July 12, 2012
We had an uneventful flight, happy for business class with reclining seats for the long trip home and enjoyed the added bonus of seeing the mountains and glaciers of Iceland and Greenland from the air.
John calculated that it was 24 hours from when we woke up in Helsinki until we got into our car at LAX. While we were passing the time in relative comfort, John and Caroline were sharing their row with a man who had apparently not bathed or practiced any oral hygiene during his adult life. Since the plane was full, there was no seat change option. Naturally, they bolted from the plane when we landed. I wondered that they caught up with us so quickly in the airport.
Unfortunate seat mates aside, we will be thinking about our adventures for months to come. I am thrilled that in spite of the wonderful bread and consuming probably 10 pounds of potatoes, I gained no weight on the trip. It was absolutely the 130 miles of walking we did. The only issue was my slide back into copious amounts of caffeine. Except for Finland, the coffee was wonderful and they don't bother with brewed decaf. So there you have it. I will tackle that one once I'm back on PDT. It'll take a week or two to dilute the jet lag.
We were not in a car for two and a half weeks. Instead it was trains, boats, planes, buses, subways, streetcars and our feet. I met a Swedish cousin and her husband, spent an afternoon with our Norwegian friend and had an evening with two high school friends from Minneapolis. And the stars of the show were the wonderful Nordic cities of Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki. Tak, takk, tack and kiito.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Posted with Blogsy
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Tuu, tuu, tupakkarulla
July 10, 2012
Day the last. An early start on a nice tour bus because we are spending the day in the country. Maybe rain, maybe not. We start at the Lotta Museum in Tuusula where we have a lovely lecture on Finnish folk music and get to sing the Finnish lullaby you see above. It is like our Rockabye Baby and since Finnish is phonetic, we could do it with just a little help. Our grand finale was singing the best known melody of Sibelius' Finlandia which put us all in a proper frame of mind, particularly since there were cinnamon buns and coffee afterwards as our reward.
The Lotta Svard was an organization of women that operated from the early 1900's until after the second world war with the purpose of supporting the Finnish military and promoting civil defense. From the 1100's until the 1700's, Finland was a province of Sweden until they were taken over by Russia. The country remained somewhat autonomous until 1917 when the overthrow of the czar in Russia resulted in independence for Finland. Then WWII saw the country sandwiched between Russia and Germany. The end result was a huge war debt to Russia which took them until 1952 to repay. A tenacious bunch.
Final stop was Hvittrask, the home and work place built and occupied by three of Finland's most famous architects, one of whom was a bachelor. Juicy story when Eliel Saarinen (his architect son was famous in the US) became enamoured of architect Herman Geselluis' sister. This turned out to be okay because Herman fell in love with Eliel's wife. It was probably a bit of a challenge to explain the switch to the subsequent children but they were artists, after all. As you can see, the weather got better and better as the day went on. Lucky we are.
We had a delightful going away dinner in the hotel. Said goodbye to our four closest friends since we are all heading out at different times in the morning, we at 5:30 A.M. All the better to sleep on the plane I think.
P.S. I see that I used "it's" in yesterday's blog when it is clearly "its". Horrors.
Day the last. An early start on a nice tour bus because we are spending the day in the country. Maybe rain, maybe not. We start at the Lotta Museum in Tuusula where we have a lovely lecture on Finnish folk music and get to sing the Finnish lullaby you see above. It is like our Rockabye Baby and since Finnish is phonetic, we could do it with just a little help. Our grand finale was singing the best known melody of Sibelius' Finlandia which put us all in a proper frame of mind, particularly since there were cinnamon buns and coffee afterwards as our reward.
On to Ainola, the home of Jean and Aino Sibelius where they lived for more than 60 years. I will be buying a CD of Finlandia when we get home, I think performed by an orchestra conducted by Esa Pekka Salonen.
P.S. I see that I used "it's" in yesterday's blog when it is clearly "its". Horrors.
Monday, July 9, 2012
On the Move
July 9, 2012
Sad to say that the bread (and breakfast) in Finland is inferior to our former experiences or perhaps we were just downright spoiled in the Scandinavian countries. On the other hand, our guide here is a delight as was our morning lecturer, Keith, an ex-pat who's lived in Finland most of his adult life. He is a professor at the University here in Helsinki. We learned so much about Finland's history and it's people in a short time and were highly entertained to boot. Talented guy.
We walked to our lunch spot from the hotel and then on to where we were supposed to get our charter bus to Seurasaari, an open air museum modeled on Scansen in Stockholm if you remember that. Good things for every traveler to pack: a sense of humour and a willingness to go to Plan B at a moment's notice. So we get to the pick-up point only to be informed that the bus has abandoned us. I am not quite sure why, but no bus, no ride. We walk back to a public bus stop and wait about 30 minutes and off we go. Painless really, except for the delay and needless walking. But hey, good thing to do after a hearty lunch.
The museum was quite interesting, especially the old church, and we had a sweet girl giving us a tour.
I lagged at the end since I was using the facilities and found myself having to RUN to catch the bus. Okay - total disclosure - I was also taking a few photos. It's not good for an old person to run, especially with a camera and large bag knocking you in the stomach. I was a bit heated once on the bus but gratified not to be left in the dust.
Back at the hotel we grabbed a slice at Pizza Hut since there was no time to spare before an organ concert at the Kallio Church. We all went via street car. Loved the two Bach pieces and the fact that the guy played a ginormous organ in the balcony of the church with enough sound to make your body vibrate. Awesome.
Sad to say that the bread (and breakfast) in Finland is inferior to our former experiences or perhaps we were just downright spoiled in the Scandinavian countries. On the other hand, our guide here is a delight as was our morning lecturer, Keith, an ex-pat who's lived in Finland most of his adult life. He is a professor at the University here in Helsinki. We learned so much about Finland's history and it's people in a short time and were highly entertained to boot. Talented guy.
