Alt for Norge

Pictures from Bergen

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:18:00 -0400

Lærer, gi meg din hånd

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:14:00 -0400

One more item . . . This is a poem that I saw throughout Norway hanging in the schools. It is very special. It is called "Teacher, give me your hand." It discusses the not so perfect child striving for the respect and kindness of the teacher, even when being the most difficult. I found it very special and wanted to share.

Lærer, gi meg din hånd

av Magnus Midthjell

Gi meg din hånd, lærer!
Jeg er ikke som jeg skulle.
Er ikke som du vil.
Forstyrrer i timene, skravler,
Kommer med kommentarer
til ting du sier.
Er vel litt frekk enkelte ganger.
Du får klage på meg.
Bråk i gangen ved inn- og utmarsj.
De sier jeg slåss i friminuttene.

Doven, jo jeg virker vel slik.
Mye slurv i hjemmearbeidet.
Regneboka er ikke pen,
fettete og stygg
med mange feil.

Jo, jeg leser nok litt lekser,
Men ikke så mye.
Det hjelper så lite.
Jeg får ikke noe inn i hodet.
Du sier jeg må konsentrere meg.
Ikke så lett det, lærer,
Når en ikke er glad,
og når tankene flyr
som fugler over hav
uten kvist å sette fot på.

Stort å være glad, lærer.
Da ville jeg ikke vært slik som jeg er nå
Ikke vær sint på meg lærer.
Jeg mener egentlig ikke
å være vemmelig

Gi meg din hånd, lærer.
En usynlig hånd av kjærlighet.
Jeg venter ikke ros for prøver
eller for orden i skriftlige arbeider.
Men lyset i dine øyne
Det leter jeg etter
det som jeg ser der
når de flinke får sine prøver tilbake.
De med få eller ingen feil.

Gi meg litt vennlighet, lærer
en hånd av kjærlighet
fordi jeg er et menneske
med et hjerte som er tungt
bak en flirende maske.
Gi meg din hånd, lærer,
en utstrakt hånd av kjærlighet.

Velkommen hjem!

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:49:00 -0400

We have arrived in Columbia. The flight back was fairly painless until the JFK to Charlotte leg - which took forever. The Oslo and Helsinki airports really have their customs and check in systems down to a science. There isn't the uncontrolled chaos that seems to fill the busy US airports. Finnair was a terrific airline and I would recommend them to any one - very comfortable and friendly. The suitcases are getting unpacked and the slow acclamation back to reality. I know it was not as hot today as it has been, but wow, it caught us off guard. After being cold for the last two weeks our body chemistry couldn't quite regulate at first. Still feeling tired and looking forward to heading to bed very soon. I am excited to go to work tomorrow and sharing all of the wonders we saw. I will upload the Bergen pictures tomorrow.

As a man at the Oslo airport teased me - we have now seen more of Norway than many Norwegians. It has been in many ways life changing. Thank you so much for following along with me, it has been an amazing adventure I will never forget.

Klem fra Maria!!!

Riding home to Oslo

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:24:00 -0400

We took the overnight train back to Oslo. We stopped at all of the lovely small towns back to Oslo. Voss where they make the yummy water and all of the others. Sadly we did not have time to go up the Flåm. I wish we could have, but I think we saw more of the country than imagined in two weeks.

I wish I could tell you we rested on the train and arrived at the airport refreshed, but I cannot. It train ride was scenic and of course it was bright as dawn all night. In addition, it would be like sleeping on a roller coaster, up and down and through the mountains. Fortunately, Morgan slept. Her powers of sleep are amazing, she has been able to sleep well the entire trip. Simply boggles the mind.

We arrived in Oslo yesterday and began the long trek home.

Fløibanen Funicular

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:52:00 -0400

First of all, I totally forgot to tell you one of the neatest things about the hotel in Bergen was that it is haunted. There are two nice ghosts who live in the oldest part of the hotel. One of them is named Elise. We never met them, but we did look.

