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17 MEI or ‘Eat Ice Cream all day long’ Day

fullsizeoutput_dd42Norway is a beautiful country…deep blue fjords, mountains stretching up to the clouds, roads that wind through green and pleasant landscapes. One thinks of the Vikings and the ancient history of the Norge folks and their forays out beyond their borders to other lands.

But, have you ever thought about how the current political landscape was established in Norway?fullsizeoutput_dd84

Being friends with a former politician and journalist allows great opportunity for awareness of recent history. You might not know that Norway established their independence from their Scandinavian neighbors barely 200 years ago in 1814 after the Napoleonic Wars.

17 May is their constitution day. But, if you talk to a Norwegian it is ’17 Mei’ or as my friends taught our kids, it is ‘adults can’t say no to children day’. It is a day full of joy and vitality as children march in parades all over the country. IMG_7427

It is also notable that there is no military presence on this day. The entire country, and I do mean, the entire country dresses up in their national colors, school uniforms or traditional dress passed down from generations to walk and march and then eat as much ice cream as one can possibly stuff in themselves. Okay, maybe that was more my boys’ experience. However, being able to have a lot sweets is a big part of the fun. 

fullsizeoutput_ddd6The older kids end their Russe Busse at 11am when the parades start (see previous blog). The parades march around the neighborhoods and town and city centers all over the county. 

After watching local parades, our hosts secured all of us tickets to be in the courtyard of the Royal Palace in Oslo where we patiently awaited the appearance of the royal family all while watching the endless stream of parade participants march by and admire the local costumes. IMG_7398

fullsizeoutput_dd1cOakley was particularly excited and was sure that the King had waved directly to him as the entire royal family came out on the balcony. 

There is something calming and magical about dressing up along with everyone else in colors of blue, red and white. Having a bit more thought into our dress took some doing for us since we’d been traveling for so long we didn’t have much variety.fullsizeoutput_dc5e

I wore my lone dress I had made in Vietnam and borrowed a shirt for Canyon and Oakley got a new collared shirt. Dressing up seems to give us a sense of grace. 

fullsizeoutput_dc66After the royal courtyard experience and watching over 100,000 people proudly milling around we went for a luncheon at our friends Brita and Eva’s house. They had been preparing for this meal for a week. 

IMG_7453A true smorgasbord of delights as well as a lazy afternoon of snacking, wine sipping and light napping before we found our way back to Marianne and Tore’s house on public transport packed with others finding their way around in their nice dress as sated smiles. It was a sleepy, peaceful commute home. IMG_7430

The next day we had to recover some before we headed on to our next destination, grandparents along for the ride.

Our time in Norway was magical and we are eternally grateful for our experiences there. We will be back and especially on the day that one can unashamedly eat A LOT of ice cream and celebrate Norway and their people. IMG_7460

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Expectations family travel fjords home schooling kids travel memories norway round the world travel teaching travel travel blog vulnerability World War II

Norway – Fjords and Fantastic Friends

IMG_6462I am back ‘home’ in Portland but, still my soul is floating around the earth. We have returned to our hometown and are putting down roots again….phone contracts, bought a used car, set up utility accounts and kids are now at Montessori but, we aren’t done with this journey or the next steps.IMG_6489

I write now to continue to document our adventures for posterity and for the boys. We will be processing all this for many a moon to come and with that, comes new decisions and directions. Although, I can’t say that too loudly near our youngest son or he will run screaming from the room….just kidding. IMG_6511

So, Norway….we have some stories to tell. This was not on our big list when we made the ‘dream list’ at the beginning of the travel plans but, it came about and I am so glad that it did.

I do have two friends from my Leiden University studying days in the 90s that live in IMG_6550Oslo and they both offered advice, homes, meals and warm welcomes to our travel queries. 

Also, my mother in law’s grandfather left Norway to find his way to this land as an immigrant in the late 1800s and thus we had a some family lineage to find and follow. IMG_6672

When we announced that we would be going on this trip my mother in law was not keen on being away from her grandkids for a year so, we said, ‘Come join us somewhere!’ 

And so, they did. Being recently retired folks from Idaho they started at square one to get passports for the first time and they entrusted me to plan their path. IMG_6626

For us, it was a luxury to be around family, familiar and warm faces with loads of hugs but, also an opportunity to share in this family finding journey. 

IMG_6705My Norwegian friends offered to do a little genealogy research for us and when she presented us with an 80 page document before we arrived of all she found we were blown away. 

This kindness and curiosity in our background was a priceless gift. We used this information to pin point places to visit. IMG_1476

Kelvin ,the boys and I arrived in Oslo before the in-laws in to the welcoming embrace of Marianne and Tore. Marianne and I studied together and had been in touch over the years but, it was the first time we had seen each other in over 18 years. 

IMG_6662She had recently opted to not run for reelection to the Norwegian parliament but, gave us intimate access to the Parliament and a tour I am sure you could not ‘book’ anywhere else. IMG_7086

It was like seeing an old friend as we picked up where we had left off last time. Talking about our kids (she has three) and her new work she showed us what it is like to be a working mom and professional. IMG_7173 2

My other friend Brita and her partner Eva (she’s the one that did the genealogy research for us without having even met us) also joined us on walks throughout Oslo to the Resistance Museum and drinks along the waterfront among other places. 

IMG_7200All while high school equivalent students were running around the city in their flight suits and tricked out buses celebrating their transition to adulthood. Its called Russebuss and it is a fascinating tradition. IMG_6844

Russe Buses in Oslo

I’am going to write more about this and the Norwegian Constitutional Day which deserve their own billing. 

IMG_6761 2So, anyway…..family history found us driving (well Kelvin driving, really. We just all cheered him on from the back seat) for what seemed like 100s of miles and hours and hours.IMG_6996

This was not a problem as the beauty of Norway is endless. Even when you go through kilometers long tunnels through their mountains and pop out into a landscape worthy of the best visual calendar you could ever pin up on your wall. IMG_7164 2

The glaciers (wow), the goats (oh, my), the lambs (have to mention the for Oakley as he pointed out every one of the 10,000 we saw along the way, the fjords (unbeliveable), the moose (meese?, what is the plural for that), the eye watering bright skies with stunning panoramic views as you just look up from your google map EVERY, IMG_7110SINGLE TIME!. 

In Utvick, I think we stayed in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to when including the view outside and the chick decorations inside.IMG_7078

I felt like we were in a magazine spread but, did not need a fresher of make up. The sun would barely set and the glow would hover on the horizon in the wee hours of the night. IMG_6830

We chased down family graveyards, enjoyed several of the many ferries, and just watched the nature around us. Stunning and beautiful. Have I gotten the point across?

IMG_6888You will love it if you go and do get out of Oslo, lovely city yet, there is so much to this enormous by European standards country. 

If you do, hug a lamb for Oakley because he couldn’t get across the stoic momma ewe. As much as we tried. 

Goat Rush Hour Video – Check it out!

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World School Room

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Goat Rush Hour

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Paradise Airbnb

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The Fjord

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Not even Mid Summer and loooong daylight