We walked to our lunch spot from the hotel and then on to where we were supposed to get our charter bus to Seurasaari, an open air museum modeled on Scansen in Stockholm if you remember that. Good things for every traveler to pack: a sense of humour and a willingness to go to Plan B at a moment's notice. So we get to the pick-up point only to be informed that the bus has abandoned us. I am not quite sure why, but no bus, no ride. We walk back to a public bus stop and wait about 30 minutes and off we go. Painless really, except for the delay and needless walking. But hey, good thing to do after a hearty lunch.
The museum was quite interesting, especially the old church, and we had a sweet girl giving us a tour.
Back at the hotel we grabbed a slice at Pizza Hut since there was no time to spare before an organ concert at the Kallio Church. We all went via street car. Loved the two Bach pieces and the fact that the guy played a ginormous organ in the balcony of the church with enough sound to make your body vibrate. Awesome.
First Day in Finland
July 8, 2012
We got off the ferry this morning after breakfast, a little bedraggled I must admit. Our clothes are getting rumpled which does reflect the way I feel. There was major partying going on aboard ship last night. I think the Finns like to enjoy themselves! I am looking forward to a quiet night here in Helsinki. Our hotel is somewhat fancy but I am missing mightily some good coffee and the wonderful bread we've come to so appreciate. We'll see what tomorrow's breakfast brings. We had a quick tour around the city, stopping at a wonderful park dedicated to Sibelius and then at the biggest and most elaborate Lutheran church/cathedral I've ever seen.
We only had a few minutes so did not enter but remained below it in a large square.
On to lunch and the hotel and then an hour lecture on art history in Finland. Our guide,Vivre, is an artist. She took several of our group to the art museum, but we opted to remain behind. Ron, John and Caroline went to the pool and the sauna in the hotel but I had a cup of coffee and read my magazine. It was too close to dinner and I didn't want to rush. They reported that as is typical, there is a sauna for each sex and one generally goes in naked. The protocol is no talking so as to refresh and purify your mind and body. Then you must put your bathing suit back on to go to the very cool pool. I must try it before we leave here.
Dinner and then back to the hotel for rest.
We got off the ferry this morning after breakfast, a little bedraggled I must admit. Our clothes are getting rumpled which does reflect the way I feel. There was major partying going on aboard ship last night. I think the Finns like to enjoy themselves! I am looking forward to a quiet night here in Helsinki. Our hotel is somewhat fancy but I am missing mightily some good coffee and the wonderful bread we've come to so appreciate. We'll see what tomorrow's breakfast brings. We had a quick tour around the city, stopping at a wonderful park dedicated to Sibelius and then at the biggest and most elaborate Lutheran church/cathedral I've ever seen.
On to lunch and the hotel and then an hour lecture on art history in Finland. Our guide,Vivre, is an artist. She took several of our group to the art museum, but we opted to remain behind. Ron, John and Caroline went to the pool and the sauna in the hotel but I had a cup of coffee and read my magazine. It was too close to dinner and I didn't want to rush. They reported that as is typical, there is a sauna for each sex and one generally goes in naked. The protocol is no talking so as to refresh and purify your mind and body. Then you must put your bathing suit back on to go to the very cool pool. I must try it before we leave here.
Dinner and then back to the hotel for rest.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Sailing Away
July 7, 2012
Started the day major schleppage which is what must occur when leaving one country for another and particularly when one is going by ferry and cannot bring one's suitcase on board. Our suitcases have been stowed in the bowels of the ferry and will not be seen again until we enter our hotel rooms in Helsinki. Meanwhile, we have very heavy backpacks to lug along with the HEAVY camera case (Ron) and the Illums Bolighus shopping bag filled with treasures (me). I waited until the last minute to procure gifts here because our Stockholm travels never seemed to take us to quite the right spots for the gifts I'd envisioned. I did want to get my sisters something from our countries of origin so could not exactly present Danish or Finnish gifts in their stead.
After breakfast, Ron and I went in search of a particular pair of work pants he'd admired but when we completed our 20 walk to the store, there were no such items. Poor dude. We will look on line to see what can be had when we get home. Then time for the group to board the public bus for the ferry where we had a beautiful boat ride on Lake Malaren to the Drottningholm Slott (castle), home to the royal family.
Building started in 1662 after the first castle on this site burned to the ground. After a tour we got ourselves a delicious sandwich which we ate al fresco. Very warm today resulting in a sunburned nose. After last night, I may be channeling Rudolph.
We barely had time to collect our ferry boat backpacks from the hotel where a few guys including Ron and John did the heavy lifting while we ladies remained on the bus. I liked it.
On the ferry now which is quite luxurious compared to the one we took from Copenhagen to Oslo. After a delicious dinner (including free wine, soft drinks and coffee), we made our way to the observation deck and spent over an hour enjoying the stunning scenery as we leave here. We won't be in the open ocean (Baltic Sea) until we are asleep tonight so we are enjoying every last bit of Sweden. It is sad to leave where so many spoke Swedish to us just assuming we belonged.
Started the day major schleppage which is what must occur when leaving one country for another and particularly when one is going by ferry and cannot bring one's suitcase on board. Our suitcases have been stowed in the bowels of the ferry and will not be seen again until we enter our hotel rooms in Helsinki. Meanwhile, we have very heavy backpacks to lug along with the HEAVY camera case (Ron) and the Illums Bolighus shopping bag filled with treasures (me). I waited until the last minute to procure gifts here because our Stockholm travels never seemed to take us to quite the right spots for the gifts I'd envisioned. I did want to get my sisters something from our countries of origin so could not exactly present Danish or Finnish gifts in their stead.
