Springtime in central Norway

Springtime in central Norway - sublime!
View of Tingvoll Fjord from the mountain behind my cousin's house 

Greetings from an unusually dry and hot summer in England.

Life has been fairly hectic of late, with the usual work commitments combined with trips up to the new house in Ledbury every couple of weeks to ferry bits of furniture and other belongings, keep the garden maintained and undertake decorating work.

However things will soon be changing. Kevin taught his final lesson on Friday and is now officially retired, having been given a lovely send-off by Frensham Heights. 

I finished up at the department store last Saturday, and I'm really going to miss my retail sales job. Nobody is more surprised than I to find that working in women's fashion is fun and stimulating! Helping people find clothes that make them feel confident and look good is really rewarding. Often our customers needed an outfit for a special event - Ascot, Wimbledon, a business dinner, a wedding, a funeral. Some of them were overweight, or had figures a little out of proportion, or they simply had managed to get to their fifties or sixties without having any clue about what looked good on them. You could see the terror in their eyes as they set about a seemingly impossible task. Convincing these women to try on things they'd never previously have considered, and seeing them bloom like a flower when they realised they could look well-dressed, was really a joy. Of course your external appearance shouldn't matter so much, but we live in a world where it does, and honestly... I believe most of us enjoy looking our best.

Anyway, all of the above are the reasons why I am only just getting around to writing this post about our trip to Norway back in May.

The spring thaw in central Norway - many months of snow and ice melting, creating 
thousands of waterfalls down the mountainsides

Unlike here in Blighty, where we have suffered through six months of warmer than normal weather with hardly any rain, up until our trip in late May much of Norway had been suffering a particularly wet and cold spring. In fact, two days before our arrival the region where my cousin lives was still having snow showers! However, we seemed to bring the weather with us and there followed a week of mostly sunshine and daily maximum temperatures between 14-21ºC.

It was wonderful to be back in Marion and Erik's beautiful home after a gap of several years. The reason for our visit at this particular time was to join in a family celebration. The day after our arrival there was to be a fully catered party in the village hall at lunchtime, followed by an afternoon of coffee, cake and cognac back at Marion and Erik's house just a couple of minutes' stroll away. 

Beautiful artwork in my cousin's home

Sadly, things were not off to a great start upon our arrival in Molde which is the closest regional airport to the house, about an hour's drive away. It's a tiny airport and we were the second last flight of the day, arriving at about 21:00.

Seasoned travellers will recognise that mental game of hope and despair as one stands by the luggage carousel waiting... and waiting... noting miserably fewer items on the belt with each revolution. 

Nope. 

Kevin's bag clearly had not made it onto our connecting flight from Oslo. We attempted to report this to the sole official looking person at the service desk, but she was a representative of the company that owns many of Norway's airports, not an employee of Norwegian (Norway's budget airline). There followed several days of internet searching and frustrating phone calls as Erik and I, oscillating between Norwegian and English, mirrored that luggage carousel - ie going around and around in circles and receiving conflicting information about how to retrieve Kevin's luggage. 

Thank goodness I'd insisted Kevin wear his smart sports jacket and best denim jeans on the plane* so for the big party on Saturday his attire could loosely have been described as 'smart casual' with the emphasis being firmly on the casual end of the scale. His jacket was worn over a good quality plain t-shirt, paired with his  jeans and... his smartest trainers!

* I am constantly appalled at the way people dress for international flights these days. Like they just woke up, realised they'd run out of milk and raced down to the local shop, hoping to see as few people as possible. I'm not talking about long haul flights, which of course require a greater level of personal comfort. I am talking short flights of 1-3 hours to various European destinations. People have absolutely no pride in their appearance these days. You don't have to be 'dressed up' but please make a small effort - you know, like you're actually going out in public. 

