Chloe felt a prick of envy. She wanted something like Hilda’s tablecloth - a family heirloom, a lovely true story, certain knowledge of the people behind the object. Something that would remind her that even though she and Mom hadn’t been especially close, she still had a place in a long chain of strong women.
Excerpt from Fiddling with Fate by Kathleen Ernst
We were up bright and early this morning as we had to leave by 8 a.m. in order to be in Oslo on time for the city drive. Per was patiently waiting by the bus for us to identify our bags prior to boarding. We had just boarded, when it began to pour hard. Poor Per! On top of driving mountain roads, he had to contend with rain and wet roads! After 1 ½ to 2 hours of driving, we stopped at the Heddal Stave Church. Built around 1250, it’s the largest stave church in Norway. The altar is from 1667 and was gorgeous! The top part and the side wings are from 1908. There was an entrance for women on the left side and an entrance for men on the right side. In addition, there was a narrow walkway between the main church and external gallery that went around the entire structure. This was built so the lepers could listen to the church service but be separated from the rest of the congregation.
Upon returning to the bus, Kathleen spoke for awhile about her process for writing, and the background and timeline for writing her books. I’ve listened to her speak a number of times, and I always learn something new!
Onward we went into Oslo. At one point we passed by a lake in the town of Seljord, 110 miles west of Oslo that is known as the location for the Norwegian loch ness monster. Known as “Selma,” more than 100 sightings have been recorded since 1750.
As we entered newer tunnels, we learned that the green neon lights in the tunnel indicated escape routes and that the blue hued areas were stopping points for people having an anxiety issue of being in a close area.
We passed by fields being planted with lettuce, and later broccoli and cauliflower. Other types of crops cannot grow here because it’s not warm enough.
Finally we learned that 65 percent of the vehicles in Norway are electric, which has both advantages and disadvantages.
Once into Oslo and a quick lunch, we visited the Historical Museum which house recovered Viking artifacts, Egyptian artifacts, and a super interesting display of the Norwegian National Treasury from 1874 to 1910. The coins are a part of the Central Bank of Norway’s gold that was loaded on boards 26 trucks on the morning of April 9, 1940 when the Nazis attacked Norway. We were given a private talk about the exhibit called “Transformation: Faith and Sacred Objects in the Middle Ages.”
After touring the city, we went to the Norwegian Outdoor Folk Museum. While the group had two hours there, I am so thankful Rebecca and I did it earlier. We had a beautiful day then, while today, it rained off and on. But both of us were able to assist others in finding interesting houses to visit. One special house for me today was with a young woman doing band-weaving. Her only light in the house was the light from the fireplace and one candle. I have a difficult time band-weaving with an Ott Lite which produces wonderful light. Think of the women in the past and how they had to do their chores despite the conditions!
It was time to say good bye to Per and Kees….which was SO SAD to do! I admit tearing up once again. I asked Per if I could hug him good bye and in his wonderful dry humor replied, “Only if it’s a long one!” Sweet Kees was so thoughtful that he texted me from the airport to say that the tax refund office at the airport is by the check in area and another one is left of the stairs to Gate C. What a wonderful, kind guide he was!
Dinner for the participants were on their own and Rebecca, Lynne and I went out to a place Rebecca and I had tried during our first visit here, Kaffistova. Tomorrow all the participants are on their own - many of them will be visiting family. We are too! Our distant cousin, who works for the Norwegian Parliament, will show us around The Storting.