After breakfast, Ron and I went in search of a particular pair of work pants he'd admired but when we completed our 20 walk to the store, there were no such items. Poor dude. We will look on line to see what can be had when we get home. Then time for the group to board the public bus for the ferry where we had a beautiful boat ride on Lake Malaren to the Drottningholm Slott (castle), home to the royal family.
On the ferry now which is quite luxurious compared to the one we took from Copenhagen to Oslo. After a delicious dinner (including free wine, soft drinks and coffee), we made our way to the observation deck and spent over an hour enjoying the stunning scenery as we leave here. We won't be in the open ocean (Baltic Sea) until we are asleep tonight so we are enjoying every last bit of Sweden. It is sad to leave where so many spoke Swedish to us just assuming we belonged.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Roots
Friday July 6, 2012
Today we played hooky with a leisurely breakfast and then the subway to Gamla Stan, Old Town, for shopping. I didn't get anything but it was fun to look. Lots of souvinier shops to wade through with stuff made in China. I had no interest in purchasing anything that was not made in Scandinavia.
We made our way to City Hall to meet my second cousin Lena, and her husband Betril. They had seen photos of us so they walked right up and we exchanged warm hugs. It was much like we knew them already as they were both very personable. Lena told me that she hadn't been conversing in English for a couple of years since our Canadian cousins had visited, but I thought both of them did so well. Lena said she would be very tired after the day of thinking and speaking in English.
It strikes me as very presumptuous that they must do all the work and we just speak English to everyone here and they always answer. I have had several conversations with people in subways, on buses and on the street and all speak English to one degree or another, even older people. We are spoiled.
Bertil (you hardly sound the "r") and Lena (3 syllables really) often conferred with each other in Swedish to come up with the English words, but the conversation was occasionally technical, especially when Bertil was explaining how his farm and lumber business worked. They raise cattle and sheep for meat and sell a lot of lumber that they mill themselves. Lena has a job in the nearby town in an insurance firm. We were not able to meet their sons or their families, but this was a workday so difficult to arrange. Bertil got his son to tend to the farm for the day and Lena took a day off. So dear. Her grandmother and mine were sisters. Mine came to Canada and hers had already met the man she was to marry so did not want to leave Sweden. Funny how lives can take diverge like that.
We walked back to Old Town for lunch (not such good food but the company made up for it) after which John and Caroline went off for their kayak ride around one of the islands in the lake that surrounds Stockholm. They did not find the boats too stable and so had to work hard to keep themselves afloat when motorized craft went by. I did not mind missing that experience.
The rest of us went back to our hotel for a rest and come coffee and more chat. I had forgotten the photos I'd carted with me from home - my mom's family and my sisters through the years - so was happy that I was able to show these to them.
They brought photos of their family plus their large and wonderful farmhouse that was built in 1902. It was beautiful. They have 500 acres of forrest plus their farm land for the animals and a few crops. I certainly hope we are able to see each other again - either if they come to California or we return to Sweden. Ron would like to come back on our own and travel in the countryside. It would be easy to do so, really. They even drive on the same side of the road as we do. I think they changed some years back but I don't know what prompted that.
We had dinner with the tour group on a ship that was permanently docked. Almost a floating restaurant. Reindeer again for dinner so John, Caroline and I were able to score fish instead. Like I've said, I am not adventurous in the LEAST when it comes to meat.
Tomorrow we have a bit more touring before we leave for Helsinki where we have got NO idea of what awaits us. Finland will be a whole new world except for Jean Sibelius and Esa Pekka Salonen!
It strikes me as very presumptuous that they must do all the work and we just speak English to everyone here and they always answer. I have had several conversations with people in subways, on buses and on the street and all speak English to one degree or another, even older people. We are spoiled.
Bertil (you hardly sound the "r") and Lena (3 syllables really) often conferred with each other in Swedish to come up with the English words, but the conversation was occasionally technical, especially when Bertil was explaining how his farm and lumber business worked. They raise cattle and sheep for meat and sell a lot of lumber that they mill themselves. Lena has a job in the nearby town in an insurance firm. We were not able to meet their sons or their families, but this was a workday so difficult to arrange. Bertil got his son to tend to the farm for the day and Lena took a day off. So dear. Her grandmother and mine were sisters. Mine came to Canada and hers had already met the man she was to marry so did not want to leave Sweden. Funny how lives can take diverge like that.
We walked back to Old Town for lunch (not such good food but the company made up for it) after which John and Caroline went off for their kayak ride around one of the islands in the lake that surrounds Stockholm. They did not find the boats too stable and so had to work hard to keep themselves afloat when motorized craft went by. I did not mind missing that experience.
They brought photos of their family plus their large and wonderful farmhouse that was built in 1902. It was beautiful. They have 500 acres of forrest plus their farm land for the animals and a few crops. I certainly hope we are able to see each other again - either if they come to California or we return to Sweden. Ron would like to come back on our own and travel in the countryside. It would be easy to do so, really. They even drive on the same side of the road as we do. I think they changed some years back but I don't know what prompted that.
We had dinner with the tour group on a ship that was permanently docked. Almost a floating restaurant. Reindeer again for dinner so John, Caroline and I were able to score fish instead. Like I've said, I am not adventurous in the LEAST when it comes to meat.
Tomorrow we have a bit more touring before we leave for Helsinki where we have got NO idea of what awaits us. Finland will be a whole new world except for Jean Sibelius and Esa Pekka Salonen!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Rich in History
Thursday, July 5, 2012
The days are getting to be a little bit blurry so it's a good thing I have the blog to keep track of all of our goings-on. We decided to rest a bit in the morning and to have breakfast at our leisure. We made our way uptown to the lecture hall in time to meet the group for our walk through Gamla Stan (Old Town.) It's actually an island as are many areas in Stockholm which is surround by a big lake on one side and channels to the Baltic Sea on the other. The old town is rich in history and many of the building foundations date to the 1500's.