Kevin's luggage was eventually delivered to our door by courier on Sunday, the day after the family event. The lunchtime party itself was lovely; wonderful food beautifully displayed, a number of heartfelt speeches (the Norwegians do love a speech) and much humour in watching the 4-5 small children in attendance making the most of the bouncy castle that Erik had purchased to keep them amused. The remainder of the afternoon was whiled away with groups of people in various spots around Marion and Erik's spacious home, all of us stuffing ourselves with delicacies from the dessert buffet, washed down with coffee - always excellent in Norway - and dainty glasses of cognac.

Tables dressed for the big family party in the community hall in my cousin's village
(that stuff on the floor in front of the stage is a bouncy castle, prior to inflating)

The koldtbord (Norwegian equivalent of the more familiar Swedish word smörgåsbord)
- oh boy, it was a spread!

Everything is displayed so beautifully at a Scandinavian event.
Even some humble bread is arranged in an antique butter box painted in the
rosemaling folk art style

Part of the dessert selection back at the house.
Yes, 'part of' - there was more! (see below)

This celebration cake was delicious!

More fabulous home-made treats - part of the dessert buffet at Marion and Erik's house

Over the course of our week in Tingvoll we took a couple of day trips within an hour or two of the house.

On a gorgeous, sunny day we drove about 40 minutes to the municipality of Sunndal, where you will find Vinnufossen, Europe's highest waterfall at 845 metres, and the seventh highest in the world. A few years ago there was a decision taken to install stone steps meandering up the mountain near the waterfall, and this work is being undertaken by Sherpas from Nepal, whose expertise in such things is unsurpassed. The project is not expected to be completed for another couple of years (the mountain is covered in snow and ice for more than half the year, so it's slow going!) but for now you can take the section already finished, which takes 30-40 minutes to climb about 300 metres. The views, even from that lower point, are sublime and we gleefully refilled our water bottles from the perfectly safe to drink, crystal clear and freezing cold water of Vinnufossen.

The region of Sunndal is surrounded by spectacular mountains peaks on all sides

Honesty stand near the start of the Vinnufossen trail.
Such things are common all over Norway - everything from eggs to fruit to jams and seedlings
left for people to take, leaving payment via electronic means or a secure cash box

 

Yours truly taking a rest from the clamber up Vinnufossen
(I have blurred the photos of Erik and Marion for privacy)

Kevin and I enjoying the spectacular views of the mountain range opposite,
taken from the Vinnufossen steps

Towards the end of our week in Norway we had a quick trip up to Marion and Erik's hytte (cabin) in the mountains of Oppdal, one of Norway's premier skiing regions. Every time we visit this place the relaxation is instantaneous; geographically it is spectacular, and the cabin is so delightfully rustic yet completely comfortable. Over the past couple of decades many fine meals prepared by Marion have been consumed in this traditional holiday cabin, with the wood stove blazing away and the snow falling softly outside (spring, winter obviously) or in summer with the long nordic day weaving its own magic.

Sunrise in Oppdal, Norway - late May 2025

Spring in Oppdal - great carpets of wood anemone everywhere!

Wood anemone (detail)

View from the deck of Marion and Erik's cabin in Oppdal

Views on my early morning walk in Oppddal
- the Trollheim mountain range and Gjevilvatnet (a large lake)

The town of Oppdal has this wonderful sculpture of a skier

One of the larger cabins in the Oppdal area

Before heading back to Marion and Erik's house near Tingvoll we visited the UNESCO World Heritage town of Røros. The last time we visited it was mid-winter and -10ºC, so it was nice to see Røros under different conditions. This picturesque little town has a long history in mining, with copper having been discovered in 1644, making it one of the most important mining towns in Norway. The timber buildings in Røros have been remarkably preserved, with most dating from the 1700s and 1800s. 

