stores rather than the plastic tree that we have in the Philippines.

 

This year, I have convinced the other half that we should get it a few days earlier than planned so we can have it ready for a christmas dinner we are hosting this year.  So, we did and off we went to Plantasjen which sells xmas trees in different species..yes..there are different choices available!  We usually go for the edelgran variety rather than the julegran although the former is more expensive since it lasts longer too.  The reason we get the real tree is that it emits a smell that reminds us of christmas which you dont get from the plastic variety.  The downside of course is that you have to drag the tree down several plights of stairs to the garbage bin and have to clean up the mess after the needles are left behind as you drag the tree down.  Last year, we decided the best way is to just throw it out of the window after making sure that no one is below of course!

 

It is tricky picking out a christmas tree.  Since we are getting it early, the store was not exactly ready for us.  Some of the trees are still inside their nettings and frozen!  This is because they were cut from some cold parts of the forest and transported (most from Denmark) and so had to be frozen to keep them fresh..like seafood!  Luckily, a very young salesperson (not more than 25, I think) was there to help us, even offering to take out the nets to help us choose our tree.

 

The first one had a too heavy trunk, very nice branches but was turned down due to its sheer weight.  The next was ok but the top part was too long and so it looked like a giraffe..but it looked so much nicer than the first..and much less heavy.  But then, we did have a whole lot to choose from so off we go to the next one.  The last one looked white than green..until i realized that this one is frozen and that it can turn green the moment it is shaken!  We did and also found a lot of hay caught in between the branches so even as we try to get all the trimmings out, we lost interest altogether.  All this time that the other half was busy making the last one pretty for me, I had my eyes on a tree that a man was shaking and looking over.  I thought to myself that what he is holding is actually what would suit us perfectly!  When he finally put the tree down, i shook my other half's shoulder and pointed to the abandoned tree. And, just like that, we know that we are ready to take Benny home!!! The funny part is that the man took the tree that we were previousl looking at, hay and all.

 

Then it was time to prettily our Benny.  The trip to the christmas decor section was next.  We chose a big red star to sit on its top and decided we will go for the red and gold colors this year, just like the previous year.  It was not necessary to buy more christmas lights as we had enough from last year.  To our delight, we only had to pay half price for most of the purchases, except the tree, as they had some offers.

 

So here is how Benny turned out after several hours....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dogs are creatures I can do without, most of the time.  Until Eddie. Wait, Pia too.  They are the two dogs that really made me think twice about swearing off any canine in our house. Before Pia and Eddie,  I think dogs are fine if they stay out of my way. 

 

Now, I fondly think of  them as mine. Really, Pia is my brother-in-law's beloved rottweiler and Eddie is my Swedish friend's part-rottweiler part-something else dog. 

 

I was introduced to Pia several years ago and in her usual enthusiastic self, lunged at me before I can even figure out if she is out to eat me or lick me.  It turned out to be the latter.  The incident scared the hell out me and my brother-in-law who thought that the new member of his family has dog phobia.  I was told he later heaved a sigh of relief when he found out that this is not so.  Now, Pia is sort of our baby, and she is sort of spoiled by the fact that we are the few ones she can trust to give her chocolates when her owner is not looking.

 

As for Eddie, we met him when we visited a friend in Stockholm.  His sheer size is enough to scare any dog but boy, can looks be deceiving.  He is the gentliest rottweiler I have ever seen, Pia included!  And how he dotes on Russell, my friend's almost two-year old baby.  Russell practically uses him as an exercise beam!

 

Too bad that we live in an apartment that can hardly take one more creature.  If that had not been the case, I would gladly open my door to a dog. 'Til then, I live by expecting Pia to come for a visit. Or maybe go on another trip to Stockholm to see the gentle giant that Russell can't do without.

     

 

      

 

The height of summer in Oslo is a good time to explore least known places in the city.  Today, we went to Ekeberg, an old stone age settlement of the city.  It is believed that settlers of this area drew carvings of human, birds and animals on this rock in the 6,000 bc. There is a theory that this may have been carved by the indigenous people of the North called the "Samis".  Today, the carvings are found close to the Sjømannsskole (Sailor's School) which is now a business school.

 

A walk down the campus will lead one to some interesting houses such as these which reminds one of the Stavkirke (Stave Church), a distinct architectural style of old Christian churches in Norway characterized by Viking motifs from ships. 

 

On the other side of the hill is the famous Ekeberg restaurant, built in 1929 and was one of the first building to use functionalist design.  It gives a very good overview of Oslo from the harbour side, even the old settlement of Oslo and the ruins of the Mariakirken (Maria Church) where old Christian Viking kings use to go to.  The restaurant has been opened recently and though prices are on the more expensive side, you can still get a table with a view for less than 200 kroners if you order a drink and a cake. 

 

 And for the nature lovers and those who want to save money, the heritage path of Ekeberg gives berry lovers free treats..of strawberries, blueberries and "multers."

 

 

It was a relief that we have decided to go out of the city and left to explore the rustic landscapes of Denmark last weekend.  We boarded the Stena Line ferry to  Fredrikshavn and from this city, we took the train to Skagen, the northernmost part of Denmark. 

What makes Skagen a must place to visit is its cultural history-it was a former artist colony in the 1870s up to the turn of the century.  Some of the most famous artists that sought refuge in Skagen are Danish artist-couple, Michael and Anna Ancher, Holger Drachman, P.S. Krøyer, Viggo Johansen and even Norwegian painter, Christian Krogh.  These painters were inspired by the French impressionist school and were drawn to the place because of its "special light".  Most of the works of these painters were collected and how housed in the Skagen Museum which we visited. We have some postcards and a repro of "Landscape of Skagen" by Christian Krogh which is now hanging in our dining area to show for it. 

The Museum (www.skagensmuseum.dk) is found at Brøndumsvej 4 which is a walking distance from the Skagen train station. The museum grounds also include the garden house which was used as lodgings by the great artists of Skagen when they come for visits and even the former studio of P.S. Krøyer which is now a cafe. When we went there, there was a special exhibition of the works of Swedish painter Anders Horn.

A few meters away is the Sønderstrand where the Vippefyret (an old wooden lighthouse) that stands on Fyrbakken.  The beach itself has fine white sand and dunes with grasses. A famous painting called the   I picked up some colored beach stones to remind me of the trip.  Along the strip are hotels and pension houses for those who choose to stay longer in the area. 

From the beach, we walked to the town center past beautiful low brick houses in yellow and red hues.  We also found a lot of eating places at Havnevej offering from fish specialties to fast food.  We choose to go to an Italian restaurant with a very helpful waiter.  The prices were very reasonable.

Some other town landmarks that are to watch out for are the Hotel Plesner, Brøndumhotel, Bamsehuset, Anchers Hus and the Vanntårnet.

Before we know it, we have to go back to Fredrikshavn to catch the Stena Line Ferry back to the city.