Giveaway [Tree Sets of Tiny Handmade Magnets with Photos from Scandinavia]

I've got a mini giveway for you guys today! I'm giving away tree sets of tiny handmade magnets.



Each set contains five magnets with original pictures from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. I think they would make a lovely gift for someone who loves travelling. :)





And what about you? Have you ever been to Scandinavia? What's your favourite place there? What would you like to visit?

Just leave a comment on this blog post to enter. I'm happy to ship worldwide, so anyone can enter. Leave your comment before 11pm (GMT+01:00 ;-) on Sunday 9th December, and I'll pick the winner at random on Monday 11th December.

Please make sure you leave a name or pseudonym (no anonymous comments please!) and leave a blog link or email address so I can contact you. If I'm unable to contact the winner within one week, I will pick someone else.

Updating: Giveaway closed.

PhotoTalks: Maylen Rusti [Singer and Songwriter]

I had a photo session with the Norwegian singer and songwriter Maylen Rusti, who currently lives in Copenhagen. We met in one of my favourite parks in Østerbro to take pictures there. I was a bit worried about the weather. 'Cause, you know, you can't trust Danish weather. It changes twenty times a day.

Eventually all went well. It wasn't raining. We relaxed and enjoyed an unusually sunny afternoon and a beautiful autumn scene. I was curious about Maylen's professional life, so I asked her a few questions during our photo shoot.



Maylen, what are you currently working on? Any interesting projects?
I'm currently working on getting the last details in place for the release of my first album. The release is set to be in January '13, but the release dates are yet to be announced. Other than that I'm spending some time in my home studio working on new material for some upcoming recordings, as well as booking gigs for the next semester. Right now, I'm also waiting for my second music video to be ready for launching, which it will be in just a couple of days.

What does your normal day look like?
A normal day for me could start with waking up early to work three hours in the library, then going home to eat lunch, drink coffee and then I get ready to work with my music. In some cases, working with my music means sitting in front of my computer for hours, writing e-mails and applications for funding for different projects. The best days are, of course, when I've made some new music that I really like. Nowadays it motivates me a lot when I get quick (and positive) answers to my e-mails, or when I get good feedback on my new material.



What inspires you to compose music and write lyrics?
The thing that inspires me the most for writing music is when I hear music that I like and find interesting, or when I'm able to take the time to really enjoy my everyday life. It's the times when I stop to think about how I'm feeling, and why, that there comes some interesting ideas for new songs. In this case I get really motivated and inspired, whether the feelings are good or bad, 'cause it all makes sense in music (smiling).

When and where is your next concert?
I'm playing one concert on 9th of November in Bergen in Norway. And then I have two concerts in January. The first one is on 5th at Mono in Oslo, and other is on 31st at Studenterhuset i København. You can find details about my upcoming shows on my new web page. :)

Thank you for the interview, Maylen!
You're welcome!

Norway (part 2)

We hitchhiked from Jotunheimen to Geiranger fjord. An old Italian couple gave us a lift. They had a big van and they were so cute! They could hardly speak English, but they cooked original Italian coffee for us and they gave us some Venetian biscuits. :)





We spent a few days I Geiranger. We walked a lot, saw several rainbows and visited some fjord farms. We rented a double sea kayak too and explored fjords from the water.















We also took a ferry to a village, which was famous for its strawberries production







We took a bus from the village to Åndalsnes via Trollstigen. Trollstigen is an fascinating road. It looks quiet dangerous. I was so happy, when we arrived safely to Åndalsnes.













We paid for a 'retro' room in some villa. Finally we slept in a bed again! We took the morning train from Åndalsnes to Oslo. It was a great sightseeing journey! Several times, the train stopped closed to some interesting places, so tourist – like me – could take pictures. :)



We waited for our night bus in Oslo. We had few hours, so we looked a little bit around. We saw the Opera house, the city center, the Royal palace, the town hall, the fort etc. We also ate dinner in a fancy restaurant. The food was super expensive but delicious. And after 10 p.m., we left for Denmark. We couldn't enjoy our trip more! :)

What happened in Norway (part 1)

I'm sorry for delay. I was quiet busy working and studying Danish after our return from Norway. Anyway, Norway is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever been to. And it is very photogenic too. :)


Me and my boyfriend started our two-week trip in Trondheim, where we slept two nights in our friend's friends' apartment. We saw the city centre and the harbour and enjoyed a cup of coffee in a cosy café.






We hitchhiked from Trondheim to the National Park Jotunheimen. At the beginning we were very lucky. We met two amazing women – one from Canada and one from Lithuania – who gave us a lift. But then we got stuck on a road for two hours! The place was marvelous, but on the other hand two hours were to much! Especially, if it was getting colder and darker...


So after two hours, a woman from Oslo – a translator, who loved hiking and shooting deers – stopped her car and took us to Jotunheimen. She also gave us several advices about hiking trips.

We spent two days there. The first day, it was raining a lot. We just took a short walk to a dark grey lake.






The next day, the weather was just beautiful. We decided to take a boat to a cottage called Memurubu. We hiked from the cottage to the mountain top Besseggen. The trip took seven or eight hours and we were very, very tired after it, but the views were fantastic. There was one place, from which we could see two different lakes at once.