https://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/02/17/the-nurnberg-christkindlesmarkt/2025-09-05T10:08:03+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/02/17/nurnbergs-gospel-gothic/2025-09-05T10:04:41+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/02/18/nurnberg-medieval-more/2025-09-05T10:01:54+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/02/20/new-city-new-year/2025-09-05T09:58:10+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/06/12/paris-with-ma-petite-niece/2025-09-05T09:53:55+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/07/24/portugal-easter-in-lisbon/2025-09-05T09:50:21+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/07/30/portugal-evora-the-pagans/2025-09-05T09:44:24+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/07/30/portugal-the-algarves-beaches/2025-09-05T09:23:28+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/02/24/viennas-architectural-gems/2025-09-04T20:21:20+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/03/03/viennas-museums-more/2025-09-04T20:13:49+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/03/04/viennas-culinary-delights/2025-09-04T20:09:40+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/03/13/viennas-new-year-ball/2025-09-04T20:00:50+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/04/11/belgium-brussels-n-beer/2025-09-04T19:50:13+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/04/11/belgium-in-bruges/2025-09-04T19:45:55+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/04/11/belgium-biking-to-damme/2025-09-04T14:43:21+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/06/16/turkey-intro-to-istanbul/2025-09-04T12:50:25+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/06/20/turkey-terrorism-in-taxim-square/2025-09-04T12:45:18+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/06/28/turkey-mosques-museums/2025-09-04T12:37:53+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/07/04/turkey-the-grand-bazaar/2025-09-04T12:32:28+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/06/29/turkey-taking-a-turkish-bath/2025-09-04T12:24:14+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/07/06/turkey-pamukkale-hieropolis-laodicea/2025-09-04T12:14:00+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/07/18/turkey-essential-istanbul-experiences/2025-09-04T12:05:15+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/07/21/atmospheric-amsterdam/2025-09-04T11:47:14+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/07/27/amsterdams-flower-festival/2025-09-04T11:36:29+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/08/22/italy-florence-in-a-flash/2025-09-04T11:28:38+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/08/22/italy-trekking-the-cinque-terre/2025-09-04T11:21:20+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/10/24/budapest-bound/2025-09-04T11:15:40+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2017/01/17/swiss-christmas-in-zurich/2025-09-04T11:02:26+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2017/01/23/luzerns-christmas-pageantry/2025-09-04T10:53:59+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2017/01/27/ascending-the-swiss-alps/2025-09-04T10:45:52+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2017/02/26/new-years-in-the-austrian-alps/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/img_4748.jpgimg_4748https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/img_9433.jpgimg_9433Die Fledermaus ("The Bat") is an opera by famous Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, the "Waltz King." It's always performed on New Year's Eve because much of the storyline takes place at a traditional Viennese New Year's Eve costume ball. The opera is sometimes called "The Revenge of the Bat" because the plot centers around Falke, who's attempting to get back at his friend Eisenstein for leaving him dressed as a bat in the center of town after the previous year's ball -- a moment that made Falke the laughingstock of Vienna.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/img_4936.jpgimg_4936Happy New Year to All!https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/img_4926.jpgimg_4926More good-luck tokens. Okay, this is just wrong on so many levels.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/img_4938.jpgimg_4938More emblems of good luck in the coming year. It's a New Year's tradition to give friends tokens or sweets in the shape of pigs, mushrooms, four-leafed clovers, dice, chimney sweeps, and horse shoes.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/img_9429.jpgimg_9429"Hmm, should I go for the potato pancakes with garlic, or just plain butter?"https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/img_4928.jpgimg_4928Chimney sweeps are one of the more popular symbols of the New Year. I'm assuming they represent cleaning out the old year and whisking in the new.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/img_9445.jpgimg_9445Last year, we stood on the balcony of the Rathaus (the big building in the background) to watch the New Year's come in. This year, we got to join the crowd in the park below.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/img_9426.jpgimg_9426Just a quick pick to show you some of the amazing Alpine rooflines of the town's many adorable buildings.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/img_9385.jpgimg_9385You can travel from the indoor pools to the outdoor pools via a giant "doggie door." It's awesome to sit outside in the hot bubbling waters while watching folks ski down the nearby snowy slopes.2025-09-04T07:37:03+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2017/08/23/malta-easter-in-a-christian-enclave/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/img_2121.jpgIMG_2121The palace not only held the personal quarters of the Inquisitor, but also the tribunal and prisons. Various signage throughout the palace tells the fate of those judged in this room. For example, one label noted that Paolo, a 60-year-old neo-Christian slave, was treated so badly by his master that once, in a moment of despair, he said "it would have been better to have remained Muslim, as Islamic slaves are in much better condition." He was tried and found guilty of heresy and imprisoned for three months in the palace dungeons until a doctor from the Holy Office found him so ill that he had him removed to the infirmary, from which he was eventually released. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/img_2138.jpgIMG_2138Since ancient times, Malta's Mediterranean location -- as well as its natural harbors and the entrepreneurial and maritime skills of its people -- have made the country an international center for shipping services. Tax breaks and other advantages mean that Malta has its fair share of super yachts, too. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/img_21151.jpgIMG_2115https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/img_2115.jpgIMG_2115Uh, yeah. The KKK's outfits bear an uncanny resemblance to Catholic capirote -- the conical headdress with eyeholes that evolved during the 16th century, when the Spanish Inquisition reached its zenith. During Easter week, penitents still don these hooded capes and often engage in self flagellation to atone for the previous year's sins. It's thought that William J. Simmons of Atlanta, the guy who came up with the KKK uniform, was obsessed with fraternal societies and modeled his designs on the capirote. Seems only fitting that he took his inspiration from an outfit conceived during an era of religiously sanctioned torture and terrorism against anyone who was different. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/img_2107.jpgIMG_2107Despite the vow of poverty that most Catholic orders took, the Inquisitors spent lavishly on their palace over the years, turning it into a typical Roman Renaissance palazzo with touches of Baroque artistry.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/img_2097.jpgIMG_2097Speaking of the Inquisition, this is the Inquisitor's Palace -- one of the few remaining in Europe, and the only one that is open to the public. (Most were destroyed during the French Revolution, as the church was seen as the bulwark of the abusive nobles.) This palace was the seat of the Maltese Inquisition from 1574 to 1798, and as such it was the site where heretics (Jews, Muslims, Protestants, and witches) were tried and punished.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/img_6487.jpgIMG_6487Looking across from Birgu, you can see the small town of Senglea and its ancient Il-Macina bastion. The name means "machine," referring to the sheer crane once strapped to the bastion to help load the Hospitallers' ships. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/img_2092.jpgIMG_2092https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/img_2088.jpgIMG_2088St. Lawrence's Oratory is adjacent to St. Lawrence's Cathedral, which served as the Hospitallers' conventual church until they relocated their capital to Valletta. However, the Knights' Inquisitors (think Spanish Inquisition) continued to be based in Birgu and attended services here. Is it me, or is it kinda weird that the Inquisitors went to a church dedicated to a saint who was tortured and supposedly grilled alive on a gridiron for his faith? https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/img_6495.jpgIMG_6495Birgu's picturesque town center holds a statue of St. Lawrence (seen here) and a monument to the 1565 Great Siege of Malta. The numbers are somewhat debated, but it's estimated that around 9,000 knights, their slaves, and conscripted locals managed to fend off Ottoman forces totaling between 28,000 and 40,000 men. By the end of the epically bloody battle, Malta had lost one third of its inhabitants as well as one third of its Knights, but the win was the first European victory against the Ottomans in over 100 years. Although Birgu lay in ruins, Grand Master Jean de Valette changed its name to Vittoriosa to honor the decimated but valiant city. 2025-09-04T07:23:18+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2017/09/06/malta-prehistoric-temples-pagan-catacombs/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_0789.jpgIMG_0789Pictured is the "Sleeping Lady," who was found in one of the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum burials. You can see that she bears a resemblance to the "fat folk" figurines found in Malta's megalithic temples.  She's painted red, which some believe was the designated color of death for Maltese prehistoric people.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_1763.jpgIMG_1763Check out the two triclinia right across from each other. Guess you had to accommodate crowds somehow, especially if two people with neighboring family crypts happened to die on the same day. Sounds like it could have been quite a party.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_1588.jpgIMG_1588The horseshoe triclinia in Roman tombs were modeled after those found in Roman houses. As you can see, the dining room was lined with three beds to create a U-shaped bench where family and guests would recline to eat.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_6265.jpgIMG_6265Some of the catacombs contain long, rather dark tunnels. If you're claustrophobic, you might want to brace yourself for the experience. By the way, during WWII, several of the catacombs were used as bomb shelters, and kids reported sitting next to skeletons for hours, waiting for the shelling to stop.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_1789.jpgIMG_1789A carving of a menorah tells us that the occupants of this section of the catacombs were Jewish. Unlike Romans, Jewish people buried their dead within three days, and never cremated them. When Christianity came around, its practitioners followed Jewish law by interring a body rather than cremating it. The belief was that if the body were cremated, there would be nothing to resurrect during the Second Coming of Christ. I'm not sure how folks accounted for the many millennia of decay that turns a body to dust -- or what would happen to the thousands of people who's bones got all bundled together, mixed up, and sometimes tossed out to make room for new occupants in a tomb.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_1784.jpgIMG_1784Look closely at the far end of each sarcophagus, and you'll see a raised platform with a round divot in it -- a pillow to hold the head of the dead.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_1782.jpgIMG_1782Maybe this cartoon will help you visualize the scenario better. The highest-ranking person got to sit on the right side of the triclinium, so that his right arm wouldn't be impaired by the stone bench as much. Lying down to eat was a sign of luxury. And some think that the Romans really knew their anatomy, because lying on the left side extends the stomach so that you can eat more without feeling discomfort. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_6273.jpgIMG_6273Romans and Christians (not Jews) typically shared a last meal with the dead. This round platform, called a triclinium, served as the dining table. Folks typically reclined on their left side around the triclinium and used their right hand to eat and drink. Notice the table's "pour spout" and the big notch at the end, which gives the triclinium a horseshoe shape. The notch allowed the guests at the end of the bench more "elbow room" for eating, while the pour spout allowed the crumbs from the last meal to be swept up and deposited into one of the libation holes for the dead.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_1767.jpgIMG_1767Here's a baldacchino with an ornate painting of leopard-like red dots and plants. As with Neolithic peoples, the Romans favored red as the color of death.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_1751.jpgIMG_1751Crypts for entire families or members of a professional guild were sealed with big stones like this one. Inside, the tomb walls were lined with benches to hold the bodies. Each time a family or guild member died, the bones of a previous occupant would be bundled together into a box to make room for a new body on the bench. 