When last we left you we were wending our way back down the hill to the village of Geiranger. Once there, we had lunch and prepared for an afternoon bus tour . . .
[Geiranger Church (Geiranger kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Stranda Municipality. It is located in the village of Geiranger, and the end of the famous Geirangerfjorden. The white, wooden church was built in a octagonal style in 1842 by the architect Hans Klipe. The church seats about 165 people (Wikipedia).]
[And its adjacent cemetery . . . ]
[I can best describe this as pleasingly pleasant . . . ]
[And a photo op of the Super at a bend in the road . . . ]
[Hi! Isn’t this cool?]
[Our destination is in sight. The number of tourists who arrived in those buses far exceeds the population of the village . . . ]
[Looking back up, there’s not a lot of flat grazing ground around here . . . ]
[Back to Cafe Ole for lunch – the local brown ale and a sandwich . . . ]
[Quite tasty . . . ]
[Waiting for our tour . . . ]
[There were lots of people leading to some confusion, of course, as to where one should be standing . . . ]
[Eventually were we off on the Eagles Bend Overlook & Panoramic Tour . . . ]
[Driving up through 11 breathtaking hairpin turns . . . ]
[Where we are, Eagle Bend Overlook . . . ]
[Where we were . . . ]
[Quite the view – notice the little runabout at the bottom of the picture?]
[As the boats come and go, the Seven Sisters just around the bend . . . ]
[The overlook . . . ]
[The overlook views . . . ]
[Little teenie boats . . . ]
[And the classic tourist shot of the tourist shot . . . ]
[One wonders just how this can handle a million tourists a year?]
[But I can certainly understand why a million tourists would want to come here . . . ]
[The Super checks to make sure our ship is still there . . . ]
[Ladies and gentemen, allow me to present the wonders of Geiranger . . . ]
[These appear to be Moss Campion, a native wildflower . . . ]
[These appear to be shots through the bus window as we’re heading down . . . ]
[We’re on the way to a higher view behind the village . . . ]
[And now we’re going back up again . . . ]
[Still rising . . . ]
[To the Flydalsjuvet viewpoint . . . ]
[Decent view, I would propose . . . ]
[Bill inched forward for a closer look . . . ]
[Looking at these photos, I was pretty close to the edge . . . ]
[So I don’t understand why the Super kept asking me to back up a couple more steps?]
[The view behind us . . . ]
[The view in front of us . . . ]
[The view of us. We did have a beautiful day here. I noted our guide a couple times in Part 1, but somehow never got a photo of her. She grew up in Geiranger, but the school system only goes to 8th grade. She had to go “over the fjords and through the mountains” to high school – so not close to home. She’s a college student now and tour guides as a summer job . . . ]
[Self explanatory . . . ]
[Then through green Flydal Valley to the high mountain plateau at Djupvatn Lake . . . ]
[All out to see the lake . . . ]
[No, really?]
[Don’cha just love snow and ice in late June?]
[But it was calm and the temperature comfortable – Bill’s in short sleeves . . . ]
[And the Super’s lovin’ it!]
[Oh, and I’m in short sleeves too. Obviously someone outside our group took this . . . ]
[These were storage huts – but I can’t remember if they were for winter feed or winter sand . . . ]
[Your basic isolated farmstead . . . ]
[If you can find a flat piece of land, use it . . . ]
[Back down in Geiranger port, a car ferry . . . ]
[And we begin to leave stunningly beautiful Geiranger behind . . . ]
[Passing the waterfalls we passed coming in in the morning . . . ]
[Passed the Seven Sisters . . . ]
[Then we must eat . . . ]
[In the specialty restaurant, The Chef’s Table, on Deck 1 . . . ]
[On this night, Xiang cuisine – multi-courses with separate wines . . . ]
[We liked it all . . . ]
[And as the sun set we were on our way to Lofoten . . . ]
[Which required a full day at sea before we got there . . . ]
I gained a sense of why Grieg was so touched by the wistful, elegiac folk music of Norway, and what he meant when he said self-effacingly that his music had a ‘taste of cod’ about it. ~ Anthony Tommasini
* A place heretofore totally unknown to me. And now it is totally incredible to me.