We had lunch there and then went on to the Vasa Ship Museum via a harbor taxi. The Vasa ship was made of oak and completed in a record two year's time. It was wartime and the King Gustav Adolph wanted to increase his fleet of ships. This one was made with 2 tiers of cannons so quite top heavy with not enough increase in the ballast to put things to rights. A series of errors during the launching caused it to list to one side so severely that the thing unceremoniously sank in the harbor in 20 minutes flat. There it remained from August 10, 1628, until the 1960's when it was finally located and recovered in excellent condition. Thank the cold water surrounding Stockholm for this phenomenon and the tenacious Swedes for assembling the jigsaw puzzle from all the recovered pieces.
With our secret weapons (John and Caroline as navigators) we then got on the bus to visit Skansen (think Wisconsin without the Wis). Founded in 1891, it is touted to be Sweden in miniature and is a75-acre park containing gardens, animals and houses typical of Swedish farm life.
By the time we returned to the hotel, we had to thrown on our clothes for a rather fancy dinner which took a very European 2 hours to consume. This time the entre was moose. Sigh. I have never been one for exotic meats. Sweden has some of the most stringent laws concerning the keeping of animals so they are treated well and have good lives until such time as they give themselves up for human consumption. Plus, they are not fed any chemicals, etc., so the Swedes think their meats are much preferable to ours. True, but hard to deal when you are not used to it. I won't mind leaving the meat behind, but it will be so hard not to have such wonderful bread with every meal. I think the people here would be appalled at our bread in a plastic wrapper. Not the way they do business.
The days are getting to be a little bit blurry so it's a good thing I have the blog to keep track of all of our goings-on. We decided to rest a bit in the morning and to have breakfast at our leisure. We made our way uptown to the lecture hall in time to meet the group for our walk through Gamla Stan (Old Town.) It's actually an island as are many areas in Stockholm which is surround by a big lake on one side and channels to the Baltic Sea on the other. The old town is rich in history and many of the building foundations date to the 1500's.
We had lunch there and then went on to the Vasa Ship Museum via a harbor taxi. The Vasa ship was made of oak and completed in a record two year's time. It was wartime and the King Gustav Adolph wanted to increase his fleet of ships. This one was made with 2 tiers of cannons so quite top heavy with not enough increase in the ballast to put things to rights. A series of errors during the launching caused it to list to one side so severely that the thing unceremoniously sank in the harbor in 20 minutes flat. There it remained from August 10, 1628, until the 1960's when it was finally located and recovered in excellent condition. Thank the cold water surrounding Stockholm for this phenomenon and the tenacious Swedes for assembling the jigsaw puzzle from all the recovered pieces.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Sedentary in Stockholm
July 4, 2012
Happy 4 July! We made mention of it at our lecture this morning but it seems quite odd that the Los Al fireworks and neighborhood gathering will take place in our absence. Maybe our friend David who is watching our house will be able to enjoy them as we have for so many years.
We've walked 40 miles in Copenhagen and 30 miles in Oslo but not too much here. We are on the subway and on the bus because the city is more expansive and some of the things we are seeing are in outlying areas. I don't have a sense of place here yet so maybe I am getting a little weary of trying to determine the lay of the land. I consider it a coup that I know our room number in the hotel. Road Scholar cleverly gave us a paper when the tour started that lists the name, address and telephone number of each hotel in each city. That might come in quite handy, particularly if we get off the subway at the wrong stop. Here in Stockholm we also have a one-week pass for the subway, buses and many museums. Good, that, since we have considerable scheduled time on our own plus the added hours when we play hooky from the lectures. Naughty, but it's too beautiful outside to sit in a classroom. While we are spending the afternoon with my cousins on Friday, the kids will maybe go kayaking. Waaahhhh. I would like to do that, but not everything is possible and we'll need to save something for the next visit.
The lecture hall is a few subway stops away in a Swedish Covenant church - shades of my childhood since we had religious instruction in the nearby Covenant church and during school hours!! The church in Minneapolis is also the site of the Christmastime Santa Lucia Breakfast that my mother so loved attending. A very Swedish tradition. As you can see, the interior of the Stockholm church is quite lovely with the conspicuously absent alter or cross. Lutheranism is the state religion but they do let in a few diverse groups including a large mosque that's just near the Covenant church.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
My People
July 3, 2012
Almost ready to lie down and it will be wonderful to stretch out in a nice bed here in Stockholm. There was no a/c in Oslo and since we were right across the street from a pub, keeping a window open was ill-advised. The beds typically have a bottom sheet and a cozy down comforter on top so we have sometimes been too hot. Not a good look in the morning when my hair is standing on end.
It was so warm and sunny when we arrived in Sweden, near 80 degrees but now you can walk along with a light jacket or long sleeves in the 9:30 P.M. twilight. Less sun here than in Oslo when it finally got dark around 11:30 P.M. Land of the Midnight Sun, yes?
The train ride from Oslo was about 6 hours but I thought the seats quite comfortable and the woods, farms, lakes and rivers we rode by were spectacular. I didn't want to get too engrossed in my iPad or Sudoku so I listened to a Mozart symphony on my iPod and that was perfect for viewing between my other pursuits. I couldn't quite bear to fall asleep either even though I was up very early this morning. Paid for it tonight in the lecture with a lot of head bobbing and blinks that lasted too long for polite listening. Sigh.
We went for a couple of walks after we got settled in this afternoon and took photos and went shopping.
Saw these gorgeous peonies outside a wonderful old Catholic church which I loved so much in the yards in Minneapolis. Here is a photo of them plus the street very close to our hotel.
Tomorrow we start our formal tour of the city. Oh and the dinner tonight was so good. I think the food here will be excellent. I had pickled herring although I don't think it was as good as what my Swedish grandma would make on Christmas Eve. More skorper, too, this one a little sweeter and with cardamom. I think my sisters will remember from our childhood. This whole adventure has been so much about my childhood memories and thinking about my parents and grandparents. They must be here with me enjoying the trip.
