Norwegian Jewelry

Today, I discovered it was Gro's birthday, and as she was showing me the nice things that she received from her husband, Bjorn, and various colleagues, it occurred to me that for Norwegians, good warm clothing is almost as valuable, or even more so, as jewelry. One of her colleagues gives her a homemade, hand-knit pair of socks every year. The overflowing drawer of socks speaks volumes of their durable friendship, and she parted with this pair that had been crafted by someone else, someone who had long departed from the planet. I felt like I was being invited into the inner circle, "The Sisterhood of the Ja-Ja Socks"...or some such thing....

For a country whose climate is basically considered a living, breathing being, to be spoken about as though it had a mind and body (which, yes, it does!), it is not surprising that so much time and effort is expended engineering the finest clothing enabling one to spend all that quality time communing with it. Sport shops are abuzz with the latest, greatest, warmest jackets, and different styles abound. Riding the bus has afforded so many wonderful opportunities to feast my eyes on the gamut of how to stay warm and dry AND look glamorous at the same time. I immediately feel frumpy, dull, and let's face it, American. Norwegian women sport their scarves like diamond rings, and their functional, yet VERY stylish boots like Cinderella's slippers. If only the discounts were deeper!

After being downtown for a meeting, I returned home to have some coffee and relax and take in this sun that I know is fleeting. My habit, having lived in the desert for 20 years, is to just ignore the sun, like a bartender ignores the alcohol surrounding him and the screaming people calling for their drinks. But, I stop and realize what a precious commodity the sun really is here. These people are the partiers, begging for more sun because it makes them feel so GOOOOOD....can't they just have another moment of it? I take my coffee OUTside this afternoon and turn my face to the golden orb, and look upon it anew, not with the previous disdain of the daily monotony of it all.....really? AnOTHER day of sun? Now, I am thinking the sky is screaming, "Last Call!!!!"....and I hurry up to the bar for another drink of its warmth and joy....

Tonight's hike was wonderful. Crisp, cold, clear, and steep. The dogs were again insane and it is simply mind-boggling how they do not impale themselves on hidden or buried branches, or fall off the steep cliffs, or fall into the creeks, or get lost! I am convinced they have radar, and watching them run, and play, and fly renews my spirit and encourages me to climb up and onward....At some point, I have become so warm, I can even hike without gloves, although indeed it is still cold as my frozen nostril hairs tell me. I haven't felt this since Colorado!!!! And this makes me think of one other thing. That perhaps the reason Norwegians have such a high percentage of good athletes is that....the only way to stay warm outside is to keep moving...up.....steep.....hills......

Wow! Sunday proved to be an incredible day in Bergen. Sun, sun, sun, sun, sun....Here is a photo from our walk from Eidsvag to Munkebotn and then on to Fløibanen. This is above Munkebotn, and looking down on Vaagen...it was just a priceless day (ha ha) and made my heart glad to be here. Constantly in my thoughts are, "CAN I live here? Will I find work? Where will I live? Can I afford it, even when I know that expenses are all relative? Am I absolutely crazy for wanting to spend some of my time here on the planet living on some other continent? Shouldn't everyone try that?"....BAH! Shut up, head, and let your eyes have a direct route to the heart, even if just for a day!!! Jeesh. I'm just wondering how the inner conversation will change when the rain starts.....I'll cross that river when I get to it.

Meanwhile, I'll just post some more photos, since I don't have anything profound to say. Here are Ela and Jarle, "nordic walking" up the snow/ice. It actually was quite icy, but not so much that we shouldn't manage. LOTS of folks out for the day, and to my delight, LOTS of dogs!!!!

Two happy campers, taking advantage of every moment of sunshine, knowing that it could be so fleeting....you can check the weather forecast at the upper right of my blog...

With a sunny day comes a nice sunset. We hiked well, and this is pretty much the end of my first week....I apologize for not posting more interesting photos, but posting pictures on this particular blog spot is a royal pain....More can be seen on my FB (Teresa Owens, Las Vegas), but I'm aware that most of you are not there. So...I'll try to be kind and put as many as I have the patience for here.

I spent today riding the busses and going to town, doing some shopping (THAT will come to an end soon...must find some more interesting and cheaper diversions) for things that I needed...dictionary, paper, food, etc....Perhaps this week, I will go to the aquarium. I can imagine that it's quite something. Tomorrow, I meet with someone who can take a look at John's papers and let me know of the job prospects for him. It IS darned cold here, but I think that is more a consequence of my living in the desert for 20 years...my blood has become quite thin....or is it thick? The scary thing is that it is not considered to be cold right now.

You can't shop in Norway with a paycheck from America

Today was a beautiful day for a walk in the city sentrum, complete with sun, and a cold chill reminding me that yes, it IS January, but still.....a VERY mild winter according to everyone I have spoken to. My main goal of the day was to get to the bus-station and purchase my bus pass (Skyss-kort), and luckily, it was open on a Saturday! $660 kr. later, (exchange rate hovers around 6 kr./1$) and I'm set for unlimited rides per month on the busses and light rail. I believe they have 1 light rail route...whoopee! At least it is numbered, so perhaps they are expecting more???? Yes. Even the bus is expensive. All of this I know, but it still comes as a shock, much like the looks on my Norwegian friends when they saw the Grand Canyon for the first time. They've seen pictures and have heard stories, but when the monster-canyon stretches before them, their breath is just taken away. Yeah....just like when I saw the salg-sticker on those jeans I liked....Herrrrrrregud! Den er en salg????

But it was a gorgeous day, everyone was out walking, the ducks were busy begging for food, the wind was NOT blowing.....perfect.
Here is a photo of the new city courthouse, built unfortunately in such close proximity to a historic firehouse. I should have taken a shot of the firehouse, but I'll do so later. I liked this architecture, though.