There are always those word that sound so funny you have to love them. One of them for me is funicular. For this reason, I have always wanted to ride one. The Fløibanen Funicular in Bergen is one of the world's most famous. We rode to the top of the Fløyen mountain to see the view and we were given so much more. The ride itself, up the funicular was inspiring. The incline was so steep you felt you would fall off. The windows and roof provided a spectacular view. Once we reached the top it was a lovely retreat we did not expect. The views as mentioned earlier were unbelievable. In addition, there was a wonderful restaurant in a beautiful old building with a lovely large veranda, a playground, and numerous hiking trails. We had the best time exploring the trails and playing on the playground. It was a wonderful way to spend a few hours discovering the area.

Later we came back down the mountain and finished exploring Bergen. We walked over to the Akvariet the Bergen Aquarium. The seal show was a lot of fun. Our zoo and the South Carolina aquarium are really so amazing that we were a little underwhelmed. But it was nice to visit.

The city was so pretty, the whole region is lovely. More later!!!!

Bergen

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 04:43:00 -0400

We had one of the best nights sleep in a while last night. This beautiful old building, was comfortable, economical and simply wonderful. If you ever stay in Bergen and want something other than a commercial hotel, I would visit Det Hanseatic Hotel.

We are heading out now to take the funnicular up the mountain. I'll write more tonight.

Klemmer!!!

Bergen - wow!

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 14:43:00 -0400

We had our first rays of sunshine this morning as we cruised down the coast. The colors of the unfolding landscape was simply stunning. Even Morgan remarked that even the rocks are beautiful. I am so grateful that we were blessed with sunshine while here. It is amazing how the colors explode once the sun shines.

The ship pulled into Bergen this afternoon to sunny skies and crystal blue waters. I have to say that Bergen is the most beautiful of Norway's large cities. The rhododendron and lilacs are in full bloom. The brygge (harbor) area is alive with history and beauty. The city is nestled between seven mountains and the neighborhoods scale up along the mountainsides - WOW!!

The hotel we are staying at is the Det Hanseatic Hotel. It is located in the brygge in the Hanseatic buildings. The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities to establish and maintain a trade monopoly along the coast of Northern Europe - Like OPEC today. It stretched from across Europe during the 13th–17th centuries. The Hanseatic cities had their own law system and furnished their own protection and mutual aid. They were political powerhouses in their own right. Bergen was one of the main trade cities for the league and the buildings from the time period are part of the world heritage protection.

The hotel is part of these buildings, and it is beautiful and exactly like I had hoped. The building is from the 17th century built upon the foundation from a 13th century buidling. It is old timbers and lush colors. After the two nights at sea not sleeping I am incredibly excited about sleeping in this wonderful old hotel. We are right on the water and we can hear the sea gulls and water activity. It is so soothing.

Tomorrow we will explore more of Bergen beyond the water front.

Hugs to all!

Sunshine

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 04:53:00 -0400

We finaly have sunny skies!! The irony being that we are pulling into one of the rainier places in Norway. Today the skies are blue and the coast is vibrant. I'll tell you more when we arrive in Bergen. Klemmer fra Maria!!!

Back down the coast

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:12:00 -0400

The only place we have a signal is in the bar and the lounge act is very distracting. 70's light AM rock sung with a "wery" thick Norwegian accent. I am giggling almost too hard to type.

Today we crossed back down over the circle. The landscape is magnificent. The water is so clear and green-blue in places it looks almost tropical. The beautiful shade of green-blue is from the melting glaciers. There are mountains plummeting into the sea with crags and holes created in the ice age - stupendous. As we sail down the coast, small towns appear - each one clutching to the side of the surrounding mountains. Sparse places covered in only in shrub and fir trees, rock in shades of gray and brown filling the landscape. This afternoon and evening it is incredibly rainy and cold. Still the surroundings are beautiful in their desolation.

We have passed under and around the Atlantic road. It really is an engineering marvel. Seeing this long thin suspension bridge connect hundreds of kilometers of islands along this lonely terrain is truly amazing.

My body is finally adjusting to the constant light – just in time for the trip to almost be over. We have been so tired from the lack of sleep and constant running that I think we ran out of steam in time to get onto the ship. The ship ride is refreshing because it is forcing us to be still - though after all the motion from the last week and a half, it is awkward. I feel like we need to be moving or running to catch a train.