Almost ready to lie down and it will be wonderful to stretch out in a nice bed here in Stockholm. There was no a/c in Oslo and since we were right across the street from a pub, keeping a window open was ill-advised. The beds typically have a bottom sheet and a cozy down comforter on top so we have sometimes been too hot. Not a good look in the morning when my hair is standing on end.
It was so warm and sunny when we arrived in Sweden, near 80 degrees but now you can walk along with a light jacket or long sleeves in the 9:30 P.M. twilight. Less sun here than in Oslo when it finally got dark around 11:30 P.M. Land of the Midnight Sun, yes?
The train ride from Oslo was about 6 hours but I thought the seats quite comfortable and the woods, farms, lakes and rivers we rode by were spectacular. I didn't want to get too engrossed in my iPad or Sudoku so I listened to a Mozart symphony on my iPod and that was perfect for viewing between my other pursuits. I couldn't quite bear to fall asleep either even though I was up very early this morning. Paid for it tonight in the lecture with a lot of head bobbing and blinks that lasted too long for polite listening. Sigh.
We went for a couple of walks after we got settled in this afternoon and took photos and went shopping.
Saw these gorgeous peonies outside a wonderful old Catholic church which I loved so much in the yards in Minneapolis. Here is a photo of them plus the street very close to our hotel.
Let the Sunshine In
July 2, 2012
Literally and figuratively! We woke up to a clear blue sky and lovely sunshine. Ron said he had a whole new appreciation for Oslo. We had a leisurely breakfast followed by a walk to a nearby shopping area that was not productive since we arrived before the shops open. That is usually 10 A.M. and they are all closed by 7 P.M.
We did go by the Government Center to see the damage done last year by the man who decided that the country was wrong to allow in Muslim immigrants and that he should kill as many people as possible from the liberal side of the government. After blowing up the building and killing several people, he went to a youth camp and continued his rampage, killing over 60 more (many young people) before he was stopped. Norwegian law allows for a maximum imprisonment of 21 years if he is declared sane and there is no capitol punishment. His sentencing is next month. It remains a terrible tragedy for the Norwegian people and is very sobering and sad. Windows were blown out in buildings all over near the Government Center which remains under repair. The largest publishing company in the country is nearby and they've left their display as it was after the blast with shattered glass. Our hearts go out.
We were back in time to board the bus with our group to drive to the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History - the Folk Museum - on the Bygdoy peninsula. (The "o" in Bygdoy has a line through it but no can do on this keyboard.) There, a stave church built in 1200 had been reassembled from its original home in the north. There are no nails inside from what I could understand but rather a series of roofs made to insure that the building is structurally sound. I especially enjoyed the section on the indigenous Sami - formerly called Laplanders - since I've always thought that my paternal grandma was ethnically part of that heritage. Her high pronounced cheekbones, slightly almond eyes, darker hair and skin and fine straight nose = what else? Today, the Sami don't always have such a distinct look and appear to be more assimilated into the national culture although they now have their own flag and parliament.
From here, we joined the hoards at the Viking Ship Museum which, in spite of the crowds, was well-worth seeing. These huge ships, restored and with so many artifacts, were pretty amazing. When sister Laura and I were clearing out 50 years of possessions from our parents' home, we'd square our shoulders and say, "We can do it. We're Vikings!" As we are.
We had a very rich and delicious fish chowder for lunch and then took the ferry back to the city hall area where we met dear Anne-Katrine, a former exchange student of Jackie and Larry's with whom they've remained friends for the past 20 years. She is a tall and beautiful woman with blond hair and blue eyes. Even more important, she has a warm and sunny disposition and showed us such kindness and warmth. She took the day off work and left her little girls home for her husband to take care of so that she could be with us.
Our only regret was that we did not have enough time for her to take us out to her house to meet the rest of the family. We are hoping that when she next comes to the US she will visit us in California. Of course we can't tempt her too much with Disneyland because she has Disney World near her American mom and dad in Jacksonville. So we had a private guide for our afternoon at the Kon-Tiki and Fram Museums but we cleverly saved enough time for coffee and a treat back near our hotel. This was a new little place with sidewalk seating where we ordered coffee and ice cream. When time came for payment, they could not accept any of our US credit cards and we had no Norwegian kroner so our friend had to pay for it all. We felt terrible. I pressed the coins I had onto her to at least offset the parking. She said she'd give them to her children so I concluded it couldn't be much. (My method of cash payment on this trip has been to lay money in my palm and let them take what is needed. I think it works well and I am spared trying to figure it out as we move from country to country.) We can only hope to repay Anne Katrine's hospitality when next we meet.
We had a farewell dinner near the hotel and hastened back to start assembling our luggage in order to be on time for breakfast at 5:45 A.M. Good bye Norge.
Literally and figuratively! We woke up to a clear blue sky and lovely sunshine. Ron said he had a whole new appreciation for Oslo. We had a leisurely breakfast followed by a walk to a nearby shopping area that was not productive since we arrived before the shops open. That is usually 10 A.M. and they are all closed by 7 P.M.
We did go by the Government Center to see the damage done last year by the man who decided that the country was wrong to allow in Muslim immigrants and that he should kill as many people as possible from the liberal side of the government. After blowing up the building and killing several people, he went to a youth camp and continued his rampage, killing over 60 more (many young people) before he was stopped. Norwegian law allows for a maximum imprisonment of 21 years if he is declared sane and there is no capitol punishment. His sentencing is next month. It remains a terrible tragedy for the Norwegian people and is very sobering and sad. Windows were blown out in buildings all over near the Government Center which remains under repair. The largest publishing company in the country is nearby and they've left their display as it was after the blast with shattered glass. Our hearts go out.
