A little bit more about Torderød

Highly recommended:
Taking the guided tour of Torderød mansion
in Moss on a Sunday afternoon in the summer.

I have now done it FOUR times.

Above is a photo I took last Sunday of our guide
Arnulf Johannesen. He is the chairman of a group
called Torderøds Venner (The friends of Torderød).
In addition to being an entertaining lecturer,
often with quite cynical and self-ironical remarks,
he also knows a lot about his subject.

I now have done this tour in 2007, 2008 and
now in 2009, and therefore clearly see the
progress in the ongoing restoration.
As the guide pointed out: "We are the crazy persons
coming up with the carefully researched plans,
and then others pay for it."



Here we are, walking in the French baroque
garden, standing under an oak that is quite rare
in Norway - I forgot the name.



There used to be another mansion in Moss
that could have ended up another cultural
perl. It was Rabekk.
But unfortunately the only part left of Rabekk

is the this gate, now near the obelisque at Torderoed.



This mirror, now in the ballroom at Torderod,
was once in another mansion in Moss, namely
Melløs, but that was demolished too.
Instead the town built an old age home there.
Can you hear Arnulf Johannesen's comments?
The mirror was first placed in a school where
fortunately it survived many years till one principal
thought Torderød would be a more suitable place.



This room is the White Hall, the next room
to be renovated. It used to be the room the
ladies went into after dancing and being
entertained.
Our guide told us that the walls were never
white, so it must have been the furniture that
was white.

Anyway, next year I hope to be back to see
how that room will look.