Here Comes the Sun!

Finally the sun has arrived, if only for a short while! We went out on our bikes to see if there was anything interesting out, and sure enough it was a rewarding trip!

What beautiful light!

The sun through the trees

Some macro shots of dew on leaves, I love the way the blue sky is reflected in the droplets. It seems so peaceful, and reminds me of those beautiful summer days.

Severdighet -- A sight worth seeing

This symbol means that there is something of interest in the near vicinity. Usually traditional buildings, tourist sites, natural beauty, etc. This one I found near the Stavkirke, or Stave church. The Stavkirke was built around 1250, long before Christianity came to Norway. There are dragon heads all around steeples of the Stavkirke, and when Christianity came to Norway, they simply added crosses to the building to make it a Christian church.

Here you can see both the dragon's head and the crosses; taken last winter.

Close-up of a dragon head

The graveyard around the Stavkirke, with the hills in the background, is not an angle most tourists get pictures of when they visit the Stavkirke. I think most people want to get as close as possible, and forget to take a step back to take in the whole picture--I know I have done that!

Bygdetun Beauty

Some more beauty from the Bygdetun, this time in full fall colors. The house on the right is a typical house of the era, with a grass roof. More information on grass roofs can be found here.  Inside is small and dark, with very low ceilings. The building on the right was most likely used for livestock or for storage, you can see it is much shorter than the house.

I love the single sunflower hiding on the left, as well as the red windows contrasting with the green of the grass. The sky got washed out, but it was not very blue that day anyway. I am planning on going back here after we get some snow, to get a similar shot.

Rustic

I de gamle dagene, de bygde hus på stolper, slik at ikke mus og andre dyr skulle komme seg inn.

In the older days, they built the houses on stilts so that mice and other animals would not be able to get in. Inside they hung meat to preserve, and stored grains and textiles.

These types of buildings are protected as national treasures, and are a wonderful representation of our past.