Norwegian Days

Since November, Jay has been traveling to Oslo on a sales pursuit.  With the sales cycle coming to a close at the end of March, Helen took advantage of Jay’s recent trip and joined him for a few days of Norwegian sightseeing.  With winter fading we were happy to be greeted by sunny skies in this modern, well-heeled Norwegian capital with a history that stretches back over 1,000 years. 

From 800 – 1000 AD, Norwegian history is interwoven with the Viking age.  Like Swedes and Danes of that time, Norwegian Vikings sailed longboats to neighboring lands to trade, plunder and settle.  More westward looking than their neighbors, Norwegian Viking settlements have been found in Britain, Ireland, Iceland and Greenland.  Viking pride points to the “discovery” of North America centuries before Columbus’s encounter with the New World.  We often wonder how the North American Indians felt about being “discovered” . . . but that is another story in itself.

Over the centuries, Norway was in political union first with Denmark (1523 – 1814) and then Sweden (1814-1905). Independent and impoverished at the dawn of the twentieth century, Norwegians invested in education and use of its natural resources in timber, hydro-electric and more recently oil.  Norway now has an enviable standard of living for its 4.8 million inhabitants.

We started with a walking tour of the imposing Akershus Fortress.  Construction on the fortress started in 1290 and continued for centuries, providing protection for the harbor.  The fort has never surrendered under siege.  It was only in 1940 when the Nazis entered neutral Norway and the Norwegian government evacuated the capital that the fort was occupied.  A memorial stands today for those who did resist.

Oslo Fjord Coast Line

Next was a two-hour fjord boat ride.  Like Swedes, Norwegians are keen to have a summer cottage in the archipelago.  Many summer homes found on the islands adhere to a building code requiring homes to be no larger than 30 square meters and be painted white, red or orange.  Traditional small bathhouses dotting the rugged, rocky fjord coastlines add to the quaint and postcard picturesque imagery.

The Kon-Tiki 

Best preserved ship at Viking Museum 

On Monday Jay headed to the office and Helen bought a 24-hour Oslo Pass giving her pre-paid admission to museums and travel on public transport. The first stop was Museum Road.  The Kon-Tiki Museum was the most interesting, displaying boats and artifacts from Thor Heyerdahl’s famous expeditions.  Also visited was the Fram Museum displaying a ship that traveled to both North and South Poles and the Viking Museum with excavated ships that had been used as tombs.

A reception room in Oslo City Hall

The Nobel Peace Center was closed, but right across the street was City Hall, open to the public. This is where the Nobel Prizes are actually awarded. The 28 ft. high walls in several rooms were surprisingly decorated with huge murals depicting various Norwegian scenes.

We completed our touring with a marvelous dinner at a 300-year old restaurant.  Another memory added to our European adventure.

Goin' to the Chapel of Love

Joy and Eric show their wedding rings

Great happiness and expectation filled us as we traveled back from Stockholm to our home in Roswell, Georgia for the wedding our son Eric to the most wonderful Joy Beckner.  A full phalanx of family and friends assembled at the Duluth Festival Center to bear witness to the union of the Borland and Beckner clans. 

Joy and Devin Borland

Proud parents beamed unabashedly, but the real sparkle of the day was from six-year old Devin who basked in a future life with Mom and Dad forever by his side.  We have much to be thankful for.

American weddings are crafted around the recognized traditions of expressed vows, exchanging of rings, the first dance and cutting of cake, so that there is little need for explanation. 

Cards Table Decorations 

 Wedding theme, "Two of a Kind."

We will instead share pictures and images from the rehearsal and service and wish for Eric and Joy the same expectation shared at our wedding, “May this be the day that Joy and Eric love one another the least.”

Rehearsal Dinner Guests

Chupa at Wedding Site

Semlor and Pretty in Pink

Swedish Semlors

Semlor is another long-held Swedish tradition that entered our lives with mystery and confusion.  A light wheat bread bun filled with almond paste and cream marks Fettisdagen.  This moveable holiday associated with the Lenten season first came to our attention when Jay’s office manager sent out a broadcast e-mail on 21 February stating, “Today is Fettisdagen so please grab a semlor in the kitchen.”

Alerted to this holiday, we began noticing bakery signage imploring all to partake in this traditional treat.  We also noticed their shelving was filled with offerings of this cream-filled delight. 

Sign says, "I will follow you home!"

Then, two days later, news stories appeared announcing the birth of Princess Estelle Silva Ewa Mary.  This new princess was born to the daughter of the current king and queen of Sweden.  Following the birth announcement, semlor found itself sharing bakery shelving with pink cakes topped with “Estelle” scribed in icing.

Royalty is not part of our American DNA so, as with semlor, we were required to do some research to improve our understanding.

Aside from bakery goods and the occasional child holding a pink balloon, we did not see a great deal of street-chatter on the birth of this new royal. Unlike the British royalty, Swedish royals appear to occupy a warm but limited place in Swedish life.  Bear in mind, we have no clue of the proper way to serve semlor, so our observation on Swedish relationship to its royalty could be wildly inaccurate. 

We are, however, slowly stitching together our appreciation of Swedish tradition and history.   When we first arrived in Stockholm, Gustav Adolf Square and its bronze statue of the horse mounted by King Gustav II Adolf was just a place to buy tickets for a canal cruise tour.

We have since learned that square, rather than the central train station, is considered the geographical center of Stockholm from which distances to other localities are measured.   King Gustav II Adolf who is honored by the statue and square was king of Sweden from 1611 to 1632. He sparred heavily with the Danes, Russians, Poles and others to lay claim of dominance in the Baltic Sea.  In this martial pursuit, this king ordered the building of the mighty warship, Vasa.

The Vasa

That warship moved into Swedish lore by its Titanic-like sinking on it maiden voyage in 1628.  In the 1960’s, the Vasa was raised from Stockholm harbor and is now a national treasure and marquee tourist attraction.

We have, for the moment, pressed the “pause” button on our Swedish adventure as we prepare for a short trip back home to Atlanta for the marriage of our son Eric.  We are also looking forward to the easy movement through an American environment with which we are familiar.  One can consume just so much mystery and confusion before taking a break.