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!