We had a very rich and delicious fish chowder for lunch and then took the ferry back to the city hall area where we met dear Anne-Katrine, a former exchange student of Jackie and Larry's with whom they've remained friends for the past 20 years. She is a tall and beautiful woman with blond hair and blue eyes. Even more important, she has a warm and sunny disposition and showed us such kindness and warmth. She took the day off work and left her little girls home for her husband to take care of so that she could be with us.
Our only regret was that we did not have enough time for her to take us out to her house to meet the rest of the family. We are hoping that when she next comes to the US she will visit us in California. Of course we can't tempt her too much with Disneyland because she has Disney World near her American mom and dad in Jacksonville. So we had a private guide for our afternoon at the Kon-Tiki and Fram Museums but we cleverly saved enough time for coffee and a treat back near our hotel. This was a new little place with sidewalk seating where we ordered coffee and ice cream. When time came for payment, they could not accept any of our US credit cards and we had no Norwegian kroner so our friend had to pay for it all. We felt terrible. I pressed the coins I had onto her to at least offset the parking. She said she'd give them to her children so I concluded it couldn't be much. (My method of cash payment on this trip has been to lay money in my palm and let them take what is needed. I think it works well and I am spared trying to figure it out as we move from country to country.) We can only hope to repay Anne Katrine's hospitality when next we meet.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Learning to Say My Name
July 1, 2012
First breakfast at the hotel in Oslo - not quite as grand as the Copenhagen offering but quite good nonetheless. I forgot to tell you last night that we had reindeer for dinner. I might not have tucked into it with such gusto had I known. I thought it was beef until I was corrected. It was fixed medium rare and was tasty but something about picturing those cute furry antlers made me leave quite a bit of it on my plate.
I am working with our Oslo guide in an attempt to properly pronounce my maiden name: Kjenstad. Caroline has become pretty good at it but I am still stymied by the placement of the first syllable in my mouth. The second syllable I had down pat - it's staa. We always pronounced it like chensted. NOT.
This is a photo of the City Hall.
We had a lecture to acquaint us with some of the history of the country and its current situation which is quite good what with its newfound wealth of oil and gas in the part of the North Sea that is owned by Norway. The politicos are at odds about how much to drill and how to spend the profits so it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
Lovely view of the harbor en route to the Nobel Peace Center.
Our first stop was the national museum and the highlight had to be the Edvard Munch room with one of the four "Scream" paintings. Many other Munch paintings were there also and our knowledgeable guide gave us a good biography of his life and works.
In the afternoon, we visited the Nobel Peace Center. For some reason, the Peace Prize is given out in Norway and the rest of the Nobels in Sweden which is Alfred Nobel's country of origin.
I did manage to squeeze in a little shopping although very little because Oslo is ranked as one of the most expensive cities in the world. Tokyo beat it out last year but still at number two.... Nothing is cheap here. Ron paid almost $5 for a small cup of regular coffee at the hotel.
The weather is clearing. Yippee!
After dinner tonight, we're meeting our high school friends Jane and Ron (no joke) Petrich since they are here from Minneapolis visiting their Norwegian family. Good timing.
First breakfast at the hotel in Oslo - not quite as grand as the Copenhagen offering but quite good nonetheless. I forgot to tell you last night that we had reindeer for dinner. I might not have tucked into it with such gusto had I known. I thought it was beef until I was corrected. It was fixed medium rare and was tasty but something about picturing those cute furry antlers made me leave quite a bit of it on my plate.
I am working with our Oslo guide in an attempt to properly pronounce my maiden name: Kjenstad. Caroline has become pretty good at it but I am still stymied by the placement of the first syllable in my mouth. The second syllable I had down pat - it's staa. We always pronounced it like chensted. NOT.
This is a photo of the City Hall.
Lovely view of the harbor en route to the Nobel Peace Center.
In the afternoon, we visited the Nobel Peace Center. For some reason, the Peace Prize is given out in Norway and the rest of the Nobels in Sweden which is Alfred Nobel's country of origin.
I did manage to squeeze in a little shopping although very little because Oslo is ranked as one of the most expensive cities in the world. Tokyo beat it out last year but still at number two.... Nothing is cheap here. Ron paid almost $5 for a small cup of regular coffee at the hotel.
The weather is clearing. Yippee!
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Culture Clash
June 30, 2012
A few thousand people on the ferry jockeying for food in a buffet is not a recipe for improving international relations, particularly when one has not had one's coffee or a good night's sleep. And I admit that I have been drawn back into the clutches of caffeine, there being no brewed decaf. Plus, if you are going to have caffeine, there is no better coffee than this, my friends, and I think the rest of the Scandinavian countries will be as excellent!
When we get to our hotel this evening, I will be in need of a major overhaul. There will be wet laundry hanging in the bathroom for a few days but I am going to splurge and have the hotel launder my jeans, preparing to pay whatever the price. (I think it was $3 for a pair of underwear in Denmark.)
Later: We are getting a reputation with the group for bringing up the rear. It happened again this morning as we were exiting the ship and realized that we had the place darn near to ourselves. John says we must improve. Our dear Norwegian group leader, Kari, met us nonetheless with a large pink rose waving above her head to make her easy to see. We've already had several interesting conversations with her.
First stop in Oslo was to the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet by the Snohetta architectural firm. At a cost of $700 million, it's Norway's most expensive building.
Next was Frognerparken Sculpture Park featuring over 200 works of Gustav Vigeland. A huge and spacious park, we really didn't do it justice but with the blustery wind and occasional rain, we protested our return to the bus a bit less than we might have if the sun were shining.
From there, a brief trip up the mountains to lunch at the 100 year-old Holmenkollen restaurant that serves the sports enthusiasts who like mountain hiking and ski jumping. It's the site of the Nordic World Ski Championships. It's a big 'un - that ski jump - made of steel. We didn't go to the top so Caroline and I were spared that. We did, however, have some wonderful views of the Oslo fjord on the way down.
