The Traveler's Guide

Barely did I have time to recuperate from my trip to Norway and I was back out the door, with another adventure and another suitcase, albeit a much smaller one.

Just days after my return from Norway a friend from South Dakota came to visit me in Seattle.  My role as traveler was switched to role as traveler's guide.  I don't claim to be a Seattle expert; my knowledge is mediocre at best.  Multiple visits to Seattle over the years and now having Washington residency at least puts me slightly above the average tourist.  For guiding someone who was in Seattle for the first time, my limited knowledge was sufficient.  We only had five glorious day.  Go.

My friend, Jenna, arrived in Seattle a little after midnight on Saturday morning.  As late as it was for me and even later for Jenna (CST being two hours ahead of PST), I started off her Pacific Northwest experience with a Pop! (Goes the weasel).  It's a bit of a tradition for me to go to Jack in the Box and order a Breakfast Jack whenever out and about after midnight.  Also, since there aren't any Jack in the Boxes in South Dakota/Minnesota I thought it would be something for Jenna to experience.  Whether it was a good experience or bad experience for her, I can't really say; but I enjoyed my disgustingly delicious, greasy, breakfast sandwich whole-clogged-heartedly.

Originally, we intended to go to Mt. Rainier that first day but the thought of waking up early to drive there did not appeal to us.  So we enjoyed a lazy morning and then took the light rail into Seattle.  What better way to spend your first day in the Seattle area than actually in the city of Seattle?  We hit all the main sites: Pikes Place Market, the Waterfront, Pioneer Square, and the Space Needle.  Instead of going up into the Space Needle -- which is rather expensive -- we went for the cheaper and, in my opinion, much more impressive option of going up to the Sky View Observatory on the 73rd floor of Columbia Center.  It's even higher than the Space Needle and offers just as good of views of the city, sound, and surrounding mountains.  Unfortunately it was rather hazy that day so the extra height didn't make much difference.  Other highlights include but are not limited to Top Pot Donuts, Pacific Place, Seattle Center Fountain, and making fun of people crazy or stupid enough to try driving through Pike Place on a Saturday.  After our exciting day in Seattle we spent the evening playing a few casual, competitive rounds of mini-golf in Tukwila and then had dinner at a Thai restaurant in Kent before returning to my sister's house, which she was kind enough to let us use as our base of operations.

We got up bright and early the next day to make the two hour drive to Paradise, Mt. Rainier.  It was a good thing we didn't go on Saturday because Sunday ended up being a much better day for it.  The day was almost perfectly clear, warm but not too warm.  Rather than describe our hike up to Panorama Point in excruciating detail, I'll just use pictures... a lot of pictures.  Click on them if you want to view the full-size versions.

Marmot!

Baby Marmot!

Marmot on a steamroller!!!

Panorama Point

Buzz off you photobomber!

The clouds start rolling in as we descend

Ghost mountain

Exhausted from our three-hour hike, we were happy to simply drive back to my sister's house and enjoy a chill evening eating Red Robin and watching House Bunny.

On Monday we went up to stay at my mother's house for a few days.  Unable to just sit around for an entire afternoon, we all went to Deception pass to do a little hiking and take in the views.  Well, we probably could have just sat around all afternoon, twiddling our thumbs, waiting for somebody to make a decision about what they wanted to do, Jenna!  I make fun of her for it but it's all in good fun and I'm almost as indecisive as she is when I'm not acting as guide.  I like to think of it as easy-going rather than indecisive but it's all a matter of perspective.  You can say it doesn't matter what we do, you'll be happy with anything -- and maybe that's true -- but that isn't very helpful to the person trying to plan activities.  Sure, we as guides can plan certain must-see's or must-do's as a baseline but beyond that I think it's nice to mold the traveler's trip around their interests.  Not so easy when all you can get out of them is, "I don't care," or "It's up to you."  So if there's one thing you learn from this blog post it's this: when traveling, BE DECISIVE, both for your own sake and, if you have one, your guide's sake... please.

Tuesday I showed Jenna my school and took her around to some of my favourite places in Bellingham.  It was a very nice day and all the walking we did was good conditioning for Wednesday when I led Jenna on a death march to Oyster Dome.  Hiking and other outdoorsy activities are such a big part of my school's, Bellingham's, and the Pacific Northwest's identity that a trip to Washington wouldn't be complete without at least one harrowing hike.  Okay, it really wasn't that bad.  We managed to make the 6.5-mile round trip in just over four hours.  And that includes about half an hour at the top for lunch and admiring the scenery.

As a reward for completing the hike and not complaining too much, we went paddle boarding on Lake Whatcom.  Yay! More physical activity!  It wasn't the warmest of days but it was still a lot of fun.  I'd never paddle boarded before, either, so even as adventure guide I got to experience some new things.  It was a wonderful way to spend Jenna's last full day in Washington before having to take her back to the airport Thursday afternoon.

The five days went by way too quickly.  In a time when social media and empty statuses dominate interpersonal communication, those five days were a refreshing reminder of what it's like to be face-to-face with the person behind all those late-night rants, those amusing tweets, the occasional Snapchat.  As we all go our separate ways after high school, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay in close contact.  Those five days of showing Jenna around Seattle, catching up on new developments, reminiscing about old ones, and making new memories meant more to me than Facebook's entire net worth.  Traveling to see a high school friend -- even if it's not the sole purpose of a trip -- is a huge sacrifice, especially for poor college students and especially if that friend lives halfway across the country or further.  So when somebody makes the effort to visit you, not only does it show true friendship and caring, but it leaves everyone involved with a warm and fuzzy feeling.  I encourage everyone reading this to reach out to an old friend who you haven't seen in a long time but wish you would have stayed in better contact with.  Through Facebook, email, phone, traditional post, or any other method you can think of.  Who knows?  Maybe a trip will come out of it and at the very least maybe a conversation and a smile.

I'm so so glad Jenna came to visit me and I look forward to many more visits to and from her and many other friends, both old and new.  After all, that's part of what traveling is all about: meeting new people or old friends, creating closer bonds with them, fostering a world of understanding, peace, and warm and fuzzy feelings.

