Another snowy Scandinavian Christmas

Happy New Year to my readers!


Well, in fact Christmas and New Year have come and gone, and I am perhaps a little tardy in publishing a post on our festive season activities... but here goes.

Our Christmas location - Gyl, just outside Tingvoll, in Norway

Once again we have had the privilege of spending Christmas with family in beautiful Norway, and despite some very mild and rainy conditions in our first couple of days, the weather gods eventually came good and provided us with the necessary white stuff.

We were off to a good start as we arrived in Oslo, awaiting our connecting flight. Oslo has had a huge amount of snow this winter and the picture below was taken through a window at our departure gate. For all that it's a picture of industrial buildings at an airport, I feel the image has a stark, monochrome, wintry beauty.

Monochrome beauty at Oslo Airport

Clear skies above Kristiansund

After a connecting flight from Oslo to Kristiansund on Norway's west coast, a 45-minute drive from the airport brought us to the tiny village of Gyl, where we have visited my cousin Marion and her family numerous times over the past 20 years.

Previous stays have been in the lovely white timber building that was Marion and Erik's home for about 25 years, and was once the local school (where indeed Marion's husband Erik was educated in his early years). However, a few years ago two elderly spinster sisters made the decision they could no longer live in the house in which they were born and had spent their entire lives. Like Erik's family, their clan has farmed in that location for about 600 years. There was no question of them putting their 170-year old home up for sale on the open market; it was in an almost original state - right down to the fact that they had no running hot water inside the house.

Marion and Erik made an offer, and they became the owners and caretakers of this piece of local history. Over the next few years plans were drawn up to build their dream home as an annexe to the existing dwelling.

The new house, with the original one on the right

A lot of the building work was done by Erik himself over the course of two years, with the assistance of adults sons Jo Eirik and Jørn Henrik, as well as a contracted carpenter who lived with the family for a month or two at a time (Gyl is not a metropolis, and commuting would have been impractical). This really was a labour of love, with most of the timber coming from the family's own woodlands, and cut and shaped in their barn.

The house has a traditional turf roof, and it's an incredibly energy efficient home with lots of light, generous spaces and mod cons - all whist maintaining a rustic character to blend with the original house adjacent. 

The heating system is amazing; there is a single fireplace on each of the two levels, but there are no radiators in any of the rooms. Yet the house has a constant, reliably warm temperature, even in the depths of a snowy nordic winter - achieved via the impressive piece of engineering in the photo below, a Swedish system that uses the oven to heat water which is pumped into pipes under all the flooring.

It's also connected to an electric water heater, so that if the temperature drops below a certain level (eg overnight), the heater kicks in to maintain a certain minimum level of warmth so that you're not trying heat a cold house in the morning. It also means you don't have to feed the fireplace before you go to bed.

Of course, it really helps if you have your own forests to supply the wood.

This Swedish heating system is a real piece of eco-friendly engineering
- it heats water which is pumped into under-floor pipes throughout the house,
ensuring even temperatures throughout

Marion's a renowned cook and this new home gave her the opportunity to design the dream kitchen with seriously gigantic walk-through pantry, including enormous freezer space to hold all her preserved fruits, home-baked bread and locally caught fish. 

That freezer also holds the bounty of the family's hunting pursuits. Like many Norwegians, some of my relatives enjoy hunting which of course does not really fit with my philosophy, but it's not my place to criticise. Erik and the boys are carrying on a traditional pursuit that, whilst it still involves killing animals, is a vastly more humane method of sourcing meat than heading to the supermarket for a clingfilm wrapped, styrofoam tray of intensively reared, chemical laden flesh. They are incredibly mindful of the environment, and respectful of the animals they kill. It's done with accuracy and the minimum of stress, and every part of the animal is used for something - nothing is wasted.

Whilst I'd wish for everyone to be vegetarian, vegan, or even pescetarian as an initial step, I'm more comfortable with this family's meat pursuits than most people's.

