This and that on a Friday night

If you don't already know this, European languages have letters in their alphabets that we do not have.  For example, on the keyboard I am using right now I have € and ö and ä and ü.  The Y is not in the usual place either.  It slows me down a bit because I make a lot of mistakes and have to figure out how to fix them!  Also, the word processor thinks all my English words are misspelled and everything I type is underlined in red!

My couchsurfing host in Munich is GREAT!  She is so energetic and cool.  She has been in advertising for 25 years and his this really creative and fun vibe.  She hooked me up with a good map of the city and the subway system.  I have to say the public transportation here is very good.    She gave me a ticket to get into town and the map and sent me on my way this morning.  When I walked out of the station I stepped into the most amazing scene.  There is a famous clock at the Town Hall called the Glockenspiel.  It was chiming 10 AM right at that moment.  The building is this massive and gorgoeous building and the clock is basically a HUGE cuckoo clock.  PLEASE google this since I still don't have the capacity to load my pics.  

So anyway, it is getting really late and Molly (another couchsurfer I met in Amsterdam who is also surfing in Munich right now) and I are going to Neuschwanstein Castle.  It's the castle that Disney based his famous castle on.  Should be cool!

It's been a while...

It seems like it has been an eternity since I wrote on my blog. I have done so much since just the other day. I made it to Copenhagen on time and in one piece! I spent the night there and did ALLLLL the touristy stuff in one day. I was so exhausted! I don't think my feet have ever hurt so much. But it was totally worth it because the weather was perfect and I---well I was in Copenhagen :)
I caught the night train to Amsterdam that night. That's where I am now. I wish I had pictures to post but I am using the computer at the public library and you don't have the option of loading anything. Ah well, I will get that done soon.
So today was the museum day so to speak. I went to the Rijksmuseum where they have all the Vermeers, Rembrants, Hals and such. Beautiful work. Next I went to the Van Gogh museum. That was really cool. I like his work better than the Dutch Masters anyway!
When I was leaving that museum I found the REALLY BIG WOODEN shoe that is so good for pictures (some of you may know which one I'm talking about). I cannot tell you how difficult it is to take a picture of yourself in a big wooden shoe. I felt like an idiot setting my camera up then taking a running leap into a big clog but, again, totally worth it! It's a horrible picture, but hey, I'm in a shoe :)
Tomorrow I am going to get up early so I can make it to the Anne Frank House before I catch my 12:30 train to Munich. I got a ticket for a free canal tour when I exchanged my Danish money for Euros but I've been so busy that I didn't get a chance to use it. Anybody coming this way?? I can save it for you!

Planes, Trains, Automobiles and Dreams Realized

Hello from Drammen, Norway! Today is the day I leave Norway. I have mixed emotions about my departure. I have been treated so well by my new "family" that I hate to leave the safety and comfort of home. On the other hand, there is so much to see and do that I can't wait to get to it.

I named this blog Planes, Trains, Automobiles and Dreams Realized. I have encountered all of these things in my last two weeks (yes, I've already been gone TWO WEEKS!). Planes obviously got me here but the last three are more interesting. In Norway, the speed limit is between 30 mph and 50 mph in most places, especially where I've spent most of my time on the west coast. All the mountains and fjords make it more difficult to travel in general. Mari and I took the bus from Aalesund to Bergen last Tuesday. That was a nine hour ride to go less than 250 miles or so. In Bergen and Oslo I have taken half a dozen busses or so to get from one place to another so I'm getting used to the bus! My first train ride was on Thursday. That was really cool. My Eurail pass is for first class but they were sold out so I rode second class with Mari which worked out anyway. The train was nice and there was lots of leg room! The servers came by with the rolling cart to sell/serve coffee and tea just like on a plane. My Eurail pass is good for 15 days of travel over a two month period. I have already travelled on it for two days and they have not marked it. I guess the system is arbitrary???

Dreams Realized: Some of you that read my blog don't have Facebook accounts so I will repeat what I said on FB. "If someone asked me five years ago where I wanted to be in five years, it would be exactly where I am now." That is so true. Everyone knows that I have wanted to take this trip for a loooooong time. Now it's actually happening and I am having some surreal moments. I sat at a cafe with a new friend, Hege, in Aalesund and just chatted away while we people watched for a couple of hours. I rode on the bus to Bergen and planned the next few stops on my journey while listening to my ipod. Yesterday I visited the Vikingship Museum that I have wanted to see for as long as I can remember. These moments give me pause. It's difficult to explain the quiet sense of accomplishment when this happens. It's a little heady and makes me smile. These victories don't mean anything to anyone but me. But to me, it's huge. As Rob said, I'm marking things off my bucket list.

