URBAN ROOTS

This evening I went for a stroll in my neighbourhood. It takes me about five minutes to walk from my house to the sea. In the above photo you can see my shadow on the walkway across the road down to the path that runs alongside the small yacht harbour.

My walks often start here, because I'm always drawn to the sea. Not only have I grown up in this area of Oslo, I have also lived here with my own family for nearly thirty years. And when I move, in one and a half years, it'll be just down the road, as close to the sea as I am now. Talk about having roots after all, even though I keep claiming I could make my home anywhere in the world!

I was dying for a take-out coffee, so I made my way down the pathway to the commercial centre at the end of the harbour, where I found only one out of three coffee shops open at 7.15 pm! Well, this is a typical office and lunch area, but it's still under development, and just before Christmas a whole new range of shops opened. Among them is the fantastic Maschmanns Food Market, which comprises a bakery, a vegetable market, a cheese shop, a meat counter and a fish counter. Plus a Brasserie, where we met for Johanne's birthday lunch in December, just after it opened.

In the place where I got my coffee - the newly opened Karen's Café - I was told that they do "Happy Hour" Thursdays and Fridays between 5 and 9 pm, with wine and beer at a give-away price! Hmmm.... I wonder if this too is going to become a regular haunt for me...

Big Mama plugged into Spotify & coffee while walking

The old train station building at Skøyen

The area of Skøyen - where we live - is under a lot of pressure because it's so close to the city centre. It's a junction for trains, buses, business and one of the main roads out of the city. We can catch the bus or train here for two different airports - in walking distance from our house. A lot of flats are being constructed - without the necessary upgrading of the infrastructure. Hmmm.... Can't get started on that....

For six years we ran our Gourmet shop in the above pictured building, which I passed on my walk. Every day I looked out on this statue across the street - here in her winter coat (coat? What coat?) and summer nakedness:

I think this is the ugliest time of the year here in the northern countries: Pre-spring. Everything is brown and grey, and hibernated leaves and grass are rotting. But we've finally had some warmth - if you can call ten degrees warm - and the snow's been melting quickly.

Newly washed car - which gets dirty again immediately! Better take a pic now! 

(It's a wonder this car's still got its antenna - Sophie forgot to remove it in the carwash yesterday... and tried to dodge in and out of the car while being shouted at by Big Mama over the phone. Finally she had to throw herself into the back seat as the brushes came thundering. However - it was flexible and survived. The antenna that is).

A stripe of snow still in our front garden

I just HAVE to show the dress I'm wearing today - I suddenly remembered it and found it in a wardrobe. It must be nearly ten years old but very cool! This photo was taken at 9 pm - YES! 

We're heading the right way.