Interlude
atul_dodiya 'Interlude' 2026 (Instagram Post)
"Between each arrival and departure, there are traces left, of the journey and the destinations encountered, embedded deep in the mind.
"In the ‘interlude’ the main image of the solitary figure in this painting comes from an American film, ’Stranger than Paradise’ (1984) by Jim Jasmusch. It is a story about exile (both from one’s country and oneself) and the missed connections or the missed chances at life itself!
The thundering clouds, the eclipse cycles, the broken wooden planks, a pink shoe by painter Philip Gustin and a little sapling by the painter Fernand Leger along with two airplanes – spread across this deserted landscape, seem to mirror the poignant images of violence and displacement that we see everyday on the news and in the neighbourhood. The world changes everyday in angry cycles, and debris remains"
This Instagram Post by Atul Dodiya couldn't have come at a better time. Although back in Mumbai on 1st July, we keep travelling, exploring, experiencing and resting briefly at a destination, now by a bay or there on a mountainside that rises sharply from a fjord. That's to give an idea of how profound an imprint our fortnight's stay in Norway this summer has left on our souls!
Gustav Vigeland's sculpture in granite; bald eagle in Lofoten Islands and bar at 'Borsen Spiseri', a restaurant where we had couple of dinners in Svolver
Just thinking how best should I narrate our experiences- A chronological travelogue wouldn't do justice. A thematic account? Perhaps. But then again, our cup of joy overflowed from so many themes all packed in a day. Every day! Well, so I shall go with flow of thoughts as they come. And voila! It begins at our last day amble to Vigeland Sculpture park- the world's largest sculpture park with work of over 200 sculptures by a single artist- Gustav Vigeland. The picture is among a series around a giant 14 metre monolith carved from a single block of granite and features 121 human figures climbing and clinging to one another. The sculptures around this monolith explore the cycle of human life- as normal as children happily galloping on mother's back as she plays horse!
'Study of a Scream' by Tyra Kleen; (famous)'Scream' by Edvard Munch and 'Dance' by Paula Regi (who, though completely inspired by Edvard Munch, had developed her own distinct style)
The art galleries, museums, urban architecture, street art... all so good. Being at Edvard Munch Museum (Munchmuseet, as one would say, in Norway) to see the 'Scream' was something like being at the Louvre to see Da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa'. Having said that, the Art Nouveau museum at Alesund ( North West Norway), a town of 60000 inhabitants and having a sobriquet as Art Nouveau capital of Norway was also special. And so was Trondhiem Kunstmuseum (TKM) that had a special exhibition- Sense of Nature- by a Norwegian painter 'Inger Sitter'.
Which of course makes me think that Norway does have its way of putting a spotlight on its women achievers. As in daily life when at Cafes, buses, taxis, libraries.... in other words, on all walks of life, women presence and their contribution to Norwegian society was quite visible! Well, it was Jannike (pronounced Yannika) who chauffered us across the Great Atlantic Rd, an engineering marvel that creates an illusion of the bridge merging into the horizon!
And how can I not mention a very different museum experience when we visited the 'Fisherfolk's Museum' very close to our Hotel Thon in Alesund!
Clockwise from left: Narrowest Building with Art Nouveau features at 10, Kongens Gate (next to Namaste Indian Tandoori); Hotel Brosunde;Inside view Public Library,Trondheim
On of the discoveries was our 3 day stay at Alesund. Soon after alighting from the bus that had ferried us from Airport to our stop by bayside, about 200 metres away from Thon Hotel, the unique character of this quiet town and its art nouveau style of building construction caught our eye. As did the architecture styles-Renaissance, Art Nouveau, Norwegian and late 20th century all at once as we ambled along streets of Trondheim. And what impressed me most in Trondheim was the public library (with its large windows, neat book racks and comfortable reading spaces!). It even had sections for music and cinema collections. I was reminded of London's Barbican Centre of 1990s.
Norwegian Sunset; Great Atlantic Rd.; With Jannike our chauffer at Kristiansand for Trondhiem.
It was during our taxi ride across the Great Atlantic Rd that Jannike shared this picture of a beautiful sunset. Perhaps it was colours of one such sunset that inspired Munch to paint 'Scream'. To quote Ute Khulemann Falck, curator at Munchmuseet on 'Scream' ,"It is, as Munch is saying, or rather screaming, that it's time to stop and look around, to open up all our senses and discover life in all its shades. Something special is happening in front of our eyes, here and now. And if we do not notice this ourselves, we are well advised to listen to those who actually do so. How else can we ever find out?"
Coffee Break at Reine Village (Lofoten); Bottom Left: view of houses from Gamle Bybro (The Old Town Bridge), Trondheim; Bottom Right: Geiringer Fjord.
So that's what we loved doing most during the fortnight that we were in Norway- we opened all our senses and discovered life in all its shades! In Oslo, on train to Flam, on boat to Bergen , between flights that took us to Alesund and Svolver , during our romps across Bergen (on guided walking tours or simply as we walked along streets with quaint sounding names) and a neighbourhood that reminded me of Montmartre in Paris. Or when we experienced the remoteness of seaside village of Hustadvika along a coastline where sea storms have ripped apart sturdy boats of mighty seafarers, a also the Bud museum on a hill on the coast that stands as a witness to German occupancy of Norway during World War II.
on side panel: A ride on an RIB Boat in Lofoten and a Norwegian cinnamon roll.
For the moment, it's a goodbye to breaks at Godt Bread (Good Bread) bakery and coffees at Det Lille Kaffekompaniet and Kaffebrenneriet. And stay at Svinoya Rorbuer in Lofoten.
At least until the next break! When once more, Khyati and I, in a manner of speaking, paddle our own canoes!!