Satellites can only bring us so far.  Don't let all the copper wire get in the way of your traveling and maintaining the friendships that truly matter to you.

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This blog post got a little longer than I intended and a little more schmaltzy.  I hope, though, that the idealistic, sometimes overly sentimental parts do not detract or distract.  They're meant to add interest to my posts. 

Unless another friend comes to visit me or there's an unplanned trip in my near future, there will very likely not be another of these posts for quite some time.  I'm still working on a "The Many Styles of Packing (working title)" post but once that's finished there will be very little to talk about on this blog until my next big trip.  I hope to get back into posting regularly on my other blog but with a very busy school year approaching that's beginning to look more like a fool's hope.  At any rate, I'll try to keep things updated.  Stay tuned.  -NLD

Bare Begynnelsen

The beginning of the end of the beginning.

Tired from our drive, my father and I didn't do much when we got back to Oslo on Sunday night.  The relatives whose house we stayed in were away to their hytte.  We were two quiet people in a quiet house.  Not wanting to think about having to leave the next day, I did the only thing I could do: repack my suitcase and then go to bed.  Oh, the irony.

I woke up to the sound of rain on the window.  Throughout my stay in Norway I was incredibly lucky with the weather -- it only rained maybe six or seven times -- so how appropriate that on the day I leave it should be weather more typical of a Norwegian summer.  I'd like to think Norway was as sad to see me go as I was.  I laid in bed simply listening to the light pitter-patter of tears falling.

At 8:30 I finally rolled out of bed and into the shower.  The smell of bittersweet sadness would not wash away.  I brushed my teeth and then packed away my toothbrush, zipping my suitcase closed.  Breakfast was simple.  My father and I leaned against the edge of the counter, eating our poppy seed buns with cheese and butter in silence.  My heart was so heavy you could have weighed it like I weighed my suitcases.  Saying good-bye to an empty house was almost worse than having to say good-bye to all my relatives.  With nobody to say good-bye to, I knew I was saying good-bye to Norway.

We weren't sure how long it would take to get returning the rental car squared away so we left the house at 10:00, even though our flights didn't leave until a little after 14:00.  Returning the rental car ended up taking about a minute.  But I didn't mind being there so early.  We simply exchanged waiting in one place for waiting in another.  At least there were people to watch at Gardermoen Airport.

Printing my boarding pass and suitcase tag was extraordinarily easy at one of the kiosks but the system designed to be efficient did little good when the Icelandair baggage drop-off desk didn't open until two hours before my flight.  We ended up waiting about an hour before we could even get in line for security.  Once through, we sat down at one of the airport restaurants for a nice lunch before going our separate ways and ten hours on a plane.

My plane rides were rather dull.  I did some reading, watched a couple movies -- Argo and Singin' in the Rain -- and looked out the window as Norway and the last seven and a half weeks slipped out of sight at 528mph.  My plane left Oslo at 14:45 and I landed in Seattle at 17:55 thanks to the time difference.

As much as I'll miss Norway, it's good to be home.

This is it: the end of my journey to Norway.  But, as you just read, it ended two days ago.  So why am I still writing about it?  My time at ISS and travels through Norway (and Sweden, a little) will never leave me.  The people I met and the friends I made, the places I saw and the pictures I took, the knowledge I gained and the sleep I lost -- they are a part of me now.  No amount of time will ever take that away.  And this isn't really the end; it's only the end of the beginning.  There will be more trips to Norway, more trips to Sweden, more trips to Europe, more trips to countries I haven't yet visited, more trips around the sun.

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Thank you to everyone who has read my blog week after week and post after post.  It's been such a pleasure to write and I hope it has been just as much fun to read.  Maybe you even learned something.  I also hope that through reading my blog, if you didn't have one already, you have acquired a desire to travel, see everything and meet everyone this amazing world has to offer.

As is the nature of a travel blog, I won't be posting much when I'm not traveling.  I can guarantee, though, that there will be many more trips in my future and many more blog posts to accompany them.  Vi sees!  And... wait for it...
Stay tuned.  -NLD

You're Gonna Hear Me, Røros

Katy Perry stuck in your head now?  You're welcome.  (Even if Røros doesn't quite work phonetically)

It's strange for me to be still posting about my time in Norway even though I'm back home in Washington.  My last few days in Norway were a bit of a whirlwind so only now have I had time to write about those last few precious days.

My dad and I left Trondheim Friday morning accompanied by one of our cousins(?) and his wife.  They traveled with us as far as Singsås, where they showed us the old farm site my Norwegian ancestors lived on before immigrating to the United States.  We also visited the original Singsås church where some of my relatives are buried.  The surnames within the graveyard are an almost perfect copy of those in the graveyard at Singsas church near my hometown of Hendricks, MN -- or, rather, the names in Minnesota are an almost perfect replication of those in Norway.  It's interesting that those who came from the same area of Norway ended up settling in the same area of America.  I've never felt as close to my Norwegian heritage as I did when I stood on that farm site.  It was a defining moment in the history of who I am.

From Singås we traveled to Røros, where we stayed with another of our distant relatives.  Much like the family we'd stayed with in Trondheim, they, too, were wonderful, generous hosts, leading us on tours around town, taking us on a trip to their cabin, and, of course, serving a wide variety of delicious food.  (That sentence may have been a little comma heavy.)

We started off with a tour of Røros.  All the buildings in Røros are designed to look very old.  Some of them are actually very old, dating back to the 17th and 18th Centuries when Røros was a major mining town, but most are simply designed to look that way to preserve the old-timey feel.  Mining activity continued around Røros until 1977 as evidenced by the massive piles of slag on the edge of town.  I climbed the highest one but because somebody *cough* dad *cough* didn't take a picture of me standing triumphantly at the top, alas, I have no proof.