2025-09-04T07:15:25+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2017/09/20/malta-the-great-outdoors/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_6153.jpgIMG_6153https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_6323.jpgIMG_6323Further along the trail, we ran into a herdsman with his flock, their bells all tinkling merrily.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_1851.jpgIMG_1851Harness racing is big on Malta. During our hike, we watched trainers from a nearby stable exercising their horses. On another day, we passed by a bay and saw a trainer standing out in the ocean as two trotters on lead harnesses swam in a circle around him.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_1868.jpgIMG_1868Tiny Pink Bindweed -- also called Morning Glory (Convovulus oleifolius) -- is a threatened species on Malta, so you'll have to resist the urge to pick a bouquet of wildflowers.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_1859.jpgIMG_1859Red Stonecrop (Sedum rubens) is a heat-tolerant plant that can survive for months at a time without much water.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_6317.jpgIMG_6317A shift along the Maghlaq Fault line has given an upward tilt to the Dingli Cliffs and created a rift between the layers of limestone. From the Upper Coralline Limestone ledge, you can look down on the Lower Coralline layer blanketed with farmers' fields. Tiny Fifla shimmers on the distant horizon.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_6310.jpgIMG_6310While wildflowers carpet the clifftop, Farmers have terraced the slopes below to capture rainwater and hold topsoil in place.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_6314.jpgIMG_6314I'm testing my fear of heights here. So brave am I. BTW, in case you're wondering, the name Dingli comes from Sir Thomas Dingley, the Knights Hospitaller who owned land in the area.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_1861.jpgIMG_1861https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_1864.jpgIMG_1864Yep, thumbnail-sized irises. Who would've thought there'd be enough water to support a plant that typically likes boggy soil?2025-09-04T07:06:24+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2017/10/07/malta-edibles-art-and-getting-around-town/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_0444.jpgIMG_0444https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_0449.jpgIMG_0449https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_1923.jpgIMG_1923Part of Renzo Piano's parliament project included a new main entrance into the city of Valletta. The tall steel blades on the left highlight where the new gate joins the old 16th-century city walls. The gate replaces a brooding 1960s Italian "fascist-style" entrance and is the fourth gate to occupy this spot. I love the strong and stark austerity of it, and how it frames the dramatic sky.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_0641.jpgIMG_0641One of my favorite things about the new Parliament House is the play of light across the building throughout the day; it's sculptural on a monumental scale.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_0667.jpgIMG_0667https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_0646.jpgIMG_0646The Parliament House has been compared to a dovecote, a cheese grater, and Legos on stilts. Personally, I think that the structure is elegant and timeless; its strong lines dramatically complement, not detract from, the nearby ancient bastions of St. James’s Cavalier and St. John’s Cavalier.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_0657.jpgIMG_0657The new Parliament House has been quite controversial due to its cost, its modern design, and the fact that the construction of a new building was put as a priority above preserving some of Valletta's more historic structures. Still, I think it's a striking and tasteful addition to the entry experience into Valletta.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_2079.jpgIMG_2079Me, Matthew, and Jes the night of our amazing dinner -- check out more of Jes's paintings on the walls behind us.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_6374.jpgIMG_6374Jes gave us a tour of his home and studio, where we got a chance to see his process and how he creates his etchings.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_5052.jpgIMG_5052Jes created this print as part of a project designed as art for the blind. The image is embossed, so that it can be touched, not just seen. I'm imagining the joy of tracing those swooping lines with my fingertips and reconstructing the image in my mind's eye.2025-09-04T06:58:25+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2018/10/25/antibes-fun-for-francophiles-francophobes/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ylvis-bieber-fever-nrk.pngYlvis Bieber Fever NRKYlvis not only has a late night talk show, but he also contributed to TVNorge's program, "Stories from Norway." Click here to watch his awesome music video commentary on Norway's hysteria when Justin Bieber visited in 2017.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8204.jpgIMG_8204https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_7467.jpgIMG_7467https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_7831.jpgIMG_7831I'm a little obsessed with these old "lavoirs" (washing stations). Practically every small village in southern France has at least one. Most were built from around the 1600s up through the beginning of the 20th century. How'd they work? The women of the house would soak their laundry in soapy hot water at home, then cart the sudsy pile to the public lavoir where they'd beat it against the stone sides and rinse it in the flowing spring water. Once the noisy social hub of the village, these lavoirs are incredibly peaceful, evocative spaces today.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_3931.jpgIMG_3931Check out the 1833 La Tourraque Fountain that spouts potable water. Just push the button to activate the pump. Perfect on a hot day.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_3477.jpgIMG_3477Place Nationale is the core of the Old Town community. In summer, you can catch musicians performing beneath the bandstand canopy. You can also grab a glass of rosé on a hot day at any of many lovely restaurants that set up tables and umbrellas for al fresco dining, or you can browse antique dealer's stalls during the weekend Marchés à la Brocante (flea markets).https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_3470.jpgIMG_3470Imagine strolling down a deserted alley and coming face-to-face with two stalking cheetahs. They're the works of David Rivalta, placed for the summer of 2017 around unexpected corners. We also ran into a life-sized rhino at the Plage de Gravette beach, then stumbled upon a bear standing sentry along the backside of the Picasso Museum. Later we confronted a pack of wolves atop the rampart walkway. Such a cool art installation -- wish it would be permanent!https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_3418.jpgIMG_3418You'd never know from the church's rather sedate exterior that its interior is a riot of color and pattern. Frescoes from the 16th and 19th centuries blanket every available square inch of wall space. Check out the gorgeous 18th-century Baroque altar with twisting Solomonic columns. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_3423.jpgIMG_3423One day, Matthew and I happened upon this gorgeous little church, Chapelle Saint Bernardin, tucked in a narrow alley. The Brotherhood of the White Penitents of St. Bernardin built it in the 16th century. Early on, penitents practiced self-flagellation, fasting, the wearing of hair shirts, and other forms of atonement. Charity work eventually took the place of self abuse, with penitents funding the care of the sick, the burial of paupers, and the dowries of girls from poor families.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_7546.jpgIMG_7546Strolling through Old Town's beguiling cobblestone lanes eventually had Matthew and I paging through the real estate flyers and contemplating purchasing a condo here as part of our retirement plan.2025-09-03T14:48:40+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2018/10/30/ancient-antibes/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_10351.jpgIMG_1035You can't actually get close to the super-yachts, but you can take a good gander from the top of the ramparts. Most of these babies only get taken out for a spin a few days a year. What a waste.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_1035.jpgIMG_1035https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_3951.jpgIMG_3951Rambling along the ramparts gives you the opportunity to look down into Old Town and peruse the restaurant options before dinner.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_3952.jpgIMG_3952A sunset stroll atop the ramparts is not to be missed. The Ferris wheel in the background is set up for July 14th, France's National Day.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_1036.jpgIMG_1036You can't actually get close to the super-yachts, but you can take a good gander from the top of the ramparts. Most of these babies only get taken out for a spin a few days a year. What a waste.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_3456.jpgIMG_3456You can see the top of a super-yacht peeking up over the ramparts along Plage de Gravette.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/the-eclipse.pngThe EclipseThe "Eclipse" cost 1.5 billion dollars, measures 62.5 metres (533 ft 2 in), and has five levels, two helipads, two pools, several hot tubs, and a disco hall. Kinda funny that it also has several smaller boats tucked inside it, like a Russian nesting doll. Click here to see a video of the boat.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_7490.jpgIMG_7490The "Eclipse" cost 1.5 billion dollars, measures 62.5 metres (533 ft 2 in), and has five levels, two helipads, two pools, several hot tubs, and a disco hall. Totally looks like a pagoda though, doesn't it?https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_7502.jpgIMG_7502You can see our terrace-side seating and my excitement over my meal. Matthew's having the bouillabaisse. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_7500.jpgIMG_7500My meal of zucchini stuffed with seafood, all floating in shellfish broth.2025-09-03T14:44:05+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2019/07/19/helsinki-highlights/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_3113.jpgIMG_3113Finland has some great beers, and the Lakka is delish. It's made by soaking the cloudberries for two to six months. It can really pack a punch, so watch out. The version we tried -- Lapponia -- had a 21% alcohol content.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_3093-1.jpgIMG_3093You can grab lunch, pastries, or coffee at Café Kappeli and people-watch across from the park. Or you can venture inside the greenhouse-like restaurant and dine under its gabled wooden roof, where famous Finnish artists and intellectuals once hung out.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_7261.jpgIMG_7261Check out the grotto-like lobby.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_7240.jpgIMG_7240You can't miss the opportunity to dine in a Medieval / Art Nouveau mead hall.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_7244.jpgIMG_7244Everywhere you look, you'll find unique little details that make you feel like you've stepped into a Finnish fairytale. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_7257.jpgIMG_7257How's this for a nice little reading nook on the stairwell?https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_7371.jpgIMG_7371Built in 1906, the landmark-status castle was originally intended as a sort of clubhouse for students from the nearby Polytechnical Institute. It's a phantasmagoric blend of Art Nouveau and Finland’s National Romantic style.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_7291-1.jpgIMG_7291The Finnish landmark sculpture "Three Blacksmiths" is sometimes seen as a socialist statement. While it does celebrate human cooperation and labor, is also venerates "sisu," a prized Finnish trait that translates as "a grim, gritty, white-knuckle form of courage" -- something the Finns have had to rely on in their repeated battles against Russian. (Note the bullet damaged sustained by the sculpture during WWII, when Russia tried to reclaim Finland. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/nordic-flags.pngNordic FlagsAll the Nordic countries have the same "Nordic Cross" flags, not because they share similar languages and governmental systems, but basically because they share a Christian Lutheran history. Fun facts: Finns call their country "Suomi." The name Finland is derived from an old English name for the country. Photo by Hansjorn.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/finnish-flag.pngFinnish FlagAll the Nordic countries have the same "Nordic Cross" flags, not because they share similar languages and governmental systems, but basically because they share a Christian Lutheran history. Fun facts: Finns call their country "Suomi." The name Finland is derived from an old English name for the country.2025-09-03T14:38:18+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2019/07/04/midsummer-in-finland/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_3055.jpgIMG_3055This photo was taken at almost midnight. The cloud cover makes it seem darker than it really is. At this latitude, the sky merely gets an inky blue, almost like twilight, for about three hours. Further north, there's no dimming of the light at all.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_3056.jpgIMG_3056I can see why people experience "Midsummer Madness." It's definitely a thing. We felt it ourselves every year in Oslo. With so little darkness, you start to go a bit nutty from lack of sleep. And with gorgeous white nights like this, I can see how people end up skinny dipping in the moonlight and breaking a few taboos.