Our flight made excellent time and, even though we had left Iceland a little behind schedule, we landed in Seattle early. We were almost the last people off the plane, putting us essentially last in the line to go through customs. Since David obviously doesn't have an American passport, I waited with him in the 'everybody else' line. Things went pretty quickly and soon it was our turn.
We each went to our own custom's agent. Both of us answered the question, 'Are you travelling with anyone?' in the affirmative. Both of us then got the question, 'Are you thinking of getting married?' I wasn't prepared for that one! We got two reasonably similar lectures about making sure we followed all the rules if we were going to get married. Finally, we got past the first hurdle and headed down to pick up our bags.
After collecting our luggage, we headed through the gauntlet of various US Government Officials. The first guy also wanted to know if we were getting married. I thought he was the one that usually has the drug sniffing dog, so I was again surprised by this sudden interest in our relationship status. He made some marks on our papers and sent us on to the next line.
In that line there were two stops. First one guy looks at the papers, ask some of the questions on it (perhaps to check if our answers match), marks up the papers, and gives them back. The next guy basically just looks at all of the marks on the papers and sends us on our way. That last guy is also the one that can send you to the 'open all your suitcases and waste a bunch of time' security station, as I learned on my last trip. Fortunately, that didn't happen again.
One clearing all of customs and security, we delivered our luggage back to airport staff. I have never really understood this particular step in the process. Why can't we just take our bags with us on the shuttle train? Especially when there are so few people waiting in line to ride it. At least they don't seem to lose luggage in that step.
Once in the main terminal, we headed to pick up our luggage and meet the welcome party. Due to a misunderstanding (thanks Dad), there was no welcome party. Our bags arrived and I reluctantly used my Norwegian phone to call the family and organize getting picked up. Dad was waiting nearby and we were finally out of the airport!
Mom, Sonya, and Tyler were waiting for us at an Italian restaurant in West Seattle. There we engaged in sorely missed family conversational antics, including hilarious stories and imitating Dad. Somewhere in there we managed to order way too much food and had to pass on dessert. Mom was loaning us her car and had to catch a ferry, so we raced off to meet the boat.
Since Dad didn't want to shock us on the first night of our visit with the state of our house, he had decided to put us up in bed and breakfast. The bed there was a welcome sight and we were very appreciative that Dad made the effort for us. We crashed early, and woke up around 4am to watch a little cable TV (we found a Swedish cooking show, of all things). We got up again around 9:30 and enjoyed a pretty excellent breakfast.
Since Dad was still not quite ready for us after breakfast, we ditched our luggage at the house and headed for Southcenter. While we should have been studying, we wandered around the mall for several hours, drinking coffee, buying pants and a new computer, and acquiring a US cell phone for David. We got back to Dad's with just enough time to shower and head off to a much anticipated Hanukah dinner with Vicki and family. The following couple of days were filled with studying and avoiding studying for our mid-term test.
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Destination: Seattle! Getting There
David had driven the suitcases down to school and then returned with the car. I was madly trying to get the dishes done, so we didn't have to come back to them. We washed and hung up our sheets and blankets, we turned down the heat, we gave our landlords the poinsettia and the car key, we locked the door and hurried to the school.
We arrived at school in plenty of time (at least 10 minutes before the bus) and dragged all of our stuff out to the side of the road where the bus comes. Everything went smoothly from there. We piled into the first bus, transferred to the second in Åmot, and arrived with everything in the Oslo bus station five hours later. After a quick meal at a rather good (especially for mall food) Italian restaurant, we trudged down to the subway and headed out toward Alix Cordray's.
Alix met us at the subway station and we filled her car with what we considered to be packing light. She showed us around her cool old house and whipped up a little apple cobbler. We helped her finish off one of those pesky boxes of ice cream that seem to keep cropping up. After dessert, we tried playing some tunes together. Whether it was due to exhaustion or unfamiliarity, we didn't manage to come up with a very large common repertoire. By then it was late enough for us to go to sleep and Alix to get back to work. In the morning, she very kindly drove us to the bus stop where we boarded the airport bus and successfully arrived at Gardermoen with plenty of time to spare.
We checked in our luggage and went through security. David bought a few books for the trip. We found our gate and set up camp (fiddles, backpacks, and coats). As it was lunchtime, we treated ourselves to hot dogs and soda. I also purchased a couple of sandwiches for the flight. Finally, we got to board the plane.
Flying IcelandAir was a very pleasant experience. The seats were hard and we had to buy our own meals, but the in-flight entertainment included plenty of watchable movies and I had packed some serious snack food (the aforementioned sandwiches were supplemented with bread and roastbeef, boiled eggs, plus chips and a small meal we purchased in the air). The layover in Iceland was pleasant and short. There was some drama when the guy boarding the plane right before us fell on the escalator, but fortunately that was the most drama we had on the whole flight.
I have to say, I highly recommend IcelandAir. They fly direct to Seattle from Iceland. They cost less than pretty much any other carrier, at least the single stop carriers. Best of all, the total travel time is the shortest! Of course, they offer the possibility to spend a few days in Iceland at no extra ticket cost, which seems like an excellent deal and something to do in the future.
We arrived at school in plenty of time (at least 10 minutes before the bus) and dragged all of our stuff out to the side of the road where the bus comes. Everything went smoothly from there. We piled into the first bus, transferred to the second in Åmot, and arrived with everything in the Oslo bus station five hours later. After a quick meal at a rather good (especially for mall food) Italian restaurant, we trudged down to the subway and headed out toward Alix Cordray's.
Alix met us at the subway station and we filled her car with what we considered to be packing light. She showed us around her cool old house and whipped up a little apple cobbler. We helped her finish off one of those pesky boxes of ice cream that seem to keep cropping up. After dessert, we tried playing some tunes together. Whether it was due to exhaustion or unfamiliarity, we didn't manage to come up with a very large common repertoire. By then it was late enough for us to go to sleep and Alix to get back to work. In the morning, she very kindly drove us to the bus stop where we boarded the airport bus and successfully arrived at Gardermoen with plenty of time to spare.
We checked in our luggage and went through security. David bought a few books for the trip. We found our gate and set up camp (fiddles, backpacks, and coats). As it was lunchtime, we treated ourselves to hot dogs and soda. I also purchased a couple of sandwiches for the flight. Finally, we got to board the plane.
Flying IcelandAir was a very pleasant experience. The seats were hard and we had to buy our own meals, but the in-flight entertainment included plenty of watchable movies and I had packed some serious snack food (the aforementioned sandwiches were supplemented with bread and roastbeef, boiled eggs, plus chips and a small meal we purchased in the air). The layover in Iceland was pleasant and short. There was some drama when the guy boarding the plane right before us fell on the escalator, but fortunately that was the most drama we had on the whole flight.
I have to say, I highly recommend IcelandAir. They fly direct to Seattle from Iceland. They cost less than pretty much any other carrier, at least the single stop carriers. Best of all, the total travel time is the shortest! Of course, they offer the possibility to spend a few days in Iceland at no extra ticket cost, which seems like an excellent deal and something to do in the future.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Farsund
The weather was not on our side this year. It rained pretty much constantly in Farsund. On Friday and Saturday nights the rain and wind reached impressive storm intensity.
As artists (and lowly student artists at that), the festival was not particularly well organized. We got conflicting messages about all of our concerts (time, location, what kind of concert). Other groups were also listed at the wrong time or wrong location in the official program. Still, it was a great time.
We drove out of Rauland on Thursday morning with a car packed full of instruments. Sveinung and I were bad passengers and slept almost the whole trip while David struggled to hold himself entertained in the driver's seat. We stopped in Evje and treated ourselves to espresso and pastries. After that we passengers did a better job of keeping the driver company; we worked on learning the rather complicated refrain to an entertaining mock ballad.
Upon arrival in Farsund, we found our hotel rooms, grabbed our instruments, and to the Reinlender Parade. Our first taste of the days to come was leading the reinlender parade, playing a tune we were supposed to be learning as we marched. This didn't really work very well since there was only one person who knew the tune and he was successfully drowned out by his drummer accompanist.
The parade ended in the public square with a festival showcase. We were asked to play a tune for the showcase a few minutes before we went on stage. Anna (who play two and one rowed accordions) hadn't been up to school yet and hadn't rehearsed with us all summer. Also, her accordion had some sticky keys. We played our safest tune. Needless to say, it didn't go as well as it could have.
That evening we rehearsed with the students from last year who had managed to get festival passes if they played parts of our concerts. It was here that the confusion began when we found out that our hour-long concert was actually a half hour, so we had to figure out what to cut of our largely unrehearsed program. In the end we divided our solo numbers between concerts and took the best of the group numbers.
Thursday night's party was short lived. We came late and had to get up early for Friday's concert. There were also not very many of us and we had a rather thin set of common tunes.
