Thank you for your latest glimpse into life in Norway. I had never heard of cloudberries before and love their vibrant colour. We don’t have anything as exotic looking here, but as a child I used to look forward to our family outings to collect wimberries (sometimes called bilberries) which a tiny, tiny blueberry-looking berry. They taste nothing like blueberries, and have their own distinctive indescribable taste. I remember some years collecting all day on a boggy hillside to gather enough to make a saucer sized pie. But it was delicious.
Bilberries, huh. Interesting. Must look that up. Edit: Bilberries is another word for the small wild blueberries. We pick those too! They make delicious jam.
I was transported from the moment I looked at your cabin… I imagined how special it must be , how it might smell , the damp forest, the woodland sounds and the call of loons. How I miss being somewhere like that. I just loved reading this; it’s a lovely morning gift. Thank you for sharing your precious cloudberries with us !
Thank you so much for sharing this Jorunn! I was super curious after you posted your sketch of a cloudberry. Enjoy your time at the cabin and hope you find some! P.S. the loons?
Loons are loved here in Canada 🇨🇦 too. They put a loon on the one dollar coin, thus they are officially called loonies. I can still get a giggle out of that! If something so mundane can be made fun, yes please! Cloudberries sound like they would be heavenly!
My mind has been in my happy place since first reading your post several hours ago. My happy place is just a memory now. It was a Girl Scout camp in the north woods of Wisconsin I attended for two weeks each summer when I was young. It was near the U.S./Canada border in a wilderness of boreal forest interlaced with lakes and rivers. We snacked on wild raspberries and fell asleep to the haunting calls of loons during the twilight of long summer days. Although I’ve never tasted a cloudberry, their name alone makes me long to try one! Your painting is beautiful—you have serious skills, Jorunn! Spending time at your cabin must be a balm for the soul!
Thank you! You should definitely try to have a taste of cloudberries if you ever make it to Norway. But you might not like them. I'm afraid I might have created an image in your mind that might be hard for the poor little cloudberries to live up to. My daughter hates them. Her husband hates them, and the list of family members who hate them goes on. The only one in our family besides Husband and me who loves them is one of my daughters in law. But, as I wrote in the article, I really don't mind at all, it just means less people that I have to share the precious berries with 😂
Thank you for your latest glimpse into life in Norway. I had never heard of cloudberries before and love their vibrant colour. We don’t have anything as exotic looking here, but as a child I used to look forward to our family outings to collect wimberries (sometimes called bilberries) which a tiny, tiny blueberry-looking berry. They taste nothing like blueberries, and have their own distinctive indescribable taste. I remember some years collecting all day on a boggy hillside to gather enough to make a saucer sized pie. But it was delicious.
Bilberries, huh. Interesting. Must look that up. Edit: Bilberries is another word for the small wild blueberries. We pick those too! They make delicious jam.
I’ve never been inclined to have a “bucket list,” but if I did have one, it would include cloudberries.
Cloudberries are definitely something you should ask to try if you ever make it to Norway.
I was transported from the moment I looked at your cabin… I imagined how special it must be , how it might smell , the damp forest, the woodland sounds and the call of loons. How I miss being somewhere like that. I just loved reading this; it’s a lovely morning gift. Thank you for sharing your precious cloudberries with us !
I'm so glad it made your heart smile!
How lovely! Thank you for sharing the photo of your cabin, it looks gorgeous. 😍
I'm so happy you liked it!
Hearing the call of the loon is one of my favorite parts of backpacking in the Adirondacks! Such a beautiful, lonesome and peaceful sound!
I know. It’s magical.
Thank you so much for sharing this Jorunn! I was super curious after you posted your sketch of a cloudberry. Enjoy your time at the cabin and hope you find some! P.S. the loons?
Sorry, loon seems to be the US English word for this lovely bird. I think you call them divers in the UK.
Ahh that makes much more sense than what I thought it meant 🤣
😂 hahaha now you brought to my mind an image of some very looney neighbours splashing around in the little lake...
Loons are loved here in Canada 🇨🇦 too. They put a loon on the one dollar coin, thus they are officially called loonies. I can still get a giggle out of that! If something so mundane can be made fun, yes please! Cloudberries sound like they would be heavenly!
It’s an acquired taste. The people who love them REALLY love them.
My mind has been in my happy place since first reading your post several hours ago. My happy place is just a memory now. It was a Girl Scout camp in the north woods of Wisconsin I attended for two weeks each summer when I was young. It was near the U.S./Canada border in a wilderness of boreal forest interlaced with lakes and rivers. We snacked on wild raspberries and fell asleep to the haunting calls of loons during the twilight of long summer days. Although I’ve never tasted a cloudberry, their name alone makes me long to try one! Your painting is beautiful—you have serious skills, Jorunn! Spending time at your cabin must be a balm for the soul!
It is balm for the soul, and my happy place.
I just love everything about this! I hope to get to try a cloudberry some day!
Thank you! You should definitely try to have a taste of cloudberries if you ever make it to Norway. But you might not like them. I'm afraid I might have created an image in your mind that might be hard for the poor little cloudberries to live up to. My daughter hates them. Her husband hates them, and the list of family members who hate them goes on. The only one in our family besides Husband and me who loves them is one of my daughters in law. But, as I wrote in the article, I really don't mind at all, it just means less people that I have to share the precious berries with 😂