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_3003.jpgIMG_3003Members of the wedding party admire the bonfires while awaiting the newlyweds. Note the construction of one of the bonfires still waiting to be lit. In the center, birch saplings add a sacred note.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ukko.pngUkkoUkko is the Finnish god of the sky, weather, harvest, and thunder -- see the thunderbolts in his hand? Like Thor of Norse mythology, his weapon of choice was a hammer.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_3026.jpgIMG_3026Behind Matthew is the little hot dog hut where we thought the drug deals were going down. Guess nicotine ranks right up there with the heavy hitters in Finland. By the way, the cheesy pastry is a customary holiday treat, too.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_3015.jpgIMG_3015Matthew's plate displays some traditional Finnish Midsummer food: a meat pasty, sauerkraut, and potato salad made with dill. Sausages are common, too, but those went first in the buffet line.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/finnish-dancers.pngFinnish DancersHere, dancers whirl to an almost waltz-like tempo, interspersed with the occasional skip and a hop.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_3013.jpgIMG_3013On stage you can see the folk orchestra serenading the dancers below. Benches provide seating for those too shy to take to the floor.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_2976.jpgIMG_2976Can you imagine having your wedding witnessed by a giant crowd of traditionally dressed Finns? Definitely a celebrity moment.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_2973.jpgIMG_2973As we walked through the forest, we could see that several other log towers had been set alight all along the shoreline. Coming across them hidden amongst the trees felt like a really pagan moment.2025-09-03T14:30:21+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2018/11/09/halloween-in-oslo-chicago/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8665.jpgimg_8665Here's the first real jack-o-lanterns I saw in Norway, creatively made out of a Butternut squash.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_0424.jpgIMG_0424A young boy pays tribute to Laura Aguilar, a Mexican-American photographer known for her portraits highlighting marginalized communities. She wonderfully redefined beauty, focusing on LGBT, Latino, and obese subjects, and worked to challenge societal norms of class, race, sexuality, and gender.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_0389.jpgIMG_0389I'd also highly recommend visiting the museum's store, Tienda Tzintzuntzán (Place of the Hummingbird), where you can purchase incredible works of Mexican art, as well as any of the other decorations and ritual items associated with Día de Muertos. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_0440.jpgIMG_0440A member of the Mondragon family demonstrates another kind of alfeñique, a coffin with a little skeleton that pops forward when you pull the string.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_0465.jpgIMG_0465Back at home, we created our own little ofrenda. The "papel picado" (pecked paper) banner that you see here is also traditional. Patterns of skeletons, skulls, coffins, and other symbols of death are cut into tissue paper using chisels that follow a template.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_0400-1.jpgIMG_0400 (1)"Blue Collar" by Oscar Moya, depicts the harsh realities of a Mexican worker in the nearby steel mills, which were vital to construction of the city's skyscrapers. Many Mexicans came to Chicago to avoid the ravages of the Mexican Revolution (1910 - 1920) or the religious persecution of the Cristero War (1926 - 1929).https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_0400.jpgIMG_0400https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_0445.jpgIMG_0445A vivid image depicting Mexican folkloric dancers is just one of the many gorgeous murals you'll find in the neighborhood.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_0441.jpgIMG_0441Wandering around Pilsen, we came across an open door with an ofrenda for Frida Kahlo, created by an artist in the neighborhood.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_0449.jpgIMG_0449Here's another closeup showing different kinds of the Pan de Muertos. They all taste somewhat similar, but it's fun to see the different details.2025-09-03T14:23:00+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2018/08/21/hotels-norwegian-healthcare-and-a-harbor-cruise/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_9523.jpgIMG_9523Not to gross you out with a photo of my foot, but I broke my pinkie toe in Norway when I tripped on my suitcase wheel. I was seen by a doctor, x-rayed, and then had the toe wrapped (along with a training session on how to do it myself after showers, as seen here.) Total elapsed time -- 30 minutes.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_0414.jpgIMG_0414I love the juxtaposition of the Beverly Hillbilly-style floating sauna in the foreground, with the city-sized cruise ship in the background. The building on the right, with the swooped roofline, is the Astrup-Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, another great tourist destination. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_0428.jpgIMG_0428One of my favorites in the harbor is the little Heggholmen Lighthouse, built in 1872. I haven't yet gotten to peek inside, but it'll happen one day, I promise.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_0396.jpgIMG_0396While we were in town, the USS Bainbridge came into port. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer was supposed "to enhance U.S.-Norway relations as the two nations work together to strengthen regional security and stability." I'll be honest, the thing looked pretty derelict and had a huge barrier around it to prevent leaking oil from spreading out into the harbor. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/clip-from-vidars-birthday-video.pngClip from Vidars Birthday VideoHere's perhaps my favorite thing about Norwegian parties -- people love to sing at them. (I so wish Americans would adopt this practice!) Vidar's wife Sophie (far right) composed a couple of really funny songs about Vidar and performed them with her choir. Afterwards, a fabulous DJ took to the stage and everybody came out on the dance floor. Again, not something you see much of at American birthday parties.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_0307.jpgIMG_0307Lots of toasting is part of any Norwegian party -- here, Vidar's youngest daughter Agnes gives a sweet toast to her papa. Although we probably only understood about every fifth word of each toast, we had a friend sitting next to us who did a lot of translating, and we laughed until our cheeks hurt. I think it's great that Norwegians toast so much; it gives kids a chance to really get comfortable speaking in public (something I have a gut-terror fear of.)https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_0303.jpgIMG_0303Happy Birthday Vidar! He looks thrilled to be wearing his birthday-boy headgear, doesn't he? He and his family are some of the warmest, kindest people we've ever met, and we feel so lucky to call them friends.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_8001.jpgIMG_8001Check out this incredible seafood dinner, all made at Macaroni Grill, Vidar's restaurant -- without him knowing he was cooking his own birthday meal. (Vidar's wife Sophie and his daughter Martine pulled off an amazing surprise party for him.)https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_8064.jpgIMG_8064Check out this little hovel, supposedly owned by one of the richest men in Norway. It's even got its own giant golden "Buddha" to enhance that sense of Nirvana attained.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_8057.jpgIMG_8057It looks like we're about to lose a game of chicken with a huge cruise ship. (We're not; it was docked.) In the background, you can see Oslo's opera building, designed to look like a floating iceberg by the internationally famous Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta .2025-09-03T14:15:36+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2018/08/14/sweet-home-chicago/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_7775.jpgIMG_7775My niece McKenna and I show off our "fascinators" purchased at Dee's, the famous milliner who supplies all the Kentucky Derby Hats. We're entering the Drake Hotel for their champagne brunch and viewing of the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. The brunch was a duplicate of the meal served to Princess Diana when she visited Chicago and stayed in the hotel in 1996.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_9496.jpgIMG_9496If you want to rent a boat, you'll find sailboats, motor boats, catamarans, kayaks, and pontoon party barges available. Some you can take out by yourself, while others have the option to hire a crew.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_7136.jpgIMG_7136In the distance, it may look as if an ocean liner has run aground, but that's actually just North Avenue Beach House. It's the meat/meet market, where all the young singles fresh off the binky go dance, drink, and basically troll for a sweaty hookup. If you're over 25, forget it. You'll feel really out of place.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_9474.jpgIMG_9474Here's another of my favorite things about Chicago's beaches: the paletas sellers. They roam up and down the beach ringing a row of little bells that dangle from their cart to let people know they're coming with frozen treats. You can see they sell all the usual crap that kids like, but the real paletas are far better.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_9464.jpgIMG_9464Like I said, Montrose Beach is absolutely enormous. You'll pretty much always find space for your beach towel, or even a tent big enough to throw a party in. I love this beach because it has the most cultural diversity. You'll hear every language, see an amazing variety of bathing costumes, and find lots of different ethnic foods. Be sure to stop by one of "mango ladies" stands that sell unbelievably ripe mangoes sprinkled with hot pepper and lime juice -- to die for! Or grab a taco from one of the guys frying up spicy meat on a hubcap. Sounds super sketchy, but the tacos are fabulous! And if you see a lady roaming up and down the beach with a cooler in tow, flag her down and try some of the world's best tamales.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_9465.jpgIMG_9465If you're into beach sports like volleyball, a series of courts are available at several different beaches. The ones seen here are up by Montrose Beach, where the sand is really hard, so it's much easier to keep your footing while playing. If you want team members to play with, check out Chicago Sport & Social online, which lists meet-ups.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_7162.jpgIMG_7162Pretty much the entire lakefront is strewn with beaches. Some are quite narrow and close to the roadway, but others are broad and far away from the traffic on Lake Shore Drive. You can rent Divvy bicycles (the blue ones in the foreground, $10 for 24 hours) at several spots scattered all over the city and ride along the lakefront to any of the many, many beaches. The city is currently creating a second path so that bicyclists have a separate trail from the runners, dog walkers, and meanderers. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_7178.jpgIMG_7178If you've read my post "Biking along Oslo's Fjord," you'll probably remember that Matthew and I ride a 1971 Schwinn Twin tandem. We had our first date on this bike 28 years ago and have ridden it almost every weekend since then. Kinda funny, as Matthew himself is a twin. (Hi Mark!)https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_7123.jpgIMG_7123So what's a paleta? It's like a popsicle, but instead of the typical fake neon colors and chemical flavorings, paletas are basically frozen blended fruit. My favorites are the mango (seen here) and the coconut. Just chocked full of real fruit -- it's a race to eat them before they melt in the sun. And at only $2.50, they're the most flavorful beach bargain in the city.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_7153.jpgIMG_71532025-09-03T14:04:11+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2018/07/30/new-beginnings-norwegian-headlines/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/img_7688.jpgIMG_7688https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/listhaug.pngListhaugAfter stepping down, Listhaug claimed that the controversy had been a "witch hunt" against her. Hmm, where have I heard that phrase lately? https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/anders-behring-breivik.pngAnders Behring BreivikIn January 2017, mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik gave a Nazi salute in court as he appealed his solitary confinement in prison, stating it was inhumane. He claimed he targeted Labor party members in his attack because they supported immigration, Islam, and feminism — tenets and practices he saw as “the downfall of European culture.” Sound familiar?https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/listhaug-facebook-page.pngListhaug Facebook PageHer post made the false claim that the Labor Party wants to vote to process the passports and citizenship of foreigners and terrorists quickly and efficiently. She ended with the plea of all fearmongers, "in the fight against terror, don't sit and wait."https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/img_6680.jpgIMG_6680Daniel-André Tande joins his girlfriend and family after his win at Holmenkollen. He and his teammates took the gold in the Winter Games Men's Large Hill Ski Jumping competition.