Only six days remain in Oslo. The feeling is bittersweet. We are excited to return state-side to family and friends, but will miss those we've befriended here in Norway. And although we've had many fine experiences, there is still so much to see and do in this part of the world. In retrospect, ten months is not long enough. Still, we are ready to return home and readjust - to comfort and reality.
We've made certain to make the most of our final days. Since our last blog, we've visited: Alicante, Spain (again); Gothenburg, Sweden; and Halden, Norway. On May 17, we celebrated Norway's national holiday. May 17 is a very special and respected day for Norwegians, and many wear traditional costumes from the area in which they are from. Women's costumes - handmade and embellished with embroidery and silver - average around $5000! The dresses themselves are art, and are made to last for generations. (See pics.) May 17 for us began with a traditional breakfast at one friend's home, followed a parade in front of the palace (where the royal family stood for four hours waving to parade participants), and ended with wine on another friend's veranda. The sun was shining and everyone was happy...Truly a perfect and memorable day!
We depart Oslo on May 31, arriving in Philly later that day. David's father will pick us up from the airport, and we will stay with his folks in NJ through June 11. We will then travel south to Greenville, SC and stay with my parents until we can return to our home in Columbia in July.
Thank you for following our blog and journey, and please pray for our safe return home. We look forward to seeing you all real soon!!!
(Note: The title of this entry is a line from a song. I sing it all the time to Evie and it makes us both smile!)
May 17 in Oslo & Gothenburg, SW (May)
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
March Madness & April Mayhem
March and April (thus far) have been a whirl wind of travels for us Virtues.
David spent most of March above the arctic circle. He visited many beautiful regions, including Alta, Hammerfest and Svalbard. He returned with many tales, with the most exciting being an encounter with a wild polar bear in Svalbard! It was merely sleeping in the snow when it was slumberly woken by fellow snow mobilers. (TRIVIA: It's the law in Svalbard that one must carry a rifle when exiting town limits - in case of a polar bear attack.)
While David was away, I took the kids to England for nine sun-filled, fun-filled days! We visited long-time friends (note I did not say 'OLD'), Yvonne & Jeff and Liz & Alan, and it was like visiting family. We had a fabulous time and ate like royalty. While there, Evie began walking and cut two more teeth. (Jeff said she has 'central eating' - as all her teeth are front-center.) Evie and JR had a blast playing with their grandchildren and spending time outdoors. It was good 'therapy' for all of us.
April began full sprint. Our friends from Denmark, Marianne and Bjarne, (who we visited during Christmas) arrived on the 1st. Then we celebrated Evie's first birthday on the 6th. Our landlady (& friend), Siri, also joined us in celebration. It was nice to have the kids' Scandinavian 'grandparents' with us - while their US grandparents joined via Skype.
Later that same night we took the train to Trondheim. For those who have never slept on a train, it was like sleeping in a closet! Once in Trondheim, we took three buses and one ferry (another four hours) to a sleepy fishing village called Bessaker - where there is one general store and one cafe to service all your needs. Locals in this town were friendly, and the atmosphere was calming - like something you'd see in a movie. (See pics far below.) This was David's second visit to this area, and when he opened the local paper, he was surprised to see an article about his earlier visit, accompanied with his picture! He prided (and coined) himself as a local celebrity! The return train from Trondheim was long, but the scenery was absolutely breathtaking...Full of peaks and valleys, lakes and rivers, with each elevation different from the one before.
Tomorrow (April 13) we head to Bergen, a west coast town known for its scenery and rain. And next week we return to Spain for a little sun, rest and relaxation. (We hope!) :o)
HAPPY EASTER! We look forward to seeing everyone soon!
David spent most of March above the arctic circle. He visited many beautiful regions, including Alta, Hammerfest and Svalbard. He returned with many tales, with the most exciting being an encounter with a wild polar bear in Svalbard! It was merely sleeping in the snow when it was slumberly woken by fellow snow mobilers. (TRIVIA: It's the law in Svalbard that one must carry a rifle when exiting town limits - in case of a polar bear attack.)
While David was away, I took the kids to England for nine sun-filled, fun-filled days! We visited long-time friends (note I did not say 'OLD'), Yvonne & Jeff and Liz & Alan, and it was like visiting family. We had a fabulous time and ate like royalty. While there, Evie began walking and cut two more teeth. (Jeff said she has 'central eating' - as all her teeth are front-center.) Evie and JR had a blast playing with their grandchildren and spending time outdoors. It was good 'therapy' for all of us.
April began full sprint. Our friends from Denmark, Marianne and Bjarne, (who we visited during Christmas) arrived on the 1st. Then we celebrated Evie's first birthday on the 6th. Our landlady (& friend), Siri, also joined us in celebration. It was nice to have the kids' Scandinavian 'grandparents' with us - while their US grandparents joined via Skype.