Finally to the hotel which appears to be located in the heart of the city to settle in for our stay in Oslo.
P.S. I am going to launder my own jeans since the hotel charges $25.
A few thousand people on the ferry jockeying for food in a buffet is not a recipe for improving international relations, particularly when one has not had one's coffee or a good night's sleep. And I admit that I have been drawn back into the clutches of caffeine, there being no brewed decaf. Plus, if you are going to have caffeine, there is no better coffee than this, my friends, and I think the rest of the Scandinavian countries will be as excellent!
When we get to our hotel this evening, I will be in need of a major overhaul. There will be wet laundry hanging in the bathroom for a few days but I am going to splurge and have the hotel launder my jeans, preparing to pay whatever the price. (I think it was $3 for a pair of underwear in Denmark.)
Later: We are getting a reputation with the group for bringing up the rear. It happened again this morning as we were exiting the ship and realized that we had the place darn near to ourselves. John says we must improve. Our dear Norwegian group leader, Kari, met us nonetheless with a large pink rose waving above her head to make her easy to see. We've already had several interesting conversations with her.
First stop in Oslo was to the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet by the Snohetta architectural firm. At a cost of $700 million, it's Norway's most expensive building.
Next was Frognerparken Sculpture Park featuring over 200 works of Gustav Vigeland. A huge and spacious park, we really didn't do it justice but with the blustery wind and occasional rain, we protested our return to the bus a bit less than we might have if the sun were shining.
P.S. I am going to launder my own jeans since the hotel charges $25.
Friday, June 29, 2012
To Be or Not to Be
June 29, 2012
Our first stop today was to visit the Little Mermaid since we'd only seen the back of her during our boat trip on the canal. I would have been quite sad had we not be able to see her in her entirety. She is small but perfectly placed near the shore in a little cove and looks quite at home there.
Then we had a wonderful sight-seeing opportunity as we made our way along the sea coast to Kronborg Castle, Shakespeare's inspiration for Hamlet. It was stormy today with a choppy sea, low clouds and rain, so a perfect setting in which to imagine the Prince of Denmark in all his brooding glory.
The castle did not disappoint with its impressive halls and wonderful views of the sea. There is an attached church accessible from the castle although us commoners had to use the outside entrance. It is said that the various queens did not like coming to this remote castle since it had been configured and decorated more for the kings and their sport. I don't see the objection, myself.
John had been anticipating the trip to Kronborg as the highlight of our stay in Denmark due in large part to the presence of the Holger the Dane, a statue secreted below ground who, according to legend, would come to life in defense of the castle should it ever be invaded. Toward the end of the tour, he determined that Holger was not on the itinerary and that we would soon be back on the bus. It's a good thing that old people need to use the facilities with some frequency and that they don't hasten to or from because he found out from a helpful employee that Holger was ensconced but a few minutes walk down some nearby stairs. He and Caroline made haste and won the prize. When I spotted them topside, they told me that we could run down and see him and so off we went. We had a private viewing with Mr. H. and then proceeded at a good clip back to the bus, beating out at least one of the other tour members because we were willing to run a bit. Inspired by youth, I was.
We collected ourselves en route to Louisiana, Denmark's leading contemporary art museum where we had a nice lunch and enjoyed the art as well as the grounds. It was raining quite steadily but we had jackets and umbrellas and walked around the beautiful lawns, gardens and sculptures. Back to the bus for our drop off at the port and our 2,000 passenger ferry.
We had a very adequate room with two beds and an en suite bathroom, thank God. Enjoyed being out on the deck for a few hours as we left port and then it was time for the Danish buffet feast for dinner after which we lost the obligatory kroner at the casino playing Black Jack (Ron, Caro and John) and the slot machines (me). It didn't take long so we had plenty of time left to play a few card games in the coffee bar where they have free WiFi. It's all so civilized and European.
We cannot count the number of languages we have heard on board ship today. One of the funny things is how many Danes come up to speak to Ron. When he stares back at them blankly, they realize he does not speak Danish. They know their own, these people.
Tomorrow the fjords and Oslo.
Then we had a wonderful sight-seeing opportunity as we made our way along the sea coast to Kronborg Castle, Shakespeare's inspiration for Hamlet. It was stormy today with a choppy sea, low clouds and rain, so a perfect setting in which to imagine the Prince of Denmark in all his brooding glory.
The castle did not disappoint with its impressive halls and wonderful views of the sea. There is an attached church accessible from the castle although us commoners had to use the outside entrance. It is said that the various queens did not like coming to this remote castle since it had been configured and decorated more for the kings and their sport. I don't see the objection, myself.
John had been anticipating the trip to Kronborg as the highlight of our stay in Denmark due in large part to the presence of the Holger the Dane, a statue secreted below ground who, according to legend, would come to life in defense of the castle should it ever be invaded. Toward the end of the tour, he determined that Holger was not on the itinerary and that we would soon be back on the bus. It's a good thing that old people need to use the facilities with some frequency and that they don't hasten to or from because he found out from a helpful employee that Holger was ensconced but a few minutes walk down some nearby stairs. He and Caroline made haste and won the prize. When I spotted them topside, they told me that we could run down and see him and so off we went. We had a private viewing with Mr. H. and then proceeded at a good clip back to the bus, beating out at least one of the other tour members because we were willing to run a bit. Inspired by youth, I was.
We cannot count the number of languages we have heard on board ship today. One of the funny things is how many Danes come up to speak to Ron. When he stares back at them blankly, they realize he does not speak Danish. They know their own, these people.