It was blissfully quiet mid-week in May and we found a really cute lunch venue that had been designed around a 1950s diner. After stuffing our faces at Freddy's we spent a couple of hours wandering around to admire the historic buildings, many of which are painted in vibrant colours. I had been hoping to come across an antiques or vintage shop whilst in Norway, and in Røros I thought my luck was in when I saw an attractive range of wares outside one of the buildings. Regrettably, this was merely an example of the trusting place that Norway is - the shop was actually closed! But the proprietors had helpfully left a representative selection of goods outside to let potential customers know what treasures awaited them on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays when the store would be open. This is not uncommon in Norway; at supermarkets and gift boutiques across the country you will often find honesty stalls, where customers are invited to take whatever they need, leaving payment either via electronic transfer or in a secure cash box.

These days Røros is a very popular tourist town and there are many high quality boutiques offering pottery, textiles, clothing and gourmet food items.  

Eafossen, a small waterfall near Holtålen, not far from Røros

Røros Church, a distinctive whitewashed stone building constructed in 1784 

Beautiful timber buildings line the streets of the UNESCO World Heritage town of Røros

This monument commemorates the discovery of copper in the early 1600s by Hans Aasen, a local farmer who shot a reindeer buck.
The rest of the herd, in its panic, kicked up the earth and Aasen's eye was caught by an unusual stone - which turned out to contain copper  

Lysstråle, one of many cafés in Røros 

Vibrant green building on Bergmannsgata in Røros

Freddy's, a fantastic 1950s diner in Røros

I couldn't resist a selfie with Elvis at Freddy's Diner

Rustic building with turf roof in Røros

Røros is full of charming timber houses...

...and lots of little alleys inviting exploration

The vintage store that was actually closed on the day we visited Røros. 
Yet such is the way of things in Norway that they happily left ALL THIS STUFF
on display outside... for when the shop would open in a couple of days' time!

So there you have it, a very enjoyable - albeit brief - trip back to Norway. We managed to pack in quite a bit during the course of just one week and the entire region was one long vista of blossoming trees, melting snow and thousands of waterfalls.

Springtime in Norway is pretty hard to beat

New growth on trees in the woodland behind Marion and Erik's house

Wow. Glamour in a public seating area of Oslo's international airport 

At present Kevin is in the Italian Alps with friends, cycling a route through the Dolomites and down to Lake Garda. When he returns next week we'll be in the final couple of weeks of our time at Frensham, this beautiful place where we've lived for the past seven years. It is with very mixed feelings that I approach that milestone, but we are excited to be starting a new life in Herefordshire. 

Until next time,

- Maree  xo

The warmest, driest and sunniest spring since 1910

 

Colourful buildings and cloud topiary above the River Dwyrwd at Portmeirion

Greetings, All.

Now there's a blog title that would lead you to believe the writer is happy about this state of affairs. Alas, those who know me will realise I'm not jumping for joy at living through the warmest, driest and sunniest spring in the UK for well over a century.

I will acknowledge that we had a *very* grey and drizzly year in 2024, and I don't begrudge others a spell of sunshine. But yesterday, when we are only two-thirds of the way through spring, we hit 29ºC here in Surrey. This is not normal. We've already had many days of way above average temperatures, in the mid/high twenties, and yes - I'm already over it! Sadly I fear we are in for a hot summer and the prospect of moving house during a heatwave is not appealing.

Anyway, we have made the most of the fine weather. At Easter we spent some time up at the new house in Ledbury, as well as staying a few nights in north Wales, in the waterside town of Porthmadog, Snowdonia, to be precise. 

En route to the house we visited Westbury Court Garden in Gloucestershire. This is a small National Trust property, but significant in that it is the only restored Dutch style water garden in England. It was laid out between 1696-1705 and features canals, a circular pool, extensive topiary and some really ancient trees. This was just a brief stretch-your-legs visit; pleasant enough, but not up there with our favoured NT venues.

Topiary in the restored Dutch water garden that is Westbury Court Garden, in Gloucestershire

Kevin posing beside the circular pool, with one of Westbury Court Garden's canals in the background

Ah, the fleeting Fritillaria meleagris, or Snake's Head Fritillary.
I so love these lantern-like, delicate spring flowers that only grow in river meadows and damp soil grasslands, and bloom for just a few short weeks

The Summer House near the Walled Garden, Westbury Court Garden

Shadows from the ornate railings of the Summer House
- Westbury Court Garden, Gloucestershire

The girth of the magnificent 300-year-old Quercus ilex, or holly oak, at 
Westbury Court Garden is a world record holder - it was planted in 1696!

