Walter and his recital at Kristiansand Cathedral

Walter playing Grieg's Valse Impromtu in Kristiansand's Cathedral, the principal Lutheran church for the Agder and Telemark Diocese. High school student Erik Sandø, probably the evening's most accomplished pianist, played Chopin's Vals i e-moll. (Waltz in E minor)

Walter standing in front of the neo-Gothic Kristiansand Cathedral (1880) designed by Henrik Thrap-Meyer. The umbrellas were part of an Kulturskole art installation.

Hanging within the Cathedral near the entrance, this model of the frigate Jylland, which took part in the battle of Helgoland in 1864, memorializes Danish sailors who died in the battle and are buried in Kristiansand's cemetery. (note the Danish flag on the ship)

Bill's reflections on the Nazi occupation and deportation of Jews during WWII

Hi All,

Bill has finished up his blog postings on Norwegian history and culture.  Here is the latest.

http://hellofromnorway.blogspot.com/2011/05/holocaust-in-norway.html

Constitution Day!

It's May 17th, Syttande Mai, or Constitution Day, a day to celebrate the signing of Norway's constititution on May 17, 1814, which declared Norway an independent country, even though Norway was still unified with Sweden until 1905.

The boys marched in parades and sang in the morning and then celebrated at school with games, cakes, hotdogs, waffles, and ice cream.

Before the parade starts with headmaster Espen Lange, Mark, Walter, Hilde, her son Sigmund, her daughter Ingrid and friend.


Martha with Terje and Hilde's daughter Ingrid and friend.


Graduating seniors wearing their red overalls.


The banner for Presteheia Skole


Walter holding the 4th grade sign in the parade


Mark waving on syttande mai.



Guitar player leading his students in song. Children compete for prizes based on how well they sing.


Hilde and Terje, parents of Sigurd, Mark's friend. They kindly took us to the parade and showed us the best spots to stand.


The mother of one of Terje and Hilde's friends. I loved her bunad, which I think is from Telemark.






Aunt Jenny and Uncle Dan, Mark and Walter on Constitution Day


Joyous Dan. It's syttande mai!


Mark, Walter, Sigurd, Ingrid, in front of a statue of the poet Henrik Wergeland, who is credited with making Syttande mai a celebratory day for the children rather than a military display.



Mark with Start player Christer Kleiven.


Johannes' Dad, a former Start player, in his bunad demonstrating his skills on stilts



Dad not having so much luck on stilts

Mark's birthday party

Wow, what an afternoon. We weren't sure how many kids would come but we figured maybe 15 max; instead there were 23, I think, but I lost count. A mixture of bedlam--at one point boys set off the security alarm, another climbed up into the basketball hoop, others crawled under the stage among the folding tables and chairs--and fun--kids played charades with a musical accompaniment, built lego figures, and found bags of chocolate as part of a treasure hunt.

Overwhelmed and out of our element, Bill and I would have been witness to a b-day party maelstrom if it weren't for the kindess of friends and family. Michael, who played the guitar and brought a clarinet for Dan to play; Katinka who led kids on the treasure hunt and served cake; Terje who corralled kids literally climbing the walls, brought legos and also led kids on the treasure hunt, Jan Erik whose commanding voice brought blessed moments of order, and Kristine who cooked hotdogs, led kids and provided much appreciated smiles of encouragement. Bill and I are deeply grateful to you all. Mark had a wonderful time.

And a big thank you to Jenny for taking the pics and helping set and clean up.



Michael and Dan jam.


The wieners, muffins courtesy of Kristine.


Katinka explaining treasure hunt clues.


Jan Erik and Kristine serving hotdogs.


The birthday cards. I loved this pic Jenny took and never would have thought to take it myself.

Update! Eurovision Song Contest

We're watching the finals of the Eurovision contest. Dan and Bill are routing for Moldova because they all wore cone hats and one person rode a unicycle . Azerbaijan is in the lead, and if they won it would be an upset--update! they did win--their act involved insipid lyrics, long blond hair, and sickly sweet romantic longing, but at least it was warm; so much of the aesthetic of the contest was cold, tecno-pop. Sweden's act "I will be popular" is catchy but obnoxious; they're second.

As Americans I think we all wondered what happened to old Europe.

Countries tend to vote regionally--so Scandinavians vote for other Scandinavians, Eastern Europeans vote for neighboring countries, and Russia doesn't seem to have a chance given recent history, none of the Eastern European countries will vote for them (you can't vote for an act from your own country and each country's vote is weighted equally), but Israel voted for Russia probably because of the large Russian Jewish population. Azerbaijan's win will generate a significant economic boost to the country since the Eurovision winner gets to host next year's competition.


Hi All,

I had a wonderful evening watching the Eurovision semifinals with Irene last night. According to the NYT, "forty-three nations, including most of NATO, large swaths of eastern Europe and Israel, send their top pop stars to the Eurovision contest each year to perform previously unpublished songs. Originally conceived as a means of unifying a war-torn Europe, the contest was arguably the most visible symbol of European unity prior to the European Union. Most of the acts sang a kind of English pop mishmash in outlandish campy outfits." http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/e/eurovision_song_contest/index.html

The Irish band made it to the semifinals wearing something that looked like giant red jello blocks on their shoulders. I rooted for the Bulgarian singer, Poli Genova, who sung “Na Inat” (Stubborn) in Bulgarian, which, as I understand it from some Google queries, encourages young Bulgarians to find their dreams within their own country. Genova didn't make it, however.

