22 September, 2013

Looking around Oslo - in the fog!

Ok, I said that I would be a little more active with blogging… BUT, in my defence, I have not had much to blog about, and I have been unwell and suffering from a sore neck and headaches (migraines)!

Having said that, I flew from Sydney to London via Bangkok where I met up with a flicker mate for a quick dinner!

Uwe at Lvl55 BKK-1648
Uwe at LVL55 Bangkok
After dinner, I continued my flights to London via Zurich, where I had a quick transit to my last flight to London.

now, I was only in London for four days, and those four days were some of the most uncomfortable I have had in a long time; thanks neck and headaches! I barely managed to just get out and do some spotting (a mere 5 minute walk from my hotel). I did (just) manage to get into London on one day… :(

Then, It was 'time to fly' with my destination being Oslo, Norway! Here I caught up with a few old friends, and I have made some new friends as well!

Today though, we went to the Nes Church Ruins. This was a church, which went through some modifications over several centuries, only to be struck by lightening in 1854

Nes Church Ruins-3554
Nes Church Ruins-3553
Nes church ruins-3534

Next stop, was the Trandumskogen which was the site of one of the first discoveries (May 1945) of German mass graves in Norway. The German executioner Oskar Hans was the officer in command of the unit performing the executions. In total 173 Norwegians, 6 British citizens and 15 Russians were executed in Trandumskogen. Many had been sentenced to death by the German occupation forces, but there was also a great number who were subject to arbitrary executions. After the Second World War, Norwegian citizens sentenced for treason, and leading members of the Norwegian national socialist party Nasjonal Samling were forced to open the graves and exhume the bodies of the executed prisoners. On 10 October 1954, the memorial in Trandumskogen was unveiled. H. H. K. Crown Prince Olav stood for the ceremony. Per Palle Storm (1910-1994), artist and sculptor and professor at the National Art Academy had carried out the artistic part of the work. The memorial is carved of light Granite (Iddefjordgranitt). To the south side an inscription is carved in Norwegian. The same text translated into Russian is cut into the east side and in English to the west side. The memorial is located south of the burial ground. The memorial lists the names of those who were executed there. The memorial has status as a Norwegian national memorial.

Trandumskogen-3590
Trandumskogen-3584
Trandumskogen-3598
Trandumskogen-3595
Trandumskogen-3591
Trandumskogen-3593

Tomorrow, we are going down to the Fjords, a ferry across to Sweden, and then back home to Oslo - should be fun!

Hoo roo for now...

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12 September, 2013

Flying away to another land, far far away...

Well, come Sunday, I will be leaving on my trip…. And WHAT a trip it will be… I still have a few things left to do though!! I have a house sitter, so the house will be occupied whilst I am away and the 'fur-kids' will be well looked after… But, where AM I going I hear you ask?? EVERYWHERE!!!

Flight List & Hotels
Flight List & Hotels
Miles to be flown (GC Mapper)
Flight Miles
ETS Trip map
Flightpath

I have a conference to go in Monte Carlo, about the middle of the trip, and I have meetings along the way in Europe mainly… I have also set up a meeting in Brazil! BUT, one spot I am REALLY looking forward to, is the visit to St Maarten in the Dutch Antilles. It is like the 'Mecca' for 'spotters' to go to, and I am really looking forward to it!! NOW, I am getting there from a different routing than everything else I have seen; most arrive from Paris or Amsterdam (AF/KLM) or from Miami (any of the major carriers). Where as, I am routing in from SaĆ² Paulo Brazil!!

Anyway, its ALL booked now, and I am ready to go… All I have to do now is pack!! haha

Earlier in the week, I was wanting to do some more 'macro' photography, some close-ups. The old Passionfruit is in flower again, so I grabbed a shot of a flower on it…

Passiflora "Ned Kelly"
Passiflora spp

Hoo roo for now...

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04 September, 2013

Wordless Wednesday No. 88 - Melbourne

St Kilda Beach Sunset
Melbourne CBD

Hoo roo for now...

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