(I should add that the family is also very conscious of my sensibilities - whilst the subject of hunting is by no means 'taboo', they do limit their discussions of that topic in my presence, and take care that I am not needlessly exposed to the evidence of their activities.)

View of the porch from the dining room, with the fjord beyond

Obviously the deer's head is not something I'd have in my own home,
but as noted above, this is a family that hunts

The original entry to the old house

A new experience for Kevin was the obtaining of a Christmas tree from the family's own woodlands. Erik and Kevin travelled by tractor up the mountain (another first for Kevin) and spent a considerable time selecting the perfect specimen - apparently this is more difficult than you would imagine, as Marion has very exacting standards! Kevin was then given the honour of cutting down the chosen tree.

The woodlands above the house - site of the Christmas tree selection

Kevin in action. 
No, he's not cutting down the dead-looking one

Driving home in the tractor with the prize in tow

Preparing the tree for its new indoor life -
it needs to stand in warm water in the barn for half a day to stop the needles dropping

The finished article

As usual I found our trips to the supermarket a delightful experience. I always enjoy visiting grocery stores, no matter where I travel around the world - it's an opportunity to get a feel for what the locals buy and consume. But Norwegian stores at Christmas time are particularly filled with interesting and festive items, as noted at length in last year's Christmas post. This year was not a disappointment.

Don't forget to stock up on Julenisser whilst purchasing your Christmas groceries!

Our days leading up to Christmas Eve were very leisurely - strolling around the village and surrounding forests, enjoying the neighbours' Christmas decorations and admiring local quirks. 

Yours truly, in her natural environment - snow makes me happy

Neighbourhood cabin

Mailbox in Gyl - for all you Star Wars nerds

Have snow boots, will travel

Christmas Eve, as always, was a truly special day. We'd had light snowfalls over the preceding couple of days, and snow continued to fall in the morning of the 24th itself. 

Everyone busied themselves with preparations for the evening event - Marion cooking, cooking, cooking. Erik and Kevin stringing up lights on the barn and the old house, to welcome guests. Neighbours dropping by all day long to present bottles of wine and chocolates, as well as things like salmon which they'd caught and smoked themselves. The menfolk of the house belatedly wrapping their Christmas gifts, literally in the last hour before the scheduled mealtime.

The new house under snowfall

Eric (up ladder) and Kevin (supervising)
- decorating the barn with Christmas lights

Every Christmas Eve in the late afternoon, either Erik or one of the boys dons the official julenisse disguise and heads off to terrify - *oops* I mean 'delight' - some of the local children. As far as we know, this is usually very well received... though the image below would cause most people to question that! I think Erik looks like he's about to hold up a bank, or take somebody hostage.

YIKES! Erik (as 'julenisse') off to terrify the local children

Earlier that afternoon we took the traditional Christmas Eve trip to the local cemetery, to place Marion's handmade wreaths and also lanterns at the gravestones of departed relatives. This is such a nice practice - taking time out of your day to remember those no longer with us. In all the bustle of preparations for Christmas dinner, this is a very welcome pause, a time for reflection.

Tingvoll Church - constructed sometime between 1150-1200

The cemetery in Tingvoll

Entrance to the sacristy at Tingvoll Church

The vicarage opposite Tingvoll Church - happily situated right on Tingvoll Fjord

Some of you have probably heard of the 'slow TV' phenomenon that was pioneered in Norway about ten years ago. In recent years this has expanded to include a 7-hour program that tracks the slow cooking of Norway's traditional Christmas Eve meal - ribbe, or slow-roasted pork ribs. 

Kevin is completely fascinated by the concept of slow TV and having discovered the ribbe program last Christmas while we were in Finnmark, he was very much hoping it would be reprised this year. His hopes were fulfilled, and despite the fact that of course we don't indulge in the consumption of animal flesh, there is something very telling and pleasing about the Norwegian psyche, that they devote a television program to something like this. 

Kevin particularly likes keeping an eye on the temperature reading and pondering the science of the cooking process. For myself, this program is not only about the ribs - the channel plays a continuous stream of vintage jazz / 50s / Christmas music for the entire seven hours. Consequently a lot of households have this program on in the background while they ready the house and themselves for dinner.