Here is on our way past Bryggen...the oldest part of Bergen, the original port. Such a difference from summertime. This would be SWARMING with tourists, otherwise.
Uhlrikken (sp?) in the distance, one of the 7 hills I have hiked surrounding Bergen. There is a tram that goes up there and a restaurant as well. Meanwhile, we are just headed to town along the main road that is between Tertnes and Bergen proper.

Ok....so, those who know me well, know how I loathe shellfish of any kind. Bergen is NOT the place to live while hating shellfish. So. I am taking a lesson from my husband and trying EVERYTHING, even those things that I have tried and HATED before. Perhaps I've grown older and wiser? Maybe tastebuds change? Maybe Norwegians know better how to prepare such food? These are the hopes I have in my head before taking into my mouth raw scallops FRESH from the sea (Jarle had gotten them from a friend today)....

To my relieved surprise, they were EXCELLENT....and this was an excellent end to beautiful day. Now, I will borrow some clothes from Ela (not ready to cough up over $100 for a pair of jeans, which is the 50% off sale price...), wait to buy decent everyday boots when and if I move here. I can now see why these Norwegians buy literally trunkloads of clothes at the premium outlet mall when they come visit us in Vegas. I used to laugh at their seeming addiction to shopping, but now I know it is just out of necessity...

Langtidsvarsel for Bergen (Hordaland) – yr.no

Langtidsvarsel for Bergen (Hordaland) – yr.no

Nature knows no language

The day of my arrival proved to be about what I expected...although with much more daylight. Apparently, we are well into Spring here, what with 3 days so far of no rain, AND it being a balmy 39 degrees (F)...shucks, why didn't I pack my shorts? I remember when I lived in Steamboat in Colorado, 40 degrees was the magic number for finally dragging the shorts out, as long as the sun was shining.

After sleeping, and sleeping, and sleeping, it was time to venture out and enjoy the daylight hours and I have discovered that I am in quite close proximity to a local suburban shopping center/bus depot/post office/grocery stores, so now I have my excuse for walking. As I walk, I think to myself how clean it all is! how well everyone dresses! what great cars everyone drives! how HIGH the gas prices are! ($9.00/gal), how quiet it is! how fit everyone is! how Norwegian! how grand! how cold this wind is! how far IS this store, because I'm starting to get cold!

After walking around in the malls long enough to get some cash and warm up, it's time to head back home. Wandering near a crosswalk, the passing cars screech to a halt, waiting for me to enter it....Me? Little ol' me? I feel obligated to go into the crosswalk, even though I had not intended to cross there, because, well, after all, when have I ever been known to pass up an audience? Must put that in data-base: crosswalks are serious business here, with passengers in cars most likely suffering from the whiplash of their drivers stopping foreven the hint of a pedestrian near a crosswalk. How different from Las Vegas, where if one is not killed in a crosswalk (how many so far this year? 3?), they are yelled at for using them by inconvenienced motorists.

Time to hurry on home to the warmth and Norwegian studies. Accommodations are top-notch, as I am staying with my cousin Elzbieta and her significant other, Jarle. What great hosts!

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(Living room, Ela in the diningroom, first night's dinner....thanks, Jarle!)

For me, the greatest thing about Norway is its great outdoors. You wouldn't know that by my whimpy ,whiny "I'm so cold", but as the saying goes, "There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing." Armed with more than enough this time, I was picked up by my friend, Gro, for the evening walk with her dogs in the hills behind their home. Ah, a chance to do two of my absolute FAVORITE things! BE with dogs, and HIKE in the hills. The hike proved comforting, exhilarating, magical, and the inspiration for the title of this post. It dawned on me that while in the hills or the woods, there is no longer any angst about language handicaps, or cultural differences, or about anything really that doesn't pertain to that present moment. Hiking is my meditation, and even though Chaka and Huldra were just 2 balls of crazy energy, literally FLYING through the woods, the calmness that enveloped me was devoid of language, really. Neither Norwegian nor English, the snow had fallen from the passing clouds on this particular continent, in this particular country, and it was just snow....blanketing a languageless, mossy path, that awaited 2 adventurous women with 2 insane dogs...

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(the woods....Huldra and Chaka during a rare moment of stoppage....Gro)

Today, the sun peeked through and has given me renewed hope that perhaps I may even be able to see some Aurora. They may even be as exciting as the heroic downtown fireworks display that we witnessed late last night as we walked near Floyen...the occasion? Get this: the end of property taxes.

Vi sees senere!

In how many hours?

So....I am leaving on Monday morning, for 2 months of winter in Bergen, Norway, and of course, have not even begun to pack. No big deal if I lived in a climate even remotely similar, but having been in the desert now for 20 years, I don't even own bug-spray anymore. And rain-gear? Ha!

I'm all shopped out now, which is probably why I can admit that I have my credit card number memorized (is that a blessing or a curse?). Now comes the thankless task of winnowing all this stuff for it's eventual home in the luggage. I think I'll have another small cocktail before starting on that task, right? "What do you MEAN, I have packed no underwear!!!".....

The photo above is from my "backyard", Calico Basin the Red Rocks Recreation Area. It is where I hike, rock-climb, and walk the dogs. I believe I will be gazing at it often as it most likely has 2 colors that won't be in my repertoire for the next 9 weeks....red....and blue. Unless, of course, you're talking about the Norwegian flag. Which in that case, should be grey and green....

Well, I had better get to it. I certainly do not want to forget anything (purchasing replacement items in Norway is really to be avoided, I think $$$$$). I confess to putting off packing by using my cats as an excuse (they'll just climb in there and get everything full of hair!). But then again, having dog and cat hair with me may be more comforting than I will know. Vi skal se?