October was a great month for me. I even added 2 new photos to my favorites collection!

First my father and I decided to go on a spontaneous weekend drive through half of Norway, to meet up with some photography friends who set out a whole week before us. Our only goal was to see the famous mountains "Rondane" which are near Trondheim. It took us about 22 hours on the road before we reached a hotel near our destination. With quite some coffee/wake up stops along the way to keep us awake on the icy roads.
After almost collapsing into a coma because we were so tired, we found a old hotel on the top of a mountain. With a full view of the whole national park which we wanted to see, under a star lit sky and a full moon. Having a traditional Norwegian feast in front of a huge fireplace in the old hotel.
We had each our double room with the best view you can possibly get when staying in a hotel.
It was all so short, 7 hours sleep the following night waking up before dawn, we sat our destination home again. With our only planned stop on the way, to see the sunrise light up the mountains.

After crossing countless mountains and driving through miles of tunnels, we were home again after 18 hours driving. Quite busy weekend just for a few usable photos


3 days of work after coming home, and I already left for another trip. As my work asked me so nicely to take 2 weeks unpaid vacation.
I decided to go to Lithuania to spend my time with my girlfriend and my friends there even though I knew I would be the only one who wouldn't be working all day long (photography does not count). That is how flexible I have always been to my company.
I ended up using my half days alone with my studies (exams this month, did I mention that?) and exploring more of Vilnius! I have lost count how many times I've been there now. But Vilnius is and remains quite fascinating, Lithuania in general is a very special country. The contrasts and surprises I stumble upon never stops.
What I came across this time, was a Norwegian musician and composer.

Where ever I have been in this world, I tend to notice a lot of Norwegian flags or distinguishable brands. Usually on clothes, like in Italy where my flag is a brand. In Japan it was very common to see Norwegian clothes, and even flags on shirts. Unlike the Italians the Japanese know something about Norway.
Strangest one I've come across so far, was when I was visiting my Norwegian friend (who is Japanese) in Nagoya (huge city in Japan), and I spot a guy out of a million walking with a sports bag with one of Norway's best soccer teams name and logo.

Statistics now show that 1 out of 120 million people in Japan has a "Rosenborg" bag.


Now back to the point. I don't usually stop and talk with everyone who has a Norwegian flag, but when someone is sitting in front of you in a cafe with a suitcase that has a Norwegian flag on it, I can't help but to ask.
It showed that I wasn't the only one who liked traveling to Vilnius.
He was a musician and composer using the huge old musical building across the street, a building which I had been dreaming of seeing inside.
Some nice but awkward conversations with a stranger led me into that building and more nice but awkward conversations followed. And then I ended up seeing and listening to he and his small symphony for hours, and it was heaven for my ears! There are some times when I know what life is a about, and that is when I hear good musicians playing on classical instruments, live!
If I could be 5 years old again I would want to grow up to be a violinist or a pianist.

I also managed to take a few photos, so far I have uploaded 1

Even without the best evenings ever, I still had a great time.
Until I came home again..
What awaited me at work was not very pleasant, first a meeting about my position, and few days after the crisis hit me in the face. As this goes into November I'll end my journal for now.

It's going to be a dark, cold and busy month