Friday we were scheduled to play in a Chinese restaurant. It was difficult to tell if the audience was interested in us, but eating their lunch, or not interested at all. We're going with the former because it makes us feel better. Later we went back to the restaurant since we got free lunch for playing; the food was pretty good, so I can understand if people we paying more attention to lunch than our music.
After Chinese food, we enjoyed a couple of concerts. The first was panel concert with a broad spectrum of the festival artists. From Kim Andre Rysstad (kveding) to Fosbrooks School (English music/step-dance - playing and dancing at the same time) the program was varied and entertaining.
We left early from that concert to get to Unni Boksasp and band. I think Unni is amazing, plus her band includes Ånon Egeland (my fiddle teacher and big name in Norwegian folk music) and Olav Mjelva. Her concert was a usual excellent. The only low point was a tune she composed about the woman who was her inspiration. I can forgive one tune in an otherwise fabulous hour long concert.
We went to bed early so we would be fresh and prepared for Saturday's concert. Saturday we got up early and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. Then we headed over to the other hotel where we would be playing. We had a successful soundcheck in spite of our ridiculous combination of intruments (enrader, torader, gitar, seljefløyte, sang, harpeleik, 2 fiddles, and nyckelharpa for four people). Anna made it from her other performance just in time for us all to go on stage together. I think we played pretty well considering we were quite nervous and it was a little difficult to hear each other on stage.
After our performance we wandered off to find lunch and relax, having fulfilled all of our obligations for the weekend. The only place we found to eat at was the local pub in the center of town. As we got closer we read on their announcement board "HiT Studenter", that is... us. We headed back to the car and got our instruments, put our heads together and came up with a new set list. 45 minutes after realizing we were supposed to play the concert we started. It turned out to be the best of our concerts that weekend. We were relaxed, the audience was engaged, and we had a lot of fun.
When we arrived back at the hotel, I got a message that a relative had called. I called him back and got to meet up with my 4th cousin who lives in Farsund. That was pretty exciting - I hadn't seen him in at least 15 years, so there was a fair amount of family updating to be had.
On Sunday we allowed ourselves to sleep in a little before climbing in the car for the long drive home. Sveinung entertained us by learning to play melodies on the harpeleik the whole ride home.
After Chinese food, we enjoyed a couple of concerts. The first was panel concert with a broad spectrum of the festival artists. From Kim Andre Rysstad (kveding) to Fosbrooks School (English music/step-dance - playing and dancing at the same time) the program was varied and entertaining.
We left early from that concert to get to Unni Boksasp and band. I think Unni is amazing, plus her band includes Ånon Egeland (my fiddle teacher and big name in Norwegian folk music) and Olav Mjelva. Her concert was a usual excellent. The only low point was a tune she composed about the woman who was her inspiration. I can forgive one tune in an otherwise fabulous hour long concert.
We went to bed early so we would be fresh and prepared for Saturday's concert. Saturday we got up early and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. Then we headed over to the other hotel where we would be playing. We had a successful soundcheck in spite of our ridiculous combination of intruments (enrader, torader, gitar, seljefløyte, sang, harpeleik, 2 fiddles, and nyckelharpa for four people). Anna made it from her other performance just in time for us all to go on stage together. I think we played pretty well considering we were quite nervous and it was a little difficult to hear each other on stage.
After our performance we wandered off to find lunch and relax, having fulfilled all of our obligations for the weekend. The only place we found to eat at was the local pub in the center of town. As we got closer we read on their announcement board "HiT Studenter", that is... us. We headed back to the car and got our instruments, put our heads together and came up with a new set list. 45 minutes after realizing we were supposed to play the concert we started. It turned out to be the best of our concerts that weekend. We were relaxed, the audience was engaged, and we had a lot of fun.
When we arrived back at the hotel, I got a message that a relative had called. I called him back and got to meet up with my 4th cousin who lives in Farsund. That was pretty exciting - I hadn't seen him in at least 15 years, so there was a fair amount of family updating to be had.
On Sunday we allowed ourselves to sleep in a little before climbing in the car for the long drive home. Sveinung entertained us by learning to play melodies on the harpeleik the whole ride home.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Shetland!
I met my classmates at the ferry terminal. The months preceding this trip had been filled with stories of a week of phenomenal jam sessions starting with the party on the boat. The rest of the class was concerned that if they had too much fun on the boat, they might ruin the festival ahead. Some of them went to see the on-board movie theater. A few of us took our instruments to the party in the middle of the boat; it was clear that the jam sessions were friendly, but not very Nordic. We retreated to the front of the boat to wait until it was ok to sleep there.
While my companions passed out on the couches, I tried to catch up on my blogging. That's when Andy found me. Our conversation went something along the lines of:
Him: Hey, there's a party in the middle of the boat, you should come.
Me: But I'm supposed to be watching our stuff. (with a vague hand gesture toward at least three sleeping classmates and a pile of instruments, snacks, and luggage).
Him: Right, but there's a party.
Me: I know, but the stuff...
Me: Wait! I'm coming!
The party in the middle of the boat was definitely in full swing. The ferry we were on brings the majority of the artists to the festival. Members of Frigg, Zar, and Box Club were definitely involved in the jamming. I sat with my new friends and listened. After a while the group I was sitting with started playing. They were clearly not the folkie type that plays fiddles; a couple gitars, song, and harmonica were present as well as recognizable blues hits. I made several new friends that evening and well into the morning.
We stumbled off the boat when it arrived and took a cab to the Youth Hostel. Reception wasn't technically open yet, so we hung out and waited for them with visibly low energy levels. Once the warden arrived to check us in, we found out that girls wouldn't be able to get into our room for another couple hours. We went off in search of food, abandoning our luggage at the hostel.
We found both our classmates who had been in Shetland for several days and food at the community center next door. By the time we ate breakfast and caught up with everyone (including meeting some of the other students who were taking part in the Nordic Tone project) it was time to pick up our keys. We took some very cold showers and headed back out for some exploring before the concerts started. By chance we found the preview concert, which was totally packed. So, we hung around the door, sweltering and getting our first on-stage tastes of the concerts to come.
The concerts that week were great. Great! But they were only a tiny portion of the festival. The concerts are very social events and the audience tends to wander around (usually to and from the bar) through out the entire evening. Each concert has between three and five artists - pretty much all of them exceptionally talented.
After the scheduled concerts people gather at the Festival Club to listen to more music (both unpublished performances by the main artists and other bands as well as jam sessions in every room and corner and stairwell). After the Festival Club closes at 5am (or a little before then) people wander off to house parties that tend to last until the restaurants open in the morning. The truly hardcore (not me) then go straight to the pub to continue playing after breakfast.
The festival planners don't schedule anything during the day. This leaves plenty of time for either sleeping during the day or sight-seeing. I did a reasonable amount of both. On Saturday, Birgit and I walked along the coastal path in search of seals. We did not find them, but we did get some good photos.
Sunday we went for a tour of South Mainland in less than inviting weather. It was windy and almost raining the whole time. We had with us our local guide, Cameron, whom I had met on the ferry and spent a fair amount of time hanging out with during the festival. A fan of music and Norwegian chocolate, he knew where to take us to squeeze the most out of our few tourist hours.
First stop - St. Ninian's Isle, connected to the mainland by the sand bar you see above.
Looking southward from St. Ninian's.
Next stop was Sumburgh, as far south as you can go on land in Shetland. The puffins just wait for you to take their photos. Below are a couple shots looking down from the point, next to the lighthouse.
After the final party on Monday (awesome music, but less fun due to the lack of a local guide), we scrambled to pack and get out of our rooms before check out. We went shopping in town. Some of us spent a few hours in the Shetland Museum; I recommend the museum as a stop at the beginning of the trip, if it's your first time to Shetland. Then we all piled in the hostel van and headed back to the ferry.
The boat ride back to Aberdeen was significantly less of a party, due mostly to the high waves we were sailing through. Nobody really wanted the festival to come to an end, but it's hard to play when the floor rolls out from under you. I slept happily under my new Shetland wool blanket, preparing for another day and a half of travel before finally arriving back in Rauland. I'm looking forward to next year's festival already!
While my companions passed out on the couches, I tried to catch up on my blogging. That's when Andy found me. Our conversation went something along the lines of:
Him: Hey, there's a party in the middle of the boat, you should come.
Me: But I'm supposed to be watching our stuff. (with a vague hand gesture toward at least three sleeping classmates and a pile of instruments, snacks, and luggage).
Him: Right, but there's a party.
Me: I know, but the stuff...
Me: Wait! I'm coming!
The party in the middle of the boat was definitely in full swing. The ferry we were on brings the majority of the artists to the festival. Members of Frigg, Zar, and Box Club were definitely involved in the jamming. I sat with my new friends and listened. After a while the group I was sitting with started playing. They were clearly not the folkie type that plays fiddles; a couple gitars, song, and harmonica were present as well as recognizable blues hits. I made several new friends that evening and well into the morning.