On Saturday they took us out to their hytte for a day of hiking, pellet guns, eating, and relaxation.  The hytte is on an island in the middle of Femund, Norway's third largest lake, so we had to take a boat to get to it.  The landscape surrounding the hytte was stunning and with no electricity or running water, it really felt like we were one with nature.  I felt so in tune with nature that I went swimming in the lake.  It was colder than Songsvann and colder than Oslo fjord but still just as refreshing.  We also went for a short hike to an old farmstead and bridge built by the Germans during World War II.  Unfortunately, the unending blueberries around the trail weren't quite ripe yet so I had to wait until we were back at the hytte for something more substantial to eat -- a stew traditionally served at weddings and funerals in Trøndelag.  Though it was one of the simplest meals, consisting only of potatoes, carrots, broth, and lamb meat, it was by far one of the tastiest.  After an entire day of taking in the best Norway has to offer, we had a pretty chill evening.  We ordered pizza and watched Armageddon with Norwegian subtitles.

The next day we had to leave for Oslo, but not before we toured the old Røros copper mine, smelting hut, and church.  It was about 5° C (41° F) down in the Copper mine so I brought a light jacket.  The smelting hut was interesting but the best part about it were all the elaborate models illustrating the mining processes.  They were engineering feats in and of themselves with working water wheels, pumps, and what must have been a million tiny pieces of lumber all fit together in intricate structures.  The Røros church was impressive but it was more just one of those things I went to just to see and be able to say I saw it.  It's amazing how much in that town depended on the copper mining industry.  Even the church has the copper mine's seal on it.

After a morning filled with activity and another excellent lunch, we finally had to say good-bye so we could make it to Oslo for our flights leaving the next day.  Apart from getting stuck in construction traffic for about an hour, it was an uneventful drive.  I even drove the second half of the trip but I made sure to switch the navigation system to English before doing so.  I kind of missed the German voice, though.

There isn't much more to say.  I'll be writing one more post describing my flights home and summarizing my entire time in Norway.  Stay tuned.  -NLD

Extra Helpings

The "extra" day in Trondheim was put to good use.  I put "extra" in quotations because we had originally planned to make the trip from Bergen to Trondheim in a single day.  When Sigrid and Hogne recommended a slower, more scenic route we decided it would be better to take two.  However, last minute we decided to take the faster, "less scenic" route past Stalheim.  I put "less scenic" in quotations because, even though we didn't take the recommended scenic route, the route we did take sure seemed pretty darn scenic to me.  In fact, I don't think there are many places in Norway that aren't scenic, at least by an American's standards.  So we made it to Trondheim in a single day as described in my previous post and have since spent two days seeing the city's highlights.  The highest of highlights, however, has been visiting those of my family that live in Trondheim.

We started off our "extra" day in Trondheim (Wednesday) with a breakfast similar to those served at the hotel in Bergen and at Sigrid and Hogne's house.  That's one of the wonderful things about Norwegian breakfast: it's practically the same wherever you go yet you never get tired of the bread slices, cucumbers, tomatoes, salmon, and cheese.  It's a much lighter and much healthier breakfast compared to many served back home in the States.  I'm considering adopting it as my breakfast of choice once back in the United States.

As soon as we'd finished our breakfast it was out the door we went, rain jackets in hand.  It's unfortunate that it was raining for much of the day but this was the first rain I've had in weeks and the first rain my dad and Patti dealt with since arriving in Norway; so I'd say overall we were pretty lucky overall where the weather is concerned.  We were inside Nidaros Cathedral much of the morning, anyway.  It was a spectacular building as well it should be, being the largest cathedral in Norway.  The guided tour we went on was interesting but slightly disappointing.  I knew most of the history of the church from my History class.  The only details I didn't know were specifics concerning the building and restoration of the cathedral throughout its nearly 1000 year history filled with fire and soapstone.

Our next mission (no pun intended) was to find a serving dish.  I wasn't particularly keen on the whole idea of shopping more but walking from shop to shop was a good way to see the city so I guess I can't complain.  With a serving dish bubble-wrapped, packed, and tucked safely away under Patti's arm our next stop was lunch at my cousin Anne's house.  To be honest, I don't know exactly how we're related.  In a family as big as mine, I tend to simply say we're cousins and forget the rest.  It's too complicated and confusing.  For instance, I know that Anne is actually of my generation but, due to a difference in time between generations, her children are actually of more the same age as me and my brother than she is.  Anyway, lunch was amazing.  I ended up going back for second and third helpings.

While eating I had the opportunity to use some of the Norwegian I learned over my six weeks at the summer school.  My Norwegian family encouraged me to use Norwegian but they weren't pushy, which I appreciate.  It makes speaking a new language a lot more fun and a lot less stressful when I can just sit back and listen and pipe up when I actually understood what was said and know how to reply.  It's difficult because they speak so fast but even over the past couple days I think I've been able to pick up more and more of the conversations.  I look forward to staying in better contact with all my Norwegian relatives so I can continue to practice, improve, and avoid the otherwise inevitable pits of forgetfulness.  My family will be indispensably helpful in my long quest to become fluent in Norwegian.

After lunch and saying farewell to those I wouldn't see the next day, I went to a music museum with my dad and Patti.  It was mainly just a way to waste time until we were scheduled to meet another family member for dinner.  Our time in Trondheim has basically been hopping from meal to meal with a few extraneous activities in between -- much like the Minnesotan State Fair.  I'm getting off topic again.  Yes, the music museum was very interesting.  The main part of the museum was housed in an old manor house, where a small fraction of the museum's 2000 instruments are on display.  If you're interested in learning more, I've provided a link to the museum's website at the end of this post.  (Perhaps that's something I will start doing more of.  I think I do an alright job of describing things but I don't actually give specifics of where I went in case others wish to visit those places as well.)