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/img_6654.pngIMG_6654Pardon my bad photo, but I think I probably saw more on T.V. than I would have seen had I made it to Holmenkollen in time. You can see why jumps from Holmenkollen are called "ski flying" as opposed to "ski jumping." The hills is bigger and the distance jumped is much longer, often more than 135 meters (442 feet.)https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/img_6707.jpgIMG_6707Check out the blizzard I battled on my way to the Holmenkollen Scandic Hotel. The only other year Matthew and I were able to make it to the Ski Jump competition, it was so foggy you couldn't see a thing. They ended up canceling the event -- only the second time in history this had happened -- when fierce winds almost blew the third jumper, a competitor from Japan, into the watching crowd.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/img_6677.jpgIMG_6677You can see the exiting crowds in the background. Good thing I didn't make it in to the event earlier. The newspapers were filled with stories of unruly, drunken mobs along train platforms and in the stands. I guess folks went a little nuts while waiting to see the various Olympic champions compete. Wonderboy Johannes Klæbo came in 40th in the Cross-Country competition after someone tossed a bottle cap onto the ski run and he ran over it, putting a huge gash in his ski.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/img_6656.pngIMG_6656Holmenkollen is touted as the most advanced ski jump in the world. But I always laugh at this when I watch the ski jumper butt-wiggle his way out along the wooden board that serves as the launch point. It's a bit like watching someone walk the plank. You'd think it be a bit more high tech, but no, a group of guys basically extends the wooden bench so the guy can wriggle his way to the track.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/guardian-article.pngGuardian Article2025-09-03T13:55:31+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2018/03/22/the-new-u-s-embassy-in-oslo/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/closeup-2.pngCloseup 2Matthew and coworker Dan stand on the terrace outside the commissary. The fins on the windows help to reduce summer heat gain and minimize the glare bouncing off of the snow in winter. But having lots of natural light plays a key role both in energy savings and in combatting SAD (seasonal affective disorder), which is common in Scandinavia.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/closeup.pngCloseupMatthew and coworker Dan stand on the terrace outside the commissary. The fins on the windows help to reduce summer heat gain and minimize the glare bouncing off of the snow in winter. But having lots of natural light plays a key role both in energy savings and in combatting SAD (seasonal affective disorder), which is common in Scandinavia.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/img_7079.jpgIMG_7079Pictured are a few of the "last men standing" on the job site. From right to left, our fearless leader Matthew, our Norwegian local partner Tor, me, Reynaldo, and Dan. Yay, we've built https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/img_2845.jpgIMG_2845I particularly like the monumental stairwell clad in maple. Again, natural light has a key role both in and energy savings and in combatting SAD (seasonal affective disorder), which is common in Scandinavia.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/img_2868.jpgIMG_2868Check out the Scandi design theme in the new commissary. Norwegian homes typically have planked ceilings and huge windows to maximize the scant hours of daylight in winter.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/img_2863.jpgIMG_2863Matthew and coworker Dan stand on the terrace outside the commissary. The fins on the windows help to reduce summer heat gain and minimize the glare bouncing off of the snow in winter.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/street-view-kings-guard-training-facility.pngStreet View King's Guard Training FacilityThe King's Guard facility also underwent some construction and improvements while the Embassy was being built. By the way, note the huge earth berm and chain-link-with-razor-wire fence that surrounds the King's Guard facility, and compare it with upcoming photos of the open U.S. Embassy campus.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/satellite-kings-guard-training-facilty.pngSatellite King's Guard Training FaciltyThe U.S. Embassy isn't the only governmental installation in the neighborhood. The much larger King's Guard Training Center sits just to the west.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/img_7087.jpgIMG_7087Pictured is the Chancery entrance, surrounded by native birches, aspens, maples, conifers, wildflowers, and grasses that have been scattered among granite boulders. I think it's kind of funny to compare the Embassy's open fencing with the high wooden fence that completely hides the subdivision across the street. Their board fence existed long before the Embassy was erected.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/img_2889.jpgIMG_2889An improved biking and walking path runs in front of the U.S. Embassy along Sørkedalsveien, which is situated within a five-minute walk to the T-bane (Metro train line). The Embassy has been criticized for the high perimeter fence that runs along the main roadway. (Hey, at least it's not the chain-link razor-wire fence and earth berm that surrounds the King's Guard facility.) The weird thing is that the fence here is nothing new; it's identical to the one that surrounds the old embassy. But at least at the new embassy, the main entry pavilion is open and clear of fencing and you can approach the site unimpeded. At the old Embassy (nicknamed "The Fortress"), the entire site was encircled by the iron rails, studded with cameras, and watched over by a Norwegian mobile police trailer mounted on stilts across the street. Not nearly so inviting as the new Embassy campus.2025-09-03T13:46:26+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2018/02/08/goodbye-to-st-nick/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_7829.jpgIMG_7829Jess was always our delicate flower, having struggled with eye infections for years. We never anticipated our healthy boy would be the one to pass first. As you can see here, Nicki never met a sink he could resist. He thought they were all designed just for his relaxation. Even the tub was fair game, especially if you tossed in his favorite tinsel ball; then it became the perfect handball court.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_5414.jpgIMG_5414The picture of contentment, Nicki loved the heated floors in our Oslo apartment. On our trips back to Chicago, we've been repainting and prepping our home for our return. It's hard to imagine that we'll never get to see Nicki sitting in the windows there again.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_2269.jpgIMG_2269I miss having to extract him from the kitchen sink before prepping dinner. And moving him out of the way every time I changed the bed linens. He loved jumping beneath the sheets just as I fluffed them over the bed.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_1562-1.jpgIMG_1562 (1)Papa snuggles his baby boy, not so little anymore. Hard to believe Nick was ever the tiny kitten in the above photo ... yep, he liked his meals.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_8944-copy.jpgIMG_8944 copyWe didn't take a lot of photos of him while he was sick; I don't want to remember him so frail and incapacitated. But I am glad that we took this goofy family photo for our Christmas card just a few weeks before he died.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_9812.jpgIMG_9812I needn't have worried about their ability to entertain themselves in our Oslo aerie. Nick and Jess found a way to balance their plump butts on the back of the couch for a view of school windows and treetops across the street. Kids and crows provided ample entertainment.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_8306.jpgIMG_8306Nick, a boy with the sweetest, gentlest soul you could ever imagine. Never a scratch, hiss, bite, or growl out of him, even at his sickest.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_5998.jpgIMG_5998As they got older, you could see their coloring change. Nick had his mom's silver fur and green eyes, while Jess had her dad's gold eyes and white-and-tabby fur.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_5996.jpgIMG_5996https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_75611.jpgIMG_7561Everyone who's ever met Nick (right) and Jess (left) has remarked how good-natured they are. The Norwegian vets who've cared for them the last three years have told us they've never seen such sweet-tempered cats.2025-09-03T13:39:23+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2018/02/03/a-family-christmas/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_5110.jpgIMG_5110You can see how Feskekörka ("fish church") got it's name. Gothenburg's city architect, Victor von Gegerfelt, claimed he was inspired by Norwegian stave churches and stone Gothic churches. Built it 1874, the building served as the city's primary fish auction site until 1910, when the auction was moved to the new fishing harbor, Majnabbe.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_9007.jpgIMG_9007Looking out over the red roofs of Gothenburg (spelled Göteborg in Swedish), you can get an idea of its size. As the sixth largest city in Scandinavia, it has quite a lot to offer in terms of museums, shops, restaurants, and nightlife.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_9041.jpgIMG_9041After a quick shower adjacent to the sauna, we finished off our beers in the bar and enjoyed the view of the Oslo harbor at night. By the way, the interior of the bar is intended to resemble a typical "hytte" (moutain cabin), the kind your grandparents would have built.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/inside-sauna-ras.jpgInside Sauna RASChilly beer in the hot private sauna. Life just doesn't get any better than this.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/sauna-beer-ras.jpgSauna Beer RASFrosty beers get funneled through a little window.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_9044.jpgIMG_9044Yeah, Naustet seems like kind of a stomach-churning name for a bar slash sauna, but in Norwegian the word means "boathouse."https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cod-rack-ras.jpgCod Rack RASPictured is The Arctic Pyramid, where concerts and other public events are held as part of SALT.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_9037.jpgIMG_9037After sledding at Korketrekkeren, check out the comforts that await you inside Frognerseteren's Kafe Seterstua.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_9035.jpgIMG_9035https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_9031.jpgIMG_9031The sled run goes from the Frognerseteren stop to the Midstuen stop, where you board the train with your sled and ride back up to do the whole thing all over again.2025-09-03T13:29:47+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2018/02/02/a-christmas-postcard/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/skating-rink-ras.jpgSkating Rink RAShttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_5785.jpgIMG_5785Every year near the Spikersuppa Julemarked, Roma (gypsies) construct an elaborate miniature castle made of snow. It sounds weird, but I look forward to seeing it each December as a harbinger of the holiday.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_5754.jpgIMG_5754An adorable donkey named Tarzan and a sheep named Spooky populated the manger scene, which was constructed to help raise donations for the city's street mission.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_5748.jpgIMG_5748Nearby to Coke's blinged-out semi trailer, and behind the giant Tiger sculpture, was a little live manger scene. BTW, the tiger sculpture is a reference to Oslo's old nickname, "Tiger Town," which some say refers to the days when country yokels would come to the big city and get preyed on by unscrupulous urbanites.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_8895.jpgIMG_8895The Santa from Atlanta (Coca-Cola's headquarters) is busy peddling the American health drink right next to Oslo's main rail station. Yep, a little tacky, but it was still bizarrely comforting to see something so familiar in the heart of Oslo. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_5524.jpgIMG_5524Another annual tradition is stocking up on real candles for the tree, and a 3- or 5-branched candelabra. Some say the number symbolizes the Trinity, others say it can be used to represent the number of family members or kids in the household. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_8969.jpgIMG_8969How's this for a gorgeous tree yard? It comes complete with a fire cauldron in case you get chilly while shopping for your Christmas tree. Norway has the most incredible selection of live trees I've ever seen. Every year we've bought a different kind, just to try them all. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_5809.jpgIMG_5809It seems like every store window is filled with a million different versions of Jul Kalenderlys (Christmas calendar lights). These help with the countdown to "The Big Day," which is the 24th in Norway. Everyone opens their presents and has their fancy meal on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day (the 25th) is reserved for relaxing and having a leisurely brunch with family.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_5793.jpgIMG_5793Note the simple green wreaths and the Julenek (Christmas sheaves of wheat). Look closely, and you'll see that the Juleneks are serving their purpose -- feeding the birds. Tradition says that on Christmas Eve at midnight, sparrows will dance in a circle beneath the Julenek.