We stumbled off the boat when it arrived and took a cab to the Youth Hostel. Reception wasn't technically open yet, so we hung out and waited for them with visibly low energy levels. Once the warden arrived to check us in, we found out that girls wouldn't be able to get into our room for another couple hours. We went off in search of food, abandoning our luggage at the hostel.
We found both our classmates who had been in Shetland for several days and food at the community center next door. By the time we ate breakfast and caught up with everyone (including meeting some of the other students who were taking part in the Nordic Tone project) it was time to pick up our keys. We took some very cold showers and headed back out for some exploring before the concerts started. By chance we found the preview concert, which was totally packed. So, we hung around the door, sweltering and getting our first on-stage tastes of the concerts to come.
The concerts that week were great. Great! But they were only a tiny portion of the festival. The concerts are very social events and the audience tends to wander around (usually to and from the bar) through out the entire evening. Each concert has between three and five artists - pretty much all of them exceptionally talented.
After the scheduled concerts people gather at the Festival Club to listen to more music (both unpublished performances by the main artists and other bands as well as jam sessions in every room and corner and stairwell). After the Festival Club closes at 5am (or a little before then) people wander off to house parties that tend to last until the restaurants open in the morning. The truly hardcore (not me) then go straight to the pub to continue playing after breakfast.
The festival planners don't schedule anything during the day. This leaves plenty of time for either sleeping during the day or sight-seeing. I did a reasonable amount of both. On Saturday, Birgit and I walked along the coastal path in search of seals. We did not find them, but we did get some good photos.
Sunday we went for a tour of South Mainland in less than inviting weather. It was windy and almost raining the whole time. We had with us our local guide, Cameron, whom I had met on the ferry and spent a fair amount of time hanging out with during the festival. A fan of music and Norwegian chocolate, he knew where to take us to squeeze the most out of our few tourist hours.
First stop - St. Ninian's Isle, connected to the mainland by the sand bar you see above.
Looking southward from St. Ninian's.
Next stop was Sumburgh, as far south as you can go on land in Shetland. The puffins just wait for you to take their photos. Below are a couple shots looking down from the point, next to the lighthouse.
After the final party on Monday (awesome music, but less fun due to the lack of a local guide), we scrambled to pack and get out of our rooms before check out. We went shopping in town. Some of us spent a few hours in the Shetland Museum; I recommend the museum as a stop at the beginning of the trip, if it's your first time to Shetland. Then we all piled in the hostel van and headed back to the ferry.
The boat ride back to Aberdeen was significantly less of a party, due mostly to the high waves we were sailing through. Nobody really wanted the festival to come to an end, but it's hard to play when the floor rolls out from under you. I slept happily under my new Shetland wool blanket, preparing for another day and a half of travel before finally arriving back in Rauland. I'm looking forward to next year's festival already!
Friday, May 15, 2009
A day in Aberdeen
I arrived in Aberdeen after flying from Seattle via Copenhagen. It was a long, long trip that was not made shorter by the fact that I had managed to dump most of a glass of wine on my lap in the early hours of the first flight. Having arrived in Scotland, I exchanged what was left of my US currency and hopped a bus to the Youth Hostel.
That sounds pretty good, except I didn't really know where I was or where I was going. At least not at the level that I like to know these things. The result was not catastrophic, but I did wind up getting off the bus about ten blocks early and hauling all of my luggage along the bus route to the Youth Hostel.
I got checked in, stashed my stuff (up three flights of stairs), and decided to go for a walk. Seeing as how I'd botched being prepared arriving in Aberdeen, I figured I might as well be prepared leaving the city. I walked through a long street of shops (stopping for coffee and a sandwich) and made a sharp right to the harbor. I had acquired a map, so I knew where I was headed.
I was headed to the ferry terminal. I wanted to know if there were luggage lockers that I could leave my bags in during the day, since check out was at 10am and the boat wasn't leaving until 5pm. What I could see through the tinted windows didn't indicate the presence of lockers, and I didn't really want to appear too suspicious on the deserted dock, so I started formulating a plan B. That consisted of 'there must be lockers at the train or bus station' which I had walked past on the way down.
I went grocery shopping and tried to refrain from purchasing the whole store. I only needed food for one day and I already had coffee. (I bought coffee and a travel mug/french press in Seattle) I found myself with cheese, crackers, smoothie, and a couple bottles of water. I'd been walking for a couple hours by the time I made it back to the hostel, ate, showered, and crashed.
In the morning, I got up, had breakfast, repacked, and checked out. I took a bus to the bus station and asked about luggage lockers; they directed me to the train station a bus away. At the train station I paid £4 to have my bags searched and stored while I wandered around. I figured both the search and the price were reasonable.
Freed from my burdens, I headed off to the art gallery. There I made a painstaking survey of everything (just about) on the first floor. Then it was lunch time (spicy carrot soup!) before almost the same consideration was given to the upper floor. There was a lot more to look at on the upper floor and I was getting tired so I didn't quite study everything. Also, there were a few rooms closed. I suppose I'll just have to go back if I want to really see everything!
Having exhausted the gallery, I headed into the toasty early afternoon sun. I read in the park for a while. I drank coffee in a shop where the Canadian barista asked if I was reading Swedish. I bought a pen to write postcards and then wrote them. Then, I reclaimed my bags and headed back to the ferry terminal. It was time for adventure.
That sounds pretty good, except I didn't really know where I was or where I was going. At least not at the level that I like to know these things. The result was not catastrophic, but I did wind up getting off the bus about ten blocks early and hauling all of my luggage along the bus route to the Youth Hostel.
I got checked in, stashed my stuff (up three flights of stairs), and decided to go for a walk. Seeing as how I'd botched being prepared arriving in Aberdeen, I figured I might as well be prepared leaving the city. I walked through a long street of shops (stopping for coffee and a sandwich) and made a sharp right to the harbor. I had acquired a map, so I knew where I was headed.
I was headed to the ferry terminal. I wanted to know if there were luggage lockers that I could leave my bags in during the day, since check out was at 10am and the boat wasn't leaving until 5pm. What I could see through the tinted windows didn't indicate the presence of lockers, and I didn't really want to appear too suspicious on the deserted dock, so I started formulating a plan B. That consisted of 'there must be lockers at the train or bus station' which I had walked past on the way down.
I went grocery shopping and tried to refrain from purchasing the whole store. I only needed food for one day and I already had coffee. (I bought coffee and a travel mug/french press in Seattle) I found myself with cheese, crackers, smoothie, and a couple bottles of water. I'd been walking for a couple hours by the time I made it back to the hostel, ate, showered, and crashed.
In the morning, I got up, had breakfast, repacked, and checked out. I took a bus to the bus station and asked about luggage lockers; they directed me to the train station a bus away. At the train station I paid £4 to have my bags searched and stored while I wandered around. I figured both the search and the price were reasonable.
Freed from my burdens, I headed off to the art gallery. There I made a painstaking survey of everything (just about) on the first floor. Then it was lunch time (spicy carrot soup!) before almost the same consideration was given to the upper floor. There was a lot more to look at on the upper floor and I was getting tired so I didn't quite study everything. Also, there were a few rooms closed. I suppose I'll just have to go back if I want to really see everything!
Having exhausted the gallery, I headed into the toasty early afternoon sun. I read in the park for a while. I drank coffee in a shop where the Canadian barista asked if I was reading Swedish. I bought a pen to write postcards and then wrote them. Then, I reclaimed my bags and headed back to the ferry terminal. It was time for adventure.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Seattle Spring '09
I arrived in Seattle three weeks ago to warm sunshine and the usual family circus at the airport. Christa had been suffering an allergic reaction on the airplane for most of the trip and hurried off to her hotel. I was thrilled and surprised that the whole Warshaw family had made the trek to the aiport to meet me when I finally emerged from having all of my bags inspected. Dad still managed to not be at the airport waiting for me.
After a family dinner with Dad, Sonya, and her boyfriend at Dave's Diner, I decided to stay with Christa in the hotel. Both of us passed out pretty early. We both got up pretty early too. Dad came to pick me up around 8:30 and, in spite of my double checking the room, I managed to leave my broken by the inspection agent wallet in the room.The ensuing two day search of all of my belongings did end happily with the recovery of the errant wallet.
I spent a few mornings a Cafe Senso Unico. I love to sit there, drinking coffee and reading, watching the world I left behind scurry in and out between meetings. Of course, they are the home of the most amazing coffee, especially the soy cappuccino.
After a family dinner with Dad, Sonya, and her boyfriend at Dave's Diner, I decided to stay with Christa in the hotel. Both of us passed out pretty early. We both got up pretty early too. Dad came to pick me up around 8:30 and, in spite of my double checking the room, I managed to leave my broken by the inspection agent wallet in the room.The ensuing two day search of all of my belongings did end happily with the recovery of the errant wallet.