[As you will note, the journey to get there is the adventure . . . ]
[Arriving by the dawn’s early light . . . ]
[You get the feel from here and the maps above, this is a long narrow fjord that over the centuries has been subject to tsunamis . . . ]
[Tsunamis are created when rockslides from the fjord side cliffs fall into the water – the displaced water has no place to expand in the narrow water ways, so the subsequent tsunamis can reach 300-feet high. A 2015 movie titled “The Wave” is about such a tsunami hitting Geiranger (I have yet to see it) . . . ]
[Cliffsides are all about waterfalls . . . ]
[The first major waterfall on the way in is Bridle Veil . . . ]
[A ship’s advisory alerts all to grab your cameras and head deck side . . . ]
[Now approaching the Seven Sisters waterfall . . . ]
[But first, a look aft . . . ]
[And a parting shot of Bridal Veil . . . ]
[And the Seven Sisters, famed in song and story (or so I’m told) . . . ]
[Can you count 7 falls?]
[You just keep shooting in hopes of the magical one. Got a rainbow here . . . ]
[And here . . . ]
[This was a spectacular entry into a tiny village . . . ]
[And here we’re arriving at Geiranger . . . ]
[From our bow vantage point in the Explorers’ Bar . . . ]
[First sighting Geiranger at the end of the fjord . . . ]
[Geiranger is a small tourist village in Sunnmore region of More og Romsdal county in the western part of Norway. It lies in the municipality of Stranda at the head of the Geirangerfjorden, which is a branch of the large Storfjorden. The nearest city is Alesund. Geiranger is home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, and has been named the best travel destination in Scandinavia by Lonely Planet. Since 2005, the Geirangerfjord area has been listed as a UNESCO World Hertiage Site. The Seven Sisters waterfall is located just west of Geiranger, directly across another waterfall called “The Suitor.” Norwegian County Road 63 passes through the village. Geiranger Church is the main church for the village and surrounding area. Geiranger is under constant threat from landslides from the mountain Akerneset into the fjord. A collapse could cause a tsunami that could destroy downtown Geiranger. This third biggest cruise ship port in Norway receives 140 to 180 ships during the four-month tourist season. In 2012 some 300,000 cruise passengers visited Geiranger during the summer season. The Geiranger Port has a cruise terminal, a Seawalk, and 3–4 anchor positions depending on the size of the ships. Constructed in 2013, the Seawalk is a three-segment articulated floating pier. It is 236 metres (774 ft) long and 4.5 metres (15 ft) wide on 10 pontoons, which moves (like a floatable jetwalk) to accommodate up to 4,000 passengers per hour disembarking from a single ship. Several hundred thousand people pass through the village every summer, and tourism is the main business for the 250 people who live there permanently. There are five hotels and over ten camping sites. The tourist season stretches from May to early September (Wikipedia).]
[So serene and isolated . . . ]
[It is from the following two shots that I can almost understand the Super’s desire to live on a cruise ship . . . ]
[As the ship readies to anchor . . . ]
[We went back to room to round up whatever we needed for our shore excursion . . . ]
[Then did an outside wander of the ship to see what we could see . . . ]
[The first tenders began taking passengers to the village . . . ]
[Another cruise ship was already here . . . ]
[Our tender speeds toward land . . . ]
[We had an afternoon tour, but you could go to shore whenever you wanted and could explore the local environs on your own – so we did . . . ]
[It’s all about tourism here . . . ]
[Bill, Anne, and the Super lead the way into “town.” The Skywalk would be part of our afternoon tour . . . ]
[How appropriate – we would stop back here for lunch . . . ]
[Another cruise ship was making it a party of three. Our young tour guide in the afternoon said Geiranger was expecting 1 million tourists this year!]