Drammen, where Mari's grandparents live and where I have been sleeping and eating since Thursday, is a nice little town. There are a lot more immigrants from Africa here than I expected but Mari's grandparents are GREAT! Her granddad speaks some English and has been to America a long time ago. Her grandmother reminds me somewhat of Aunt Hazel but smaller. She is so funny! She doesn't speak any English yet she looks directly at me when she is speaking to me in Norwegian. Now, my Norwegian has gotten a LOT better but I don't understand her accent at all!! But she's just so cute you can't help but feel like you want to hug her :) I swear between Mari's mom and grandmother I have gained AT LEAST five punds since I got to Norway.

Oslo is really cool. It has the feel of a much bigger European capital but seems so much more personal at the same time. There were some things here that I really wanted to see, too. The Vikingship Museum, Vigeland Park, and the Munch Museum (Edvard Munch painted the famous work, The Scream). Now that I have seen my top three Oslo attractions, I feel like I can move on to other places with a sense of fulfillment.

Now let me tell you something about the train. I am so nervous right now! My plan was to get on a train today from Oslo, travel to Gotheburg, Sweden, then onto Copenhagen, Denmark. It's four hours to Gotheburg, another four and half to Copenhagen. So yesterday I went to make my reservation; no problem catching the train in Oslo but the second half of the trip is sold out! It's some kind of special holiday weekend in Sweden and the train is full. There is no room on the Gotheburg-Copenhagen train!! But here's the kicker (and what I cannot get my American brain around)...TECHNICALLY I don't need a ticket because of my pass. I just get on whatever train I want in any of 22 countries and the pass serves as my ticket. Unless the schedule specifically says you have to have a reservation, YOU JUST HOP ON THE TRAIN, they will check for tickets once you get going. Now, if you get caught without a ticket there is a big fine. This isn't MY problem because of the pass, but I digress. I don't have to have a reservation for either portion of the trip. The guy at the ticket counter yesterday said, "I cannot sell you a ticket for tomorrow's train from Gotheburg to Copenhagen but if you just get on the train, maybe they won't kick you off. Probably not."

So call me crazy, but if I don't make it to Copenhagen tonight, there's no point in going because I am only planning to stay there one night anyway. At 1:00 PM I am getting on the train to Gotheburg. I am also going to get on that 5:40 train to Copenhagen from Gotheburg. I will let you know if they kick me off or not! God, I hope they let me stay on because there are no hotel rooms or even hostels available in Gotheburg because of the holiday. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Adios Aalesund

Overlook at Geirangerfjord

Me and the Seven Sisters waterfall on the Geiranger fjord

Mari's parents at an overlook in Geiranger into the fjord.

I cannot believe I have been here for over a week! I have done a lot of traveling around to nearby places and the time has flown! Since my last entry, Mari and I visited some of her family in Molde and a place called Tombefjord. Everyone has been so nice to me here, extremely gracious and interesting to talk to.

The picture to the right is of Mari, her cousin Vilde, and Vilde's parents- Aunt Ida and Uncle Lars. This was taken a the top of a viewpoint on top of a mountain in Molde. From here, on a clear day, you can see the peaks of some 270 mountians!

Me at a roadside photo op stop :)

I have so many pictures that I cannot post a fraction of them on this blog but I promise I will print them when I get home. I've only been here for 9 days and I have had the experience of a lifetime! Norway is a beatuful country and I hope to bring Peyton back one day. Our excursion yesterday included a trip to Geirangerfjord. This is a famous fjord surrounded by steep mountain walls and has amazing waterfalls. By the end of the day, Per Gunnar and Mette were poking fun at how many times I said,"OH MY GOSH!!", and "WOW!!!!" There was snow on the mountians that was starting to melt and making the most beautiful and powerful waterfalls. The water was so clear and, I'm sure, cold. I didn't try to find out just how cold!! We also travelled along a road called the Trollstigen that is marked by its hairpin turns and incredible waterfalls. WOW. I don't have a vocabulary broad enough to explain the natural beauty of this place and the pictures simply do not do it justice.

So now it's Monday and I am leaving Aalesund tomorrow for Bergen. I won't be coming back to the house after I leave tomorrow. I wasn't sure before I came what my relationship with Mari's family would be like. Would they like me? Would I like them?? Would it be awkward and would we have anything to talk about?? After nine days I am really quite sad to be leaving. Mette and Per Gunnar have taken such good care of me. They have fed me one excellent meal after another. Mette swears she's not a good cook, but she could hold her own against our family--- and that is saying a lot!! Both Mari's parents are interesting to talk to and have a good sense of humor (a requirement for me...lol). They have been the best hosts I could have asked for! The house is cozy and comfortable and has really become a home for me since I've been in Aalesund. I will miss being here and I hope to bring Peyton back with me one day in the near future. I really can't thank them enough for all they have done for me but I am going to try by cooking dinner for the family tonight. (I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING DADDY AND STACY BUT I REALLY CAN COOK!!!)