I spent a few mornings a Cafe Senso Unico. I love to sit there, drinking coffee and reading, watching the world I left behind scurry in and out between meetings. Of course, they are the home of the most amazing coffee, especially the soy cappuccino.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Visitors from abroad
Last weekend my wonderful friends Christa and Rania came to visit me in Rauland. Rania is studying in London right now and Christa made the trek all the way from Astoria. They had never met before, but the way the timing worked out, they were both available to visit me the same weekend.
Christa was scheduled to arrive from Sweden (where she had been visiting relatives) on Wednesday with the 6:20 bus. I went out to wait for it. A young man got off at the school, but I'd told her to get off at the student apartments, so I wasn't worried. I asked him if there were any girls still on the bus, and then if there was an American. He thought there was an American girl, so I went after the bus.
I walked up to the main road, thinking I might catch the bus there as it came back down from the rehabilitation center up the hill. When I didn't see it, I started walking toward the center of town. I walked on the road because I figured I would see the bus, and Christa, if it drove by me. It hadn't passed me by the time I got to the gas station, so I went in and asked if they'd seen the bus. After looking at me like I was crazy, they said no.
I headed back to my apartment. Slightly frantic, but telling myself the whole time that Christa is perfectly capable and it's not possible to get lost in Rauland. She must be coming on the next bus. I ate dinner and went to the evening concert. Not before considering calling or emailing Christa's company to see if they had heard anything from her...
The concert was Trio Nor, a star studded cast of Knut Hamre, Anders Bjernulf, and Arto Järvelä. As one can imagine, the concert was fabulous. They played individually and together. They played tunes that were related from each of their respective countries. They most certainly did not disappoint on the entertaining chatter.
After the concert, most of us were too shy to play solo. I had to run out to wait for Christa on the next bus, so I didn't get much time to dance. I headed back out into the cold mountain night with a glass of wine for company. Christa arrived at the student apartments shortly thereafter. I crammed some food into her and rushed her back down to the party.
Back in Årestoga, all of the students had started playing (strength in numbers), which left few people and not much space for dancing. That was fine, since I was excited to catch up with Christa. The jam session had taken an English turn, since we were also hosting a young English fiddler that week.
A tune came on that I really wanted to play. I had been talking to Anders Bjernulf and he said I could play his fiddle (mine was locked in the school). What a thrill! It is always a little awkward playing on an instrument you've never tried before, especially when it's such a nice fiddle. I must have looked terrified while I was playing!
On Thursday, Rania arrived on the 6:20 bus. She hadn't been stopped at the Swedish border like Christa, so she arrived on time! We had dinner with my roommate and one of the other art students. The art students had just finished all of their exams and were planning a party at my place that evening.
The party wound up being fairly low-key for once. A bunch of us sat in the kitchen talking and a bunch in Birgit's room listening to music. After a while, some more musicians (including the visiting Englishman) showed up and things got a little rowdy. Eventually though, it was time to go to sleep - especially since Rania had been travelling since 3am!
Christa was scheduled to arrive from Sweden (where she had been visiting relatives) on Wednesday with the 6:20 bus. I went out to wait for it. A young man got off at the school, but I'd told her to get off at the student apartments, so I wasn't worried. I asked him if there were any girls still on the bus, and then if there was an American. He thought there was an American girl, so I went after the bus.
I walked up to the main road, thinking I might catch the bus there as it came back down from the rehabilitation center up the hill. When I didn't see it, I started walking toward the center of town. I walked on the road because I figured I would see the bus, and Christa, if it drove by me. It hadn't passed me by the time I got to the gas station, so I went in and asked if they'd seen the bus. After looking at me like I was crazy, they said no.
I headed back to my apartment. Slightly frantic, but telling myself the whole time that Christa is perfectly capable and it's not possible to get lost in Rauland. She must be coming on the next bus. I ate dinner and went to the evening concert. Not before considering calling or emailing Christa's company to see if they had heard anything from her...
The concert was Trio Nor, a star studded cast of Knut Hamre, Anders Bjernulf, and Arto Järvelä. As one can imagine, the concert was fabulous. They played individually and together. They played tunes that were related from each of their respective countries. They most certainly did not disappoint on the entertaining chatter.
After the concert, most of us were too shy to play solo. I had to run out to wait for Christa on the next bus, so I didn't get much time to dance. I headed back out into the cold mountain night with a glass of wine for company. Christa arrived at the student apartments shortly thereafter. I crammed some food into her and rushed her back down to the party.
Back in Årestoga, all of the students had started playing (strength in numbers), which left few people and not much space for dancing. That was fine, since I was excited to catch up with Christa. The jam session had taken an English turn, since we were also hosting a young English fiddler that week.
A tune came on that I really wanted to play. I had been talking to Anders Bjernulf and he said I could play his fiddle (mine was locked in the school). What a thrill! It is always a little awkward playing on an instrument you've never tried before, especially when it's such a nice fiddle. I must have looked terrified while I was playing!
On Thursday, Rania arrived on the 6:20 bus. She hadn't been stopped at the Swedish border like Christa, so she arrived on time! We had dinner with my roommate and one of the other art students. The art students had just finished all of their exams and were planning a party at my place that evening.
The party wound up being fairly low-key for once. A bunch of us sat in the kitchen talking and a bunch in Birgit's room listening to music. After a while, some more musicians (including the visiting Englishman) showed up and things got a little rowdy. Eventually though, it was time to go to sleep - especially since Rania had been travelling since 3am!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Exam time
Last Wednesday we had our first exam. The subject was music theory and ear training. I think it went pretty well. In addition to the exam, it was an awfully busy day; fortunately the fire drill was canceled, since it was supposed to be between rehearsal for the evening's concert and the concert.
My sections of the concert went pretty well. My group played the same two tunes from before, but we sounded better. I sang a solo that I had been stressing about all day. I really wasn't sure that I could do it for an audience, but it was sounding so good in the shower I just had to try! I'm pleased with the result; it wasn't the greatest performance, but it wasn't terrible either and I made it through the whole song.
The student spelmannslag played for some of the dancing afterward. That was exciting. There are about twelve of us, all operating on the assumption that some one else knows most of the tunes a little better. Fortunately, Ånon plays with us, so there is someone who knows the tunes a little better than we do. The dancing was good all evening, plus we were in the gym hall and not on the stone floor we usually dance on. Several of my coworkers from the hotel joined us for the party as well. It was a good time all around.
Since then we've been studying for our exams than are coming this week. Lots of reading, or trying to read. The study train got a little derailed yesterday when the ukulele's arrived. All 17 of them :D.
I also worked all weekend at the hotel. Lots and lots of guests means lots and lots of dirty dishes and empty glasses to wash. It's going to be really crazy when we get a little further into peak season.
Today I changed my ticket back to Seattle. I needed to change it from January 4 to April 4. First, I called SAS USA, but they were closed, so I called SAS in Norway. They said I had to talk to the travel agent. I called Travelocity and after talking to two very nice gentlemen, I decided that $1300 to change my ticket couldn't possibly be right and that I would need to call them back. Instead, I stressed out for a couple hours, waiting for SAS USA to open and then I called them. After a few minutes on the phone and a $300 fee, I am the proud owner of a ticket dated April 5. See you soon, Seattle!
My sections of the concert went pretty well. My group played the same two tunes from before, but we sounded better. I sang a solo that I had been stressing about all day. I really wasn't sure that I could do it for an audience, but it was sounding so good in the shower I just had to try! I'm pleased with the result; it wasn't the greatest performance, but it wasn't terrible either and I made it through the whole song.
The student spelmannslag played for some of the dancing afterward. That was exciting. There are about twelve of us, all operating on the assumption that some one else knows most of the tunes a little better. Fortunately, Ånon plays with us, so there is someone who knows the tunes a little better than we do. The dancing was good all evening, plus we were in the gym hall and not on the stone floor we usually dance on. Several of my coworkers from the hotel joined us for the party as well. It was a good time all around.
Since then we've been studying for our exams than are coming this week. Lots of reading, or trying to read. The study train got a little derailed yesterday when the ukulele's arrived. All 17 of them :D.
I also worked all weekend at the hotel. Lots and lots of guests means lots and lots of dirty dishes and empty glasses to wash. It's going to be really crazy when we get a little further into peak season.
