Friday, September 17, 2010

Foods, and their many different faces




Picking grapes, deliciously sweet little grapes. This was at my friend's in Nothern Jutland just before I left her and her family again after two lovely talkative days. I have seen many, many small greenhouses like this one on my travels around Denmark and also in Norway.


Lunch plates at some highway stop somewhere along the way in Denmark.





In Oslo at Bogstadgaard, morning snack, deliciouly light and fluffy waffle with Romme, a Norwegian soured milk product, I could swim in it, any time!


Carrot cake with cappuchino at the same place!


Food to be put away on Sorlandet, before the boat ever left Bremerhaven in Germany.


And fall feast for hornets, nothing like a juicy soft ripe pear to share!


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Learning about food in an urban setting

As a kid I had the joy and pleasure for many summers in a row to have a so called 'school garden' a plot of land perhaps 3m long by 50 cm wide. This plot was part of a very large public garden system, where Mr. and Mrs. Brun, an older retired couple took care of us and taught us some of the ins and outs of food production on a smaller scale.


This sunflower is in my nephew Jonathan's garden plot. He has a plot in a different part of town than I did, but never the less, when you enter through the gate the whole idea is the same.


A couple of weeks ago Jonathan's class were all going to visit this public garden, am not sure if they all have a plot, but off we went. Two classes went, about 50 kids in all with 5 adults. We waited for first one bus, got off after about 5 stops, caught another bus for ten stops and then it was a two minute walk a day of talking about food, cooking and eating before we headed for the busses to go back at the end of the school day.


The kids had each been given a fruit, herb, root, green which they were to research and present to the whole class. My nephew Jonathan had been given the subject of ginger as his project and had to find a piece in the communal food box and then give a short presentation on the subject. As each student presented their 'food', things were added to the board by the garden teacher.





Different vegetable were picked or dug around the gardens, like this zuchini and the jerusalem artichokes


Pepper was ground


And copious amounts of other vegetable were chopped, carrots, celery, peppers, squash, garlic, leeks, onions and also a pile of herbs had been harvested and was added to the two woks which were used.


The kids had good day, they were of course eager to play rather than learn, but some learning did take place and afterwards they had an hour or so before we jumped on the public transportation and went back to the school.


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Thursday, September 16, 2010

Sortedamsoen, walk, view and clean up

Copenhagen, weaving in and out of trafic, getting to the other side without a crossing only a brave soul would do this :-)





Creatures in the pond - swans, coots, cormorants, plenty of them all.





And what grows in low fairlymstagnant water in a man made watersystem.


This is how it is being removed, we went by a mountain thrice this size at the other end of the pond


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Sunday, September 12, 2010

Folkemuseet Looking at clothing traditions and styles


A linnen shirt, an important piece of clothing to wear during your marriage ceremony, for either bride or groom or to be laid out in for your funeral wake. A long lasting strong piece of clothing. Embroidered and decorated for the celebratory occations in ones life.


Handwovens and jewelry of the finest kind covering everyone at important occations. To this day the different bunads, costumes specific to different areas in Norway are still being hand sewn with care and worn for special family occations or for celebrating May 17th, Norway's National Day.


Big and small every one gets dressed up.


Naalebinding, the precurser to knitting, how to most effectively cover yourself in wool so you can stay warm and comfortable during a long cold winter.


Embrodery finery, a short shirt top, must admit I forgot to take not of its origins, so many things I do not know about this subject, but fortunately it doesn't hinder me from relishing the patience and the craft of the traditions displayed here.


Woolen jacket, care taken to follow the latest fasions, especially the Renaissance left many traces in Norwegian costumes.


Getting ready for a big occation, the groom is waiting outside and the bride must be suitably decorated.


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Folkemuseet.


Revisiting another favorite place of mine, for inspiration and peace. I love the textures and colours of the walls that I see in this place, always have enjoyed them tremendously for the precision and the style of it all. Be it a brick or a wooden building.


One of the typical buildings previously found in the country side.


And another one. The way the builders have played with the shapes and angles of the wood in different places of the building makes for a pleasant place to rest ones eyes and celebrate, colour, texture, beauty.


A window, not able to refuse myself the exciting textures and craftmanship of putting it all together, now I can look at the photo whenever I want and perhaps plan for an interesting future project.


The inside of a dwelling, from about 1650, the evidence of life moving along, the cradle swinging from the ceiling and ..... A manglebraet on the table bearing witness to the care which was taken to keep the textiles (especially the linens) smooth and shiny, one must look well groomed when going out in one's finery.


More of a closeup of the wooden mangle, the horse is the handle and the kerchief or table runner is wrapped tightly around the wooden roling pin and then after many rolls back and forth the cloth should be smooth and shiny


It seems that there is always evidence of textiles every where we look in the past - even if it is not a subject most people are excited to talk about, yet, we all want to wear clothes, now what is up with that?

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