Wishing you all the best for 2013,- here from Stavanger.

An angel seen in one of the windows at Kirkegaten/ the Churchroad.

I could have taken a picture to show you how crowded it was at the VINMONOPOLET today, but I decided not to risk it. Some people might have been really irritated about it!?

Anyway, this is were we have to go to buy alcohol. It is owned by the state, and yes wine etc. is more expensive here in Norway than other places in Europe.
More info: http://www.vinmonopolet.no/artikkel/om-vinmonopolet/in-english

Click on the image to enlarge it, and you will see the little mice at the bottom of the mirror.
I saw this in the shop at the oil-museum.
Some of the museums have got some useful and creative things to buy, and this is probably one of the best museum shops to visit.

It looked like they had fun and didn't bother about the cold wind....
This is just a quick snapshot, taken with my iPhone.
It would have been interesting to find out who they were and what they were up to.
Perhaps they were stewardesses from KLM?
Perhaps not? I have just seen so many crew members from KLM, in and out of the hotel, and they always seems to have a good time together!

Evening at the colorful street, Øvre Holmegate.

I hope you have a great Christmas day (or are having a great Christmas day, depending on where you are living).
I hope you are able to spend your Christmas with those you love around you.

Christmas greetings from Stavanger.

The artist is Emil Bårdsen Singtun.

MERRY CHRISTMAS / GOD JUL from Stavanger.

Irmelin and Hilda started work earlier than me today.

Nice to get my morning coffee from them.

After the storm we had some snow, that turned to rain this afternoon.

Enjoy Christmas Eve !

The control tower at Stavanger airport has been decorated for Christmas.

There have been extremely high winds for most of today. The police have advised people to stay inside where possible. Some trains had to be stopped where they were. Roofs have blown off of buildings, and some roads had to be closed because of flying debris. The little bit of snow that we had today was blowing horizontally.
I hope tomorrow will be better!
A good weekend to you all.

Stavanger Aftenblad (In Norwegian) (In English via Google Translate)

Happy Holiday, Lorentze!

I hope you had a safe journey, traveling a long way north this morning.

Your Xmas nails made me smile:)
They are wonderful!

I think Father Christmas has changed since I was a child.
Seen in the window of a shop door yesterday evening.

An unusual decorated Christmas tree that I saw tonight.
Creative and different style to most of the trees I have seen so far.

One more of the artistic drawings made by school kids, that are now on display at Stavanger Aftenblad, our biggest local newspaper.
Ingeborg Ulsnes made this:)

Not much snow left in the streets, but parking places like this at Ikea have got "mountains" of dirty snow.

I am not sure if we will have a White Christmas in Stavanger this year.

A sleeping/snoring NISSE, (as we call Father Christmas) in the shopwindow at "Brødrene Pedersen"

Ada Oline is creative, and so is her mum, Hege.
I took this snapshot of them a week ago at a Christmas marked where they were selling things they had made, together with lots of other creative people.

Cyclist out in the snow.

The wind - the storm -the cold are here.
Christmas is on it's way.
I seriously understand why those who have time and money go to Spain for a week or more.
More than 25 roads around Stavanger are closed tonight,
and one empty airplane "blew" into it's gate and a refueling truck at the airport tonight.

Take a look at this:
http://www.aftenbladet.no/vaeret/SAS-fly-blaste-inn-i-gate-og-tankbil-3088998.html

On the motorway (E39) last night.
Today there were lots of people struggling to get to work!

So where is my car?

(More snow today.)

There is X-mas music in Stavanger:)

All the shop windows look more interesting at this time of the year.

This is "Seventh Heaven" again.
A popular place for people who like the retro and more individual fashion style.

The colorful little street nick named Fargegaten, or more correctly Øvre Holmegate, had lots of activity going on yesterday, and good offers in many of the shops!
They even had their own Christmas tree, music and dancers. Here you see face painting going on.

Even Father Christmas needs a break!:) A Norwegian spa, made by Mia, Emilie and Ida Mauland from Stavanger.

We have had some really cold days. Now the snow is melting.
Enjoy your weekend!

Our biggest local newspaper, Stavanger Aftenblad, are holding the annual big exhibition with gingerbread houses and drawings.
So much to see and so many pupils put effort in to their work.
I don't know the name of this artist, but this is one of the drawings that I liked.

More lights in Stavanger.
Some like it and some don`t.

Sunday evening the lights on the towns Christmas tree were switched on.
Nice to see it in the mornings on my way to work.

Michelle, who I met this morning, is working in a florists at Torgterrassen. She had created this beautiful advent bouquet for a customer.
Very pretty.

An old villa that I like.

Unfortunately it is not in a good location, being next to a busy road and a large shop.

More snow today.