Sophie’s World

Much as I like Boots’n'All - and that very cool Tibetan temple in the heading, I needed a more flexible blog. As of 1 January 2010, Sophie’s World has moved here.

I’m drawn to the desert. So much that I sometimes wonder whether I was meant to live in it. In one way, the desert is the complete opposite of the snow and ice of home - the temperature and the relationship with the sun. In another way, the landscapes are the same: forceful, sometimes brutal, and magically beautiful.

So my first photo of 2010 is not wintry Norway, but the deserts of the United Arab Emirates. I saw plenty of desert sands last year - with and without the kids. More is to come in 2010; both Lebanon and Libya are on the agenda.

Where are you going this year?
Happy 2010 everyone - and happy travels!

PS This post is part of Delicious Baby’s weekly PhotoFriday blog. Check it out.

Opening the door in February, this is what met the eye. Same today. The kids are out making a snow sphinx; a typical first day of Christmas!

La befana rules Rome’s Christmas markets (witches on Piazza Navona above). Witches are everywhere, laughing wickedly, madly. They sit on brooms or in rocking chairs (or fall off their brooms and rockers laughing).

The story of Befana is nice though: On their way to Bethlehem, the magi stop by her house, the cleanest in the village, and ask for shelter for the night. When leaving the next morning, they invite her to join their search for a special baby. Befana declines, too busy cleaning. But after they leave, she thinks for a bit - and decides to go along after all. She finishes her work and follows the men but is too late. She never finds the baby.

Every 6 January – Epiphany – she flies about on her broom, still searching. On that day, Italian children leave a glass of wine and something to nibble on for her. I bet Santa is jealous - he must be tired of porridge (Scandinavia) or milk/cookies (USA).

In every house she looks, she leaves a present for the children. Anyone of them might be baby Jesus, after all.

Enough talking, this is a photo post. I’ll end with a little Befana poem:

La Befana vien di notte
Con le scarpe tutte rotte
Col vestito alla romana
Viva, Viva La Befana!

National Geographic’s Intelligent Traveler blog is hosting a holiday series called My City Celebrates. Again, I was inspired, so heeere’s Oslo!

Holmenkollen March 2009

My City Celebrates: Oslo

When I need a dose of holiday cheer, I always take in a concert with Sølvguttene (The Silver Boys).

The best place to grab a cup of cocoa after a vigorous hike is Frognerseteren. In the city center, try a steaming mug of glogg (a delicious spicy winter drink served with raisins and chopped almonds–with or without alcohol) at the Christmas market by City Hall.

If you want to find great sledding, check out Korketrekker’n (the Corkscrew). The 2,000-meter-run takes about ten minutes at full speed. Rent a sledge from Akeforeningen (Oslo tobogganing association).

Strap on your skates at Narvisen on Oslo’s main street Karl Johan and enjoy the view of the National Theatre, Parliament, and the Royal Palace.

For a classic holiday photo op, be sure to check out the roof of the Opera House, which offers fantastic wintry views of the Oslo fjord.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bragernes Church

This is how Drammen looked in February - and should look in December. Not quite there yet.

Passports with Purpose is an annual travel blogger get-together for charity. This year they are teaming up with the non-profit organizations American Assistance for Cambodia and Japan Relief for Cambodia to build a school in rural Cambodia.

The bloggers have procured prizes and every donation of USD 10 buys you a raffle ticket to the prize of your choice! More than 50 great prizes are on offer, including fab travel gear and resort packages. I got into the game too late to find a prize this year, so instead I’m heading over here now to donate - and possibly win a great prize as a bonus.

Donate before 21 December!

Seal - Esmark Glacier, Svalbard

Oslo is crisp and sunny today. Last night’s snowfall all but vanished by noon. Not so on Svalbard, where noon temperatures are forecasted to be - 10° C tomorrow and -18° on Thursday.

Last Friday, I wrote a guest post for the wonderful Europe a la Carte blog about Vienna’s Christmas markets. In the article I listed a few of the markets. I haven’t seen them all yet - and the one at Spittelberg features high on my to-see list. It looks very cosy there in the narrow alleys.

Vienna is always elegant, but especially during advent. I adore the Christkindlmarkt in front of Rathausplatz (City Hall). It’s so colourful and lively. It’s also full of children, because City Hall hosts a fabulous children’s workshop, the Christkindl Werkstatt. With rosy cheeks, all flush with excitement, they run inside to make wonderful homemade Christmas pressies and to have heaps of fun.

Related links:
Europe a la Carte: Christmas Markets in Vienna

Oslo and Copenhagen are both in the headlines these days; Oslo for being the venue of the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony on 10 December, and Copenhagen for hosting the United Nations Climate Conference 09 on 7 - 18 December.

Oslo’s Frogner Park and Copenhagen’s Tivoli

The question is, where will Obama be? In Oslo to receive his Peace Prize? Or in Copenhagen to help fight for the environment?

Earlier this month, Erik Solheim, Norwegian Minister (Secretary) of the Environment, said it’s more important that Obama attend the Copenhagen Conference. (Newspaper article in Norwegian only). Well said, Erik! I agree! If he had to choose one or the other.

Of course, he could easily do both. These two Scandinavian capitals are only a 50-minute-flight apart. Or an environmentally-friendly 7-hour train journey.

Your thoughts?

Meanwhile, in the interest of fairness to both cities, I’ll post a link to the Copenhagen entry on the I Heart My City series on National Geographic’s Intelligent Travel blog Alexandra’s Copenhagen.