The passengers are mostly older retired folks, a large group are your stereotypical tourist, whether from the US or Europe, they are the same – embarrassing – but not unkind. Then you have the travelers and observers - those who are more interested in absorbing the surrounds not just taking and leaving. I hope I am part of the travelers. I have done my best to be a gracious visitor.

We are heading towards the south, fjord country. The Norwegian landscape has been a marvel. Each region has been so very different. I look forward to seeing the fjords. I have heard so much about them and only had small glimpses in Oslo and Trondheim. Our destination on this part of the trip is Bergen. We should arrive Sunday afternoon. Everyone we chat with says, “Hope you have an umbrella”. I laugh, and respond, “Yes, I have two.”

I will post new pictures for you later. Love to all. Klem fra Maria!

Trondheim and Bodø

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:22:00 -0400

Folldall and Lillehammer

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:13:00 -0400

Trondheim to Bodø

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:05:00 -0400

We had a wonderful time in Trondheim. It was the first capitol of Norway and remained such for 200 years. It is still one of the three largest cities behind Oslo and Bergen. The Nidoras port is where Leif Erickson converted to Christianity and headed into the new world. As I mentioned yesterday, it is currently a university town and is some aspects reminded me of Columbia.

We climbed onto an overnight train and headed up across the Arctic circle. We have not seen Santa yet, but we are still looking. :) It is cold and raining today in Bodø with snow on the mountains that surround the old industrial city. Bodø was heavily bombed by the Germans in WWII, so much of the city has been rebuilt over the last 60 years.

I keep looking for the clear blue skies of Norway. I hope the sky will clear enough so we can see the midnight sun tonight. We got a hotel while we were here in Bodø. We really needed some time to catch our breath and a little sleep. We have been going non-stop and it was catching up with us. We've now showered and gotten our second wind. Tonight we will catch the ship to take us back down the coast at 4am. It is almost the same level of sun at noon and midnight so it will be nice to see the city from a different vantage point.

We are really having such a God Tur!!

Tussen takk!!
Maria

Fear and Loathing in a Cathedral Tower

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:16:00 -0400

Well we will be getting on the overnight train tonight. I don't know if I will get to write any so I wanted to catch you up really quickly . . . Morgan and I climbed to the top of Nidoras Catherdral today. It was 180 very dark, dusty, and narrow winding stairs - but once you start you have to go to the top, because there is no way down. We both made it alive!

The view from the top was completely amazing! Trondheim is fabulous, in many ways it is similar to Columbia. It is a university town. I will write more about the city at our next stop. We are now heading across the artic circle. Wish us luck. Klemmer!!!

To Dovre and back again

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:38:00 -0400

I spent Monday in the school in Folldall (pronounced Haldal). It is a very small school but wonderful. Like the school in Gjovik, and I am guessing many others, it is fairy new 3 years or less. Very modern in structure and wiring. All the lighting is motion sensor. The most interestng aspect about Norwegian schools is that the students have the classroom and the teachers go to them. The teachers each have a desk in a common area. The only down side is that the teacher's do not decorate the classroom like they do in the states. On the flip side the rooms are decorated entirely with the student's work.

So I taught 4 classes on Monday 5th - 8th grade. We discussed South Carolina, and the differences in our countries. It was a lot of fun. The students were great. Morgan made a ton of friends as usual.

I also had the pleasure of being a guest at a 3rd grade program. I will upload the video of it later. I also was interviewed by the local newspaper and a magazine. Kind of strange, but flattering.

We then drove out into the extreme wild mountains where there are no people for hundreds of miles. We were searching for reindeer again. Sadly we never found any, but it did snow on us. Kind of crazy that in Mid June it was snowing. If you have read Kristin Larvansdatter we drove along the mountain train she and her father followed in the first book. It was really wonderful.

Finally we drove to Røros last night. I will tell you more about that tomorrow. It is late now and I am getting very tired.

Klemmer!!

Whirlwind

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:10:00 -0400

So much has happened since I last wrote. It will take me a couple of post to catch you up.