Today I changed my ticket back to Seattle. I needed to change it from January 4 to April 4. First, I called SAS USA, but they were closed, so I called SAS in Norway. They said I had to talk to the travel agent. I called Travelocity and after talking to two very nice gentlemen, I decided that $1300 to change my ticket couldn't possibly be right and that I would need to call them back. Instead, I stressed out for a couple hours, waiting for SAS USA to open and then I called them. After a few minutes on the phone and a $300 fee, I am the proud owner of a ticket dated April 5. See you soon, Seattle!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Folkemusikkhelga i Suldal
This weekend I enjoyed a trip over the mountains to the West with two of my classmates. We descended to sea-level on the bus (I hate traveling by bus) to Sand in Suldal, which is in Rogaland.
Sveinung's mother was the course organizer for the weekend, and also let us stay at her house. Over the course of the weekend, Sveinung and I took a kvedar (singer) class with Halvor Håkanes and David took hardingfele with Arngunn Timenes Bell (who is the sister of one of our classmates here in Rauland).
After we arrived on Friday, we unpacked and then headed up to Mo Laksegard where the courses were held and where most people were staying. Like Seabeck, they have houses that people sleep in, you can order your meals whether or not you're staying there, there's a small but functional bar, two fireplaces, a pool for warmer times of the year, and a dance hall.
We got straight to work on Friday, singing a few soothing melodies; a lullabye or two and a couple of stev. I raised the excitement level by getting locked in the bathroom during the break. I, like most people, lock the door when I use a bathroom. Somehow, the wrong key had been placed in the lock. After several minutes of trying, unsuccessfully, to unlock the door, I was about ready to call for help when several other class members arrived on the other side of the door.
We sent the key out the window and they tried unlocking it from the other side. Eventually the solution became clear. I would have to exit the bathroom the same way as the key. They brought around a chair and faster than Sveinung could get my camera, I was out the bathroom window and back on solid ground.
The rest of the weekend was considerably less exciting, but fun nonetheless. We learned a bunch of good tunes (stev, ballad, and slåttestev) from Halvor. We learned Suldalspringar, which is a super peppy dance. Saturday night was a presentation of everything we had learned, plus the teachers played solo. Some folks played for dancing after the concert as well.
On Sunday, we finished the courses in the morning and then began our bus journey home. We finally arrived in Rauland and made the decision (David and I) to go straight to dance. We were already a half hour late. It's always a small crowd, but it's fun and it's good to dance on a Sunday evening. Last night was the first time I've played for dancing and that was really fun.
This morning I was going to get up early to wash at the dentist's office (at 6am). I was in the middle of a dream about being late for a doctor's appointment when suddenly I woke up and realized that it was far too light outside to be 6am. It was in fact 8am. I had time to take out the garbage and vacuum, but that was all. I guess I was tired from the weekend!
Sveinung's mother was the course organizer for the weekend, and also let us stay at her house. Over the course of the weekend, Sveinung and I took a kvedar (singer) class with Halvor Håkanes and David took hardingfele with Arngunn Timenes Bell (who is the sister of one of our classmates here in Rauland).
After we arrived on Friday, we unpacked and then headed up to Mo Laksegard where the courses were held and where most people were staying. Like Seabeck, they have houses that people sleep in, you can order your meals whether or not you're staying there, there's a small but functional bar, two fireplaces, a pool for warmer times of the year, and a dance hall.
We got straight to work on Friday, singing a few soothing melodies; a lullabye or two and a couple of stev. I raised the excitement level by getting locked in the bathroom during the break. I, like most people, lock the door when I use a bathroom. Somehow, the wrong key had been placed in the lock. After several minutes of trying, unsuccessfully, to unlock the door, I was about ready to call for help when several other class members arrived on the other side of the door.
We sent the key out the window and they tried unlocking it from the other side. Eventually the solution became clear. I would have to exit the bathroom the same way as the key. They brought around a chair and faster than Sveinung could get my camera, I was out the bathroom window and back on solid ground.
The rest of the weekend was considerably less exciting, but fun nonetheless. We learned a bunch of good tunes (stev, ballad, and slåttestev) from Halvor. We learned Suldalspringar, which is a super peppy dance. Saturday night was a presentation of everything we had learned, plus the teachers played solo. Some folks played for dancing after the concert as well.
On Sunday, we finished the courses in the morning and then began our bus journey home. We finally arrived in Rauland and made the decision (David and I) to go straight to dance. We were already a half hour late. It's always a small crowd, but it's fun and it's good to dance on a Sunday evening. Last night was the first time I've played for dancing and that was really fun.
This morning I was going to get up early to wash at the dentist's office (at 6am). I was in the middle of a dream about being late for a doctor's appointment when suddenly I woke up and realized that it was far too light outside to be 6am. It was in fact 8am. I had time to take out the garbage and vacuum, but that was all. I guess I was tired from the weekend!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
On the road again
Yesterday I left Rauland for a few days travel during our fall break. Right now, I'm visiting family in Kristiansand. In order to get here, I rode with a friend to Drammen and then took the train. This is not the most indirect way to get to Kristiansand, but it certainly wasn't the shortest way! It was, however, cheap! The most exciting part of the train ride was that I managed to get some reading done while on the train - usually this makes me motion-sick. Maybe I'm growing out of the motion-sickness!
Gunnar and Magnhild met me at the train station and we headed back to their house. We had dinner followed by watching the news. I sort of wish I were still hiding in my news-free bubble in Rauland! In between newscasts (Gunnar watches them all) we looked at wedding photos from a couple years ago when Håkon (the oldest son) and Mari got married. It was a beautiful summer wedding in Finland.
Today's plan was supposed to include going into town to go shopping. I got a late start and decided shopping could wait for tomorrow - I would rather practice today! I do need winter clothes though. And shoes. And work shirts. This trip to the city was rather well timed!
Gunnar and Magnhild met me at the train station and we headed back to their house. We had dinner followed by watching the news. I sort of wish I were still hiding in my news-free bubble in Rauland! In between newscasts (Gunnar watches them all) we looked at wedding photos from a couple years ago when Håkon (the oldest son) and Mari got married. It was a beautiful summer wedding in Finland.
Today's plan was supposed to include going into town to go shopping. I got a late start and decided shopping could wait for tomorrow - I would rather practice today! I do need winter clothes though. And shoes. And work shirts. This trip to the city was rather well timed!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Farsund
From where we are (in the center of Norway) it takes 9 hours on the bus to get to Farsund where I was going to a music festival (Nordsjøfestivalen) with six of my classmates. We had a good time on the bus, but were really happy to finally get to Farsund. We were less happy when we started walking in the dark with our small orchestra of instruments the 2.5km to the hotel.
We arrived at the hotel and got our room assignments. All the girls (5 of us) in one room, and the boys in another. Fortunately, the hotel was really nice and there was plenty of room for five girls. We could also walk straight out of our rooms to the pier where some of us played music and some swam and some just got a head start on the party.
The second year students and instructors had some concerts. There were also concerts from bands around the North Sea. Really awesome bands. Lots of concerts! My recommendations for listening are Benedicte Maurseth for Norwegian and Fiddler's Bid for Shetland music. Of course, I've already made recommendations for Bruvoll/Halvorsen and RUSK. One of the better concerts was two of my instructors and titled 'songs they don't play on the radio'. Eight concerts in one day - and that was just one day!
I saw a several friends at the festival that I didn't realize would be there. The best surprise was Håvard. Even better was getting to listen to him play Saturday night during the buskspel! The evening parties were pretty fun. Hard to go wrong with friends and music!
The bus trip back was really long, but we made it. The worst was the train; I always feel ill on the train between Kristiansand and Bø. Luckily, we all got dropped off at our houses and no one had to schlep instruments too far. Man, was I happy to take a shower and crawl into my comfortable bed!
We arrived at the hotel and got our room assignments. All the girls (5 of us) in one room, and the boys in another. Fortunately, the hotel was really nice and there was plenty of room for five girls. We could also walk straight out of our rooms to the pier where some of us played music and some swam and some just got a head start on the party.
The second year students and instructors had some concerts. There were also concerts from bands around the North Sea. Really awesome bands. Lots of concerts! My recommendations for listening are Benedicte Maurseth for Norwegian and Fiddler's Bid for Shetland music. Of course, I've already made recommendations for Bruvoll/Halvorsen and RUSK. One of the better concerts was two of my instructors and titled 'songs they don't play on the radio'. Eight concerts in one day - and that was just one day!
I saw a several friends at the festival that I didn't realize would be there. The best surprise was Håvard. Even better was getting to listen to him play Saturday night during the buskspel! The evening parties were pretty fun. Hard to go wrong with friends and music!
The bus trip back was really long, but we made it. The worst was the train; I always feel ill on the train between Kristiansand and Bø. Luckily, we all got dropped off at our houses and no one had to schlep instruments too far. Man, was I happy to take a shower and crawl into my comfortable bed!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Today we play & Back to Bø
August 21, 2008
The main focus of Thursday's classes was learning tunes and playing together. We did that all morning and part of the afternoon. Then we were assigned instructors and there was the optional class in beginning music theory. I took the music theory, mostly because I figured it would be helpful to know what everything was in Norwegian.