After our fill of music we went to a Norwegian coop to burn a little more time and money.  Finally, it was time to go to dinner.  I'm not sure how I'm related to this person either but it was a highly enjoyable evening all the same.  It wasn't the most complicated food to make but it was very tasty.  Again, I had second and third helpings, partly because I was still a little hungry and partly because of our host's insistence.  She's a very opinionated woman who isn't afraid to let you know it -- much like many of the women in my family.  Even so, she is fascinating to listen to and is, for the most part, a delight to spend time with so long as I avoid the cloud of cigarette smoke constantly hanging around her head.  But no judgement here.  To each their own.  "Enjoy life the way you want, while you can."  "There aren't any pockets in your death garments."  These words of wisdom and many, many, many more brought to you by cousin(?) Wenche.  After chatting for at least an hour and a half after dinner we caught a ride back to Bjorn's (our host's) house.

On the way back I snapped a picture of the city bus garages.  I'd seen many of the distinctively colored buses throughout the day and decided to dub them the "Gag-reflex Fleet."  Needless to say, I think the puke-green buses are one of the less aesthetically pleasing aspects of the city.

Today (Thursday), or I suppose it's yesterday now, we had to drop Patti off at the airport and then went straight from there for a drive around the countryside.  It was pleasant -- or at least I think it was -- I slept for most of the car ride.  I woke up when it was time to get out of the car and actually see something.  The first stop we made was to see Tinghaugen.  This was the hill where all the jarls and important men of Norway met in a ting to decide the laws of the recently united Norway.  These laws would influence how Norway was governed, at least on a local level, all the way up until 1814 when Norway wrote its new Constitution.

We then went to the ruins of an old Monastery from the 13th Century.  There wasn't a whole lot to see so we continued our tour of the countryside.  Before heading back into Trondheim, we stopped at a bakery for coffee and rolls.  It "hit the spot" as my father would say.

We got back to Bjorn's house and spent the afternoon lounging about in the scorching Norwegian Sun.  You think I'm kidding but I'm really not.  It gets warm out there in the sunshine!  I could only stand it for about 45 minutes before I moved inside to do some blogging, as you may have noticed if you read my last post.

This evening we were invited to dinner at another cousin(?)'s house.  I got to see more of my family and got to eat two or three helpings of more delicious food.  As the evening came to a close, it was time to say good-bye to many of my family members who I won't see tomorrow before leaving Trondheim.  It's sad, of course, but I have a feeling I'll be seeing them a lot more often from now on, whether that be via Skype or future visits to Norway.

I'm finally caught up so I can leave it there for the time being.  I hope you enjoyed reading this post and, as always, please feel free to leave a comment below.  Thanks for reading!  Stay tuned.  -NLD

Music Museum Link

Hairpins and Pleasantries

Allons-y!  Tuesday morning we got up early -- like, 6:30 early -- in order to get dressed, go to another great breakfast buffet, and be on the road to Trondheim by 8:00.  It was a very long road.

Even with the long road ahead of us, we made frequent sight-seeing stops because it was such a beautiful day and the scenery was amazing.  Our first stop was Stalheim.  We took a different route to Bergen than the one I originally thought so we didn't stop there like I said we might in a previous post.  With some gentle coercion, I convinced my two very strong-willed travel companions to go that route on the way out of Bergen rather than the one that was recommended to us.  We missed the turn on the first pass so we ended up driving just about all the way through the valley we wanted to see before turning around.  The lost time was completely worth it!

It was one of the most spectacular views I've ever seen.  It was as if I'd stepped into a painting.  In a way, I had: Johan Christian Dahl's "View from Stalheim" is a romantic interpretation of the valley we looked out upon.  I wouldn't want to stay at the hotel where the overlook point is located -- it's probably very expensive and I think spending too much time there with nothing to do but look at the valley, while not necessarily ruining the view, would make it less special.  Each blink should bring a new wonder to behold.

"View from Stalheim" -- Johan Christian Dahl 1842

"Another View from Stalheim" -- Neal Digre 2014

The perspective is a little off and there's no double rainbow but I tried to get it as close as I could.

The switchbacks coming down from the hotel made me glad I wasn't driving and even more glad I'm not a bus driver.  The hairpins could have been useful in holding Patti's finger-clenched hair in place had they only been the right type of hairpins.  I don't blame her, though.  After a short but gorgeous ferry ride across Sognefjord (the largest fjord in Norway) and once we got past the town of Sogndal, the road became worthy of a few hair tugs.  It was down to one lane with traffic still flowing both ways.  Going around a blind curve, all we could do was go slow and hope there wasn't a car or, even worse, a semi coming from the other direction.  All that separated our car from a quick trip to the brilliant blue-green fjord below was a flimsy barrier.

Before long we were above the treeline again.  Nothing but shrubs, rocks, mountains, glaciers, and the single solitary hytte populated the landscape.  As we continued to gain altitude the gas gauge continued to fall, rapidly.  No gas station within 100km.  Desolate landscape.  No hope of a tow-truck maneuvering up the narrow mountain roads.  Only the goal of reaching the top before we ran out of gas.  It really wasn't all that close of a call, especially once we started to descend.  Still, the first gas station in sight brought an audible sigh of relief from the front seat.  

After that, it was relatively fast going the rest of the way to Trondheim.   It was a beautiful, awe-inspiring 12-hour drive from Bergen to Trondheim but once is enough for me; I think I'll fly next time.  I was happy to be taken right to the doorstep of our destination by the assertive tone of the German navigation voice.  After a delicious meal of salmon and potatoes, we fought our desire to sleep and exchanged pleasantries with our hosts and some other Norwegian cousins that came to visit.  The long journey left us all feeling tired, especially me.  Driving narrow mountain roads is hardly any work at all compared to trying to find a comfortable sleeping position in the back of a small vehicle.  Just kidding.  I'm extremely thankful for the ten hours of driving my dad did and the two hours of driving Patti did, leaving me free to doze-off, look at the scenery, or write a poem about being called by my sibling's name three times in a single car trip.  (Maybe you can look forward to seeing it on my poetry blog in the coming weeks.)  It was a long day but the extra effort it took to make it to Trondheim in one day gave us more time to see the city.