I can only write for a few minutes right now; however, I will post as much as possible today. So part one: I told you about part of Lillehammer and the Gjovik region. So beautiful. Also discovered Saturday that I had no warm saocks and my feet were freezing. So Sunday morning I needed to buy some socks. In Norway everything - and I mean everything is closed - so no socks. We took the bus on Sunday to Hjerkinn (pronounced "Yerkin"). However, they had to work on the track so we took the train to Dombas and then bussed to Hjerkinn. LONG trip. My friend Bente met us there and took us on a Muskox safari. Sadly we didn't find any. We did find a reindeer at a Lapp Camp (Sami camp) it was tame but we took pictures anyway. (I will post them later.) We went to Bente's house and had a wonderful traditional meal with her family and then crashed into bed. I'll tell you more shortly.

Klem fra Maria!

Lillehammer

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 05:04:00 -0400

We spent yesterday with my friend Anne and her family. We visited Huderfussen, a Troll and Fairy Tale amusement park. Then we toured all over the middle region of Norway. Last night we had a traditional Norwegian meal at Anne's house. It was quite cool and windy. I am amazed at how the temperature changes. The wireless is not as good here so I'll write more at my next stop. Supposedly tomorrow I am going to be interviewed by the local newspapers. Wish me luck. :)

More ramblings . . .

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:52:00 -0400

Oh and Morgan and I had Marzipan cake yesterday. It was so wonderful. Why do they use fondant in the US? Marzipan is so good!!! And the grocery stores are neat. These tiny little things have the best selection and freshest looking food with a tremendous variety. I was completely impressed. However; for a country that is focused on the environment, I found certain disconnects - Such as the amount of plastic used and then thrown away. Very few places recycle.

The Noble Peace center was neat with an interesting activity for kids. The street performers are lovely and very nice - for quiet statues. :) Oslo is just such an interesting place. I guess it is a lot like other large European cities. So much is modern squished into the ancient. Beautiful, but yet places are dirty and congested. The transportation system is amazing - totally punctual and comprehensive - Really impressive - even when some one drove into the side of the tram. The driver kept it pretty much on schedule.
Also, the city - other than night life - completely closes very early. By 8pm all of the shops are closed.

Onward and upward

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:49:00 -0400

We continued exploring Oslo today. It is much cooler and rainy so we did not go as crazy as yesterday. We saw the Opera house, and Vigeland Park. Morgan and I hiked around Akershus Fortress and castle. It is a medieval castle that was built to protect Oslo. Reminded me of Biltmore if Biltmore was 800 years old and full of cool ghost stories. The audio program told you of all the ghost stories as you went from area to area. Really nice and creepy for a cold rainy day. We loved it. I am going to upload some pictures into here from the last couple of days. Tomorrow we head to Lillehammer. Love to all! Klemmer!

The brown cheese is super.

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:25:00 -0400

So the breakfast buffet was terrific this morning. All variteties of cheeses and pickles and fish and such. Kathy was right. The brown cheese and bread were really fantastic.

Oslo is so beautiful and interesting. A lovely fusion of ancient and modern. It is just wonderful. Back in a bit. Klemmer!!

Oslo part 1

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:50:00 -0400

We power toured Olso today. I think we almost killed mom. We went all over the Bygdøy area. We explored the Folk Museum, Viking Ship Museum, Fram and Kon Tiki Museums. Then we took the Ferry back to the city and visited the Nobel Peace Museum. All were amazing! I will write more tonight! Have a wonderful afternoon.

We made it!

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Wed, 9 Jun 2010 12:27:00 -0400

After a very long flight we arrived in Oslo. I would like to thank Finnair for having lovely planes and service. Despite the screaming children across the ocean, it was a pleasant flight.

We arrived tired but excited in Oslo this afternoon bout 2pm. I love the airport, and the staff are great. Though it is overcast and raining we dropped off our bags and began exploring the city. It is about 65 and really humid, also we discovered that the hotels really do not have central airconditioning.

Having a grand time and will send more later. Love to all. Klemmer!

Watching all the planes go by . . .

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Mon, 7 Jun 2010 22:54:00 -0400

Well, we are sitting in the airport waiting to board the flight. Preparing myself for the 12 hour flight with a 6 year old. She is currently running watching the planes and talking a mile a minute. I will write more when we get to the next stop.

Hope all is well.

