Architecture – Think of nothing

Back. In white

How wonderful it is to be back, catching huge snow flakes on my eyelashes, getting a glimpse of the northern lights at night time, traveling across the border to Russia for pelmeni… The head image was shot from the top of the stairs of Nikels Cultural Palace.

Cultural palace in Nikel, Russia 26.10.19

Life has been running nonstop since I got home from vacation. We celebrated the 75th anniversary of the region where I live as being freed from nazi-occupation. That was last week. Huge celebration. King Harald and several ministers were in attendance in Kirkenes:

And my mom ❤

She’s visiting now.

She told me this joke today:

The child turned out to be allergic to the cat. We had to give it out for adoption. Then try again. All children can’t be allergic to cats!

Have a nice day 😉

Welcome to Bøkfjord lighthouse

Honestly, I thought I might faint climbing up and down hills to get to this place.

But the struggles were worth it.

Berries! — Also, we found tons of blueberries on the way!

Some facts:

This lighthouse, on the south side of Varangerfjorden, was established in 1910 as a result of growing traffic connected to the mining activities in Kirkenes.

During the 2nd World War, German troops took over the lighthouse, and before they retreated in 1944, the whole station was demolished.

When it was rebuilt after the war, it was given a modern, functionalistic style by the famous architects Blasted and Munthe-Kaas.

Bøkfjord was de-manned in 2006.

The view — Spectacular hike in Northern Norway…

The station is owned by the state and protected as a national monument under the Cultural Heritage Act.

The Coastal Administration is cooperating with local interests to facilitate alternative use of the premises, meaning: You can book it for a night!

And if you don’t have the power to walk to this pearl of a place, you can call for a boat. As we did on the way back (not because of the «power issue» – some of us had to catch a flight in the afternoon, and boating back seemed safer than walking in order to make it to the airport in time).

Boat by Bøkfjord lighthouse — Hoho, got picked up by boat!

As the Norwegian saying goes: Everybody agreed it had been a nice trip.

Creeping in broad nightlight

Maaan, I hate working evenings. It should be enjoyable. But it’s lonely, and I don’t get enough sleep. After finishing work around 11 PM, I spend hours watching Netflix, playing Sims 4 and (on good nights) reading books. Sometimes I annoy myself purple reading comment sections online, and I once found myself in a vertigo of belly dancing videos on Youtube.

Then I go to bed when other people get up, and hate life when I wake up in the afternoon, after slumbering my phone alarm for ever – not feeling rested.

I used to think I’m a B-person. Turns out I just love sleeping more than waking up early.

Tonight, I decided to have a walk under the midnight sun. The grey weather of the last weeks kind of made me forget the magic of living up north.

I enjoyed the bright night with my camera (Sony A7III), feeling kind of sneaky while photographing the houses in the neighborhood. If anyone saw me, they might have assumed I was planning a robbery. But all was quiet.

What a Farewell

I can’t believe my farewell party at Anker studentboliger (Anker Student Homes) ended with a security guard yelling at me and my guests while threatening to call the police. Our crime was drawing on the pavement with chalk. It was quite upsetting, but somehow a fitting end to the time I’ve spent living here, a year full of ups and downs.

Anyhows. My party became quite the exercise ≈ running up and down the stairs to my place on the 4th floor, with a water bucket, in order to wash away the vandalism.

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A post shared by Ksenia Novikova (@arctic.ksu)

I think a photo gallery is a fitting way to say good bye to Anker. Alle the following pics have been posted by me on Instagram with #ankerstudenthjem.

Good bye, Anker!

Lines, lines

Love the photo challenge this week – Converge!

Operahuset, Oslo

Oslo Opera House

Some info about it >>

My Favourite Backyard

I haven’t really presented this place properly, while seeing how many posts I’ve published from this exact spot – an introduction is long time due!

I call it my "recreational garden" — I call it my “recreational garden”

I used to live in one of the yellow buildings surrounding this backyard. Now, I live in Drammen, but I’m still hanging out here a lot. Not only because of the flowers.

Ah, Magnolia. How nice is that? There is the man who makes the flower magic happen:

see the gardener between magnolias? — see the gardener between the magnolias?

Somehow, summer arrived Oslo in April this year. I’m not complaining! I’ve been feeling like on summer vacation for the last couple of days. I’ve been reading many books in my personal little park, yes 😀

I wonder who've been watching me from all those windows! — I wonder who’ve been watching me from all those windows…

Apart from those slightly paranoid thoughts, life is quite fantastic!

Haitian Monument

Citadelle Laferrière

View

Inside the citadel

Looking out

Would you dare?

Balancing on la citadelle

View

The citadel is the largest fortress in the Americas! And people from all over the world come to see the sight, according to my personal guides – two local boys, who probably should have been at school, but followed me around instead.

Haiti was the first country in the world to free itself from colonization (1804). The Citadelle Laferrière was built to keep the newly independent nation of Haiti safe from French incursions.

(for the weekly photo challenge)

Exploring Jalousie

a small photo selection:

March 2014

colorful jealousie

instead of electricity, there is charcoal!

first you buy water, then you carry it up the hill

some sure have the best view

i’m officially Candy Queen Blan

narrow streets in Jalousie

power supply, works sometimes

Do you remember Jalousie?

I was very intrigued by the colorful neighborhood last year, and I had to visit it now that I’m in Haiti again. Most people there were friendly, but very few wanted their picture taken, and some reveled in saying “No! Go!”

I guess having the power to say that is quite enjoyable if you own little else.

Jalousie is among many slums that have sprawled across the hills of the capital Port-au-Prince in recent decades because governments past and present have failed to provide affordable housing and basic services. … Amid its narrow corridors and steep steps, Jalousie has no traditional sewage system or electric grid. (The Huffington Post)

Jalousie does have the best view in Port-au-Prince though. And now colors.

Let’s hope the improvements don’t stop there.

More from Haiti >>