Election time.

It is election time here in Norway.
You will find lots of information here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_Norway

This is a voting booth where you can still vote for a few more days.
So I guess it is just to find out WHO to vote for.

We might get a new PM soon, or perhaps Erna Solberg will continue to
be our prime minister for four more years.

Anton and Margareth.

What a lovely sunny day!

This couple ANTON and MARGARETH from the Netherlands were passengers on one of the cruise ships that visited our city today.
They had been visiting Stavanger 10 years ago, and thought it had changed. Difficult for me to say what has changed, but this time they had no rain, so that was good.
They will continue the cruise to Kristiansand and Oslo before heading back home via a few more stops.
Home is "Sweet lake city,"as  ZOETERMEER is called, and it is situated half way between The Hague and Rotterdam.

Why do all Dutch people speak English so well?
I don't know.

Anyway, have a nice holiday Anton and Margareth.

Market day today.

We have had a beautiful Saturday!

Sunshine and +18C

In town we had a proper market day, with several locale quality products sold outside the Cathedral.

Here you see CHILI chocolate products made in the city centre.

Tomorrow there will be a "give away".

Ladies from the Navy.

Ladies from the Navy.

Good friends out for a walk.

Good friends out for a walk.

Quiet evening.

Quiet evening at the old market place.
The Cathedral at the back.

Quiet in town.

Quiet in town.....

A cold grey and dull day!

A cold grey and dull day!

Nice design.

I really like the design of this bench at the old market place.

Sorry...

Sorry to show you this place, so empty and with not much to offer.

It used to be a colourful busy market place, with HAND MADE items and also fruit, flowers and vegetables from local farmers for sale.

From time to time there have been some salespeople selling mass-produced items from far far away.
A few concerts, some demonstrations, and also openings of the annual food festival.

Over the years there have been competitions, school classes and even (architect) students from abroad who came up with good ideas. I met some from Istanbul one summer who told me about this.

A daughter of some friends won, together with others pupils, a trip to Barcelona.... after a competition with suggestions on what could be done. She is now a young woman, and their winning solutions are probably stuck in a drawer and long forgotten.

This is Stavanger on a cold rainy day......

The good news is that it will be warmer and a bit of sunshine next week.

The Yorkshire couple.

Yesterday the wind was strong and it was pouring down with rain nearly non stop.
This couple, from Sheffield, Yorkshire in England, seemed to managed reasonable well, and they were heading towards Starbucks....
She is my Lady he said, Diana is her name....
(I did not dear ask if his name was Charles:)
But this loving couple looked like they were meant to spend LIFE together!
Before heading back towards the huge big cruise ship, they were going to take a look inside the Cathedral.

At the old market place.

Work going on at the old marked place.

(Click on the image to enlarge it.)

The BIG SALES in town

The SALES are on.

Stavanger this afternoon.

Stavanger this afternoon.

NOAH'S ARK.

"Noah's ark" has arrived in town.
Tomorrow I'll show you images from inside.
It has been in Kristiansand, and will be here for five more weeks, before leaving for Bergen.

Pancakes at the European Food Market.

Soon ready....
I hope the customers enjoyed their crepes :)

European Food Market.

The European Food Market has arrived in town.
Quite a range of food. Here they sold Dutch cheeses.

A little treat.

Staff from Starbucks were out giving away samples of some of their tasty treats.
Nice to see, and a good way to advertise their company!
Also nice to see kids from a kindergarten having a good time in the city a couple of days back.
(The kids had pink vests on with the name and telephone number of the kindergarden.... just in case... )

GLADMAT 2015

The annual food festival opened today.

Suddenly we got a bit of sunshine as well.
Here you see the health minister next to our mayor, each holding a card with their speeches ready to be given in front of quite a large number of people who had turned up for the big event.

Friday evening.

A lovely day until late this afternoon.
Rain and some thunderstorms in the area, but it does not stop people from enjoying their Friday evening in town.