[We’re walking behind the village toward the waterfalls . . . ]
[There’s a campground here (as you can see), with the 3 cruise ships in the background. Our ship is on the left . . . ]
[Another native grass roof . . . ]
[We’re starting up the stairway to heaven . . . ]
[Better known as the Storseterfossen waterfall walk . . . ]
[Looks like the same photo, but not quite . . . ]
[I cannot identify the mountain peak in the distance; I can identify the Super in the foreground. We’re on the steps going up along the waterfall . . . ]
[The Super points out the warning lest I was thinking such . . . ]
[A photo op on the way up – Bill in the foreground; our ship in the background . . . ]
[Idyllic . . . ]
[A tender alongside for a passenger pick up . . . ]
[Continuing our climb. At no point could you gauge how far it was to the top . . . ]
[So we just kept climbing, stopping for rests and photo ops . . . ]
[It looks like we’re getting close – my legs were feeling it . . . ]
[After the jut out, we must be there, huh?]
[And there’s our unidentified mountain peak in the background again . . . ]
[The Super’s still looking chipper; not sure about me . . . ]
[But, hey, the views are worth it . . . ]
[Looks like there were a lot more people on the stairway than first thought . . . ]
[OK, there’s still a few more steps to go (there always is) . . . ]
[Everything you ever needed to know about the West Norwegian Fjords . . . ]
[Like, wow!]
[Looks like it’s all on the level from here . . . ]
[We’re as far up as the stairway will take us. It looks like our waterfall commences a way up the mountain yet. This is from the grounds of the information shop/museum that greets you up here . . . ]
[Hotel Union is a family-run hotel that is situated on a hill just above the centre of the tourist village of Geiranger, with a fantastic view of the fjords and mountains. The current hosts are the 3rd and 4th generation of the Melva family – the hotel has been in the family since 1897. Hotel Union has 197 rooms in several categories, from well-equipped standard rooms to luxury suites. T he hotel is ideal for courses and conferences and has a separate congress centre that was completed in the summer of 1997. The congress centre is fully equipped with ultra-modern AV and technical equipment. The garden that surrounds the hotel has a separate rooftop garden on top of the conference centre. The roof garden has its own dance area, barbecue area and outdoor swimming pool. Also nearby are minigolf and play areas for children. The garden also contains Mollaløa, a ‘typical Sunnmøre’ reception/banqueting room. In the rustic Mollaløa, we serve traditional food according to our own menu (www.visitnorway.com/listings/hotel-union-geiranger/187520/).]
[When you get to the top, you need a bad & spa! I asked our afternoon tour guide how many steps it was the top. She said a little under 400. If they had a sign indicating such at the bottom, I’m sure I wouldn’t have climbed. Maybe that’s why they don’t?]
[The hotel as we began our trek back down via a switchback road . . . ]
[Pretty much a two-way single lane road – keep alert if you’re walking . . . ]
[The Super stops at a little cemetery on the way down. We will continue from here in Part 2 with lunch in the village and then a bus tour . . . ]
A refugee is someone who survived and who can create the future. ~ Amela Koluder
In response to a momentary break in the local activities, it’s time to return to Norway. When last we left you we had completed our first structured tour of Bergen. Now we began the optional tour of The Best of Bergen & Mt. Floien . . .
[The Super exchanges pleasantries with our driver as we board the bus . . . ]
[Our first destination was the funicular ride to the top of Mt. Floien . . . ]
[And here comes the funicular . . . ]
[Those coming down dismount on the other side . . . ]
[Here we go . . . ]
[Let me take you higher . . . ]
[Wow, this is cool!]
