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We were in Oslo this weekend, and we spent the Sunday walking around at the beautiful open air Museum of Cultural History at Bygdøy. It lies right by the Viking Ship Museum which I blogged about earlier this year, and features a large range of historical buildings (including various farmhouses, lofts/storehouses, firehouses, bathhouses, barns, stables, and a stave church) from the Middle Ages and up. These have been moved from their original locations around Norway, re-erected, preserved and/or restored for us to be able to look around and enjoy the historical architecture with its traditional carvings and embellishments. Being outside on a quite cold winters day, we kept warm with hot beverages and walked around for a few hours until dusk, ending up in the "Old Town" area where there was a Yule-market going on, with merchants selling crafts, mulled wine and pastries. Beautiful day in historical surroundings and with the best of company. ^^ 
Large storehouse from Søndre Berdal in Telemark, 1750s. 
The Åmlid farmhouse, and three story storehouse from Brottveit, Valle, approx. 1650-1700. 
Gol stavechurch, dated back to 1212, with its incredibly detailed wood carvings and astonishing embellishments. 
While these churches in my opinion, are tainted with echoes of the brutality of the Christianization toward the end of the Viking Age, the heartbreaking beauty of their traditional carvings and Norse ornamentations surrounds them with an eerie yet nostalgic ambience. 
I so love the colors and texture of wood, especially when aged and worn. A part of my predilection for natural materials (which those who know me will know is highly visible in my home and the things I surround myself with), I am so infatuated by it and would choose it over modern designs and plastics any day. ^^ 
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