Summer greetings

The title could be a little bit confusing as we have winter in Auckland now.
However, we are very lucky to be in Norway right now and have already been here for almost 5 weeks.
What a holiday! The weather has been incredible most days and we have enjoyed life to the full.
We have also been in both Gotheburg and Oslo to meet good, old friends.
Next on the menu (so to speak) is the Shellfish Festival in Mandal.

Happy summer!

Some pictures from this year's incredible summer attached below.

Gothenburg

Skjernøya, Mandal - heaven on earth

Sjøbu (fishing equipment storage), Skjernøya

View from restaurant by Akershus Fortress, Oslo

"Rogna" - Art in Mandal

BBQ at Birkeland

We had visitors from New Zealand

Oslo next

I have had three lovely weeks so far with family & friends at home.
Weather has been so so, but today we have had a lovely sunny day starting with a nice walk and ending up with gardening and pizza making. Couldn't be any better!

On Thursday I am off to visit my friend Jette in Oslo. Almost two years since last visit so will be good to catch up again. Shopping guide has already been made and hopefully there will be time for a little sightseeing as well. Can't wait. Will be good too see the big smoke again.

Below are pictures from previous visits.

Oslo Opera House

View from the Opera House

A weekend in Oslo

Last weekend my friend N. and I went to Oslo to visit my friend J.
This has been planned for weeks and guess who was looking forward to a weekend of indulgence in shops, restaurants and a late morning in the hotel.
We did!
We arrived Oslo on Saturday noon to icy roads and a lovely lunch at Bølgen and Moi, known for its very delicious food and I must say interior as well. After our blood sugar levels were back on track, we went to the hotel to put our bags into storage - and then it was straight into shopping heaven.
The selection of shops in Oslo are great and it is fun to have a look around. Not that we bought a lot. Shocking, I know, but I think we were a bit overwhelmed from the selection of brands.
Nevermind. We had a good time anyway. 
Ahhh...the lovely food at Olivia. I have to check the address, cause everyone who is visiting Oslo, should go to this lovely place.

On Sunday we visited Vigelandsparken. For those of you who have been there, will probably only remember all the naked sculptures. Actually 212 of them. This is the biggest sculpture park in the world where the sculptures are made of only one artist. His name is Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943). He was also designing the park itself and the park was finished between 1939 and 1949. Isn't it lovely and peaceful?
The most popular sculpture is "Sinnataggen" (the angry boy). You can see him in the background of the picture of my dear friends N. and J.

Thank you Ms. J for being a fabulous guide!

Ms. N and Ms. J - a lot happier than Sinnataggen