Later that same night we took the train to Trondheim. For those who have never slept on a train, it was like sleeping in a closet! Once in Trondheim, we took three buses and one ferry (another four hours) to a sleepy fishing village called Bessaker - where there is one general store and one cafe to service all your needs. Locals in this town were friendly, and the atmosphere was calming - like something you'd see in a movie. (See pics far below.) This was David's second visit to this area, and when he opened the local paper, he was surprised to see an article about his earlier visit, accompanied with his picture! He prided (and coined) himself as a local celebrity! The return train from Trondheim was long, but the scenery was absolutely breathtaking...Full of peaks and valleys, lakes and rivers, with each elevation different from the one before.
Tomorrow (April 13) we head to Bergen, a west coast town known for its scenery and rain. And next week we return to Spain for a little sun, rest and relaxation. (We hope!) :o)
HAPPY EASTER! We look forward to seeing everyone soon!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
February...Short & Sweet
February passed so quickly that not only am I behind in writing our blog, I also can't recall what we did! Therefore, I will keep this entry 'short & sweet' - just like the month itself.
Mid-February, the Fulbright administration took all the Fulbrighters (and their families) to the Skeikampen ski resort, nestled in the mountains near Lillehammer. Although we did not ski, we had a great time socializing with the fellow Fulbrighters and participing in the indoor activities (pool, playroom, magic shows, buffet). The sun shone the entire weekend, which made us realize how long it's been since we've seen real sun. (I could literally feel my body soaking in the vitamin D!) The highlight of our weekend was an evening sleigh ride through the snowy forest. I could not help but think of the song line 'Over the river and through the woods....' I should mention though that is was approximately -30 degrees celcius (-22 fahrenheit) during this ride! The fur-skin blankets could barely keep us warm.
On February 25th, our little boy turned 3! We celebrated by having a 'pirate' sledding party behind the flat. The intent was to sled and eat lunch outside, and after an hour go inside for cake. The clouds had other plans though, and it snowed so much, that the tables of food were covered in wet, white fluff! (I've heard of parties being 'rained out', but never 'snowed out'!) All was well though once inside, and everyone stayed for a fun five hours! Surprisingly, the seven boys (between 2-5 years) got along smashingly, and the adults were able to sip coffee and chat. (NOTE: I have to give kudos to my dear friend, Julie, for helping me make the chocolate pirate ship cake. It was both delicious & cute!)
Evie Anne is such a delight and is always smiling. She can now stand (on her own) with ease and occasionally takes a step. She's holding with six teeth, but we can tell that others are moving in. We love the stage she is in and wish it would last longer. Amazingly, she turns one in less than a month.
David is traveling a lot in March, so the kids and I are escaping to England for ten days to visit family friends. We realize our overseas adventure will soon come to a close, so we are making the most of it! (NOTE: We scheduled our flight to return to PA/NJ on May 31. We will arrive in Greenville around June 13 and return to Columbia July 1.)
Mid-February, the Fulbright administration took all the Fulbrighters (and their families) to the Skeikampen ski resort, nestled in the mountains near Lillehammer. Although we did not ski, we had a great time socializing with the fellow Fulbrighters and participing in the indoor activities (pool, playroom, magic shows, buffet). The sun shone the entire weekend, which made us realize how long it's been since we've seen real sun. (I could literally feel my body soaking in the vitamin D!) The highlight of our weekend was an evening sleigh ride through the snowy forest. I could not help but think of the song line 'Over the river and through the woods....' I should mention though that is was approximately -30 degrees celcius (-22 fahrenheit) during this ride! The fur-skin blankets could barely keep us warm.
On February 25th, our little boy turned 3! We celebrated by having a 'pirate' sledding party behind the flat. The intent was to sled and eat lunch outside, and after an hour go inside for cake. The clouds had other plans though, and it snowed so much, that the tables of food were covered in wet, white fluff! (I've heard of parties being 'rained out', but never 'snowed out'!) All was well though once inside, and everyone stayed for a fun five hours! Surprisingly, the seven boys (between 2-5 years) got along smashingly, and the adults were able to sip coffee and chat. (NOTE: I have to give kudos to my dear friend, Julie, for helping me make the chocolate pirate ship cake. It was both delicious & cute!)
Evie Anne is such a delight and is always smiling. She can now stand (on her own) with ease and occasionally takes a step. She's holding with six teeth, but we can tell that others are moving in. We love the stage she is in and wish it would last longer. Amazingly, she turns one in less than a month.