I'd like to get to my activities in Trondheim but now that you at least know how I got here, I don't feel so bad about saving that for the next post.  Maybe I'll crank it out this evening so you shouldn't have to wait long.  Stay tuned.  -NLD

Only the Bergen-ing

It seems I've fallen slightly behind.  I put so much energy into creating my Easter egg and the corresponding hint -- which no one seems to have unraveled yet -- I haven't blogged for the past two days.  Bendy, bumpy, eight and 12-hour car rides are not exactly conducive to writing blog posts either.  So here I am sitting in Trondheim and here you are sitting like sheep in the middle of the road with no idea of how I got here.

Bright and early Sunday morning Sigrid and Hogne sent us off with a marvelous farewell breakfast.  We were lucky to be leaving at all, really.  When we went to go pick up our rental vehicle they said they had no record of our reservation.  For some reason I doubt that and think it more likely that they were just saying that to cover up the fact that they had given our reserved vehicle away when we didn't show up at the rental place until an hour after they had officially closed.  Norwegians are always so polite.  If you are or know a Norwegian, you'll know I'm only being half sarcastic.

Despite showing up late, we were lucky enough to get a car.  So after one more cup of coffee and one more cup of tea we left for our long trip to Bergen.  We made it past the first roundabout without incident.  After that, things became much more complicated.  Every turn, every speed limit, every town -- between Patti, my father, and the navigation system that frequently contradicted the directions Sigrid and Hogne gave us, I wonder how we even got out of Akershus fylke (county).  Once we got acquainted with the French car, the Norwegian roads, the navigation directions in German, and the American (my father) at the wheel, it wasn't so bad.

We made it to Bergen in good time.  I think we only had to stop for the bathroom three or four or twenty-seven times.  We didn't stop for anything apart from bathroom and food.  It was cloudy and rainy most of the way there so getting out to sight-see wouldn't have been much fun but even from the car the steep cliffs rising hundreds of feet over us were impressive, made even more impressive by the moon roof stretching from the front of the front seat to the back of the back seat.  One minute we'd be surrounded by trees, the next we'd be in the barren highlands, with only one lonely hytte and the sheep standing in the middle of the road to keep us company.  It was one of the most diverse and most beautiful drives I've ever been on, at least the parts I was awake for.

Once in Bergen we dropped our bags off at the hotel and set off to explore the famous Bergen Brygge.  We poked our noses in some of the shops, had dinner at the fish market, and road up the Fløiban to the observation deck overlooking the city.  It was a fantastic view!  There are only a few other views of cities I've seen that compare to the view of Bergen.  It is an absolute must.

Though Bergen is known for its rainy weather, the only rain that affected us were the ten minutes of rain as we were walking back to our hotel.  To stay dry we ducked into a shop along the waterfront.  When the rain stopped we went back to the hotel to put our feet up and plan our next day in Bergen.

There's no better way to start off the day with a good Norwegian breakfast buffet.  My dad and I went to the Hanseatic Museum where I put a sight and smell to many of the things I learned about in my Norwegian History class, specifically the Hanseatic League that dominated Norway's economy from the 14th to the 17th century.  After that we picked Patti up from the hotel where she had been waiting for her hair to dry and went across the street to two of the oldest buildings in Norway -- Håkons Hall and Rosenkrantz Tower.  The narrow winding passages of Rosenkrantz Tower were like a labyrinth compared to the open rooms of Håkons Hall.  The buildings themselves and the history behind them were fascinating.

Inside Håkons Hall

Håkons Hall (foreground) and Rosenkrantz Tower (background)

From there we jumped several centuries into the future and went on a tour of Troldhaugen -- Edvard Grieg's home, burial site, and museum devoted to his life and music.  Before visiting his grave and exploring his house, we went to a concert of Grieg's lyrical music, performed by a German pianist.  She was very good and the music was excellent.  It was crazy to think that the person who composed the songs we listened to and so many of the songs I've played on piano stood where I stood, walked where I walked, and composed the very notes my fingers have played just a few feet away beyond the barrier of a glass door.  The entire estate overlooks a beautiful fjord filled with islands.  Though I'm sure it has changed much since the time Grieg was composing, I could still hear and see the sounds of Grieg's music all around me -- the quintessence of Norwegian classical music.

Grieg's composing piano in his composing hytte

After riding the tram back into Bergen, we were tired enough to warrant a quick nap at the hotel.  After that we ate dinner at an interesting restaurant that featured an embellished cuisine from the time of Bergen's Hanseatic hay-day.  It was surprisingly filling and very tasty.  The old-building smell was a little off-putting but it was just a part of the experience, I suppose.

When we'd finished our dinner we walked around the city a little more and visited a few more shops.  It was a lot of fun but by the end of the day my feet were very tired and I was almost glad that I'd be spending the entire next day sitting in a car on the way to Trondheim; almost being the key word here.  But that's a story for the next post.  Until then.  Stay tuned.  -NLD

View from Troldhaugen

Half-and-Half

This post is an immediate continuation of the previous post.  Enjoy.

After leaving Blindern, my father, Patti (my step-mother), Sigrid, Hogne, and I spent the afternoon visiting places in Oslo I'd mostly already been to but a few new ones as well.  It was strange to be seeing Oslo through a car window; I'd only ever traveled throughout Oslo either on foot or by metro.

Our first stop was the Munch Museum.  It was interesting to see the different themes and facets of Munch's career.  The highlight was seeing "The Scream."  I'm not a huge fan of Munch -- or art, in general, for that matter -- but there were a few paintings that made stop and look at them for at least a minute, which is more than can be said for most paintings.

After a cup of coffee from the Munch Museum cafe, we went downtown to the National Gallery.  As much as I wanted to go before this, I somehow never found the time.  Before that day, the main things I wanted to see were the Norwegian Romanticism paintings and Munch's "The Scream," but the latter was no longer impressive after visiting the Munch Museum.  My favourite painting at the National Gallery was probably Johan Christian Dahl's "View from Stalheim."  I look forward to seeing the place that inspired it on the drive to Bergen today.

We ate a late lunch at a neat little restaurant behind Oslo Cathedral.  From there, we walked to the Opera House.  I'd already been there but since this is Patti's first time in Norway and Oslo, we had to start with the basics.  It was quite windy so we didn't hang about for long.  Instead, we walked down Karl Johans gate on the way back to the car, stopping in shops and bookstores along the way.