The bell tower of the Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Mary - adjacent Westbury Court Garden - is separate to the church building itself.
It's 700 years old, though the wooden spire was only recently restored

The drive from Ledbury to our wharfside rented apartment in Porthmadog was scheduled to take about 3.5 hours, so we took a break at Powis Castle near Welshpool, which was about halfway to our destination. 

This medieval fortress was built in the 13th century and is quite magnificent with its castellation and turrets. The interiors are incredible, though kept quite dimly illuminated to protect the frescoes, tapestries and artworks. 

The castle and gardens are listed separately as Grade I properties of significant historical interest, with the gardens being one of the few baroque gardens to have survived almost intact since the 1680s. They are laid out beneath the castle and  include grand Italianate terraces, huge 300-year-old cloud-like yew hedges, and a formal Edwardian garden with lavish herbaceous borders full of fragrant flowers.

The west entrance to Powis Castle 

The magnificent, centuries-old cloud topiary that clings to the front of Powis Castle.
It was planted in the 1680s

Powis Castle, near Welshpool in North Wales

We were very happy with our rental apartment in Porthmadog which, though *tiny* was happily situated right on South Snowdon Wharf, only a few minutes' walk from the town centre. 

During the 19th century Porthmadog was an important port for the transporting of local slate, however even after the decline of this activity the town's proximity to Snowdonia National Park and multiple beautiful coastal towns meant it survived and flourished. One of its most popular attractions is a heritage steam railway. The Festiniog Railway Company, which owns the railway, is the oldest surviving railway company in the world.  

I'm an early riser and each morning I was rewarded with gorgeous sunrises across the Afon Glaslyn estuary.

Low tide along the estuary - outside our apartment on South Snowdon Wharf in Porthmadog

Ffestiniog station, from which you can take a variety of steam train journeys into Snowdonia National Park

The view across the Afon Glaslyn estuary at sunrise - glorious!

Sunrise view from our rental apartment in Porthmadog

With several more days of fine, sunny weather ahead of us, on our first full day in Porthmadog we decided to visit the village of Portmeirion, only a few kilometres away in Gwynedd.

Now, if you are not from a Commonwealth country or are below the age of 50, you might never have heard of this little Welsh village. Even if you have, your only reference to the place might be the range of tableware that shares its name, the most recognisable being their Botanic Garden design. However, the village exists today and is visited annually by roughly 300,000 people mostly due to its being the location for a 1960s TV drama, The Prisoner, which starred Patrick McGoohan. This trailer will give you a peek at the show which ran for a single, 17-episode series during 1967-1968 and which has gathered a cult following over the decades.

Portmeirion is in fact a 'folly village', in other words, not a real village despite having houses, shops, restaurants and a hotel. It was designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 in the Baroque style, as a tribute to the atmosphere of the Mediterranean. It's now owned by a charitable trust and many of its buildings are listed on the Welsh historical register as being of significant cultural interest. There is an entrance fee to visit.

Aside from The Prisoner the village has been used as a filming location on many other projects, including multiple episodes of Doctor Who. It's also been visited by famous personages, perhaps most notably for me by Noël Coward who wrote Blithe Spirit while staying in the Fountain 2 suite. It's one of my favourite plays and I have seen the 1945 film by David Lean, starring Rex Harrison, Constance Cummings, Kay Hammond and the sublime Margaret Rutherford, at least 15 times.

