Oslo Quayside

It's a bitingly cold day, but the sky is deliciously blue and the air clean and brittle. Snow has fallen, but the fjord has not had the chance to freeze even a little, so the water looks almost enticing. At the quayside Norway's royal yacht "Norge" is moored and mostly covered up for the winter, but its flag is flying. As the short day starts to dip towards evening the pale sunlight shines through the gently unfolding red, white and blue flag. I always think the Norwegian flag looks most beautiful in wintertime, and I was particularly pleased with this shot as it seems to capture an essentially Norwegian spirit. I did hope the flag would fully unfurl, and waited a long time to see whether it (and the breeze) would oblige. They didn't, but then one can't have everything! Location: Oslo, Norway