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_5399.jpgIMG_5399I can't get enough of these gorgeous wreaths made from real moss, reindeer lichen, boxwood, birchbark, and pine boughs. No disco-ball glitter crap here.2025-09-03T13:20:41+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2017/07/06/hiking-to-haslumseter-stumbling-upon-snakes/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/skolebrod.pngSkolebrodSkolebrød or Skoleboller ("school buns") got their name because they were offered as a part of school lunches and sold at bake sales. Nothing like trying to teach kids who're riding on a sugar high.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/img_5623.jpgIMG_5623https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/img_5665.jpgIMG_5665Here you can see the original snake squirming out of his hidey hole. No idea how you avoid stepping on and startling this guy when he's tucked in the entrance. Supposedly they're only deadly to pets, small children, and the elderly and sick. That's comforting, isn't it?https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/img_5687.jpgIMG_5687Here you can see the more traditional color of a black adder. The yellower bottom one is probably a female, and the top grayer one is likely a male. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/img_5676.jpgIMG_5676The first viper we spied was a melanistic one, meaning it lacks the genes for the lighter coloring that is typical in the species. It's commonly called a "black adder." And no, it's not a reference to an early role played by Rowan Atkinson of Mr. Bean fame.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/img_5678.jpgIMG_5678Supposedly a Medieval stave church once stood on this spot centuries ago.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/img_5677.jpgIMG_5677You can see fronts steps of the chapel, which harbor the literal den of vipers. Wonder if the congregation knows they have a plague of biblical proportions living under their front stoop?https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/img_5659.jpgIMG_5659Haslumseter Kapell was designed by Magnus Poulsson, whose chapels are often called "forest cathedrals." https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/img_5645.jpgIMG_5645A breathtaking view from the front yard of Brunkollen.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/img_5650.jpgIMG_5650I think I could probably live here year 'round, despite the lack of central heating...unless you count the fireplace.2025-09-03T13:19:09+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2017/06/29/whalers-vikings-stone-circles-and-porcelain/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/img_0268.jpgIMG_0268Archaeologists found a grave in the center of each of the two largest stone circles, one which also contained a whetstone for sharpening iron blades.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/wikipedia-aerial-istrehacc8agan.pngWikipedia aerial IstrehåganHere's a 1973 aerial photo showing the basic layout of the two stone ship graves and three stone circles at Istrehågan. Photo from Widerøe / Vestfold Museums.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/img_5567.jpgIMG_5567https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/img_5553.jpgIMG_5553Check out the largest of the ship-shaped graves. Might give Stonehenge a run for its money just for the cool Viking ambience.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/elgesem-runestone.pngElgesem RunestoneThe Elgesem Runestone dates to around 400 A.D. It's about 5.5 feet tall (172 cm) by 3 feet tall (90 cm) by 18 wide by 7 inches (18cm) thick, and it now resides at the Viking Ship's Museum in Oslo.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/img_0259.jpgIMG_0259It's thought the field originally contained 20 to 30 burial mounds, but only eight remain today. Artifacts recovered during excavations tell us that the mounds were used from 500 B.C. to 1000 A.D. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/img_0253.jpgIMG_0253As you can see, the modern world has closely encroached on the Elgesem gravesite. Only 21 of the original 38 stones survive intact today. The ship formation measures roughly 31 feet long by 23 feed wide (40 m x 7 meters) and is oriented on an east - west axis. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/img_5531.jpgIMG_5531See how the glacier scoured the rock smooth, revealing the folds of lava that lay within it.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/img_0235-1.jpgIMG_0235 (1)https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/img_0232.jpgIMG_0232Note the crowd of folks walking along the North Sea Trail, which stretches along the shore here and runs more than 3,100 miles (5,000 km) along the coastlines of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, England, and Scotland.2025-09-03T13:14:19+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2017/10/29/the-reindeer-migration/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/kvalsundet-swim.pngKvalsundet Swimhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_2151.jpgIMG_2151Just imagine what your beat would be like as a snowmobile-riding policeman in northern Norway.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_2164.jpgIMG_2164Herder Aslak Ante tossed out lichen behind his snowmobile as he traced the pattern of a heart pierced by the letter R in the snow. And the hungry reindeer came a runnin'....https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_2162.jpgIMG_2162Aslak Ante's wife Ravdna and their shades-sporting baby look on as the reindeer pay their tribute.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_2165.jpgIMG_2165To get his reindeer to form a heart pierced by the letter "R" for his wife Ravdna, herder Aslak tossed out lichen behind his snowmobile as he traced the pattern in the snow. The hungry reindeer came a runnin' and bhavehttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_2181.jpgIMG_2181Small scraps of tundra peek through the ice, exposed by hungrily foraging deer. Their snuffling noises, the crunch of snow, and the gusts of wind are the only noises to be heard.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/line-drawing.pngLine DrawingLooking at the single-file march of the herd as they cross the snow reminds me of cave paintings done by hopeful hunters long ago.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/herder-solitude.pngHerder SolitudeThe 260-kilometer (161.5-mile) cattle drive usually takes anywhere from six to nine days -- lots of time for a herder to be alone with his thoughts ... and about a thousand head of reindeer.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/national-knitting-eve.pngNational Knitting EveThe admirable goal for "National Knitting Eve" was to break Australia's world record by producing a sweater "from sheep's back to human back" in less than 4 hours, 51 minutes and 14 seconds. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/inside-lavvu.jpgInside Lavvu2025-09-03T13:04:04+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2017/04/16/an-easter-postcard-from-oslo/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_0360.jpgIMG_0360https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_9968.jpgIMG_9968To get ready for Påskekrim, Oslo hosts a Krim Festivalen every year in March. Gotta stock up before that holiday trip to your hytte (mountain hut/cabin.)https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_9913.jpgIMG_9913For something a bit more danceable and uplifting, how 'bout some hardcore punk rock? https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_0371.jpgIMG_0371Ahh, you know its spring when Death Metal season starts, and concert posters get slapped on every lamppost in Oslo. Death Metal is traditionally Scandinavian. According to Jim Davis of Quora.com, the so-called "growl" or death-growl in the music is often attributed to Viking cultures. When a 10th century Arab merchant visited Denmark, he commented upon their music: "Never before have I heard uglier songs than those of the Vikings in Slesvig. The growling sound coming from their throats reminds me of dogs howling, only more untamed."https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_0369.jpgIMG_0369Oh, man! Can't wait to hear "Carcass," "Whoredom Rife," and "Diabolus Incarnate." Dude, we totally gotta go!https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_0372.jpgIMG_0372So I've been educated that Norway actually specializes in Black Metal, not Death Metal. The difference? According to MetalCrypt.com: "Black Metal has high pitched shrieking and Death Metal has deep growling. On a musical level, Death Metal is far more chromatic, including tri-tones and flattened seconds to produce heavy riffs. Whereas Black Metal uses a lot of diminished chords and tremolo-picking arpeggios. And I guess lyrically, Black Metal sings about Satan, forests and more forests."https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_0362.jpgIMG_0362Gorgeous Easter pastries from Sebastien Bruno. (They're two French guys who started a chocolate-making business in Norway -- and even after trying lots of incredible chocolate in Belgium, Switzerland, and France, I'm still convinced SB ranks top of the pinnacle.)https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_0361.jpgIMG_0361When you crack open these beauties, a bunch of smaller chocolates come tumbling out.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_0024.jpgIMG_0024Baker Hansen makes the bestest, cutest Marzipan ever! Chocolate-covered marzipan eggs, and choco-dipped bunnies and ducks in top hats.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_0359.jpgIMG_0359Sebastien Bruno makes the most amazing Easter chocolates! I'm still confused about the Disney Minion / Avenger cross breeds, though.2025-09-03T12:56:47+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2017/04/14/louis-armstrong-in-norway/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_5013.jpgIMG_5013Nope, this isn't the inside of my fridge -- it ice crystals coating the ground (note the footprint.)https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_5088.jpgIMG_5088Yep, we hiked out in total darkness, using our headlamps and the ski-trail floodlights to see our way home.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_5080.jpgIMG_5080Some of Pål Anders's trophies are from the Africa Eco-Race. It's a cross-country rally that covers more than 6,500 km (4,000 miles) over 11 stages in two weeks. The race crosses the territories of Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, and Senegal.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_5078-1.jpgIMG_5078 (1)Check out the storybook charm of Ullevålseter's interior, complete with motorcycling trophies stacked up along the rafters.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_5078.jpgIMG_5078https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_5075.jpgIMG_5075Ullevålseter hosts a ski jumping weekend, with hotshot jumpers, trainers, music, and more. The image is of Otto Reider Ullevålseter taking his longest ski jump back in 1954.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_5081.jpgIMG_5081A moose stands guard over more trophies.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/screen-shot-2017-04-14-at-1-26-40-pm.pngScreen Shot 2017-04-14 at 1.26.40 PMA poster advertises the charity race organized by Gerd's son, Pal-Anders, a champion cross-country motorcyclist.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_5086.jpgIMG_5086Gerd Ullevålseter today, at the counter of her café.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/screen-shot-2017-04-14-at-1-43-47-pm.jpgScreen Shot 2017-04-14 at 1.43.47 PMSatchmo poses with one of the littlest skiers.2025-09-03T12:55:10+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2017/02/02/the-christmas-crunch/2025-09-03T12:48:08+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2017/01/06/a-hadeland-holiday/2025-09-03T12:40:35+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/12/15/dining-at-dyna-fyr-lighthouse/2025-09-03T12:31:23+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/12/13/autumn-in-the-ostmarka/2025-09-03T12:26:22+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/12/07/oscarsborg-fortress/2025-09-03T12:19:20+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/11/08/norways-oscar-bid/2025-09-03T12:18:41+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/11/02/the-oslo-boat-show-norwegian-food-fest/2025-09-03T12:06:31+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/10/25/ullevalseter-summer-hike/2025-09-03T08:47:08+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/09/02/american-independence-day-2016/2025-09-03T08:41:18+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/09/02/kayaking-in-the-oslo-fjord/2025-09-03T08:35:20+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/09/01/biking-along-oslos-fjord/2025-09-03T08:27:13+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/08/12/bokbacka-restaurant/2025-09-03T08:20:52+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/08/01/norways-national-day-2016/2025-09-03T08:12:26+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/05/29/easter-in-oslo/2025-09-02T20:58:36+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/04/28/skiing-to-ullevalseter/2025-09-02T17:14:47+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/04/28/the-winter-that-almost-wasnt/2025-09-02T17:09:11+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/03/28/king-haralds-25th-anniversary/2025-09-02T17:03:34+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/01/26/christmas-traditions/2025-09-02T16:57:34+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/01/26/christmas-at-the-castle/2025-09-02T16:51:14+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/12/23/santa-lucia-day/2025-09-02T16:45:25+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/12/22/norwegian-folk-museum-julemarked/2025-09-02T16:40:08+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/12/21/2015-nobel-peace-prize/2025-09-02T16:34:19+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