Slow TV for your viewing pleasure: the traditional Christmas meal, ribbe
- 7 hours of slow roasting pork ribs

Kevin can't wait for Christmas Eve dinner to be served

We had a superb evening, kicking off festivities off a glass of Jansz (Tasmanian) Méthode Champenoise that we had brought with us from the UK. Guest of honour for the evening was one of the sisters who used to own the house (the other sister having passed away a year or two ago). Kevin and I were fortunate to receive a great haul of lovely and thoughtful gifts, much of it hand-made by family members (cloudberry jam, mittens of traditional Norwegian design, and even cold smoked salmon caught and prepared by one of the boys).

As usual, on 25 December we strolled up the hill to Erik's brother's farmhouse to eat and drink copious amounts with the extended family. I am fortunate indeed to have such wonderful relatives who all welcome us warmly and provide generous hospitality.

Heading up the snowy (and icy!) road to Erik's brother's house

Tunnels of... white
- on 26 December we took a long walk up the mountain to a friend's cabin.
My word, the wind! It was truly glacial and we needed every one of our thermal layers

The view over Tingvoll Fjord from the mountain cabin of a friend
(about 45 minutes walk from the house)

Erik was pretty sure this was the footprint of a Eurasian Lynx
 - the print was just a bit smaller than my hand! 

So another marvellous trip to Norway, another truly beautiful Christmas. It was particularly nice to spend time with my cousin, as her mother passed away just a few months ago. Both of us were very glad to have had that memorable Christmas with my aunt in far north Norway last year.

Sunrise in Gyl

The house in sunshine, on our day of departure

The barn and house looking suitably Christmas-y, on 24 December

Back home in Farnham, loaded up with Marion's homemade
multesyltetøy (cloudberry jam) and store-bought strawberry and raspberry jam
...because Norwegian jam is the best in the world

Neither of us is fussed about New Year's Eve, so that was spent quietly at home with a bottle of Prosecco - which suited us just fine.

Some of you will know that I am one of those unfortunates whose birthday falls very close to the festive period. In Australia this is a particularly negative thing for me because it's high summer. At least here in the northern hemisphere the weather is more to my liking.

This year my birthday fell on a Friday, so I made all the arrangements myself to mark the day. I travelled into London to see an exhibition of Soviet-era art at the Tate Modern, and then attended a rare screening of one of my favourite films, Love and Death on Long Island (dir. Richard Kwietniowski, 1997), at the BFI. This was followed by dinner at my favourite vegetarian restaurant in London, The Gate in Hammersmith, where Kevin joined me.

London looking twinkly on a cold January evening


Below:
Just a man under Blackfriars Bridge playing 1920s toons on a flaming tuba.
As you do.

I hadn't been to The Gate for about 18 months because (a) it's pricey, and (b) the last time we went I was disappointed to find that - like every other vegetarian dining option in the UK at that time - most of the dishes were based around dairy. 

The UK seems to have been much slower than the rest of the world in embracing vegan options (which are generally my dining preference), but I'm happy to report that in the past 6-12 months there really has been a significant change - so much so that even local pubs are now offering at least a couple of vegan options, and sometimes even an entire alternative vegan menu. 

My birthday dinner was one of the best of my life. I selected Miso Glazed Aubergine as a starter, moved on to Rotolo for main course (pommes dauphinoises filled with North African style vegetables and chickpeas), and we shared an incredible dessert called Dark Chocolate Snowball. All of this was 100% vegan and TO DIE FOR. Worth every penny.

One of the best meals of my life
- the vegan wonders of The Gate restaurant in Hammersmith

It hasn't been a very cold winter, though we have had a couple of days of light snow and a few more of sleet. While everybody else is now eagerly awaiting spring, of course I am lamenting the signs that winter is on the wane (as much as I do enjoy the spectacle of spring). All the trees are already starting to bud and snowdrops are popping up all over the place.

