Hei hei - I'm back from a week in southern Norway!
Usually when I go away on holiday I try to write about my experience while away, as the things happen. But this time, on a trip to visit family in Norway, I didn't write at all.
I did take a notebook and pens, just in case, but I didn't use them.
It was kind of intentional as I wanted to be present and spend time with my family rather than taking myself off to write - and because it barely gets dark in Norway around midsummer we were often up late, leaving no time to sit up and write when going to bed.
I did think the area we stayed in would be great for a writing retreat. There are so many small homes along the coastline - which is in good supply with hundreds of islands - some you need a boat to get to, others are connected with bridges. I can see myself in a cabin by the water with a view to inspire me - and walks to stretch out on.
This trip though, was not about writing, it was about experiencing. I needed to rest and replenish my creativity, and this trip was great for that. It's like a one-way switch sometimes, either receiving creativity or spending it. And in Norway I saw lots of new things; shops, places, people, ice cream brands, our hosts home, stations, trains, buses and architecture.
Being somewhere else, somewhere different, can really kick start a tired imagination. Even though I didn't realise I needed it, this trip abroad provided so much inspiration.
So instead of output - I had input. The language for one is fascinating - comparing words which are similar in either sound or the way they are written is something I enjoy. I like to look for similarities and I did find them - even with my schoolgirl (from decades ago) German and French I could see patterns. And I love the way Norwegians make even a dull looking word sound so special. Pronunciation is often nothing like you'd imagine. And boy can they role their r's!
I felt privileged to have English as my first language as pretty much all Norwegian's speak decent English. I was extremely grateful for that - and also because I had my sister and her mum to help translate things too.
Something I did fall in love with a lot was the architecture. The wood clad traditional homes which have to keep occupants cool in Summer and warm in winter really caught my attention. Many homes were built with one level (something to do with a tax on the amount of floors) and then they extend into the 'loft' which makes for some cute sloping ceilings in upstairs rooms. Some have cellars too, or under floor wood stores that are open to one side.
Residents paint their homes in a variety of colours, black, white and red being most common, but we saw greens, blues, yellows and oranges too. A decent house in Fredrikstad, the town we stayed in, was comparable in price to my own. Would I move there? Possibly. Summers are wonderfully light, but I'm not sure I'd cope with the dark winters.
What was inspiring was seeing another home which had plenty of 'stuff' but still looked tidy and clean. I couldn’t live with nothing on display, but this house had a prefect amount of interesting things to look at, while not being overwhelming. It has definitely inspired me to redouble my efforts in my own home. The downstairs was quite open, even with having nooks and different functional spaces, and there was a second sitting room upstairs with a better view. I love that multifunctional use of space. I feel like my home has more square footage, but it's not as well organised as my sister's mum's place.
One more thing I noticed about living spaces, is that in many gardens there were greenhouses, not so much for plants, but for sitting in when it is sunny, but cold! I love this idea. Some people do grow plants too, but there were always garden chairs in them - more like a conservatory that's not attached to the house!
My sister in particular scoffed at new build flats - wondering at the sanity of the designers to choose flat roofs in an area which has annual snowfall - sometimes a lot of it. She quite vocally hates the modern cubes and can't understand why anyone would buy one. So interesting as modern cubist style homes are fairly revered here - but it is mostly to do with them being rather silly for the weather conditions there I think.
All in all I have come home inspired to do more in my home, as well as more writing, and fitting more in general into my days. Staying somewhere clutter free, or at least excess clutter free, has been restful and encouraging - and I feel ready to really go at my clearing out (just in case I do decide to move to a wood clad home in Norway).
What style of house is your favourite? Do you already live in your dream house?
thanks for sharing !!!!