/12/19/spirits-of-the-season/2025-09-02T16:26:01+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/12/17/the-marine-corps-ball/2025-09-02T14:29:27+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/12/17/thanksgiving-abroad/2025-09-02T14:24:46+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/12/15/tryvann-trek/2025-09-02T14:22:49+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/12/15/our-hytte-cabin/2025-09-02T14:19:16+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/10/17/the-codfather/2025-09-02T14:14:02+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/10/13/oslos-islands/2025-09-02T14:10:25+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/10/13/oslo-city-hall/2025-09-02T14:04:06+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/09/05/business-class-flight/2025-09-02T14:00:06+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/09/05/midsummers-day/2025-09-02T13:55:41+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/09/05/american-independence-day/2025-09-02T13:47:52+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/08/30/culture-shock/2025-09-02T12:25:50+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/08/30/moth-invasion/2025-09-02T12:14:45+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/08/24/cruising-to-bergen/2025-09-02T12:07:56+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/08/18/stegastein-stave-churches/2025-09-02T12:02:37+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/08/18/vetlahelvete-cave/2025-09-02T11:57:17+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/08/18/norway-in-a-nutshell/2025-09-02T11:52:17+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/08/05/clouds-flowers-birds/2025-09-02T11:46:06+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/08/05/happy-birthday-hash-hike/2025-09-02T11:42:42+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/07/01/spring-strolls-flea-markets/2025-09-02T11:38:09+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/06/10/norwegians-fitness-fanatics/2025-09-02T11:32:15+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/05/24/oslo-fashion/2025-09-02T11:25:42+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/05/07/last-day-in-tromso/2025-09-02T11:18:17+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/05/07/tromsos-northern-lights/2025-09-02T11:12:27+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/04/30/tromso-by-night/2025-09-02T11:02:59+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/04/21/tromso-santas-homeland/2025-09-02T10:51:05+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/04/16/valentines-day/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/img_0991.jpgIMG_0991https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/holmenkolen-dunklee.jpgHolmenkolen DunkleeSusan Dunklee (US Biathlon) racing to 11th in Thursday’s 15 k individual at the IBU World Cup in Oslo, Norway. (Photo: USBA/NordicFocus)https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/holmenkollen-spa-shot.jpgHolmenkollen spa shothttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/img_5146.jpgIMG_5146https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/img_5496.jpgIMG_5496https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/img_5492.jpgIMG_5492https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/img_5493.jpgIMG_5493https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/img_5490.jpgIMG_5490https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/img_5489.jpgIMG_54892025-09-02T10:44:47+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/04/16/ekeberg-parken/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/screen-shot-2015-04-18-at-6-50-29-pm1.pngScreen Shot 2015-04-18 at 6.50.29 PMAn homage to "The Scream" by performance artist Marina Abramović.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/img_0899.jpgIMG_0899https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/img_0929.jpgIMG_0929Cool stove-pipe oven.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/img_0926.jpgIMG_0926Gorgeous entry chandelier.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/img_0921.jpgIMG_0921Karlsborg Restauranthttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/img_24321.jpgIMG_2432https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/skyscape.pngSkyscapehttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/img_2448.jpgIMG_2448The fabulous view of Oslo's fjord from the porch.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ekeberg-park.pngEkeberg Parkhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/img_2434.jpgIMG_24342025-09-02T10:41:16+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/03/30/snow-ice-and-darkness/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_5512.jpgIMG_5512https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_5502.jpgIMG_5502Reflectors to express your inner Viking.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_8245.jpgIMG_8245Fluorescent ducks in a row.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_2198.jpgIMG_2198High Noon2025-09-02T10:36:08+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/02/18/a-walk-in-the-park/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7558.jpgIMG_7558The View from Frognerseteren Restauranthttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7677.jpgIMG_7677https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7565.jpgIMG_7565Frognerseteren Restauranthttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7553.jpgIMG_7553https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7549.jpgIMG_7549Dragon Lady on a Dragon-style Chairhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7674.jpgIMG_7674https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7669.jpgIMG_7669https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7532.jpgIMG_7532Hoary Frosthttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7498.jpgIMG_74982025-09-02T10:32:53+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/02/18/sledding-on-christmas-day/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_5430.jpgIMG_5430View from the T-banehttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_5454.jpgIMG_5454Steep Slopehttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_2287.jpgIMG_2287Crazy Sleddershttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_5429.jpgIMG_5429https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_5431.jpgIMG_5431https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_5442.jpgIMG_5442Renting the Sledhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_2292.jpgIMG_2292Into the Sunsethttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_2293.jpgIMG_2293Survivors2025-09-02T10:30:02+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/02/18/christmas-eve/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7709.jpgIMG_7709German Smokerhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_74711.jpgIMG_7471Pickled Herring & Caraway-drizzled Roasted Veggieshttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7468.jpgIMG_7468https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7765.jpgIMG_7765Marzipan Pighttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_5421.jpgIMG_5421https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7714.jpgIMG_7714German Crèche Sethttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7491.jpgIMG_7491Note the Nisse Sweaterhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7487.jpgIMG_7487https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7466.jpgIMG_7466https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7467.jpgIMG_7467Pepperkaker2025-09-02T10:27:27+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/02/16/of-holiday-festivities-hobbits/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/skating-3.pngSkating 3https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/skating-2.pngSkating 2https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_4018.jpgIMG_4018https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/skating.pngSkatinghttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_2203.jpgIMG_2203https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_2202.jpgIMG_2202https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_4178.jpgIMG_4178https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_2231.jpgIMG_2231https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_2235.jpgIMG_22352025-09-02T10:23:52+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/02/16/the-nobel-peace-prize/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_4283.jpgIMG_4283https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_4303.jpgIMG_4303https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_2218.jpgIMG_2218https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_2208.jpgIMG_2208https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_4288.jpgIMG_4288https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_4302.jpgIMG_43022025-09-02T10:20:21+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/02/16/signs-of-the-season/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_40001.jpgIMG_4000Moss Wreathshttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_4003.jpgIMG_4003Mistletoe Cratehttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/photo-40.jpgphoto (40)https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_2224.jpgIMG_2224https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7690.jpgIMG_7690Julebrød (Christmas Bread). It's a kind of raisin bread.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_4133.jpgIMG_4133Julenekhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_41111.jpgIMG_411112th-century Stave Churchhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_4213.jpgIMG_4213https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_4211.jpgIMG_4211Julenisse at the Fairhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_4170.jpgIMG_41702025-09-02T10:17:33+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/02/13/around-town/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_5393.jpgIMG_5393https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7759.jpgIMG_7759Pretty fancy-schmancy décor for a McDonald's.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7760.jpgIMG_7760https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7764.jpgIMG_7764https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/photo-39.jpgphoto (39)2025-09-02T10:07:38+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/02/12/hop-on-the-ikea-bussen/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_5484.jpgIMG_5484https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7742.jpgIMG_7742Fancy new guest bedroom.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/photo-30.jpgphoto (30)https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_5475.jpgIMG_5475The Trikk2025-09-02T10:02:02+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/02/13/the-move-round-ii/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_2191.jpgIMG_2191https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_2190.jpgIMG_2190https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_22831.jpgIMG_2283https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_2283.jpgIMG_22832025-09-02T09:57:21+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/11/14/trumps-election/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/the-chicagoist.pngthe-chicagoistThe Chicagoist reported on more than 200 recent hate crimes spurred by Trump's win, including this graffiti sprayed on the walls of an Episcopal church. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/img_7632.jpgimg_7632The Daily Newspaper headline reads: "What do you {Trump} want? What will it mean for Norway, NATO and Europe's populists? HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/img_7631.jpgimg_7631The Class Struggle says: "*The US's choice * The US is deeply divided * The election shocks the world. Oct. support in dealing secured Donald Trump's victory. Now the world anxiously awaits what the new U.S. will do. The choice could have major consequences for Norwegian defense policy."https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/img_7629.jpgimg_7629The Day's Magazine says it all regarding Europe's reaction to the election.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/img_7628.jpgimg_7628The Daily Industry Life quotes Barbara Scis, a 58-year-old Trump supporter on disability aid: "The more shit he got, the more we loved him." The tagline of "Your Hired" is followed by "It came as a shock to the experts, and stock exchanges crashed after a few hours."https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/screen-shot-2016-11-14-at-9-46-23-pm.pngscreen-shot-2016-11-14-at-9-46-23-pmEuropean are not big fans of Bush, both for environmental reasons and due to his culpability in the financial debacles that caused the 2008 recession. Incidentally the 2000 election was the first in 112 years in which the eventual president didn't actually win the popular vote.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/img_7627.jpgimg_7627Norway's Aftenposten Newspaper headline reads: "We're afraid now. We have every reason, when the world goes crazy."https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/screen-shot-2016-11-14-at-5-34-55-pm.pngscreen-shot-2016-11-14-at-5-34-55-pm2025-09-02T09:35:38+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2020/04/08/coronavirus-in-norway-chicago/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/chicago-tribune-covid-spread.pngChicago Tribune COVID SpreadIf you don't understand why staying at home and wearing protective gear when you go out is important, check out this Chicago Tribune article. Over four days, one Chicagoan experiencing mild symptoms of what he though was a cold managed to infect 16 people, three of whom died. Photo: (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/news-thump-insurance.pngNews Thump InsuranceYou can see in this NewsThump article that Britain finds the U.S. insurance system barbaric. It's clear Brits are thankful right now that their taxes provide nationalized healthcare. NewsThump is the British version of our American The Onion, a satirical magazine that pokes fun at daily absurdities. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/washington-post-interactive.pngWashington Post InteractiveThis article and interactive map by the Washington Post allows Americans to determine by zip code whether they may experience shortages of hospital beds, ICU beds, and ventilators in their areas. It's worth the price of the subscription to stay well informed. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/screen-shot-2020-04-06-at-16.32.49.pngScreen Shot 2020-04-06 at 16.32.49https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/mccormack-place.pngMcCormack PlaceGovernor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot have been able to achieve the unimaginable -- converting McCormack Place Convention Center into a temporary hospital that will be able to care for 3,000 COVID patients. The work is being done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago Division, and Walsh Construction, the company that Matthew works for.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/covid-ins.-cost.pngCOVID ins. costCheck out this Modern Healthcare article explaining out the current coronavirus situation can result in a price war between labs and insurance companies, a conundrum introduced by the new Coronavirus Stimulus Package. It essentially leaves insurancehttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/florida-spring-break.pngFlorida spring breakWe've all seen the videos of American teens on spring break partying along Florida's beaches during the COVID outbreak. But the numbers are now rolling in, and many are getting sick and even dying from the disease. Read this chilling account.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/us-underdeveloped-nation.pngUS Underdeveloped NationIt might come as a shock to many Americans that the U.S. would be considered a country with "poorly developed health services and infrastructure." To learn more about why other countries including Norway view the U.S. this way, check out this article describing coronavirus testing procedures.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/king-harald.pngKing HaraldJust so we're all clear on Norway's governmental structure, Norway is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system based on social democracy. While King Harald V is the Head of State, his role is primarily representative and ceremonial. The Prime Minister is the head of government.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/washington-post-article.pngWashington Post ArticleCheck out this Washington Post article for a sobering review of what the federal government's delay in responding seriously to the virus has cost the American public.2025-09-02T09:26:57+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2018/03/19/2017-nobel-peace-prize/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/img_5639.jpgIMG_5639Setsuko Thurlow and Beatrice Fihn wave from the balcony of Oslo's Grand Hotel.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/img_5597.jpgIMG_5597It's doctors, nurses, and rescue workers who have to care for the dying and clean up the mess after a nuclear attack. Unfortunately, nuclear bombs are typically aimed an urban centers, usually annihilate the most advanced medical facilities.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/img_8847.jpgIMG_8847The huge crowd processes down Karl Johan's Gate, the main shopping street in Oslo and the traditional route for the Nobel Peace Prize processional.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/putin-nuke-demo.jpgPutin Nuke DemoThen in February, Trump threatened via another schoolboy Tweet that if Russia didn't stop modernizing its nuclear force, "we’re going to be so far ahead of everybody else in nuclear like you’ve never seen before." Not to be outdone, Putin then upped the ante by bragging about new "invincible" cruise missiles with unlimited range, and then demonstrated their capability in a video showing a nuclear attack on Florida, Trump's favorite playpen. And the playground antics continue as the nuclear arms race gains speed. If this childish grandstanding doesn't stop, someone's going to get hurt, and it will be us, the innocent bystanders. Photo clip from CNN.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/nagasaki.jpgNagasakiThe mushroom cloud over Nagasaki as photographed by Charles Levy from one of the B-29 Superfortresses used in the attack. The necessity of the bomb is hotly debated by historians (click on the photo for more details). But as author Martin J. Sherwin notes, by dropping it, "the United States signaled to the world that it considered nuclear weapons to be legitimate weapons of war." And that's a responsibilty we now have to live with ... or die with.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/setsuko-thurlow.jpgSetsuko ThurlowThose who who survived the atom bombs, like Setsuko Nakamura Thurlow, became one of the Hibakusha ("the explosion-affected people"). They were often shunned and unable to marry or get jobs because no one wanted to employ or bear children with someone who might eventually die of radiation poisoning or cancer, or pass on genetic mutations to their children.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/japan-bomb-victims.jpgJapan Bomb VictimsIf you haven't seen any footage from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, check out this video. It's not the one I saw as a child, but it's still quite graphic, so be prepared.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/screen-shot-2018-03-16-at-6-43-29-pm.pngScreen Shot 2018-03-16 at 6.43.29 PMICAN spokesperson Setsuko Thurlow and ICAN Director Beatrice Fihne receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo City Hall. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/nuclear-games.jpgNuclear GamesDo we really want world leaders who argue over who has the most firepower and toy with nuclear bombs like unruly boys on the playground? https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/img_6631.jpgIMG_6631In response to Kim Jong-un's New Year's Day speech claiming that "the Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times," Trump taunted his rival about the size of his ... nuclear arsenal. He tweeted the equivalent of a nose-thumb, bragging that "I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his!" I'm just waiting for the boys to unzip their flies and pull out a ruler. A phallic competition would be a helluva lot less dangerous than competing over nuclear capabilities.2025-09-02T09:24:08+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/04/04/norwegian-resistance/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/img_8733.jpgIMG_8733https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/hydro-ferry.pngHydro FerryThe SF Hydro Ferry at Mael in 1925, later destined to carry the heavy-water supply from the plant.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/king-haakon-and-saboteurs.pngKing Haakon and saboteursPictured here are several of the successful saboteurs with King Haakon at the premier of the film, "The Heavy Water War" in 1948.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/heroes-of-telemark-hollywood.pngHeroes of Telemark HollywoodHollywood produced its own highly fictionalized adaptation of the sabotage story in 1966. Featuring Kirk Douglas, the movie still ranks as one of the top WWII films.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/real-heroes-of-telemark.pngReal Heroes of TelemarkA shot from the BBC production "The Real Heroes of Telemark" shows harsh conditions on the Hardanger plateau and reenacts the survival skills practiced by the Norwegian commandos.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/norsk-hydro.pngNorsk HydroThe Hydrogen facility at the Norsk Hydroelectric plant seen here manufactured heavy water (D2O, also known as Deuterium. Unlike regular water (H2O), D20 (which can also be written as 2H2O) has a hydrogen atom with one proton and one electron, which makes it useful in producing so-called hydrogen bombs (thermonuclear bombs).https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/img_8751.jpgIMG_8751Posters like these fostered fear of the Russians, ensuring that Germany and Norway could win against the common foe. Don't you just love the Viking ship in the background subtly implying that they're continuing a common ancestral tradition? https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/img_8752.jpgIMG_8752Despite propaganda like this ad for the Nasjonal Samling women's organization, less than 2% of Norwegians joined Quisling's fascist and eventually Nazi party.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/quisling.pngQuislingVidkun Quisling was executed for treason at the end of WWII. His name is still synonymous with "traitor" in Norway, like the name of Benedict Arnold is in the U.S.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/sinking-of-blucher.pngSinking of BlucherOn April 9, 1940, Germany launched Operation Weserübung, a surprise dawn attack on Oslo and other Norwegian harbors. The tiny Norwegian armed forces managed to take out the German cruiser Blücher and deter Nazi operations long enough to win the king and government time to escape.2025-09-02T09:19:28+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/08/18/glacier-hiking/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/hungry-lamb.pngHungry LambThese little guys almost knocked us over in an effort to get all the milk out of their bottles.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/img_2336.jpgIMG_2336Getting closer to the glacier.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/img_2344.jpgIMG_2344Yeah, we're professionals.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/img_2348.jpgIMG_2348Ice axes come in handy as canes when your legs are about to give out.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/img_9738.jpgIMG_9738https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/img_9741.jpgIMG_9741Folks can also kayak on the lake.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/eplet-bed-apple.pngEplet Bed & Applehttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/img_2285.jpgIMG_2285https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/img_2283.jpgIMG_2283Little lambs.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/img_2279.jpgIMG_2279A boat house and dock in Solvorn.2025-09-02T09:14:19+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2017/11/13/the-borre-viking-mounds-mead-hall-more/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/img_6913.jpgIMG_6913https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/img_7007.jpgIMG_7007Yet another slimy friend, this one brought along his own house. He's the kind you can eat, by the way -- the Burgundy Snail (Helix pomatia) used in the French dish of escargot. He's so cute, I feel bad about having eaten buckets of his relatives during our travels through France.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/img_2721.jpgIMG_2721How's this for a beautiful day after a seriously rainy weekend?https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/img_2725.jpgIMG_2725In the distance, you can see one of the ferries traveling from Moss to Horten on the opposite side of the Oslo fjord.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/img_2736.jpgIMG_2736Jeløya is known for its unusual plant life. I love how nature paints its own artistic pictures with lichen and wildflowers.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/img_7021.jpgIMG_7021In truth, Jeløya was once a peninsula, not an island. But in 1855, the 65-foot (20-meter) wide Moss Canal severed the low isthmus, permanently separating the promontory’s link to the mainland (although a bridge still connects the two.)https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/img_5266.jpgIMG_5266At home, our piece by Stian Borgen awaits a hook strong enough to support it, but I still think it looks awesome even sitting on the floor. His work has that same playful graffiti feel similar to Jean-Michele Basquiat's.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/img_2711.jpgIMG_2711While we were visiting, Galleri Røed had a wonderful exhibition of works by textile artist Grete Riseng. Really stunning pieces, but a little too big for our tiny place and limited wall space, and a bit too dear for our pocketbook.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/img_2710.jpgIMG_2710Looking out the gallery windows gave us a view across the working part of the farm.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/img_6997.jpgIMG_6997Roed gård acts a combined Arts and Cultural Center. The main house (left) was build in 1723.2025-09-02T09:05:32+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/03/30/being-illiterate/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_2618.jpgIMG_2618Norwegians love their candy. The movie theater has about four of these giant racks.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_2616.jpgIMG_2616Giant vending machines of popcorn and pork rinds.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_2611.jpgIMG_2611https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/iphone.pngiPhonehttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_5505.jpgIMG_5505https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_2047.jpgIMG_2047https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_1858.jpgIMG_1858https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_2538.jpgIMG_2538https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/aass-beer.jpgAass beerhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_1535.jpgIMG_15352025-09-02T08:39:58+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/08/05/national-day/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_1506.jpgIMG_1506This guy wins the sartorial prize.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_1476.jpgIMG_1476Even the statues get dressed up.