David is traveling a lot in March, so the kids and I are escaping to England for ten days to visit family friends. We realize our overseas adventure will soon come to a close, so we are making the most of it! (NOTE: We scheduled our flight to return to PA/NJ on May 31. We will arrive in Greenville around June 13 and return to Columbia July 1.)
Friday, January 14, 2011
Happy New Year
The new year is upon us, as well as the second half of our stay in Oslo. How time flies!
Christmas in Roskilde, Denmark was fabulous. Our friends and gracious hosts, Marianne & Bjarne, showed us a true Scandinavian Christmas full of old traditions - from singing songs around the (real) candle lit tree to eating roasted duck. We also played a game of who can find an almond in their rice pudding. (Marianne purposely arranged it so the kids won.)
Scandinavian Christmas lasts for four days (December 23-26), which was a nice change from the two days we typically celebrate in the US. Following Christmas, we spent an afternoon at the Tivoli fun park in Copenhagen. The lights and decorations were beautiful in the snow, like a winter wonderland. We traveled to/from Copenhagen via a cruise boat. It was nothing fancy, but JR loved it and it was nice having a bed to sleep in during the commute.
Santa visited James Ryan and Evie upon our return to Oslo. James Ryan received the three things he asked for - a 'turning' dump truck, digger & steam roller. Evie got a push cart, which she pushes across the room like a pro! (David says she pushes it like her mama pushes a shopping cart! haha) She isn't walking yet (on her own), but will be soon!
New Year's Eve in Oslo was amazing! We didn't go anywhere, but the view of fireworks from our flat at midnight was nothing like we've ever seen. They were everywhere - 360 degrees - and non-stop. It was one of those moments that make you say 'wow', and one we will never forget.
This past weekend, David presented at a conference in Amsterdam and we tagged along. We had a wonderful time and found it to be a beautiful and interesting city. (TRIVIA...Did you know that Amsterdam has more bridges than Paris and more canals than Venice? 'Tis true!) While there we did a canal boat ride (with our friend, Jenn, who was also there), and I took the kids to the Artis Zoo...Both were fabulous.
More updates...
Christmas in Roskilde, Denmark was fabulous. Our friends and gracious hosts, Marianne & Bjarne, showed us a true Scandinavian Christmas full of old traditions - from singing songs around the (real) candle lit tree to eating roasted duck. We also played a game of who can find an almond in their rice pudding. (Marianne purposely arranged it so the kids won.)
Scandinavian Christmas lasts for four days (December 23-26), which was a nice change from the two days we typically celebrate in the US. Following Christmas, we spent an afternoon at the Tivoli fun park in Copenhagen. The lights and decorations were beautiful in the snow, like a winter wonderland. We traveled to/from Copenhagen via a cruise boat. It was nothing fancy, but JR loved it and it was nice having a bed to sleep in during the commute.
Santa visited James Ryan and Evie upon our return to Oslo. James Ryan received the three things he asked for - a 'turning' dump truck, digger & steam roller. Evie got a push cart, which she pushes across the room like a pro! (David says she pushes it like her mama pushes a shopping cart! haha) She isn't walking yet (on her own), but will be soon!
New Year's Eve in Oslo was amazing! We didn't go anywhere, but the view of fireworks from our flat at midnight was nothing like we've ever seen. They were everywhere - 360 degrees - and non-stop. It was one of those moments that make you say 'wow', and one we will never forget.
This past weekend, David presented at a conference in Amsterdam and we tagged along. We had a wonderful time and found it to be a beautiful and interesting city. (TRIVIA...Did you know that Amsterdam has more bridges than Paris and more canals than Venice? 'Tis true!) While there we did a canal boat ride (with our friend, Jenn, who was also there), and I took the kids to the Artis Zoo...Both were fabulous.
More updates...
- JR is thoroughly enjoying Norwegian preschool. We often take him to/from via sled! He comes home singing Norwegian songs, although we're sure the words aren't quite right. He enjoys doing puzzles and can even assemble 100 pieces on his own. Next month, we celebrate his 3rd birthday. He has asked for a pirate cake, and we are discussing a sled party behind the flat.
- Evie is growing like a weed. She's almost 10 months, but wears 12-18 month clothes! She smiles every time you speak to her, but is in a clingy stage at the moment which is driving us nuts! It's not that we don't want to cuddle her, but sometimes it's just not possible. (Aka - When you have to pee, cook or get dressed! UHH!) She and JR have an unbelievable bond with one other, which is genuinely sweet.
- David turned 44 last week. We celebrated at home since we were going to Amsterdam the next day. It's too expensive to go out in Norway anyway!
- Our friend, Ashley, is visiting from the US for a week. A few short days with our children has been good birth control for her. (HA!) It has gotten cold again, so she is having a true Nordic experience.
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