Troldhaugen

We live a few short kilometers from the historic Edvard Grieg home and museum. Edvard was a little guy, who had enormous energy. He had only one functioning lung after an illness when he was about 16. He wrote and performed at the close of the Romantic period in Norway. His music is very patriotic and reflective of the grandeur of Norway's landscape.

 Here are a couple of famous Norwegian paintings - both of wedding parties on their way to the festivities. One of Grieg's most recognizable pieces is "Wedding Day at Troldhaugen"

 Grieg was successful and respected as a young man. He and his wife had this house built when they were still in their 30's. It sits on the bank of a fjord and offers inspiring views for the artist.

How is that for an eyefull out the back door of your sunroom?



Signe Bakke performed a short concert in the little hall that overlooks Grieg's "hytte" or cabin. He did much of his writing in the silence of this little retreat.

His set up was wonderful. Just imagine the rain falling, the woodstove cranked up just a little and Edvard Grieg putting pen to paper to create a tone painting of Norwegian folklore or the magnificent landscape.

Bjornstjerne Bjornsen was a huge influence on all of Norway during the 1800's. He and Ole Bull and to a certain extent Henrik Ibsen pushed Grieg to follow Norwegian themes and traditional melodies within his compositions.

Great Eyebrows! ...and he wrote the words to the National Anthem.

The Hardanger Fiddle is a traditional Norwegian instument. Note the extra tuning pegs. It still has just four stings that you bow or pluck but the other tuned strings also vibrate and give this fiddle its uniquely Norwegian sound. That sound is reflected in some of Grieg's works.

 So, if you are in the need for something to pick you up this week go on Utube and find the great Piano Concerto in A minor or something from Peer Gynt or a short piece titled "Little Troll." Could be the perfect pickmeup. Try Leif Ove Andsnes Grieg Concerto or Grieg - Op.71 No.3 Puck/Småtroll also on you tube.

At Work in Bergen and Oslo

Food is the great common denomenator. We have some kind of food or healthy snack with just about everything that we do. Luckily our well-equipped kitchen allows us to prepare or pre-prepare most everything at home.

At District Meeting each week we make dinner for the missionaries. There are three sets now but we are getting a fourth pair when transfers take place on Sept. 1. I have rediscovered "saft" a fruit punch drink that is almost 100% juice and comes in great flavors. We served Orange Passion Fruit with this middag - note Shanna's homemade rolls, too.

This is our little VW Pollo (does that mean it is the "chicken" model?) oh, it's a Polo. Turns on a dime and has surprizing headroom. Elders Passey and Bekker borrow it two or three times each week.



On Saturday we flew to Oslo for a meeting of Institute teachers and directors of Centers for Young Adults. I ran into the first person that I knew first time around in Norway. In 1966 I first met Johannes Bjerga, who was four years old at the time. He was the son of the Stavanger Branch President. He married Johanna and they live in Stavanger with their family.

These are the couples who are Directors of Centers in Oslo, Trondheim, Kristiansand and Stavanger. The Bjergas are not serving a mission but have been called as local directors. (This group includes The Burtons, The Springers, The Hickmans along with us and Bjergas) There are openings for a few more couples in Norway if anyone is interested in a wonderful experience!

Prep Day in Old Bergen

We ended our first week with Sports Night and then Game Night, where I learned the rough and tumble game of "Innebandi."  It may not look like it but I am in the "ready position"

After a very busy Monday we took Tuesday as a day for ourselves. I took Shanna on a tour of old Bergen. We took the cable car to the top of Floien with a throng of tourists from a number of cruise ships that were in port today. We had to wait about 45 minutes to get a car up the mountain.

However, once on top, the day and the view were spectacular.

We got our Bergen picture - ready for framing.

This is the old part of town including Bryggen or the wharf area. It has been an active trade center since the middle ages. Some of the buildings are built partially on footings established in the 1400's.

I used the panorama feature on my little SONY camera to get this view. We live in Raadal which is in the far left edge of this photo about as far back as you can see. Our place is about a 35 minute train or car ride from downtown.

Old downtown Bergen from the mountain

Trolls are everywhere here but they rarely eat children anymore.

 These buildings were built in about 1700. They are part of the reason that Norway is a International Heritage City. Norwegians are extremely patriotic and very proud of their long history.

Looking back the other way at the wharf

Cool little streets lined with shops run between several of the buildings and lead to more narrow cobblestone streets but the Bryggen features boardwalks.