The first snowdrops have arrived in Farnham

For now I'll enjoy the cold while I can. The memories of yet another snowy Christmas in Norway will have to sustain me, as the days grow longer and the temperatures start to rise.

Until next time,
- Maree  xo

'Tis the Season...

Lanterns in our hallway, with Norwegian glass nisser (elves) by Hadeland Glassverk

Well, this year's approach to Christmas has already been pretty special - because we're here in Farnham, and that makes everything nicer.

Farnham does a great job of decorating the town with Christmas lights, and all the shops and restaurants are suitably twinkly and festive. 

The cobbled Lion & Lamb Yard, with Christmas tree at the top

Locals admiring the Lion & Lamb Yard decorations

Festive window in Neal's Yard boutique, Lion & Lamb Yard

Trees on Castle Street

This gigantic, inflatable Santa was beckoning to me from a Georgian mansion on Castle Street

West Street's Christmas lights
(West Street is the street immediately parallel to ours 
- this is a 2-minute walk from our apartment)

For daytime enjoyment there are houses and cottages with jolly wreaths festooning front doors, and windows displaying poinsettias. It's not quite the full-throttle adornment of Norway, but certainly an improvement on Epsom.

However we were greatly underwhelmed by Farnham's annual Christmas Market which was, in a word, awful. It was less a Christmas market than a winter version of the autumn food fair, which was a wasted trip for us. All of the stalls, without exception, were meat-based. ALL of them. I don't remember the last time we went to a fair, or market, or festival where there weren't at least a few vegan and vegetarian stalls. 

This situation wasn't helped by the diabolically bad weather.  You had to feel for the stallholders, some of whom had their marquees blown away and goods actually lifted and smashed to the ground by strong wind gusts, not to mention the driving rain, and a temperature of about 3ºC. 

Farnham Council can't be held to account for the weather, but we had been looking forward to stalls with handmade or unusual gifts. These were few and far between. Unless you were looking for the flesh of slaughtered animals to devour on the spot, or to take home and consume later, you were out of luck.

Never fear; Surrey and Hampshire offer ample alternatives to get revellers in the festive spirit!


Winchester could certainly show Farnham a thing or two. We had fond memories of the Christmas Market and ice skating rink set in the surrounds of the Cathedral, which we visited back in 2008. So we decided to go there en route to a Christmas party at the house of a former work colleague of mine, in Waterlooville.

A gloriously sunny, crisp winter day really brought out the crowds. Winchester is such a beautiful city, particularly the historic area surrounding the city walls - charming stone houses, cosy pubs and cafés, monuments. It's only a 45-minute drive from Farnham so no doubt we'll be regular visitors. 

Crowds visiting the Christmas Market in front of Winchester Cathedral

Winchester has a plethora of dining establishments in beautiful Georgian buildings

Priory Gate, Winchester

Timbered infilled gabled building near Priory Gate, Winchester

Glühwein at Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market

Ah, the smell of roasting Italian chestnuts!

We recently visited one of our nearby National Trust properties - Hinton Ampner in Hampshire - for a bracing 'ancient tree trail' walk, and a quick tour of the lower rooms of the house (the upper rooms being closed off to the public for conservation). The ground floor reception rooms had been decorated in glorious Victorian style.

It was another sparkling winter day - the perfect conditions for being out in the fresh air, rugged up with hats, gloves and scarves.

Entry to the house at HInton Ampner

We really needed our woolies on this day - the wind was glacial

The staircase inside the house at Hinton Ampner

Inside the entry hall at Hinton Ampner

Kevin in Hinton Ampner's gardens - decorated for Christmas

All Saints Church at Hinton Ampner

We've also done our first real entertaining since we moved back to the UK 3.5 years ago. Some of you will be surprised by that, knowing how we do like to turn on a bit of a 'do' at home. However in Epsom we just didn't have a social circle in the local area, or the space to entertain more than two people at a time. We'd had visiting friends and family from Australia for whom we obviously prepared meals, and friends from up near Luton who would come for weekends, but really we hadn't hosted any dinner parties or celebrations the whole time we lived there.