Regular readers know that I love a bit of cloud topiary!
Portmeirion did not disappoint

Bust of Patrick McGoohan, star of The Prisoner TV series (1967-68)

Kevin enjoying the tulips and pool in Portmeirion's piazza

Droplets from the fountain created beautiful, spherical patterns

Pastel colours and fabulous gardens, You can stay overnight in some of these buildings

Peak magnolia blossom in the gardens of Portmeirion

The buildings of Portmeirion are painted in vibrant colours

Terracotta red makes a bold statement on this building at Portmeirion

Portmeirion has many of these decorative, projecting signs outside shops and restaurants

The village is fairytale-like with eclectic, whimsical architecture combined with beautiful gardens and woodlands in a seaside setting. I had almost visited Portmeirion a number of times since the 1980s and was very pleased to finally get there. We happily spent five hours exploring the place and enjoying lunch by the water.

Yours truly enjoying the ambience of Portmeirion
(with a bronze statue of Atlas at the top of the stairs)

Kevin chose a rosé, I chose champagne to accompany our lunch by the water in Portmeirion

The blue and white pavilion by the waterside in Portmeirion

Looking back towards the elevated village of Portmeirion

This is not a joke - there is actual quicksand in the estuary of the River Dwyrwd!
The outgoing tide leaves the sandy sea-bed exposed, but the returning tide comes in really fast and forms quicksand - it's easy to get caught out

More gorgeous magnolias at Portmeirion

Another pretty projecting sign on one of Portmeirion's buildings

Our second day in Porthmadog was spent exploring the town itself, as well as venturing a short drive away to the cute little seaside town of Criccieth. Kevin had cycled through it some years before, and remembered the coloured row of terrace houses which he knew I would appreciate.

We practically had the castle to ourselves on the day we climbed its steps to enjoy spectacular views across this little seaside resort town, enjoying a thermos of coffee and some local shortbread purchased in the gift store below. Construction of the castle was begun in the 1230s and underwent various extensions, fortifications and sieges, before falling into ruins by the 1450s. In 1933 it finally became property of the state and has since had a lot of work done to protect it from further decay. 

Criccieth Castle, complete with Wales' national flower - the daffodil - in abundance

 

The jolly colours of terraced waterfront houses in Criccieth

View from the top of Criccieth Castle

Many of North Wales' beaches have these little gardens in old boats

After exploring Criccieth we drove to the tiny seaside town of Borth-y-Gest which has a nice church, a café or two and an ice cream parlour. However the reason most people visit is to walk part of the Wales Coast Path which runs around the Ynys Cyngar headland to Black Rock Sands, along the way providing beautiful views back towards Porthmadog and over the estuary to castle-crowned Harlech. There are numerous opportunities to stop at sheltered little coves with their sandy beaches. 

One of the sheltered coves to be explored on the Wales Coast Path from Borth-y-Gest

Quite by accident we had discovered a fabulous art deco building opposite Criccieth beach which became our dinner venue for that evening. Dylan's is a (small) chain of restaurants across North Wales, serving food that focuses on local produce. They also sell freshly baked artisanal breads, pastries and a range of local products, giftware and fresh produce.

Outside, on the beachfront pathway, there is also an Airstream offering takeaway drinks, ice creams and snacks.

Dinner was nice, though quite pricey for this neck of the woods, and the view sublime.

Dylan's restaurant at night, in Criccieth

Kevin exploring the bar and providore area of Dylan's restaurant in Criccieth

We stumbled upon Dylan's in Criccieth before lunch and I was lucky enough to 
get a shot of the restaurant area before any patrons arrived

Dylan's Airstream just opposite the restaurant, offering takeaway drinks, ice creams and snacks

Another evening shot of Dylan's at Criccieth

Criccieth Castle illuminated at night. A lovely view as we strolled back to our car
after dinner at Dylan's

With such beautiful spring weather and a good 3-4 days unwinding on the North Wales Coast it really felt like a longer break, recharging our batteries for a return to the cycle of working and driving up to the house in Ledbury every week or two.

