The last photos from Cartagena

 Everything colonial and romantic

 Within the old city walls everything is too beautiful to be true (and outside it is the opposite)

 But we were living in a fairy tale and drinking tea in luxurious patios in posh hotels

 With all the flora you could imagine, all more verdant than you could capture in a photo

And with all the other tourists from all over the world

Better late than never, eh? And now, almost two months later, I'm on my way on a new holiday. The main reason I do not post here is that I try to keep my work related stuff on the youth delegate blog, and to be honest I don't take that many photos outside of work. Let's see if I manage to get some on this holiday.

Tromsø Botanical Gardens

 Where I went a few weeks ago with my grandmother and dad

 To look at a flower or two

 in the world's northernmost botanic garden

on a beautiful summer's day

And mostly just sitting down, eating cake and drinking tea and coffee. My word, this is the best thing with slow Sundays. Not really doing much but enjoying the sunshine (and the cakes).

Green

Sad thoughts for yesterday and everything. Look at soothing, peaceful photos.

Nesodden/Oslo

 Then I went to rainy, verdant Nesodden to stay with my grandmother

 To Oslo to see my friend Julie, among others

 and eat Moroccan tapas and drink mint tea with all the sugar

 then back to Nesodden to weed, read and smell the roses (quite literally)

Rural idyll, as long as it's summer

Falmouth II

 Met up with Anders, who's also from Tromsø, but studies Press Photography in Fal, and caught up on Tromsø/Falmouth

 Lucy resisted all my photography attempts

 Drying your clothes in the middle of a parking lot? Splendid idea.

Not sure when my interest in gravestones and cemeteries will turn into unhealthy obsession.

Not yet, surely?

Nordlandsbunad

 Beautiful shirt which I wish I could wear daily

 Flowers, not sure whether we have these flowers in the north, but oh well

Little odd purse that fits almost nothing, but it's pretty and full of embroidery and silver

Finally got my bunad to my flat - this will be the first year I attempt to put it on without my mother around, and I'm scared I'll get it wrong. There are all sorts of silver brooches to be put on, and since this is a traditional national costume, there are different versions with different clasps in different places, and I can never seem to get it a) right and b) logical and c) nice-looking. Will try.

Mine is a Nordlandsbunad, meaning it's from Nordland, the county south of Troms (yes, it means north-land, and no, it makes no sense that it's south of the two northern-most counties). There is a Tromsbunad as well, but it's very recent, and a lot of Troms/Tromsø inhabitants use the Nordland - on Norway Day in Tromsø I will blend in like an American wearing stars-and-stripes-clothes on July 4th. I also have the blue, which is supposed to be the coast version, while my friend Ingrid has the green inland version.

I love my national costume. My mother got married in hers (which is Follo, which is near Oslo, and very different). I got mine for my confirmation, which is very common. I never took it to England because it's worth way too much, so this will be the first time I wear it on Norway Day since 2007. Looking forward to it!

Flowers and Snow

 Mormor? Var det noe lignende vi bortførte til Olavsvei?

 We don't have that many spring flowers in the North,

but the ones we do have are pretty tough, out of necessity

 And my favourite, colt's foot, is definitely one of them.

Random photo of Dixie for human interest,

and because she managed to look less suspicious than usual in a photo

As said, we've had very varying weather lately. These photos were taken on Friday and Saturday, when we had clear, blue skies and all the sunshine you can imagine. Then of course Sunday was a stay-inside-day with snow, snow, and a bit more snow. The only reason I believe in spring is the flowers. Flowers exist, therefore it is spring, no matter how much snow is piled around the flowers.