Next on the list was Vigelands Park.  Every time I've gone there I've noticed something new so going again wasn't a big deal.  It was a beautiful day and after spending most week sitting inside studying, a little exercise felt good.  After that we came back to Sigrid and Hogne's home a short way north of Oslo.  They've been such gracious and wonderful hosts and they've made the first few days of my no-study vacation as enjoyable as it can be.

Yesterday (Saturday) we went on a quick trip to Sweden.  We didn't do a whole lot, mainly we just stood on the line between Norway and Sweden -- my Norwegian half on the Norwegian side and my Swedish quarter on the Swedish side -- and then went to a shopping center where we walked around for a while before sitting down for some coffee.  The quarter of me that's Swedish was itching to see more but in a car full of Norwegians it's a little difficult to convince them to stay in Sweden any longer than they need to.  It surprised me that the border control wasn't more strict, what with the terror threats of a couple weeks ago.  Even so, it was a nice reminder that two countries that have had such a long history of conflict can now be friends.

On our way back we stopped at Kongsvinger festning.  It was an incredible fortress with many huge walls, surprise attack passages, and amazing views.  We came back and had a fantastic dinner.  I can't thank Sigrid and Hogne enough for all they've done for us.

This post was a bit rushed as I'm leaving for Bergen in about two minutes so forgive any typos.  Thanks for reading.  Stay tuned. -NLD

Take a Sad Song

Because I packed so much into my previous post, I didn't get to talk about a few things I would have liked to concerning the end of my time at ISS.  I spoke much of friendship and how we can make the world a better place but very little of the more mundane elements such as exams -- yes I had exams -- and packing, along with some closing events.

I'll start with exams because that was such a large part of my last week at ISS.  While many people finished their exams on Monday and Tuesday, I had to wait until Wednesday to take my first one and Thursday to finish.  At least it gave me a little extra study time, though I feel as if I didn't study nearly as much as I should have.  The exams still went well but I feel like they could have gone a lot better.  My history exam was exactly what I expected it to be.  The only unknown element was whether or not the essay question I had prepared the most for would be one of the options.  Thankfully, it was.  Therefore, it was just two hours of regurgitating all the dates, names, and events I had memorized.

To go off on a small tangent: that's the trouble with me and exams.  I'm good at memorizing dates, names, etc. for short term but as soon as the exam is over I forget it all.  It makes preparing for exams both a gift and a curse because I have to put very little effort into it but I think that if I did put more effort into it I would be able to remember things better past the day of the exam.  It's been three days and I can still remember most of the reasons for Norwegian immigration to the United States so that's at least a good sign.

Immediately after I was done with my history exam I had to go take my Norwegian oral exam.  I had to be ready to talk about several subjects, such as family and friends or my free time and travel, drawn from cards and then hold a conversation on that subject with my partner.  We tried to prepare what we would say and while it worked well for my partner, it worked less well for me, I think.  When I try to memorize what I'm going to say I often forget something and then get all flustered so I panic and forget even more.  I almost wish we had gone in without preparing anything and just let the conversation happen naturally but some people -- my partner included -- don't feel comfortable in doing that, which I completely understand and respect; I like to have something prepared most of the time, too, but in this case I think I would have been more comfortable winging it.  I stumbled over my words a couple times and had trouble remembering a few phrases but my professor, who was administering the exam, was very helpful and kind.

My last exam was the written exam for Norwegian.  By this point I was just ready to be done so I didn't put as much effort into it as I probably should have but I still thought it went well.  I was able to answer most of the questions and if you told me that I'd be able to write a 200-word essay in Norwegian after only six weeks of study I probably wouldn't have believed you.  I finished with an hour to spare.

After the exam it was time to pack.  It's amazing how hard it was to get everything to fit back into my suitcase when the only thing I bought was a sweater.  After about an hour of trying to be neat, the hot dorm room got to me and I just started throwing everything into my suitcase willy-nilly.  For a future post, I'm planning on writing about the many different methods of packing (e.g. willy-nilly or the perfectionist's puzzle) so if you'd like to share your preferred method of packing, please leave a comment with an entertaining name for it below.  The name should be able to tell me everything I need to know.

Shortly after I got done packing, I went downtown with my friends for the last time.  We went to our favourite places in Oslo -- Aker Brygge and Karl Johans gate.  It was quite sad to know that this would probably be the last time we're all in Oslo together but each others' company, a 35 kr. ball of gelato, and the knowledge that we still had a night of celebration ahead of us made everything better.

The farewell ceremony was filled with pictures, speeches, music, and, of course, friends.  The speeches were good and, though they said it in a different way, emphasized many of the same themes I talked about in my previous post.  One of the recurring lines paraphrased is, "In our time here at the International Summer School we've made the world smaller through the friends we've made and ideas we've shared.  Now let's take that experience out into the world to make it a better place."  I have to admit there were parts of the student council president's speech when I could feel the hair standing up on my neck and arms.  It was one of the most poignant and beautiful moments in all my time at ISS.

After the ceremony we went back to Blindern where Oksana, Jessica, and Zuzana presented me with a Bambi story book (in Norwegian).  It was one of the most wonderful and heartfelt gifts I've ever received.  I will cherish it forever.  They didn't sign it, though, which I'm okay with because it means I'll just have to bring it along when we meet up next time.

And Make it Better

We then went back to the farewell party and had a wonderful time dancing and talking and making plans for when we'd visit each other.  It was one of the best nights of the summer school but one of the worst mornings.  Saying good-bye is never easy but it was made easier knowing that we'd all visit each other soon.  I made three separate trips to the metro station to see people off, treading on the numerous tracks left by the suitcase wheels of those who left before us.  Each time I walked back up to the dormitory feeling a little more complete for feeling a little more empty -- it meant I had made some friends I truly care about and, I think, truly care for me.

