This week was all about side quests as Marty joined me on Monday which meant that we had the opportunity for a few adventures. The bus-train public transport option also shifted with the Drammen tog (train) being active again. I may have mentioned that when I arrived in Norway, there were no trains in Drammen as there was track and bridge work both happening. All that changed on Sunday with trains coming back and the bridge opening on Monday to pedestrians.

After Marty got settled we went for an evening walk around Drammen which was lovely as it was very quiet with it being Monday night.

On Tuesday, we went for bigger walk around Drammen to reconnect Marty with the town. We went to the studio and then had a really nice lunch at my local fave Cappadocia cafe.

Wednesday was a very creative day. After we went to some of the secondhand shops, Marty helped me with adding some plant matter to the evolving piece of ancestor fabric. I also caught up with Karianne from Drammen Kommune and Marius Dahl to organise an artist talk which will happen on Tuesday afternoon 9th of September at 2pm at the studios. I love this collage of some of my work that one of the artists Mona Sundelius made to promote the talk. It really is a lovely community and it has been so good to get to know some of the artists at the studios.

Here are some snaps of creative hands – loved seeing the skillful repair job Marty did on his newly scored suede jacket. We also had fun squishing foraged berries into the evolving tablecloth… It will come home with me if I can get it through customs – there are more fish to add to the layers ❤

Thursday we caught the train to Tonsberg to see some Viking ship replicas – Marty was keen to see the Viking ship so off we went. In 2017, I found out somehow about a Viking Market there and met some of the people I had met through my friend Hege – Ingrid and Andrea 🙂 This time at Tonsberg was much quieter, we had a great chat with Ivan who has a little shop with souvenirs and gifts which raise money for the latest viking ship replica project. We both opened our wallets as all the sales support this wonderful project. We also talked about me bringing some Opals next time I visit ❤ Ivan and I had a great stone geek chat – he was impressed that I identified the stones he had in some brooches 🙂

Friday we went to Oslo with a plan to visit the outdoor folk museum so I could photograph old buildings. It rained most of the day so we mainly just stuck to the old part of Oslo town and headed home early – with a promise to return this week. I also have my eye on some books – really can’t help myself…

Saturday was an amazing day of learning – talk about serendipity! I have been walking past this old house so many times in 2017 and this year – wondering what was inside. To my absolute delight, the building was open and we had a free guided tour by local history buff Parminder. He is originally from England and married a Norwegian and has lived in the region for the past 4 years. I learnt so much about the history of trade of the region and the rise and fall of Drammen over the centuries. I have only shared a few pictures here – more will be part of the blog thread I will curate as I launch into my PhD research.

After the talk, we took lots of photos and went for a big walk to the Gulskogen bridge and then through some of the old streets of Bragernes. The weather was gorgeous and we made the most of it ❤

Saturday documentation continued…

Saturday night I also worked on my weaving – which is emerging as a cornucopia…

Sunday we set ourselves the challenge of walking up the Spiralen. I was really surprised as for the first time ever in the 16 years Marty and I have been together, I set the pace for our walk up the mountain. It was really good for us to commit to the challenge – even after I suggested we get an Uber to the top LOL!! On the way back we wandered around some of the posh houses in the foothills – lots of house porn for me to drool over!!

So that is it for another week. I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone and would you believe I am already thinking about my next visit. There is something about this country which makes my spirit sing. This week it has been really special as I have been able to share my joy and adventures with Marty – I think he is having a good time too ❤

Have a great week xxt

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