Tomorrow the fjords and Oslo.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
I Can See for Miles and Miles and Miles
June 28, 2012
We took no small delight in the fact that after breakfast we could retreat to our rooms and leisurely get ready for the day while the others attended the lecture mentioned in yesterday's entry. We walked to a beautiful botanical garden and Rosenborg Castle, the home of the crown jewels although not the royal family. It was built by Christian IV as a summer home but none of the monarchs wanted to live there. It is small, as castles go, with dark rooms, for the most part. More appealing were the Royal Crowns (not worn by the moderns) and the Queen's jewelry.
Since the walk took about 45 minutes, we did not linger long at the castle because we were due at lunch with the group. All of us were free to spend the afternoon as we wished.
The four of us walked to another part of the town near the water to the Church of Our Savior - Vor Frelser's Kirke. Our plan was to climb the 400 steps to the top of the copper-covered spiral tower which enabled a wonderful view of the city. We navigated the may steep steps on the inside of the tower without much trouble until we were suddenly propelled into the open air with a lattice grill on one side of the metal steps (gulp) and the tower on the other. Caroline got outside first and said, "Mom, you're going to lose your s*!#." Once outside, I damn near did. (I mention here that she and I are not friends of high places.) I did manage to get outside - somewhat frozen and clutching the building side of the walkway while Caroline took temporary shelter back inside the spire. You will be proud to know that we both eventually and cautiously made our way to the top. Well, except for the last several steps because there was a logjam of people there taking photos. After some pictures of our own, Caroline made haste to the bottom but I took my time, remembering that it was easier to back down steep steps like you do when descending a ladder. That I did, not caring how long it took while John and Ron hung out atop without a care in the world.
Our next destination was pretty crazy. A block from the church stands the "Alternative City" of Christiania - prime real estate on the waterfront housing a collection of ramshackle buildings and hippies too numerous to count. The community started in the early 1970's commune which left Danish law at the entrance. Although there have been rocky times, it thrives today and welcomes visitors as long as these rules are followed: no cameras, no running, and it is illegal to sell hash. Then you enter the green zone where you see booth after booth of merchants selling hash, marijuana and all the paraphernalia your heart, if so inclined, could desire. Reportedly, there are good restaurants and produce that looked fresh and appealing and we did enjoy the various booths with clothing and jewelry. We made a few purchases and left happy with no help from any of the products from the green zone, thank you. Not surprising, we met no others from our group during our visit here.
Back home and footsore, we rested and then walked to dinner al fresco. Good food, not particularly fancy and with only soda and bottled water. The bill? About $100. Food and everything else is very heavily taxed here.
Tomorrow we pack up early and leave the hotel after breakfast, luggage in hand. We will spend the day in Denmark and then off to the boat for our passage to Oslo.
We took no small delight in the fact that after breakfast we could retreat to our rooms and leisurely get ready for the day while the others attended the lecture mentioned in yesterday's entry. We walked to a beautiful botanical garden and Rosenborg Castle, the home of the crown jewels although not the royal family. It was built by Christian IV as a summer home but none of the monarchs wanted to live there. It is small, as castles go, with dark rooms, for the most part. More appealing were the Royal Crowns (not worn by the moderns) and the Queen's jewelry.
The four of us walked to another part of the town near the water to the Church of Our Savior - Vor Frelser's Kirke. Our plan was to climb the 400 steps to the top of the copper-covered spiral tower which enabled a wonderful view of the city. We navigated the may steep steps on the inside of the tower without much trouble until we were suddenly propelled into the open air with a lattice grill on one side of the metal steps (gulp) and the tower on the other. Caroline got outside first and said, "Mom, you're going to lose your s*!#." Once outside, I damn near did. (I mention here that she and I are not friends of high places.) I did manage to get outside - somewhat frozen and clutching the building side of the walkway while Caroline took temporary shelter back inside the spire. You will be proud to know that we both eventually and cautiously made our way to the top. Well, except for the last several steps because there was a logjam of people there taking photos. After some pictures of our own, Caroline made haste to the bottom but I took my time, remembering that it was easier to back down steep steps like you do when descending a ladder. That I did, not caring how long it took while John and Ron hung out atop without a care in the world.
Tomorrow we pack up early and leave the hotel after breakfast, luggage in hand. We will spend the day in Denmark and then off to the boat for our passage to Oslo.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
FOOTSORE AND FANCY FREE
This morning, we had a shorter albeit interesting lecture by Mikkel Holm, a man who returned to Denmark and to the University for a more conventional life as an historian after having trained as an actor in NYC. After his talk, he led us on a tour of the old historic area in which our hotel is located. We were armed with audio devices like you'd use in a museum so that we could all hear his remarks. Helpful, since our group numbers 30 and it's a challenge to keep us all properly herded.
I believe I am getting a good sense of the city, at least as far as what is within walking distance of our hotel. We've walked to all of our destinations except yesterday when we took public transit to the Art and Design Museum. Love those good walking shoes and I cleverly brought along two pair.
This afternoon half of us walked to Christiansborg Castle while the rest chose to visit a museum. You can guess that some members of our foursome were particularly in favor of the castle but I must commend their choice because our guide was exceptional and very knowledgeable about the castle. Danish royalty, much like the British, have no power in the government but seem to be quite beloved by the people. The current monarch is a very tall (over 6 feet) and stately 70-year-old woman. She is married with two handsome sons and 8 grandchildren, all of whom mingle frequently with their subjects. Later, I dipped into a museum across the courtyard while Ron stayed outside on a nice bench and enjoyed himself relaxing and checking out the street scene.
The Danes love to be outdoors and moving. Whatever the weather, they can be seen out and about on their bicycles, occasionally are at odds with the pedestrians who need to be quite alert to avoid mishap. The cycling appears to have several benefits since I have seen very few people who are not fit in spite of eating all of those delicious breads and pastries and drinking their beloved beer. You know they have to keep moving to have any hope of maintaining a decent physique. We should take a lesson.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)