Norway is *c*o*l*d*, the winters are long, and, let's face it: Norway is also one of the most expensive countries in the world. So, after many years with high studio rents, we're trying something new!

We sold our beautiful apartment in Oslo's coolest neighbourhood, Grünerløkka, this summer, at the same time as we bought our shack-teau in a small community called le Retord in St Maurice la Fougereuse (departement: Deux-Sevres, region: Poitou-Charentes).

It is a huge property, desperately in need of renovation, and we're putting all our savings into it. Until we can move, we continue to live in icy Oslo (see the December view from our kitchen window at Ila in the picture above).

Jan is an artist, a Gnostic priest, professor, author and connoisseur of fine women, and I, Hanne, am an art historian and ceramic sculptor, elephant painter and crocodile fan.

In addition there are all Jan's kids with boy-/girlfriends/husbands (Solveig & Lennart with Rafael ; Elisa & her son Andreas ; Tristan ; and Ingrid and Rene with Hunter and Lilly, Hanne's brothers and sisters (Helge (with girlfriend Ida & the baby that's arriving any day now), Heidi with her kids Philip and Sophia ; and Henrik) - and all the rest of our families who we hope will come visit A LOT. (That, of course, goes for all our dear friends too.)

We also think it should be a retreat for tired Norwegian and Californian artists - for up to one month's stay.

We're planning a summer gallery with an international profile, too - but that won't happen until 2007 the earliest. It will be a continuation of our Oslo gallery, Nordic Art Info.

So where exactly is this place? Roughly speaking, inside that red circle you see on the map to the right in this page. You'll find a more precice map by following this link to the viamichelin.com site >>>