Hip, Hip, Hurray! Happy Syttende Mai!!! Welcome to family and friends of the 30 tour participants joining us as we follow the footsteps of Kathleen Ernst’s Chloe and Roelke who traveled through Norway in search of Chloe’s quest for answers.
Speechless! That’s the word to describe today. I have been looking forward to celebrating Syttende Mai for a long, LONG time! Never did I imagine it would take three years for a dream to become a reality. But today, here in Bergen, tour participants could experience what Constitution Day means to the Norwegian people. I don’t think the participants were disappointed in what they experienced!
The day began with cannon fire at 7 a.m. The 17 Mai frokost (Syttende Mai breakfast) was something experienced only in dreams. Lavishly decorated with flags, flowers, the buffet not only included all kinds of hot food, buns, breads, meats, cheese, cereals, yogurts, and cereals but the traditional Syttende foods such as pølse, three types of ice cream, pavlova topped with fresh berries, and a modified bløtkakke with a marzipan frosting. I loved hearing the ooohs and aaahs of the participants! One went right for the ice cream station claiming, ‘When else can I eat ice cream for breakfast?’ I think she had a scoop of each flavor! :)
On the way to the parade route, I spoke with several Russ. They were sweet girls who answered all my questions. For those new readers, Russ are high school seniors who have been on vacation from school for one month, partying with other Russ from around Norway. If they wear red overalls, they are from a liberal arts school. If they wear blue overalls, they are from a business school. There are two big events for them - one was held in Stavanger the weekend we flew in. One thing I learned today by observing and taking with them is that they pass our ‘their cards’ to all the young children. The cards have their name, whether they are rødruss (red russ) or blåruss (blue russ), what is on the overalls, the code number for their participation in a particular program and their photo. I also asked if they had done any ‘challenges’…first, they didn’t want to share any, but eventually shared one ‘challenge’ that they succeeded in….eating a MacDonald’s hamburger in two bites.
Bergen is unique in not only having one parade but THREE! The first began at 7 a.m. This parade consisted of all the members who helped to organize the events of the day. While not attending, there were a variety of church services in the early morning along with various commemorations and Tivoli opening. The Tivoli is like a huge amusement park, but stays for a week or so, and then travels to various other European cities.
Bergen is very unique as the second and third parades - main and children’s parades actually go at the same time. They begin at slightly different times and go in different directions, but at certain parts in the city, you can see both parades processing at the same time but in different directions. At one point I stood at the corner and saw three corners to my left with the parade processing through, two corners to my right with the parade progressing through the street, and one corner behind me and in front of me. I cannot begin to describe all the senses that were enhanced by this experience. The parades consisted of many different types of organizations, funny entries, drum and bugle corps, school groups, dance and theater groups, boy scouts…you name it, they processed!
Around the same time as the parade, there was the boat parade which has become an annual event since 2020. While we did not to to see it, we’ve been told, it’s a very popular event. Throughout the morning, there were all sort of musical events and speeches happening. Like in other locations in Norway, each city, town, or community take the time to honor their local heroes who gave of themselves for their country or community. Children had the chance to get an animal balloon created in front of them, have a picture taken with a transformer, play with their new Syttende Mai toys, or eat as much ice cream as they wished. Despite the cold temperatures, it didn’t seem to stop the eating of ice cream!
Stalls were set up throughout Festplassen to sell food, drinks, and souvenirs. These stalls were operated by local organizations who were using the event as a money-maker. Many, many people were supporting the various organizations.
We watched the air show for awhile before watching a most unique experience of the traditional climbing of the poles. The pole is brushed with an oil to make it slippery. Then the young men vying for the opportunity to climb it, take off their pants to their shorts or leggings, socks, shoes, and then put on a hardness. They then attempt to climb to reach one of the packages hanging from the top of the pole. If they get to the top, have a good grasp of things, they can then select what they want and take it back down with them. Each young man has a unique method of climbing the pole. It was fun to watch!
The damp, chilly air forced us back to the hotel for a bit. But that was good as we needed to pack up the hotel room we’ve been in for many days and get ready for the bus trip.
For the second time in two days, we’ve learned not to trust the websites here in Bergen. Wanting to see a folk dance performance, we patiently waited among drunk teenagers. When it didn’t seem like the place to be, I asked a local police officer and while it was on our schedule, it wasn’t on theirs. So a peaceful stroll through Festparken took its place.
We had dinner reservations at the Roast at the hotel. When Rebecca made the reservation before we left the states, she asked for a window table. Happily, we had the best table in the restaurant according to the waiter. Our view overlooked Festplassen. A perfect ending to a perfect day!
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