After the last trip to the metro station I went to go sit in the lounge while I waited for my family to come pick me up.  I don't know who she was but there was somebody in there playing piano.  There were a few mistakes but it doesn't matter because it was still some of the most beautiful piano playing I've ever heard.  It perfectly captured the sadness of having to leave Blindern while at the same time incorporating all the happy times, all the jokes, all the things that made Oslo and ISS such a remarkable experience.  Over the background noise of people laughing and recalling stories, exchanging addresses and saying their final good-byes, the music was made even more powerful.  I sat there in a daze, just listening to a single day and six weeks manifested in a single song.  It is a moment I will never forget.  But just in case, I took a short recording of the song.  Thank you to whoever it was that shared their musical talents with us in such a bittersweet moment.

Finally, my family arrived to drag me away from Blindern.  The rest I'll save for tomorrow's post.  Stay tuned.  -NLD

P.S.
Want to learn all the details of what happened before and after the farewell party?  I've hidden a hyperlink somewhere on the internet for you to find.  To help you along, I've left a clue on the Facebook page for my poetry blog.  Don't know where to find it?  Try looking under "Find Me Elsewhere" in the sidebar, for a start.  Good luck!

Grades End, Friendship Lasts Forever

As my friends can tell you, this post has been a long time in the making.  They've basically been holding a knife to my back for the past three weeks, asking me to write this post about them.  Okay, maybe not a knife... maybe more like a spoon.  But even spoons seem dangerous recently.  I somehow managed to cut my lip on one the other morning at breakfast.  So before I get any more oral lacerations or pommeled over the head, here you go: a post dedicated almost entirely to the friends I've made and hang out with most here at ISS.  It's a bit lengthy so get comfortable.

It's awkward for me to be writing about other people because I don't know if my perception of them matches the one they have of themselves.  Still, this has been a fun and challenging writing exercise and even if I get a few things wrong I think I know everyone well enough to know that they'll forgive me.  And if they don't, well, ISS is coming to a close so I probably won't see them for a while anyway.

The thing I was worried about most for coming to Norway was who I'd be friends with.  It doesn't matter if they're from the United States, Russia, Germany, Iran, France, Colombia, England or any other country, making friends is one of the most intimidating propositions for an introvert like me.  With each new community of people, I worry I won't be able to make friends.  It's a silly fear, really, yet it's one that is hard to disregard.  By some miracle, I've always managed to fall into a friend group but I wonder if that's due more to the acceptance of others than my dazzling social skills.  Instinctively, I'm a very quiet person.  It takes a great deal of energy for me to participate in a conversation, let alone start one.  I prefer to stay in the background, listening, only saying something when I feel it is worth saying: not exactly the perfect recipe for making friends, though perhaps the right one for making friends with the people I enjoy being friends with.  The best thing one can do is follow the age-old advice,"be yourself," and hope for a little luck.  How very lucky of I've been!

From left to right: Me, Jessica, Oksana, Brady, Zuzana, Bavo, JC

Jean-Clément

I'll start with Jean-Clément (JC) because he's the youngest in this particular group of friends, to which I will hereafter refer to as "The Brady Bunch."  Perhaps the two most important things you need to know about JC is that he's French and that he's nobility (or at least descended from nobility).  As much as he tries to act the snooty Frenchman with his two sets of silver cutlery, he's really quite a nice person.  True, we're still trying to break his habit of eating watermelon with a knife and fork and he relishes in saying "Stupid Americans!" a little too much but he only started doing the second one after we asked him to -- his accent is perfect for it.  It can be a bit difficult to understand him sometimes, particularly when he's really excited -- which is most of the time -- or after he's had a couple cups of coffee -- which makes him even more excited -- but he's usually pretty patient with us.  He's the spark plug of our group, not only for his enthusiastic personality but also his incessant inquiries of, "What are we doing today?"  It sets in motion the planning process and, whether the rest of us follow through or not, JC is there having a blast, dancing like nobody's watching, and probably taking pictures.  He is an excellent photographer -- he took many of the pictures featured in this post -- and he is an inspiration to us all.

Bavo

Zuzana took this one

What can I say about Bavo?  His team is the one that eliminated USA from the World Cup.  I can't hold that against him, though, because he's such a nice guy and none of us really care about football anyway.  Also, any held grudges could have gotten hairy because Bavo is one of my suite-mates, which means we share a shower... just let that pun sink in for a little bit.  Maybe it'll even make Bavo smile, which is something he rarely does.  It's not that he's not ecstatic to hear our annoying voices every single day -- he's perfected the subtle smirk -- he just doesn't all-out smile very often so when he does it's a precious gift that brightens our day.  He's a man of few words but many languages.  He speaks three languages fluently, but he doesn't flaunt his lingual prowess over the monolingual Americans. "You have to feel the language!" he says.  Instead, he simply uses it to communicate and, upon request, teach Brady a few new naughty phrases.  Although he's one of the youngest in the group, Bavo is mature beyond his years.  He's the quiet sentinel of almost normality -- normality being something many in the Brady Bunch lack (just kidding... or am I?) and one of the highest compliments we can give each other.  I am incredibly fortunate to be able to call Bavo my friend.

Jessica
Hanging from the Ledge of Normality over the Pit of Ger-Mania is Jessica.  Most of the time she has a firm grip on the Vine of Rationality but there are times when she gets a little loopy.  What am I saying?  She's German; of course she gets a little loopy sometimes.  As a prime example I'd like to share with you these words of wisdom so eloquently put by Jessica: "I thought to put orange marmalade on my bread and then I thought, 'Why have you done this?' It's horrible.  Taking a bite is like giving birth, but then you do it again anyway."  Though it wasn't the case in this particular instance, usually Brady is involved in Jessica's japes.  I swear, those two feed off each others' sarcastic energy like piranhas on a cow carcase.  As much as they make fun of each other and others, they, along with Oksana, made the pact that if any of them are ever in a position of power they'll make sure our countries don't go to war with one another.  In addition to being our resident German, Jessica is also the group's health nut.  I applaud her for going to the gym almost every day and enduring a place where it's hard to be a vegan.  She's extremely dedicated and diligent and is an incredibly strong person -- both of mind and will.  She could probably either single-handedly destroy your life or make it far more entertaining.  Thankfully, in my case it's the latter.