Additionally, we've had quite a busy social calendar in the past month or so. Of course we are in the usual run-up to Eurovision, which this year falls on Norway's National Constitution Day (17 May) so our annual watch-party for the grand final will be a double celebration. But before that, across Europe many of this year's acts are touring with previous Eurovision acts, so for the second time in 12 months we were fortunate to see one of our favourites - Norwegian band KEiiNO - perform at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. It was a sold-out gig and once again we had a fabulous time with a crowd that knew every word of every song and joined in with gusto. As our friend Graeme commented, it shows how good KEiiNO are that, six years after *almost* winning Eurovision (they won the public vote but were criminally wronged by the jury vote), they are still putting out records and selling out venues - quite an achievement in the fickle world of Eurovision.

Click on the video link below for a short burst of the evening's revelry.

Alexandra Rotan, lead vocalist of KEiiNO, enthralling the audience and hitting the high notes

Singer and songwriter Tom Hugo with Sami artist Fred Buljo,
who with lead vocalist Alexandra Rotan make up the trio known as KEiiNO

Only a couple of weeks after seeing KEiiNO we popped into London again to see Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra perform at the London Palladium, with our friends Roy and Tracey.

Oh boy, what a fun evening!

Roy and Tracey introduced us to a restaurant offering 'modern Indian' food in Soho, just a couple of minutes' walk from the theatre, where we had an early dinner before the performance. I heartily recommend Kricket if you're in the area and seeking something a bit different from the usual Indian fare. They have a combination of individual tables and larger, communal seating which makes for a very buzzy atmosphere. Loads of vegetarian and vegan options too.

I also urge you, if the opportunity presents itself, to buy an admittedly fairly expensive ticket to see Jeff and his jazz band. He is *exactly* like he is in interviews - a quirky, witty, amusing and totally engaging raconteur who loves nothing more than to chat away to the audience (individually and as a group) between musical numbers. And what's more, he is a hugely accomplished jazz pianist. The show included a couple of guest vocalists, and Jeff even brought out his two young songs to perform on the piano - clearly they have inherited his musical genes because they flawlessly performed a couple of numbers in front of a packed house... at the tender ages of (almost) 10 and 8 respectively.

An eager London Palladium audience waiting for the doors to open
for Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra

Inside the glorious London Palladium, waiting for Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra to take the stage

Our final few months at beautiful Frensham are whizzing by scarily fast, and we are trying to make the most of our remaining time here. I often go to vintage fairs and  was thrilled recently that one of them was held right here at the school. It was a really beautiful event in the school's lovely main building and grounds and I daresay the organiser's will bring back the event next year, though sadly of course we will be far away.

Most of the articles on offer are in the French country vein, which is gorgeous, but I had been hoping for at least one exhibitor to have some MCM wares (Mid Century Modern). I was generally disappointed, though there was one oil painting that looked like it might have been from sometime between the 1930s-1950s... stupidly, instead of snapping it up I decided to do a full circuit of the stands before doubling back, by which time of course some other person had nabbed it! (sob!) 

Still, it was a lovely way to spend a couple of hours and I did come away with some hand-dipped beeswax candles from a local artisan. 

Another glorious spring day for the vintage fair at Frensham Hall

The vintage fair at Frensham Hall offered mostly French antiques and objets...

...but there were also lots of handmade decorative pieces to be had, particularly for Easter

More stalls on the front lawn of Frensham Hall

Vintage enamel ware for sale

I fell in love with this really unusual way of displaying handmade beeswax candles.
Reader, I bought them!
(glass apothecary jars filled with water and sprigs of ivy;
they keep for some weeks and can then be emptied and refreshed)

Exhibitors and buyers inside The Blue Room at Frensham Hall

As usual I leave you with a few pictures of the season, from here at Frensham and also the new house up in Ledbury. With the current extended period of hot weather I fear many of the spring blooms will be short lived, but we're enjoying them while we can. 

A variety of daffodils gathered from various spots around the local area

Our crabapple tree absolutely groaning with blossom

Close-up of crabapple blossom

Clematis in bloom - in the garden of our new house in Ledbury

Ah, one of the most glorious springtime sights in England - flowering rapeseed,
such a vivid colour it doesn't seem real

Until next time,

- Maree  xo