After class I got a ride to Bø from one of my instructors, Ragnhild Furholt. The drive takes an hour and a half and it is difficult to get there and back in one afternoon on the bus. I was really glad that she was willing to take me as a passenger. I tried to keep up conversation, but as we wound our way down the mountain, I began to feel more and more carsick and talking much just wasn't an option. It all worked out and we made it into town without any major catastrophes.
In Bø, I collected my suitcase. By that I mean, I walked into the basement of the student home that was the motel I'd stayed in during the Telemarkfestival, grabbed my suitcase, and walked out. It was that easy, and I'm glad no one else had done it! Then I waited at the bus stop for three hours and couldn't make phone calls because the phone card wasn't working. I did get to talk to a very nice lady who had had a rather irritating day travelling on the late Norwegian trains.
Back on the bus, I tried to sleep. That didn't exactly work since the lady behind me was talking incessantly in a very high-pitched whine. I was also worried about the connection in Åmot. I shouldn't have been.
We pulled into the bus station in Åmot and the only vehicles parked in the bus zone were a minivan and two SUV's. I was trying to decide if I should ask someone if the bus to Rauland had left, when the guy with the minivan asked where I was going. When I said Rauland, he pointed to the first of the two SUV's. It's a pretty smart system. In day time I haven't seen more than six people on the bus; why should they spend the gas on driving a whole bus up the mountain when they could just send a small vehicle? Needless to say, I was the only passenger heading to Rauland and I got delivered back to the dorm.
Once inside with my suitcase, I started unpacking. Suddenly, I have have doubled my wardrobe! It's like going shopping without spending money or trying things on! Plus, now I have batteries and chargers and dictionaries that I didn't have before. Hannukah in August!
The main focus of Thursday's classes was learning tunes and playing together. We did that all morning and part of the afternoon. Then we were assigned instructors and there was the optional class in beginning music theory. I took the music theory, mostly because I figured it would be helpful to know what everything was in Norwegian.
After class I got a ride to Bø from one of my instructors, Ragnhild Furholt. The drive takes an hour and a half and it is difficult to get there and back in one afternoon on the bus. I was really glad that she was willing to take me as a passenger. I tried to keep up conversation, but as we wound our way down the mountain, I began to feel more and more carsick and talking much just wasn't an option. It all worked out and we made it into town without any major catastrophes.
In Bø, I collected my suitcase. By that I mean, I walked into the basement of the student home that was the motel I'd stayed in during the Telemarkfestival, grabbed my suitcase, and walked out. It was that easy, and I'm glad no one else had done it! Then I waited at the bus stop for three hours and couldn't make phone calls because the phone card wasn't working. I did get to talk to a very nice lady who had had a rather irritating day travelling on the late Norwegian trains.
Back on the bus, I tried to sleep. That didn't exactly work since the lady behind me was talking incessantly in a very high-pitched whine. I was also worried about the connection in Åmot. I shouldn't have been.
We pulled into the bus station in Åmot and the only vehicles parked in the bus zone were a minivan and two SUV's. I was trying to decide if I should ask someone if the bus to Rauland had left, when the guy with the minivan asked where I was going. When I said Rauland, he pointed to the first of the two SUV's. It's a pretty smart system. In day time I haven't seen more than six people on the bus; why should they spend the gas on driving a whole bus up the mountain when they could just send a small vehicle? Needless to say, I was the only passenger heading to Rauland and I got delivered back to the dorm.
Once inside with my suitcase, I started unpacking. Suddenly, I have have doubled my wardrobe! It's like going shopping without spending money or trying things on! Plus, now I have batteries and chargers and dictionaries that I didn't have before. Hannukah in August!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Transition
August 17-18, 2008
That evening, it was Peder's turn to head to school. He packed and cleared out his room. I packed my things and prepared for my 4am wake-up and 5am bus departure the next morning. We had dinner as a family. I stayed up way too late watching one more movie before going to bed. I didn't really want to leave.
I was so nervous that I would oversleep, that I woke up before the alarm. I was just about ready when Oddmund came to check on me. I grabbed an apple and headed out the door with all of my luggage. The bus was waiting for me and I climbed on board.
Three and a half hours later, I got off in Oslo. I got a sandwich and the ticket to Åmot. Confusingly, the displays listed two bus number 180's, one going through Vinje and one that didn't. The one going through Vinje never arrived, so just before the other one took off, I asked the driver if there was another bus coming. Nope! He was the only one. I'm sure glad I asked.
Four more hours on the bus, plus a little extra for some new asphalt (I took that as a good omen), we pulled in Åmot. The drivers change buses there and get a little break, so it's hard to miss your stop if that's where you're supposed to get off. One last short trip in a minibus up the mountain and I had arrived at Raulands Akademiet.
I checked in and got my key from the super helpful Anne Margit. She has been helping me via email for months now, so it was nice to meet her in person. She introduced me to the vaktmester (janitor just doesn't quite cover it) for the school and the student housing. He drove me up the hill, carried my bag, and showed me my room. It was then that I met Birgit.
That evening, it was Peder's turn to head to school. He packed and cleared out his room. I packed my things and prepared for my 4am wake-up and 5am bus departure the next morning. We had dinner as a family. I stayed up way too late watching one more movie before going to bed. I didn't really want to leave.
I was so nervous that I would oversleep, that I woke up before the alarm. I was just about ready when Oddmund came to check on me. I grabbed an apple and headed out the door with all of my luggage. The bus was waiting for me and I climbed on board.
Three and a half hours later, I got off in Oslo. I got a sandwich and the ticket to Åmot. Confusingly, the displays listed two bus number 180's, one going through Vinje and one that didn't. The one going through Vinje never arrived, so just before the other one took off, I asked the driver if there was another bus coming. Nope! He was the only one. I'm sure glad I asked.
Four more hours on the bus, plus a little extra for some new asphalt (I took that as a good omen), we pulled in Åmot. The drivers change buses there and get a little break, so it's hard to miss your stop if that's where you're supposed to get off. One last short trip in a minibus up the mountain and I had arrived at Raulands Akademiet.
I checked in and got my key from the super helpful Anne Margit. She has been helping me via email for months now, so it was nice to meet her in person. She introduced me to the vaktmester (janitor just doesn't quite cover it) for the school and the student housing. He drove me up the hill, carried my bag, and showed me my room. It was then that I met Birgit.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Hamar III
August 15, 2008
Before returning the the Hedmark Museum, I stopped at an electronics store (El-kjøp) to check out cell phones. I'm still not quite ready to make the leap and purchase a phone, but it gave me the opportunity to read about the various plans. I now have a better idea of what it is I want, I think. It seems like I talk on the phone more than I send text messages, and that I talk on the phone a lot. So, it makes the most sense to me to get a slightly more expensive monthly plan with a less expensive rate by the minute. I'd welcome feedback on this topic.
I continued on my way to the Hedmark Museum and arrived just as Bjørn Sverre was pulling into the parking lot. We had lunch in his house, which is on the museum grounds, with another friend of his who was visiting from Oslo. She was also a fiddler and a dancer. She was also a jeweler and super sweet.
After lunch, Bjørn Sverre gave us a tour of the museum. The museum includes buildings from all periods of Hedmarks history from the ruins of the medieval church (ca. 1250) to early twentieth century buildings that aren't quite open yet. Bjørn Sverre had to go in and water the plants, so we got to see the house in the process of being staged.
Then he showed us the highlights from the 17th century exhibit, including a whiskey still, a mechanical thresher, and ornate sleighs. Before potatoes came to the area, many of the smaller households were dependant on the income the women of the families made working with the linen and wool textile industry. After the advent of potatoes, the fields that had been used for linen were used to grow potatoes and many families lost up to 46% procent of their textile based income. At least, that's what I think Bjørn Sverre was telling us.
In the end, he arranged a ride for me back into town. I'd done a lot of walking and was a little worried about coming back to Trysil. I got a ride with a lovely woman who dropped me off at the train station just in time to catch the train to Elverum. Of course, there were a couple guys getting on the train who had at least eight suitcases between them, so we were a little late leaving the station.
I should have had twenty minutes to walk to the bus station in Elverum, instead I had eleven. I hurried and arrived at the bus station at exactly 4:50 when the bus should have been leaving. But it was no where to be found. I went inside and it didn't appear to have arrived. I figured that I had time to risk heading to the pay phone to call Else and let her know I was coming. A half hour later, the bus showed up. Again, student price! I was on my way back to Trysil.
Before returning the the Hedmark Museum, I stopped at an electronics store (El-kjøp) to check out cell phones. I'm still not quite ready to make the leap and purchase a phone, but it gave me the opportunity to read about the various plans. I now have a better idea of what it is I want, I think. It seems like I talk on the phone more than I send text messages, and that I talk on the phone a lot. So, it makes the most sense to me to get a slightly more expensive monthly plan with a less expensive rate by the minute. I'd welcome feedback on this topic.