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_1384.jpgIMG_1384This guy's so happy to be Norwegian.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_1322.jpgIMG_1322Hurrah, Norway!https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_1295.jpgIMG_1295Girls weren't allowed to join the parades until 1899.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_1275.jpgIMG_1275Happy National Day!https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_1670.jpgIMG_1670King Harald V and the royal family wave from the balcony.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_1268.jpgIMG_1268It's just a little crowded along the parade route.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_1215.jpgIMG_1215Today, everybody's Norwegian!https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/screen-shot-2015-08-01-at-12-46-43-am.pngScreen Shot 2015-08-01 at 12.46.43 AMA band marches down our street to join the parade.2025-09-02T08:37:11+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/11/16/driving-lessons/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/img_6796.jpgIMG_6796https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/img_6808.jpgIMG_6808https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/img_31381.jpgIMG_3138https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/img_3138.jpgIMG_3138https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/img_3136.jpgIMG_3136https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/img_0984.jpgIMG_0984https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/img_31091.jpgIMG_3109https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/img_3134.jpgIMG_3134https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/img_3130.jpgIMG_3130https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/img_3103.jpgIMG_3103Here, the magical protective forcefield of the little white lines has been broken by a fresh patch of asphalt. To the literal Norwegian driving the car, this apparently reads as a "get-get-out-of-jail-free" card, because he blew the crossing seconds after I took the photo and nearly ran down the approaching pedestrians. I've seen this happen multiple times since roadwork erased the center of the crossing.2025-09-02T07:23:44+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/02/11/grocery-shopping-101/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_5473.jpgIMG_5473Tranlation: herb mix, tarragon, cummin, cinnamon, gingerhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7749.jpgIMG_7749Tiny grocery stores make ample use of every space.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7746.jpgIMG_7746The top row is all lettuces.2025-09-02T07:10:27+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/events/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/img_1322.jpgIMG_1322National Day (May 17th) is not to be missed. Although everything is closed, you've never experienced a better street party.2025-09-02T07:03:11+00:00weekly0.6https://anewbieinnorway.com/other-countries/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/img_2925.jpgIMG_2925My mom enjoys her first trip to Europe during our Girl's Weekend in Paris this past September.2025-09-01T20:44:43+00:00weekly0.6https://anewbieinnorway.com/the-great-outdoors/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/img_2344.jpgIMG_2344Yeah, my sister and I look tough here, don't we? But it was our first time glacier hiking, and it's totally worth the exhaustion and the extra drive time into inner Norway.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/img_2527.jpgIMG_2527The view of the Brekkedal Valley from the rear terrace at the Stalheim Hotel. It's one of the most spectacular fjord views in Norway. 2025-09-01T20:41:09+00:00weekly0.6https://anewbieinnorway.com/around-town/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/img_7561.jpgIMG_7561One of our must-see spots for visitors is Frognerseteren Restaurant that sits on the mountainside above Oslo. Read more about it in "A Walk at Sognsvann."2025-09-01T20:36:58+00:00weekly0.6https://anewbieinnorway.com/about/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_22992.jpgimg_2299https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ks-work-1_2.jpgKS Work 1 copyThe Field Museum in Chicago has been one of my clients for many years. Behind me is my buddy “Sue” the T-rex — I developed her website and helped create the exhibit “Sue: The Inside Story” revealing what scientists have learned about her brain.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ks-work-1_2_2.jpgKS Work 1_2_2The Field Museum in Chicago has been one of my clients for many years. Behind me is my buddy "Sue" the T-rex -- I developed her website and helped create the exhibit "Sue: The Inside Story" revealing what scientists have learned about her brain.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_2124.jpgIMG_2124https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_1672.jpgIMG_16722025-09-01T20:35:51+00:00weekly0.6https://anewbieinnorway.com/home/2025-09-01T20:32:13+00:00weekly0.6https://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/02/10/hello-world/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7737.jpgIMG_7737Terrace (with my fresh plantings.)https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7731.jpgIMG_7731Note fireplace on left -- Pizza oven, anyone?https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7744.jpgIMG_7744Alpine Modernehttps://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_7747.jpgIMG_7747Our lovely Victorian lady.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_2107.jpgIMG_2107Entry foyer -- love the floors!https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_2111.jpgIMG_2111Wonky stairs.2025-09-01T20:25:45+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/05/05/tromso-dogsledding-day/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/img_7979.jpgIMG_7979Fjord village.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/img_7977.jpgIMG_7977Morning view.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/img_7968.jpgIMG_7968More picturesque countryside.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/img_7987.jpgIMG_7987Snowfall & Sledding2025-09-01T20:04:56+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/06/30/viking-ships/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/img_4233.jpgIMG_4233The skeleton of the Gokstad chieftain tells us that he was around six feet tall (183 cm), suffered from a long childhood illness, and died at about age 40. Marks in his skull indicate that he may also have had a pituitary problem, such as a benign tumor, which caused him to have heavy muscle attachments, big feet and hands, and coarse facial features including a bulbous nose and protruding chin. In other words, he was quite a bruiser. But despite his brutishness, he apparently wasn't strong enough to fend off the attack that ended his life. Marks on his skeleton show that he was set upon by two or more adversaries, who sliced open his left knee, stabbed his right thigh, and severed the bone in his right calf in half. (Aiming for the legs of a shield-toting warrior was standard procedure back then.) The injuries show no signs of healing, meaning the Gokstad chieftan died shortly after being wounded. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/img_2458.jpgIMG_2458I tossed in this picture to help you see what a Viking field tent might have looked like. The Gokstad ship had one on board, and the burial chamber itself was intended to be wooden, hard-sided replica of a field tent.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/img_4236.jpgIMG_4236This map shows you where Vikings ventured worldwide. Archaeologists think that the Gokstad ship may have been capable of sailing as far away as Iceland. In general, Norwegian Vikings headed west to Britain, Iceland, Greenland, and the Americas, while the Danish Vikings focused on Central Europe and the Swedish Vikings concentrated on Russia and points east. In fact, the name "Russia" comes from the Medieval Latin word "Rus," meaning "rowers" or perhaps even "red-haired," in reference to the Swedish Vikings who established the first Russian principality near Kiev. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/img_4400.jpgIMG_4400The Gokstad ship is almost 79 feet (24 meters) long and about 16 feet (5 meters) wide. Its single sail measured 1,184 square feet (110 square meters) and would have made it possible for the ship to reach speeds of 12 knots.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/img_4392.jpgIMG_4392A tablet loom (right) for weaving ribbons like those seen on the left.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/img_4387.jpgIMG_4387A closeup of the cat carvings on the cart.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/img_4363.jpgIMG_4363https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/img_0379.jpgIMG_0379https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/img_0376.jpgIMG_0376The detail of part of the cart's cradle features the heads of slaves.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/img_4058.jpgIMG_4058The Oseberg cart features intricate carvings of cats, symbols of the Viking fertility goddess Freya. 2025-09-01T19:46:30+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/adapting/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/img_9715.jpgIMG_9715Trying to ski like a local.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/img_0253.jpgIMG_0253Some adjustments may seem more foreign than others, but inhabiting another person's shoes for awhile always pays off with greater enjoyment of and empathy for others. (I'm entering a mosque in Turkey here.)2025-09-01T15:44:58+00:00weekly0.6https://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/03/16/cross-country-skiing-for-dummies/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_2347.jpgIMG_2347https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_1110.jpgIMG_1110https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/screen-shot-2015-03-27-at-12-05-30-pm.pngScreen Shot 2015-03-27 at 12.05.30 PMThis handy-dandy ski thermometer makes waxing looks oh-so-simple, doesn't it?https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_5479.jpgIMG_5479A group of teenagers prepare to board the train to Sognsvann, where ski school awaits.2025-09-01T15:01:07+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2016/01/26/a-quiet-christmas/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/img_8300.jpgIMG_8300Lefse is made with the stuffings of a baked potato, mixed with flour, salt, and butter, then cooked in a skillet like a flapjack.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/img_8307.jpgIMG_8307Herring, lefse, caraway-drizzled beets and other root veggies, along with beans and cheesy potato skins.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/img_8321.jpgIMG_8321The Kransekake is decorated with candy and British-style crackers that pop open with a bang to reveal trinkets and jokes (in Norwegian) inside.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/img_7616.jpgIMG_7616Matthew carves the bird.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/img_7620.jpgIMG_7620Cocktails and panna cotta.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/img_7614.jpgIMG_7614Matthew and Kurt prepare to dig in.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/img_7612.jpgIMG_7612The table is set.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/img_8281.jpgIMG_8281Christmas presents beckon.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/img_7624.jpgIMG_7624Lots of stores lay out mats of greenery so that customers carry the scent inside with them.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/img_7622.jpgIMG_7622Hearts are super popular Christmas decorations.2020-11-15T14:32:32+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/norwegian-christmas/2019-04-14T00:19:29+00:00weekly0.6https://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/10/07/paris-and-provence/https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/img_6622.jpgIMG_6622https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/img_6602.jpgIMG_6602https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/img_7144.jpgIMG_7144In "smell," the lady weaves a wreath of flowers while the monkey mimics her.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/img_7143.jpgIMG_7143In "sound," the lady lulls the beast to sleep by playing an organ. Note the beautiful details captured in the folds of her gown and on the carpet beneath her feet.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/img_7139.jpgIMG_7139I love her hairstyle -- called "the egret" for obvious reasons, it involved wrapping braids around the head to form a little tuft above the eyes. https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/img_3383.jpgIMG_3383Who knew violets could be a flavor?https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/img_3310.jpgIMG_3310The famous Coeur de Boeuf (Heart of a Steer) tomato. Eat one of these sweet-yet-meaty monsters, and you'll understand why tomatoes are classified as fruits, not vegetables.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/img_3083.jpgIMG_3083https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/img_7045.jpgIMG_7045Every imaginable spice can be purchased at the market.https://anewbieinnorway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/img_3393.jpgIMG_3393Market days in Provençal towns have been designated since Roman times -- each town takes turns hosting an open-air market once or twice a week. Trolling the stalls filled with unbelievably fresh produce, meats, cheeses, and breads is a highlight of southern France. Here, Matthew contemplates which sausages we'll be eating for lunch.2018-10-18T19:49:04+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/03/30/jantes-law/2024-02-22T23:54:22+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.com/2015/02/16/the-julenek-christmas-sheaf/2015-03-31T10:13:57+00:00monthlyhttps://anewbieinnorway.comdaily1.02025-09-05T10:08:03+00:00