Me standing in the snow in June!

So soon it's adios to Aalesund and the friends I've made here. But I think I will be back and Mari and her family are talking about coming to the U.S. next year. Hopefully this means my goodbyes tomorrow won't be real goodbyes, just a few see- you- laters!

What a Puffin looks like

A very scary bridge

The sign that says it's a 56 minute hike up the mountain

BIRD MOUNTAIN, RUNDE, NORWAY

The west coast of Norway is dotted with thousands of islands. Somewhere along the coast is a place called Bird Mountain, located at the town of Runde. The drive from Aalesund included a ferry ride that was my first time ever driving a car onto a ferry! We went to the little cafeteria for svele (small pancakes with butter and sugar) and coffee while we traveled across the fjord.

I have posted a picture of (one of) the scariest bridges I have ever had the pleasure of driving on. It was only a ONE LANE bridge for TWO WAY traffic!! You had to look across from one end to the other to see if any traffic as coming. If not, you could proceed. At the top/middle, it opened up to two lanes so you could see if anyone was coming before you start down the other half. Very scary, but totally worth the anxiety! On the far side of that bridge was one of the most beautiful places I've seen in nature.

Being from a relatively, no, REALLY flat area, mountains always fascinate me. This particular mountain is very well known among bird watchers because of the Puffins that live there in large numbers during June and July. The terrain of the mountain is just amazing with steep, craggy cliffs that drop to the North Sea. Mari and her friends Christina and Alicia went with me. Even the 17-year-olds who thought it would be lame and were just going to get out of the house had a good time and said it was very cool! It's gotta be good to impress a teenager, right?? The climb was ROUGH at first. I started thinking things like, "I'm in decent shape. I exercise at home. I bet it's the altitude that's got me huffing and puffing so much." Then I think, "This ain't Everest, Telisa!" Thankfully, the climb levelled out after about 30 minutes. Again, it was totally worth the hard work. The scenery was just gorgeous and we saw a TON of Puffins! Even the teenagers were excited when we saw them :) The path grew more and more narrow as we ascended and I had a few moments when I was glad I have seen every episode of Man Vs. Wild with Bear Grylls.

I have to tell you that I had a bit of fun with the girls when we came off the mountain. We were all pretty tired when we got back to the car. Even walking down a mountain is a workout. As we were about to get in the car, I started frantically checking my pockets for the keys. I acted like I couldn't find them. They didn't panic at first but then I told them about how I had taken them out of my pocket trying to find my camera at the VERY TOP of the mountain. I seriously thought Mari and Alicia were going to cry. It was great!!

Never doesn't mean Never in Norwegian

Norwegians are very kind and modest people. If you compliment a Norwegian on a new outfit, he or she will insist that it is something found in the back of the closet and does not merit the attention you are giving it. I find this to be very charming and a little humorous because you know it's coming. Here's another example. If you ask a Norwegian if (s)he speaks English, they will insist that do not. They will be doing this, of course, in English. They will say, "No my English is terrible! I NEVER speak English. It is very bad. I studied it in school but now I never speak it." Call me crazy, but if you can say all that and I understand you...that's pretty darn good English!


When a Norwegian says, "I never speak English at home", that's a very different thing than Americans saying they never speak Norwegian at home. You, dear reader, are probably American and know EXACTLY what I mean. We don't even know any Norwegian words. Not one. Think right now...do you know any Norwegian words? Ok, maybe fjord. Anything else? Boris Becker doesn't count either.

If you speak to a Norwegian, any Norwegian under the age of 70, in English, he or she will respond to you in English. Luckily I remembered this when I was standing in line at the gas station this morning right behind THE CUTEST MAN IN NORWAY.
I spoke in English.
He spoke in English.
We smiled.
He actually touched my hand (albeit probably on accident).
I'm sure THE CUTEST MAN IN NORWAY would have loved to talk to me much longer but, alas, the Bird Mountain was calling. So now I must face the fact that I am American and when I say I'll NEVER see him again, I'm not just being modest!