I continued on my way to the Hedmark Museum and arrived just as Bjørn Sverre was pulling into the parking lot. We had lunch in his house, which is on the museum grounds, with another friend of his who was visiting from Oslo. She was also a fiddler and a dancer. She was also a jeweler and super sweet.
After lunch, Bjørn Sverre gave us a tour of the museum. The museum includes buildings from all periods of Hedmarks history from the ruins of the medieval church (ca. 1250) to early twentieth century buildings that aren't quite open yet. Bjørn Sverre had to go in and water the plants, so we got to see the house in the process of being staged.
Then he showed us the highlights from the 17th century exhibit, including a whiskey still, a mechanical thresher, and ornate sleighs. Before potatoes came to the area, many of the smaller households were dependant on the income the women of the families made working with the linen and wool textile industry. After the advent of potatoes, the fields that had been used for linen were used to grow potatoes and many families lost up to 46% procent of their textile based income. At least, that's what I think Bjørn Sverre was telling us.
In the end, he arranged a ride for me back into town. I'd done a lot of walking and was a little worried about coming back to Trysil. I got a ride with a lovely woman who dropped me off at the train station just in time to catch the train to Elverum. Of course, there were a couple guys getting on the train who had at least eight suitcases between them, so we were a little late leaving the station.
I should have had twenty minutes to walk to the bus station in Elverum, instead I had eleven. I hurried and arrived at the bus station at exactly 4:50 when the bus should have been leaving. But it was no where to be found. I went inside and it didn't appear to have arrived. I figured that I had time to risk heading to the pay phone to call Else and let her know I was coming. A half hour later, the bus showed up. Again, student price! I was on my way back to Trysil.
Hamar I
August 14, 2008
I got up early and was delivered back to the bus station. The plan was take the bus (really two buses) to Hamar, visit the Hedmark Museum and Bjørn Sverre, spend the night with Jan and Alvhild and return to Trysil on Friday. Things went really well for the first stage of the plan. Once I got off the bus in Hamar, however, I had to start thinking on my feet.
First, I realized that I didn't really know where it was that I was going. Travel tip: The Hedmark Museum is a fabulous open air museum, but if you want to get there, look for Domkirkeodden on the map. I wound up going to Husfliden and asking them how to get there. They gave me excellent directions and said it would take 15-20 minutes to walk. Since it was drizzling and I didn't feel like pushing it, I took closer to 25 minutes. The rain stopped just as I arrived at the museum.
When I arrived at the museum, I asked at the gift shop if they could call Bjørn Sverre for me. I said I wasn't sure if he was expecting me, but that I thought he knew I was coming. They said he'd had a couple of other guests arrive shortly before and was I with them? No, but I was fairly certain that it was Alix and Roo, and I wouldn't mind joining them. So the girl at the desk tried his office and his cell phone. No answer. I wandered around the museum for a half an hour and we tried calling again with the same result.
I left my bag at the gift shop and took a detailed tour of the grounds. We tried calling again, but still no answer. So, I had an ice cream and a bottle of water, wrote a letter, and enjoyed the sunshine. As I was getting up, just before 3:00, I saw Bjørn Sverre, Alix, and Roo coming down the path from the restaurant! Naturally, they had been there for an hour and a half and I hadn't gone back in to check after my first short tour. Bjørn Sverre was encouraging us to attend the miniconcert in the cathedral ruins (covered by an acoustically resonant glass protective structure), but he had to hurry to make it to his mother's birthday party. We agreed that I would return tomorrow for lunch.
The concert was splendid and brief. Roo, Alix, and I took a short tour to the outdoor, permanent wooden dance stage. We looked at the older farm buildings that were the earliest part of the museum. Then, they needed to look at the gift shop and I needed to get back to the entrance. I was scheduled to meet Jan and Alvhild at 4:00.
I got up early and was delivered back to the bus station. The plan was take the bus (really two buses) to Hamar, visit the Hedmark Museum and Bjørn Sverre, spend the night with Jan and Alvhild and return to Trysil on Friday. Things went really well for the first stage of the plan. Once I got off the bus in Hamar, however, I had to start thinking on my feet.
First, I realized that I didn't really know where it was that I was going. Travel tip: The Hedmark Museum is a fabulous open air museum, but if you want to get there, look for Domkirkeodden on the map. I wound up going to Husfliden and asking them how to get there. They gave me excellent directions and said it would take 15-20 minutes to walk. Since it was drizzling and I didn't feel like pushing it, I took closer to 25 minutes. The rain stopped just as I arrived at the museum.
When I arrived at the museum, I asked at the gift shop if they could call Bjørn Sverre for me. I said I wasn't sure if he was expecting me, but that I thought he knew I was coming. They said he'd had a couple of other guests arrive shortly before and was I with them? No, but I was fairly certain that it was Alix and Roo, and I wouldn't mind joining them. So the girl at the desk tried his office and his cell phone. No answer. I wandered around the museum for a half an hour and we tried calling again with the same result.
I left my bag at the gift shop and took a detailed tour of the grounds. We tried calling again, but still no answer. So, I had an ice cream and a bottle of water, wrote a letter, and enjoyed the sunshine. As I was getting up, just before 3:00, I saw Bjørn Sverre, Alix, and Roo coming down the path from the restaurant! Naturally, they had been there for an hour and a half and I hadn't gone back in to check after my first short tour. Bjørn Sverre was encouraging us to attend the miniconcert in the cathedral ruins (covered by an acoustically resonant glass protective structure), but he had to hurry to make it to his mother's birthday party. We agreed that I would return tomorrow for lunch.
The concert was splendid and brief. Roo, Alix, and I took a short tour to the outdoor, permanent wooden dance stage. We looked at the older farm buildings that were the earliest part of the museum. Then, they needed to look at the gift shop and I needed to get back to the entrance. I was scheduled to meet Jan and Alvhild at 4:00.
Trysil I
August 13, 2008
The train from Trondheim was relatively uneventful. It arrived late in Elverum after traveling at about 45km/hr for roughly an hour due to signal problems. When I got off the train, I still had to get to my friend's house in Trysil and I had no clue how to do that. So I called her.
When Else didn't answer her phone, I called her parents. When they didn't answer, I called Tom not stopping to think that it was 7:30 in the morning and there was no way he'd be awake. Then I called my sister and Anna. They didn't answer either, so I called Else again. This time, she answered right away, and gave me directions to the bus station.
The bus station was a reasonable walk from the train station (not my design, but better than Seattle), but I had a half an hour so I wasn't in a hurry. When the bus arrived, the driver very kindly gave me the student discount, even though I don't have a student ID yet. It's a 50% discount in a country where everything is expensive, so I was very appreciative.
After an hour and twenty minutes' ride, Else's mother met me at the bus station in Trysil. She took me to their house, helped me get my laundry in the wash, and instructed me to wear one of Else's rain jackets. She also helped me realize what day it was. I had managed to lose a day in my travelling and ticket purchasing. I figured things would all work out, since I didn't have any hard and fast plans.
Before long we were back in the car to pick up Else from work. From the hospital, where both of Else's parents are nurses and Else works in the kitchen when she is on holiday, Else and I headed to one of the local restaurants. We met a couple of her childhood friends (Anne and Kari) who were also back in town for their summer holiday and enjoyed a pizza and a beverage.
Back at Else's house, I met her aunt and uncle and their son who will be moving into the apartment downstairs while he goes to school next year. Of Else's three siblings, two of the other's were home and the oldest was expected to arrive any time. Inga, the younger sister, was giving up her bed for me, and I gratefully passed out.
The train from Trondheim was relatively uneventful. It arrived late in Elverum after traveling at about 45km/hr for roughly an hour due to signal problems. When I got off the train, I still had to get to my friend's house in Trysil and I had no clue how to do that. So I called her.
When Else didn't answer her phone, I called her parents. When they didn't answer, I called Tom not stopping to think that it was 7:30 in the morning and there was no way he'd be awake. Then I called my sister and Anna. They didn't answer either, so I called Else again. This time, she answered right away, and gave me directions to the bus station.
The bus station was a reasonable walk from the train station (not my design, but better than Seattle), but I had a half an hour so I wasn't in a hurry. When the bus arrived, the driver very kindly gave me the student discount, even though I don't have a student ID yet. It's a 50% discount in a country where everything is expensive, so I was very appreciative.
After an hour and twenty minutes' ride, Else's mother met me at the bus station in Trysil. She took me to their house, helped me get my laundry in the wash, and instructed me to wear one of Else's rain jackets. She also helped me realize what day it was. I had managed to lose a day in my travelling and ticket purchasing. I figured things would all work out, since I didn't have any hard and fast plans.