Maria

Nervous but excited

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Mon, 7 Jun 2010 13:57:00 -0400

God dag,
We leave in the morning. I have to be honest, I am scared and yet so excited. Nervous because - have I forgotten anything? Have I tied up all of the loose ends of my life and work on this continent? Excited because - this is just so amazing!!Well fingers crossed, I am ready to take the plunge.

I’ll write a little more tonight. I’ll post a little vocabulary lesson. I know that most everyone will speak English, but I want to be as gracious a visitor as possible – so I have been trying - though my accent is definitely showing through.

Med hilsen,

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Mon, 7 Jun 2010 13:49:00 -0400

God dag,
Here is a quick pronunciation guide for Norwegian words and Norwegian phrases. Through this I am practicing a bit. It has been nice though trying to get a handle on the language. Norwegian is amazingly phonetic, so that has been a blessing. The humor being that my friends in Norway are sending me papers to check for them in English. In the same manner, I am constantly asking them how to use their language. I guess that is what you call collaborative learning.

Alas, even though I do not think I have a strong southern accent it seems magnified when I try to speak in Norwegian.
And so, below find my language lesson.

Tusen takk!

Pronunciation guide:
•A as in father
•E as in bed
•I as in beat
•U as in food
•Æ as in mad
•Ø as in hurt
•Å as in ball

•Most consonants are pronounced similar to English, with these exceptions:
•J is pronounced like the "y" in yes
•R is a little more "rolled" than the English R
•Special Norwegian pronunciations:
•KJ, KI and KY make a soft k-sound without actually blocking the throat, so that the air makes a sound as it squeezes out
•SJ, SKY, SKJ and SKI as in shop

Quick Items:
Yes = Ja
No = Nei
Thank you = Takk
Thank you very much = Tusen takk
You're welcome = Vær så god
Please = Vær så snill
Excuse me = Unnskyld meg
Hello = Hallo
Goodbye = Ha det
I do not understand = Jeg forstår ikke
How do you say this in Norwegian? = Hvordan sier man dette på norsk?

Getting Around:
Where is ...? = Hvor er ...?
How much is the fare? = Hvor mye koster billetten?
One ticket to ..., please. = En billett til ..., takk.
Train = Tog
Bus = Buss
Norwegian Subway, Underground = T-bane
Airport = Flyplass
Train station = Jernbanestasjon
Bus station = Busstasjon
Are there any vacancies for tonight? = Er det noe ledig for i natt?
No vacancies = Alt opptatt.

How much does this cost? = Hvor mye koster dette?
What is this? = Hva er dette?
I'll buy it. = Jeg kjøper det.
I would like to buy ... = Jeg vil gjerne ha ...
Do you have ... = Har du ...
Do you accept credit cards? = Tar dere kredittkort?

Norwegian Tourist Information = Turistinformasjon
Museum = Museum
Bank = Bank
Norwegian police station = Politistasjon
Hospital = Sykehus
Store, Shop = Butikk
Restaurant = Restaurant
Church = Kirke
Restrooms = Toalett

Numbers:
one = en
two = to
three = tre
four = fire
five = fem
six = seks
seven = sju
eight = åtte
nine = ni
ten = ti

Days of the Week:
Day = Dag
Week = Uke
Month = Måned
Year = År
Monday = mandag
Tuesday = tirsdag
Wednesday = onsdag
Thursday = torsdag
Friday = fredag
Saturday = lørdag
Sunday = søndag
Today = I dag
Yesterday = I går
Tomorrow = I morgen

A bit about the flag

noreply@blogger.com (MSwygert) — Wed, 2 Jun 2010 21:45:00 -0400

The Norwegian flag was designed by Fredrik Meltzer. Mr. Meltzer submitted his proposal to be exhibited in parliament on 4 May 1821. He incorporated the nordic cross used by the other Scandinavian countries. However, he changed the colors to add a tricolor of red, white and blue, "three colours that denote freedom, such as we see in Americans, and in the Union of the English". It really is a pretty design.

From what I have read and observed, the Norwegians take their flag very seriously. They fought hard to have the freedom to rule themselves and fiercely love the freedom and flag that symbolize it.

Klemmer!