Apparently the Eurovision Song Contest is quite popular among the European LBGT community. According to Out Now "The most ardent gay supporters of Eurovision hail from Ireland - where a much higher proportion of gays and lesbians than in any other country say they always tune in to catch the Eurovision Song Contest." http://www.gaymarketnews.com/2011/05/just-how-gay-is-eurovision.html

Norway was eliminated early on. Stella Mwangi, a Kenyan Norwegian sang "Haba Haba." Check it out on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-vyK122O_M

Irene's cute cat


Eurovision semifinals. The finals are Saturday.


Irene and skeptical-looking cute cat.

Our hikes to Oggevann and from Saga

It's almost six p.m.; my legs feel like noodles, and I am exhausted. Walter and I decided we would take the "short" hike sponsored by the Livsfaseutvalget and the Pensioners' Club, which I understood from Google translate would be brief jaunts on and off a tour bus with senior citizens, no more than a mile long, a little hike to break up the day. It turned out to be an all afternoon affair hiking up, down boulders, scraggy paths, and at one point rappelling ourselves backward via a rope down a steep precipice. Laughing wryly at the American and Norwegian version of "short hike," I took up the rear depending on the kindness of the tour leader who reminded me to bring water and wear sensible shoes next time. Having been raised on t.v. and Twinkies, this jaunt, which turned out to be 12 km, or 7.5 miles, proved an ordeal, and I was only saved when the octogenarian and a couple of the septuagenarians of the group took pity on me and gave us ride once we had entered Jegersberg, the large wilderness area near our home. Walter, of course, trotted along happily, unfazed, and once he enjoyed a few of the pastry slices that the kind and super-fit octogenarian offered at our resting place near Omvendte Båt, he skipped on ahead of me, calling back occasionally to tell me that "this exercise is good for you."

UPDATE: It turns out that the email I was sent advertising the "short hike" said the trip was to be about a Scandinavian mile, or mil, which is 10 KM or 6.2 miles. Whoops!!

Dad and Mark enjoyed a less strenuous trip, canoeing, boat making, and telling jokes, though Dad got cold, having forgotten to double up his socks.

Walter walking along an area just ahead of a dam.


An ancient burial mound in Skråstadheia.


Walter and I close to the summit. We were close to halfway at this point.


The view of the fjord and Kristiansand. I would not venture close to the edge, but others were more brave.


A map of the protected nature area north of Kristiansand where we hiked.


A young ram we met along the way who was grazing with his friend, a llama. Walter, though skittish, petted the ram, who then stuck close to him until our group departed.


Walter resting, and inching forward closer to the edge.


Mark's hike in Oggevann with his class


Birch bark boats the boys made.


The sleeping leanto where Bill literally got cold feet.


Mark happy. The boys traded jokes at one point and Mark made up two: What do you tell an egg when you want it to leave? "SCRAMble" [This joke unfortunately didn't translate well...] Mark's other joke involved a boy in an airport whose parents disciplined him after he got into trouble. When some late travelers, fearing they had missed their flight, ran up to the boy and asked him what was happening, the boy responded, "I'm grounded," and the travelers, confused, assumed their flight had been cancelled. A British/Norwegian parent translated this joke to laughter from the audience.

St. Georgsdagen, Ibsen, Knut Hamsun and Nazi Germany, and Grimstad revisited with Sarah and Karin

St. Georgsdagen, St. George's Day (celebrated April 30 this year) is the Norwegian scout movement's biggest celebration in honor of the saint knight St. George. According to legend, St. George fought a fire-breathing dragon to save the life of a princess, which symbolizes St. George's fight against evil, and struggle for the good, noble and true. Like him, all scouts should be ready to help those in need. St George's ideals are also reflected in the Scout promise. All Scouts renew their Scout promise annually - on St. George's Day.




Mark in the St. Georgsdagen parade. We finally broke down and splurged for a 3 season sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and a rucksack. We hope Mark is prepared for his camping trip to Oggevatn, which follows the parade.




Sarah with the guide at the Ibsen Museum in Grimstad where Ibsen worked for a pharmacist, from age 15-21, where he impregnated a young servant girl, and where he began his writing career.



Ibsen's writing desk while in Grimstad.


Sarah and Karin, who lives near Grimstad and who has been a dear friend to me this year.


Knut Hamsun, arguably Norway's greatest writer, published Hunger in 1890, was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1920, and influenced a generation of modernist writers. Hamsun's legacy in Norway, however, is contested because of his avid support for the Nazi regime.. According to a post on the website of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "He was a literary giant of his time, but he also applauded Hitler and the Nazi ideology, and sided with the Nazi occupation of Norway for five years."

Reporter Andy McSmith, writing for the Independent, notes that Hamsun "was a life-long admirer of German culture. He backed the Germans in the First World War, supported Norway's fascist movement in the 1930s, and when Norway was under Nazi occupation, he met Hitler and gave Goebbels the Nobel Prize Medal for Literature that he had been awarded in 1920. Neither did he relent or apologize when the war was over. A week after Hitler committed suicide, Hamsun wrote an obituary praising him as "a warrior for mankind", 'a prophet of the gospel of justice for all nations' and 'a reformer of the highest sort.'"

Nonetheless, Hamsun appeared on a Norwegian stamp in 2009.





Knut Hamsun's home near Grimstad, where Hamsun lived for 34 years and which is privately owned by a Hamsun descendant. Knut Hamsun moved with his family to farm outside Nørholm Grimstad in 1918. Here he lived until 1952.



Karin and Wooster