Norway Day 7 - Tvedestrand

So our first day at Tvedestrand with Steinar and family. Sean slept at Åsmund's house and we stayed in Steinr's. They're 20 yds apart. Coffee on the deck and catching up and strolling around the mountain beside the house and down to the water. We heard how Åsmund had had a birthday party when he was young and Hanne's strict instruction was not to climb on the cliffs, and of course 10 minutes later they were all 20 ft up on the sheer rock face.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="439"] Steinar's boathouse and pleasure yacht[/caption]

Today was St. Hans (midsummer day) and we went to dinner with Rannveig and Geir just across the sound on the island. Steinar and Hanne's daughter Nina was there with her husband Rune and their baby son. Rannveig and Geir had lived alongside Steinar at Boras, but had moved across and done an enormous amount of work to make their house livable.

Here are some pictures from the barbecue...[gallery type="rectangular" ids="149,148,147,146,145,144,143,142"]

Norway Day 6 - Leaving Oslo

So Wednesday morning saw us heading out on the train to pick up the rental car. Upgrade to a VW Passat diesel wagon which was very comfortable. Then off out of Oslo, heading for Randi's nostalgia day! First stop Horton where she had lived as a child. We found the house with surprising ease.

Next stop was the beach she remembered playing on at Hvasser where things appeared geologically unchanged after all those years!

And following that we headed on down to find Steinar and family in Tvedestrand. On arrival in the area it was discovered that Randi had only a penned mark on a small scale map to show where the house was and she intended to  'recognise' the place. We asked down one side road on the mainland and were directed across the bridge to the island where we again drew a blank, but finally asking another pedestrian, who didn't recognise the name Steinar, but who remembered the fish farm, directed us back to the mainland where Sean and I insisted on checking a small entrance and found the location, with Steinar, Hanne and Åsmund.

[gallery]

Norway Day 5

So after the excitement of lunch with Oncle Svein and Tante Reidun the plan for today was...more eating! Lunch with Bev and Ole in their apartment at Eicksmarka. But before that we did our big sightseeing trip into Oslo on the train. Basically a walk along Karl Johans Gate! We took in the palace, walked down the street and bought a phone to replace the Roam Mobility handset we brought which will not charge from a 3rd party USB charger or computer!!!Then we tracked down the DNT office to buy a map and find out how the membership system worked, and then checked out the new Oslo Opera House by the waterfront and walked back to the train along the waterfront.

[caption id="attachment_73" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="The Palace, Oslo"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_73" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Looking along Karl Johans Gate from the palace"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_73" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="The Oslo Opera House"][/caption]

Norway Day 4

Monday...And again we weren't early risers...We had hoped to get into Oslo on the train in the morning but didn't make it. Gunhild and I had had quite the adventure late on Sunday night trying to get tickets for this! There is a new ticketing system. The first station we went to the first ticket machine wasn't working, we tried the one on the second platform which allowed us to buy ONE ticket and then refused a second one because the credit card was a duplicate. Next station, platform 1 allowed us ONE ticket and the second platform took the credit card and didn't produce a ticket!

[caption id="attachment_70" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="The last time these two saw each other, Gunnar was babysitting Randi!"][/caption]

What we DID have planned today was lunch with Oncle Svein and Tante Reidun at their apartment. Svein picked us up from Jar station and drove us there. Solveig and Haaken were also there and we feasted on open-face sandwiches which Sean enjoyed immensely. After having been there a few minutes Svein brought in another gentleman and asked Randi if she knew who he was. Randi was baffled until she dragged up the name 'Gunnar?...' who she'd last seen when she was about 6!

Randi's Norwegian proved up to the task and she seemed to understand most of what Svein had to say! And his English was pretty good toom plus Solveig and Haaken to help out.

Norway Day 3

So would Sunday be notable for an earlier start than Saturday?...No way! 11am again and not leaping around!

Sunday was a bit more tourist stuff, but then dinner at cousin Eivind's with some more of the family.

First up was the Viking Ship museum at Bygdøy. The ships here were actually found in burial mounds which accounts for their state of preservation. There is some discussion about moving them to the city centre in Oslo, but for my money the current museum is hard to beat for its elegant simplicity which makes the boats the complete centre of attention.

Then on to Eivind's for dinner and family and a stroll around the lake.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="657"] Torun, Haaken and Randi[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="657"] Local Oslo lake at sunset[/caption]

Norway Day 2 - Oslo

Considering how tired we felt at 11pm, it was amazing how remote sleep seemed at 3am! However, a late start to the day and a ton of coffee with a sumptuous breakfast and off we went with Cai and Gunnhilde to see the sights.

First on the list, Holmenkollen and the new ski jump. Architecturally prominent and visible from all over the city, it truly shows the emphasis Norwegians place on winter sports. The old hill was demolished in 2008, itself a graceful structure, and this one replaced it at a cost of NOK 715 million, say $150M. The ski jump is part of a Nordic complex around the mountain.

Next stop was Vigeland Sculpture Park, with 200 granite and bronze sculptures of human forms in different combinations, poses, groupings and activities. The theme is the human condition and the variety is immense. The sculptures and park took from 1906 to 1947 to create.

[caption id="attachment_51" align="alignleft" width="640" caption="Sculptures at Vigeland Park"][/caption]

From Vigeland to some more human achievment oriented landmarks, the Kon-Tiki and Ra museum and the Fram. It was getting late in the day so they let us into the Fram at the childrens rate as we only had 30 minutes to closing! Fram was designed by Colin Archer for Fridtjof Nansen, and used by Nansen, Amundsen and Sverdrup for explorations in both the Arctic and Antartic.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Kon-Tiki, Thor Heyerdahl and his companions home for 101 days."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_65" align="alignleft" width="640" caption="Sean and Randi on deck on the Fram"][/caption]

And then it was off for some culture...The Lileaker Music Event, an annual musical evening organised by Harald and featuring bands and talent local to Lileaker. Harald and Solveig both performed!

[caption id="attachment_66" align="alignleft" width="640" caption="Harald on drums and vocals at the Lileaker Music Event"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_67" align="alignleft" width="640" caption="And Solveig fronting for the band too!"][/caption]

Norway day 1

[caption id="attachment_23" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Liv-Marit, Gunhild, Cai and Marit"][/caption]

Arrival late afternoon at Gardermoen and the friendliest immigration officer we've ever seen! Harald was instantly recognizable by his smile and pony-tail! After an introduction to Oslo rush hour traffic we arrived at Gunhild and Cai's and unloaded!

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