Before long we were back in the car to pick up Else from work. From the hospital, where both of Else's parents are nurses and Else works in the kitchen when she is on holiday, Else and I headed to one of the local restaurants. We met a couple of her childhood friends (Anne and Kari) who were also back in town for their summer holiday and enjoyed a pizza and a beverage.
Back at Else's house, I met her aunt and uncle and their son who will be moving into the apartment downstairs while he goes to school next year. Of Else's three siblings, two of the other's were home and the oldest was expected to arrive any time. Inga, the younger sister, was giving up her bed for me, and I gratefully passed out.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Farvel til Nord-Norge
August 12, 2008
After breakfast, I packed my bags again, so they would be ready in the afternoon. Before the day was over we had accomplished more than just a large pile of freshly split logs and packed suitcases, however. Anne made skoleboller to go with coffee while splitting logs. I was completely impressed. I played some more fiddle music in the beautiful afternoon weather. After coffee, Johan started pulling off one of the walls of the stabbur - it's next on the repair list.
Since the bus into town left the bus stop a half hour drive away at 6:30, we had to get started on dinner pretty much immediately after afternoon coffee. We headed to the store and bought some additional kjøttkaker, as well as tomatost! Dinner was kjøttkaker with brown sauce, ertestuing, carrots and new potatoes - typical Norwegian food. While Anne made dinner, I made sandwiches to take on my journey. We listened to the Jonssonslinje CD I gave them; It made me think of home.
It was hard to leave Steinviknesset, but I made it in the car. Anne is a fabulous conversationalist and she managed to keep my mind on all of the exciting things that are coming in my future and didn't let me dwell on how much I would miss her and Johan and how much I already miss all of you in Seattle. At least Sonya's coming soon!
The bus ride took almost no time. There was a little excitement when the bus driver started to drive off before I had gotten my suitcase out of the bus, but he only got a few meters. At the Bodø train station I talked to my dad and Tom on the payphone, before I made my way out of the smelly waiting area and onto the uncomfortable train. I did manage to sleep, but I'm sure glad I'm not taking any exams today. I woke up outside of Trondheim, uncertain if I was more excited to get off the train or onto the internet.
After breakfast, I packed my bags again, so they would be ready in the afternoon. Before the day was over we had accomplished more than just a large pile of freshly split logs and packed suitcases, however. Anne made skoleboller to go with coffee while splitting logs. I was completely impressed. I played some more fiddle music in the beautiful afternoon weather. After coffee, Johan started pulling off one of the walls of the stabbur - it's next on the repair list.
Since the bus into town left the bus stop a half hour drive away at 6:30, we had to get started on dinner pretty much immediately after afternoon coffee. We headed to the store and bought some additional kjøttkaker, as well as tomatost! Dinner was kjøttkaker with brown sauce, ertestuing, carrots and new potatoes - typical Norwegian food. While Anne made dinner, I made sandwiches to take on my journey. We listened to the Jonssonslinje CD I gave them; It made me think of home.
It was hard to leave Steinviknesset, but I made it in the car. Anne is a fabulous conversationalist and she managed to keep my mind on all of the exciting things that are coming in my future and didn't let me dwell on how much I would miss her and Johan and how much I already miss all of you in Seattle. At least Sonya's coming soon!
The bus ride took almost no time. There was a little excitement when the bus driver started to drive off before I had gotten my suitcase out of the bus, but he only got a few meters. At the Bodø train station I talked to my dad and Tom on the payphone, before I made my way out of the smelly waiting area and onto the uncomfortable train. I did manage to sleep, but I'm sure glad I'm not taking any exams today. I woke up outside of Trondheim, uncertain if I was more excited to get off the train or onto the internet.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
På tur til Furudal
There isn't really much to say about the way to Furudal. Once we made it out of the house, and took some pictures (yes, you'll see them later), we were on the road at about 10:30. We stopped for a a high class meal at the big grocery store in Bollnäs and arrived in picturesque Furudal right on time at 1:30.
I was sad to leave Sundsättersvägen in Njutånger; something tells me I'll be back. I'd like to visit sometime with no plans for a while. Just see what's in the newspaper and go where the wind blows. Swimming and fishing and staying up late. Vacation without a schedule. It sounds great!
I was sad to leave Sundsättersvägen in Njutånger; something tells me I'll be back. I'd like to visit sometime with no plans for a while. Just see what's in the newspaper and go where the wind blows. Swimming and fishing and staying up late. Vacation without a schedule. It sounds great!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Hudiksvall I
Living life at Tom's pace is, well, relaxing. Also, he really can cook! If those Skandia dinners and the extravagance he put on for my dance weren't evidence enough, he does omelets too! I recommend you try one with cucumbers.
Of course, that means that not so much has happened since the last time we were at the library. Hudiksvall is a charming town. We visited the Telia store (twice), the shoemaker, the hemsljöd, an outlet shop where I purchased a cutting board, and a grocery store. Oh and we got pizza. After that buffet yesterday, we stopped for pizza.
Tom's house is completely charming. If you ever get an invitation and the time to visit, by all means, take him up on it. It's only drawback is the tiny tiny bathroom. It has a bathtub with a hand-held shower, but really only someone shorter than me (Judy?) could stand up in it. I don't know Elaine is coping. That being said, taking that shower was divine.
We did laundry this morning and, after the omelets, are back in town for another exciting day of perusing shops and trying to stay off of each others' toes.
Travel tip: bring lightweight, dark colored clothes. They dry fast and don't show stains!
Of course, that means that not so much has happened since the last time we were at the library. Hudiksvall is a charming town. We visited the Telia store (twice), the shoemaker, the hemsljöd, an outlet shop where I purchased a cutting board, and a grocery store. Oh and we got pizza. After that buffet yesterday, we stopped for pizza.
Tom's house is completely charming. If you ever get an invitation and the time to visit, by all means, take him up on it. It's only drawback is the tiny tiny bathroom. It has a bathtub with a hand-held shower, but really only someone shorter than me (Judy?) could stand up in it. I don't know Elaine is coping. That being said, taking that shower was divine.
We did laundry this morning and, after the omelets, are back in town for another exciting day of perusing shops and trying to stay off of each others' toes.
Travel tip: bring lightweight, dark colored clothes. They dry fast and don't show stains!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Fra Bø til Glada Hudik!
Barnival! That is how I rounded out my Telemark experience. I sat and worked on the Vinterdansen 09 budget while listening to the children's carnival below. Some of them were really pretty talented. Others were... children.
Then I was off again. I took the afternoon train from Bø to Oslo, then the night train to Stockholm and arrived at 11am in Hudiksvall, just before Tom and Elaine got to the train station.
This time on the night train I was not so lucky to have a cabin to myself. Instead, I shared it with 3 other women. We didn't have to change trains mid-ride, but it did seem like it stopped every half hour, and not with a gentle deceleration, but with crash and grind that makes me think someone should check the brakes.
Sitting in the not-quite-bejeweled Stockholm C I devoured a packet of dried fruit and nuts like a large squirrel. Travel tip: don't get hungry on Sundays. Also, if you are fortunate enough to read the language of the country you are travelling in, read the warning labels on the packages. The one on the fruit and nuts package said something along the lines of 'remember, it's easy for children to get nuts stuck in their noses.' How about that!
The remainder of the trip to Hudiksvall was uneventful and I was very happy to see Tom and Elaine pull up at the train station. We signed up for some computer time (which I'm using now) at the library, went to the bank, and had lunch at a Pan Asian buffet. I don't think I ate that much the entire time I was in Bø! Ethnic food in Scandinavian has come a long way since the last time I had Thai food in Stavanger with Sonya.
Then I was off again. I took the afternoon train from Bø to Oslo, then the night train to Stockholm and arrived at 11am in Hudiksvall, just before Tom and Elaine got to the train station.
This time on the night train I was not so lucky to have a cabin to myself. Instead, I shared it with 3 other women. We didn't have to change trains mid-ride, but it did seem like it stopped every half hour, and not with a gentle deceleration, but with crash and grind that makes me think someone should check the brakes.
Sitting in the not-quite-bejeweled Stockholm C I devoured a packet of dried fruit and nuts like a large squirrel. Travel tip: don't get hungry on Sundays. Also, if you are fortunate enough to read the language of the country you are travelling in, read the warning labels on the packages. The one on the fruit and nuts package said something along the lines of 'remember, it's easy for children to get nuts stuck in their noses.' How about that!
The remainder of the trip to Hudiksvall was uneventful and I was very happy to see Tom and Elaine pull up at the train station. We signed up for some computer time (which I'm using now) at the library, went to the bank, and had lunch at a Pan Asian buffet. I don't think I ate that much the entire time I was in Bø! Ethnic food in Scandinavian has come a long way since the last time I had Thai food in Stavanger with Sonya.
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