Zuzana
She's Slovak.  Not Slovakian.  Zuzana's constant crusade for correctness is one of her many positive attributes and one of the reasons she will make such an excellent script writer.  Unlike the others, I don't have anything sarcastic to say about Zuzana.  While the others are giving me a hard time about being so quiet, she just smiles because, as another introvert, she understands.  If I didn't know her well, it would be difficult to tell she's an introvert, though, because, when given the opportunity, she's usually striking up a conversation with someone.  Her voice is soft so it's sometimes difficult to hear what she said, which is unfortunate because it's usually something incredibly kind or thoughtful.  I think she cares deeply for the well-being of those around her and will go out of her way to make their day better even if that means taking time to be alone and recharge so she's not grumpy with everyone.  I marvel at the polite candor with which she can say exactly what's on her mind, be it about something that annoys her or some abstract idea; I usually have to wait until I can write it down to say what's actually on my mind.  For Zuzana it seems as natural as breathing.  Speaking of natural, it was with Zuzana (and JC) that I somehow managed to end up on a nudists' beach on one of the islands in Oslo fjord.  That was perhaps one of the our more interesting excursions.  I will be very sad to see this scene come to an end in the ever-evolving script we call life but Zuzana and all the rest of the cast will, I hope, make a reappearance in Act II.

Oksana
The crazy Russian.  In truth, she's no crazier than the rest of us but here in the Brady Bunch we like to uphold stereotypes, if only to make fun of them.  Appropriately, she taught us that the phonetic distinction between "I love you" and "I will kill you" in Russian is almost imperceptible to an American's ears.  It's become one of our standing gags along with the nicknames we have for each other.  Oksana is the one who came up with my nickname -- Bambi -- supposedly because I'm so young and sweet and innocent.  After hanging out with this group of friends for six weeks, I don't know how sweet and innocent I am anymore -- not that I was particularly sweet or innocent to begin with -- but the nickname stuck so now whenever I watch a particular Disney movie I'll think of Oksana.  To get me through the traumatic death of (SPOILERS) Bambi's mother deer-est, I'll have only to think of her wonderful Russian accent piercing through the noise of breakfast to greet me; of her stunning chimera eyes and smiling face wondering why I don't talk more but accepting it for who I am; of her "Jacqueline Kennedy" hair-style to match her personality; and of her dress-up days because, "Why not?  Can't I look good today?"  Behind the grumpy Russian demeanor, she's one of the sweetest people I have ever met.  I suppose I should entertain her Russian sense of humor and end with something mean or inappropriate but I won't, just to get back at her for all the times she tried to hug me.  At least she wasn't as bad as Brady.

Brady

"Tell me a story, Neal," as Brady -- or "Grandpa" as we like to call him -- would say.  Well, okay.  There once was a person named Brady who attended ISS four years ago with my brother.  Apparently, they stayed friends afterwards because I first met him when he visited my brother in Seattle.  Now the circle of friendship is complete and I've replaced my brother as Brady's favourite Digre.  He hasn't said so but I can tell.  In the first few days of adjusting to life in Norway, Brady's unending stream of snarky comments and knowledge from the "olden days" was an indispensable source of entertainment and comfort.  Even after I'd made so many wonderful friends that don't poke me in the ribs or squeeze the nerve in my elbow, I still find myself hanging out with Brady the most.  I mean, he is vice-president of the student council, after all.  It pays to have powerful friends, even if they're full of sarcastic remarks, like, "Oh, I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have said anything [about the party].  You're not invited but I am so that's where I'll be if you wonder."  But his quick wit and affable smile make people smile; his jests are just part of the reason he's enjoyable to be around.  Beneath the iron fist with which he subjugates the Brady Bunch and the mischievous glint in his eyes, I see a person who truly cares about his friends and enjoys forming and maintaining connections with people.  One can never be entirely sure where Brady is concerned but amongst the stream of mockery that emanates from his mouth are tucked gems of twisted sincerity that, I think, characterise our friend group.  For example: the title of this post and, with only the slightest hint of sarcasm, "We have each other and that's all that matters."  The End.

I'd like to devote an entire paragraph to every single wonderful person I've met during my time here at the International Summer School but I'd also like to get some sleep in the next week.  Those whose names are not underlined are no less important to me and no less my friend.  It's simply a matter of who kept nagging me to write about them.

Though they certainly add to the unique atmosphere, it's not the classes or the places that make an experience like the International Summer School so memorable; it's the people you meet, the adventures you share, and the friendships formed to last a lifetime.  Classes end, test scores are forgotten, textbooks are packed away, but the friends you make will always linger in your heart and mind.  It's been such a fantastic experience and I'll be sad to have to say good-bye.  It's only for a short while, though; we have all our lives ahead of us to travel, to visit each other, to form stronger connections between ourselves and our countries.

In a world fraught with fear and violence the best remedy is friendship and understanding.  It can't solve all of the world's problems, not by a long shot, but it's a start.  The students of today will be the leaders of tomorrow.  Maybe, with a cultured world-view and the help of institutions such as the International Summer School, we as humans will be able to put aside the oppression, anger, and violence and begin to live on this beautiful Earth with all it's mountains, fjords, deserts, glaciers, lakes, and streams as it was meant to be lived on: in peace, prosperity, and friendship.

I know this post got really long and I know it may not have been the easiest thing to follow if you don't know the people I'm talking about but I hope you enjoyed reading it anyway.  Having now traveled and studied abroad, I sincerely believe that friendship, understanding, and communication is the path to a better future.  Whenever you travel, wherever you travel, with every new person you meet, I hope you try to see the world as I see it -- not through the limited vision of your own prejudices but through the eyes of an open-minded traveler.  To help you along the way, I will continue to share my thoughts and experiences as I travel throughout Norway for a week and a half after ISS comes to an end; and beyond, as I continue to travel for the rest of my life.  Stay tuned.  -NLD