How to post a comment

Several people have asked me about how to post a comment to a blog entry. This is the simplest way I know. Click on the link at the end of the blog where it says how many comments have been made (this is usually zero...lol). Next, type your comment in the box that pops up. Under that, it will ask how you want to post the comment. Choose Google... because that's the one I'm explaining to you :) It will prompt you to put in your Google account info, which you probably don't have, right?? That's ok, it will give you the chance to set up a Google account in another window. All you have to do is click on the "set up new account" (or something like that) on the page that comes up. Enter your email address then put in a password, anything you want it to be. When you confirm the email and password, it will take you back to the blog and your comment will be posted and you have your Google account set up for the future :) I hope this helps!

Aalesund

Wow, I don't even know where to begin. When you come to a place so different from home, it's difficult to explain it consicely. One word...amazing! And I haven't even really done anything yet besides go to and from the airport. You know a place is amazing if that is all you see and are impressed :)
Mari missed her connection yesterday so I have been spending time with her family without her. Aalesund is awesome and her family has treated me very well. They are graciously speaking all English to me (everyone here speaks good English, yay!) and have fed me two wonderful meals. Her parents have been so easy and interesting to talk with.

We picked Mari up from the local airport this afternoon so now we are all here. I'm really looking forward to getting out and seeing the city. I have the finished basement to myself with a private bathroom. I can't begin to explain how wonderful that first shower was last night! The house is lovely with a beautiful Scandinavian feel to it (think Ikea)...simple, clean design with light colors. I love it here and the family has made me feel very welcome. It's hard to believe that Mari could like Warner Robins, Georgia at all after being raised here! The main thing I haven't gotten used to is the fact that at this time of year it doesn't really get dark here...ever. I went to bed at 12:30 last night and it was still daylight outside!!!! My body also felt like it was 7:30 despite my fatigue so I hard a bit of a struggle going to sleep. It felt wrong..LOL!!

We went out driving this evening and I took some new pictures. Above are Mari's parents and some flowers with mountains in the background. The other picture is from the plane yesterday, a photo of the snow-capped mountains and one of the fjords. I have this picture on Facebook and my sister said it was her favorite!

Tonight I am going to hear Mari's dad play at a local pub. He is in a band that plays traditional music so this should be good. Maybe I'll get some good pics from that as well!!

A few changes and my latest thoughts

Here are a few minor changes to my itinerary. No worries, it's part of the fun :)

First, the business section..... Mari's parents have been kind enough to buy me an airline ticket from Oslo to Aalesund so I will be in that city on 6 June. The plan, right now, is to leave Norway from Oslo on 21 June heading to Copenhagen. I'm looking at the 1:00 train, arriving at 9:37 P.M.. I still plan to be at Thomas' house for two nights then leave for Amsterdam. That will be an overnight train ride so I should arrive in Amsterdam at around 10:30 A.M. on 23 June. I booked a hostel for two nights there. Here's the info: The Shelter City, Barndesteeg 21, , 1012 BV, Amsterdam, Netherlands. I don't have a phone number for the place but I will have my cell phone with me and, of course, my laptop if you need to get in touch with me.

And now the leisure section....I am finally getting REALLY excited. I have tried so hard to focus on work and the girls to make the time pass more quickly. Yesterday was the last day of work and we leave in two days...so I couldn't sleep in this morning. I have been up since 5:00 doing "research"! My mom and her fiancee, John, gave Mari and me a going away dinner last night and it was very pleasant. My sister, her husband and their two sons came and Rob came, too, when he got off work. Of course, Peyton was there with us, too. The kids were playing in the pool while the adults sat around the dinner table talking, laughing, sharing travel stories and looking through the 215 (yes, 215) pictures that Mari and I printed from her year in America. The food was excellent as always and I enjoyed spending time with my sister and mom...it doesn't happen often enough.

I got an email from Elena yesterday and she sounds excited about showing me all the sites in Budapest. One thing I am really looking forward to is the flexibility in my schedule. For example, Elena asked if I want to go visit her family in Moldova after Budapest. How cool is that?? I know I would enjoy it, but I'm also looking forward to getting to Italy :) Today I got emails from an old college friend who lives in Norway now and from one of Nicole's exchange student who lives in Munich. I will take the opportunity to visit with each of them while I am in their respective cities. I think it's so cool that I will have that little piece of home while I'm so far away.

Brad, the guy in Norway, mentioned getting together for "utepils." I have never heard that word before so, like all things I need to know, I Googled it. Turns out utepils is the word Norwegians use for drinking beer outside when the winter weather breaks and it's nice enough to enjoy a drink outdoors. I think this is traditionally done in May but I think I'm a fan of June utepils, too! These are the kinds of things I want to learn about on this trip...random and quaint local traditions I wouldn't otherwise ever know about :)

That's it for today. Time to start tying up loose ends and hit Walmart again to buy more travel size bottles for face cleanser, etc!