winifredcreamer

Beachcombing in northern Norway

Beachcombing is not so simple in our area–most of the shore is rock. There are a variety of clams, whelks and we learned that little sand trails come from lugworms. (Amanda is our visiting marine biologist.) There is still a lot to look at when there is a sandy spot, and a surprising quantity ofContinue reading “Beachcombing in northern Norway”

Our house in the woods

We’re not exactly roughing it here in Norway. Our rental home is spacious and light, as well as very nicely decorated. There are some Norwegian folk art bowls in the kitchen on a shelf above a painted chest dated 1855, though most of the furnishings are quite a bit more recent. See the photos belowContinue reading “Our house in the woods”

You’re where? June in northern Norway

Kjerstad, Norway is a degree or two of latitude north of the Arctic Circle. We have been here two days and already experienced the midnight sun–or as good as. Both nights Jonathan has said, “OK, going to bed now,” and I’ve said “What time is it?” and been a couple of hours off. It’s lightContinue reading “You’re where? June in northern Norway”

Good to know about Lisbon and Portugal

This is my last post on Portugal, where I provide a few observations that may prove useful to anyone considering a visit. Portugal is a wonderful place, so very much worth planning your trip. Language How disappointed we were to find that speaking Spanish is of so little assistance in Portugal! For people who don’tContinue reading “Good to know about Lisbon and Portugal”

Tile is everywhere in Portugal

We’ve seen a lot of decorative tile in Portugal. It covers many buildings, sometimes as an overall pattern: exterior walls, interior walls, decorative wainscoting, decorative details. Sometimes there are scenes created from tile. The Porto train station is one such place, Here is a church that is completely tiled with religious scenes on the exteriorContinue reading “Tile is everywhere in Portugal”

Empedrada is underfoot in Portugal

Empedrada is a particular kind of square cobblestone surface that is found all over Portugal. The material tends to be a uniform pale color and it covers lots of sidewalk and many public plazas, private patios and even streets. Contrasting designs are made with black stone, and very rarely colors. There are some typical patternsContinue reading “Empedrada is underfoot in Portugal”

Last Day at the Beach

We’ve visited many of the beaches along the coast from Setubal past Sesimbra From east to west, around Cabo Espichel and up the coast, they included: Praia de Troia, Bico das Lulas on the Troia Peninsula Praia da Figuerinha is just west of Setubal. The long sand spit is a great walk at low tide.Continue reading “Last Day at the Beach”

A Day in the Algarve

On our last weekend in Portugal, we decided to head south for a day trip to the Algarve, as the south coast is called. In particular, Jonathan wanted to see Cabo Sao Vicente, the southwesternmost point in mainland Europe. We planned to go on Saturday, but rain was forecast, so we opted for Sunday andContinue reading “A Day in the Algarve”

Go to the beach (take your rock hammer?)

The Praia de Foz is a small beach that is easy to find if you’ve already located it on Google Earth and translated that to your phone, or the equivalent. A single sign marks the turnoff onto a graded, graveled road from the main road but there are no other signs. You choose the variousContinue reading “Go to the beach (take your rock hammer?)”

New Architecture Ignores the Old in Portugal

Portugal is full of churches, palaces, fortresses and restored historic houses containing private art collections. Possibly there are more historic sites per capita in Portugal than anywhere in Europe. Older houses, too, are frequently architecturally interesting, with curved roof lines, angled windows, wrought iron balconies, tiled facades and other graceful details. We even see theContinue reading “New Architecture Ignores the Old in Portugal”