So it was with great anticipation that we hosted Christmas drinks last Friday night. Most of you will know when I say 'we', I'm mainly referring to myself, because I do all the planning, inviting, shopping, cooking and decorating for these things. Kevin usually floats in about 30 minutes before the guests are due to arrive, clears the recycling bins ready for the evening's empties, pours ice into tubs and generally makes a nuisance of himself by picking at the food I've painstakingly and symmetrically placed on platters, and by disturbing my beautiful decorative arrangements. On this occasion I met him at the front door as he arrived home, and issued a stern 'Don't touch ANYTHING!'

However Kevin does correct the imbalance somewhat throughout the event, refreshing drinks and handing around food, and he's pretty good at clean-up too, as long as the single malt whisky hasn't been cracked open before the guests depart. 

Our living room at Crownwood Gate - waiting for guests to arrive

Canapés, crudités, sloe gin and other goodies awaiting hungry guests

I'd had a bit of a surreal moment in the car driving home from work the evening before, when suddenly Chris Rea's Driving Home for Christmas came on the radio. It gets well and truly dark here by about 3.30pm these days, and so for the first time I had a real appreciation of these lines as thousands of vehicles' tail lights stretched ahead of me on the M25:

Top to toe in tail-backs

Oh, I've got red lights on the run...

Hearing this song was particularly noteworthy because just that morning the news had been full of a story about Chris having suffered a stroke onstage during a performance, the night before. Fingers crossed for a speedy and full recovery. I have loved that man's gravelly voice since I first saw him on Countdown in 1978, performing Fool If You Think It's Over.

Our entry hall, featuring Christmas lights and my Norwegian grandmother's
hand-woven rag rugs, now more than 50 years old and still looking fab

That little star-shaped Santa Claus is a treasured possession 
- it was hand-painted by my Mum a few years before she passed away

It was also nice to festively decorate the house for the first time in many years. As we are always in Norway for Christmas, there's little point in bothering with our own place - I usually just have a couple of token lights and candles. It was a joy to bring out the special Norwegian / Scandinavian pieces, and I indulged in some very expensive genuine lichen/moss from Finland to nestle around candles, as well as the purchase of a very handsome hammered copper champagne trug, from Tesco, you will be surprised to know (for those of you unfamiliar with UK supermarkets, Tesco is one of the biggest chains but also at the more budget end).

Tasmanian premium sparkling rosé, Austrian veltliner, Welsh sparkling water
Italian & Chilean red wine, English ale...
all set for a convivial evening at home with friends & neighbours!

It really started feeling like Christmas after that first social event for the season, which has been followed in rapid succession by numerous work and other gatherings. We've even had to decline some invitations due to lack of space in our social calendar!

Unusually, Britain has had pre-Christmas snow over most of the country, and this of course has accelerated the festive mood. I drove to work last Monday with sleet and snow falling the whole way to Tadworth, and it continued to fall all day. Fearing the state of the roads I decided to head back to Farnham at lunchtime and worked from home the rest of the day and all of the following one as well.

Sadly the snow was gone within a day or so but it's always a thrill, despite the inconvenience it causes to daily life in this country.

View from the office at about 7.30am;
by lunchtime there was a solid blanket of snow

Thus the countdown begins for another Norwegian Christmas. This year we return to Tingvoll, after spending last year in far north (arctic) Norway. We are so glad the family made the decision to hold last Christmas up in Finnmark. The reason was that we expected it would probably be my aunt's final Christmas, and indeed it was - sadly, she passed away in October.

Marion and Erik finished building their new house in the summer, and we look forward to seeing it although we will miss their old home just a few minutes' walk away, where we have spent so many wonderful holidays in all seasons over the past 20 years or so. And of course we will very much be missing my aunt Rigmor (Marion's mother).

Some of you - for whom I have actual postal addresses - will have received Christmas cards from us by now. For the rest of you, best wishes for a wonderfully happy Christmas.

Until next time,
- Maree xo