A Few Final Reflections

This is our last week in Norway! Today we are flying to Raleigh, NC, where we’ll spend a couple of days with my parents, brother, and extended family. My parents have been gracious enough to keep our car this year, so we’ll pick that up and drive back to Annapolis on Saturday.

So as a farewell to Norway (and this blog!), here’s our reflection on some of our favorite and most memorable experiences this year.

Favorite thing about Norwegian culture

• Allison: I think Gavin and I would both say that our favorite thing about Norwegian culture is the amount of time spent outside. But I also want to add how much I’ve appreciated Norway’s excellent public transportation system. You can take the train or the bus almost anywhere in Norway, and everything generally runs on time. I have not missed having a car.
• Gavin: The pride Norwegians have in being Norwegian is a lot of fun.  It’s super joyful and delightful in a way that’s pretty different from the huge-flag-on-a-football-field-with-fighter-jets-flying-over patriotism we get in the US.  I like a fighter jet as much as the next guy, but I found this approach pretty charming.

Favorite thing to make fun of Norwegians about

• Allison: It was fun to gloat when the United States won an Olympic gold medal in cross country skiing. All the Norwegians were extremely gracious about it though.
• Gavin: Matpakke.  But it has to be done delicately.

Best winter sport

• Allison: Definitely cross country skiing (or just “skiing,” in Norway). It’s a lot of fun! I have always liked endurance sports, but it’s never really been Gavin’s thing until now. It’s been great to find one that he enjoys as much as I do. We are bringing our skis and rollerskis back to the US, and I hope we can continue to do it at home.
• Gavin: Yeah, skiing.  The curling league was a lot of fun, too.

Worst performance at a winter sport

• Allison:
• Gavin: That was the worst moment, but me speed skating isn’t too far behind.

Ostehøvel cheese slicer: ja or nei?

• Allison: Ja! Norway can claim credit for inventing the style of cheese slicer shown below. And while their pride in the Ostehøvel might be a little excessive, it is an excellent product, and far superior to the wire cheese slicer that Gavin prefers. We are bringing one home.
• Gavin: The cheese slicer thing is super weird.  It’s fine!  It’s fine.  It slices cheese.

What everyday item have you missed most about America?

• Allison: The standard of living in Norway is extremely high, so I haven’t wanted for much. But I do wish our apartment had some measuring cups. I don’t know why I didn’t just buy some.
• Gavin: Food seasoning!

Most recommended place to visit in Northern Europe

• Allison: If you want to visit a city in Scandinavia, Copenhagen is the best. If you like history and want an off-the-beaten-path destination, I highly recommend Gdańsk, Poland. But my favorite experiences this year were anything wintry in Scandinavia. Lillehammer; Jukkasjärvi, Sweden; and Svalbard are all pretty other-worldly.
• Gavin: Anywhere that isn’t a city.  Scandinavia isn’t about cities.

What’s the most ridiculous thing that happened this year?

• Allison: Dogsledding and snow camping in Svalbard at -20 degrees. If you ever get the opportunity to go to Svalbard, do it. It is unbelievable.
• Gavin: When Matt Mackenzie became angrily and profanely convinced his seat warmer kept turning on because he was doing something wrong, rather than because I was doing it when he wasn’t looking.

Worst experience with Norwegian food

• Allison: My least favorite Norwegian food is fårekål, which is pieces of mutton boiled together with some cabbage and potatoes, with maybe a little bit of flour to thicken the broth. Norway claims it as their national dish and observes “Fårekål Feast Day” as the last Thursday in September.
• Gavin: To be fair to fårekål, we made it ourselves, which means we’ve never eaten it prepared by someone who had, you know, seen it before.  I think the worst experience was any of the many times we paid $25 for a burger with a frozen beef patty.

Will you continue to wear a lot of wool? 

• Allison: It’s July 15. I’m wearing wool right now.
• Gavin: No.  Wool is comfy and warm, but the non-Norwegian world is too warm for wool.

What was the most surprising or unexpected thing about living in Norway?

• Allison: That I thought winter was the best season! It was by far my favorite. It took me a long time to figure out how to dress appropriately, but it was well worth it.
• Gavin: I never minded the dark.  The light in the winter is this incredibly deep, diffused blue.  It’s beautiful.

Would you do it again?

• Allison: Yeah, it was awesome.
• Gavin: Of course.

Norway, you’ve been absolutely incredible. We love you and will be your ambassadors for life. Friends, thanks for following along with our blog. We are looking forward to seeing you when we return home!

Do you have a amateurly-translated Norwegian poem so this can end on a sappy note?

• We do!

Nord, by Rolf Jacobsen

Se oftere mot nord.
Gå mot vinden, du får rødere kinn.
Finn den ulendte stien.  Hold den.
Den er kortere.
Nord er best.
Vinterens flammevirvel, sommernattens mirakel

Gå mot vinden, klyv berg.
Se mot nord.
Oftere
Det er langt dette landet.
Det meste er nord!

North, by Rolf Jacobsen

Look more often to the North.
Go with the wind, your cheeks turn red.
Find the rugged path.  Hold it.
It is shorter.
North is best.
The winter’s whirling flame, the summer night’s miracle.

Go with the wind, cleave peaks.
Look to the North.
More often
It is far, this country.
The most is to the north.