No day downtown would be complete without a visit to the fishmarket. Good fresh fish at high prices. Divide the prices below by 5 to get the dollar equivilent. We took some free samples of smoked salmon and white caviar.

One last look out into the harbor and then it is off to Byparken to catch the train.

Our evening is pretty busy with shopping and meal prep for tomorrow's district meeting.

Living the IKEA life

Our place is the corner street level apartment at Apeltunlien 20 in the community of Raadal. We are about 15 km from downtown Bergen. If we don't want to hassle the high parking fees and toll road charges we can take the Bybanen (light rail train) for 25 Kroner - about $5. 

Our front door - nothing flashy but the design is"different" in that the apartment (Leiliheten) is pie shaped and some of the walls lean outward.



 First turn to the left leads to the WC with lovely tile walls and floor. The bonus is...

a washing machine!!! I'm standing in the shower for this shot.

The Bedroom has a very compfy IKEA bed, roomy IKEA closets and room for a drying rack. We don't have a dryer - yet.

Now, doesn't this look like an IKEA display kitchen? We have plenty of space, nice appliances, a fast internet connection and a good market just down the hill. Of course everything is either down the hill or up the hill and always around the corner - there are no straight streets in a city of mountains and hills that was first built in the 1000's. More on that later when I introduce our car and driving.

 It must be about 10:30 - the sun is down but it is still twilight. Our dining room juts out off the back of the house. Not a great view but we look up at a mountain covered with evergreens.

The living room side of the big room - two couches and there is a blow up bed so we can accomodate visitors in some comfort.

Back across the room toward the hallway.

Outside on our deck/patio - notice the angle of the wall. We have started off our stay here in a very unusual way - sunny days. We have had four days in a row with no rain in fact not even a cloud. That will change.

We also have a parking garage under the building with an inside entrance plus a storage locker down two flights. The Place is very compfy and we love it.

Travel Daze

 August 8th - just two weeks later than we first expected - we departed SLC intn'l for Norway. We made our first connection in Chicago by the skin of our teeth but in London we didn't have a chance so we took a later flight into Oslo. We made it sans one of our bags and had a great introduction to the mission by Bror Pedersen. who with his wife runs the mission office. We landed late on Tuesday August 9.

We went to the mission home where President Johansen met us just minutes after we arrived. His wife is in Utah for the third wedding of a kid in the family since they got here some two years ago. He sent us off with a great breakfast including my favorite - sweet goat cheese slices on wheat bread with good Norwegian strawberry jam on top. mmmmmmm! I realized how much Oslo has changed in 45 years. I didn't recognize anything. It has all been rebuilt. Tunnels, round-abouts, new rail lines, one giant railroad station...Wednesday August 10 found us taking one of the great train trips in all of Europe.

We pulled our heavy suitcases through a driving rainstorm and got them on the train. Just time for a picture with President Johansen. He sent us off with a great lunch and a lot of encouragement.

I love train travel - not as much as Sheldon Cooper mind you - but I enjoy the sounds, the rock and roll of the train and the vistas.

By the time we were up in the mountains of central Norway the clouds had departed and we were enjoying a spectacular journey. Backpackers and mountain bikers got on and off the train at several stops along the way and we passed others as our train criss-crossed their trails. There was water and granite and green everywhere.

And Glaciers....in fact there were four on the southern side of the tracks as we crested the mountians. Norway is a geologist's paradise not to mention a shuttler bug's delight. I'm not stereotyping here according to my friend Bill Quinn, who is 50% Japanese but a Japanese tourist, who was with us for about two hours, finally sat down and said, "I can't take any more pictures - I'm worn out!"

Once we started down hill into Bergen we picked up speed and made up a little lost time.

 We were met by the Bergen Branch Relief Society President, Elsa and a couple of missionaries who helped get us to our apartment, gave us our car and went food shopping with us. That was culture shock. Anybody for a Bell Pepper for $7.00 U.S.? She snapped this foto of us with her grand-daughter

Here's to you! Our first meal in Bergen. It was almost 10 PM and we still hadn't finished unpacking. I am in my jammies.

Today, August 11 was check in day. We registered with the police which finalizes our visas. We also registered with the Folke Register which makes us officially accepted into Norway. I got my birth number - didn't know I had one but because I have already lived here I do. Good thing too because it allows me to open a bank account and go to the emergency room or doctor. This foto is in the old part of town with Elder Bekker leading us toward the office for our next registration.

When we clean this apartment up we will send you a photo tour - we love this house. It is like living at IKEA - you'll see!