When the snow is here, even the sea is silent and the boats sleep together, nice and warm, at the marina.

One thing I have learnt about coming to Norway is that bread and cakes turn out much better when you do as the Norwegians do.  I’ve tried many times to bake my Australian bread recipes and for some reason they never quite turn out the way they should.  I don’t really know the reason why [...]

The Christmas Star flower, more commonly called poinsettia, is found in nearly every Norwegian home during Christmas. Its star-shaped petals and deep red colour make it a popular holiday decoration. It also thrives in low-light conditions, making it ideal for Norwegian winters.
The tradition of using this flower at Christmas actually originated in Mexico in the [...]

Pepperkaker (gingerbread) makes an excellent decoration for the house at Christmas time. We make lots of different types of pepperkaker – some for hanging on the Christmas tree, some for hanging in the windows, some to give away when we go carolling and others sit on the table for grazing.
One of my favourite activities [...]

A midday memory from the darkness.

The darkest day of the year is known as winter solstice. It is when the northpole is tilting the furthest away from the sun. It usually occurs between the 21st-23rd of December – this year it happened on the 21st at 1:04PM. The above picture was taken as close to this time [...]

At full-moon the blue light almost looks electric. Our favourite jetty really knows how to surprise us for Christmas – especially with this ‘elfs-eye-view’.

The Barn Elf (Fjøsnissen) is a creature from Scandinavian folklore. He was often described as a short man, “no bigger than a horse’s head”, wearing grey clothes, knickerbockers and a red hat similar to what Norwegian farmers would wear.
As the name suggests, the Fjøsnisse lived in the barn. Of course, he was so shy that [...]

Waffles are a Norwegian tradition.  Not a week goes by in a Norwegian home without a waffle being eaten.  Unlike the Belgium waffles, Norwegian waffles are large, soft and fluffy and fit pefectly folded in your hand.  Soured milk is a usual ingredient however, it can be replaced by fresh milk.  Cardamum, a common spice [...]

‘Rur’ is the Norwegian word for barnacles, which are related to crabs and lobsters. These little fellas have a very interesting life. Their backs are attached to a rock (or a ship), they can’t leave their shell and the only way they can eat is to filter the water for plankton. This [...]