[Almost to the top . . . ]
[The summit . . . ]
[With our guide, the Viking Sun 25 “lollipop” . . . ]
[The Super captured Joe Tourist and the Norwegian flag . . . ]
[What a great view. The summit is about 1,000 feet above sea level . . . ]
[But we had to wonder what it would have looked like on a sunny day. That’s our boat, the Viking Sun, in the middle of the photo . . . ]
[Hi! I’m Norwegian . . . ]
[And that’s the best of Norway behind me . . . ]
[ . . . and more . . . ]
[Lille Lungegaardsvannet or Smålungeren is a small 5 acres (0.020 km2) lake in the centre of the city. The octagonal lake is a natural lake that was historically connected to the nearby Store Lungegardsvannet bay via a short strait, but the strait was filled in 1926. Today the lake is located in a park in the city centre. There is a large decorative fountain located in the central part of the lake (Wikipedia).]
[We were bascially free to wander around on our own up here (it is a free country, after all), but our guide said she would lead us to a small lake if we wanted to follow her . . . ]
[The guide said it was only a couple of blocks – and the sign agreed. But it seemed to be about 20 miles, up and down steep hills . . . ]
[Stop and smell the roses (or Norwegian wild flowers, whichever occurs first) . . . ]
[So we walked very quietly . . . ]
[It’s just around the next bend (we heard about 20 times) . . . ]
[Stop here for a rest before tackling the next 10 miles . . . ]
[The lake!]
[Like the row boats in Central Park . . . ]
[And the Super is again photobombed by a troll . . . ]
[We’re back to the Bergen overlooks, and the Super has found some goats . . . ]
[Norway is nothing if not altitude changes . . . ]
[And it wasn’t even Halloween . . . ]
[This . . is . . MY . . country . . . ]
[Where we were in relation to . . . ]
[Couldn’t find a sign for Alex . . . ]
[Back to the funicular . . . ]
[For the trip back down (before we go into altitude oxygen debt) . . . ]
[Or you can always take the switchback roads and trails . . . ]
[The centerpoint by-pass . . . ]
[And we’re down where the next passengers are waiting to go up . . . ]
[Take a guess?]
[Next we visited the Schotstuene Museum . . . ]
[The main part of the Schotstuene Museum is located in Finnegården, one of the conserved wooden buildings on Bryggen. The museum covers the Hanseatic League period of time in Bergen. The German guild of merchants had created an overseas office at Bryggen by 1360. During the following four centuries, the site consisted of assembly halls for the Hanseatic merchants. It was forbidden to use fire in the other buildings on Bryggen, hence all cooking of food took place at Schøtstuene, for which the museum is also responsible (Wikipedia).]
[And some native Norwegian music for our dining and dancing pleasure . . . ]
[A furnace (?) in the room from 1703 . . . ]
[And we received more history lessons now beyond the realm of my recollections . . . ]
[A stick (or bone?) of some import . . . ]
[Back to “ART” . . . ]
[And Mt. Ulriken . . . ]
[The ever present Henrik Ibsen . . . ]
[I hope this is a caricature . . . ]
[The National Stage Theater . . . ]
[Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson (8 December 1832 – 26 April 1910) was a Norwegian writer who received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature “as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished by both the freshness of its inspiration and the rare purity of its spirit”, becoming the first Norwegian Nobel laureate. Bjørnson is considered to be one of The Four Greats (De Fire Store) among Norwegian writers, the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland. Bjørnson is also celebrated for his lyrics to the Norwegian National Anthem, “Ja, vi elsker dette landet“ (Wikipedia).]
[St. John’s Church is located in the Sydnes area of the city. The church is one of five churches in Bergen Cathedral parish in the Bergen arch-deanery in the Diocese of Bjorgvin. The red, brick cruciform church has 1250 seats, making it the largest church in Bergen. The church was built between 1891 and 1894 in the Gothic Revival style. It was consecrated on 15 March 1894 (Wikipedia).]
[The Music Pavilion, again . . . ]
[The royal crest on this building would seem to indicate a royal connection . . . ]
[Bergen Station is the main railway station in the city. It is located on the east side of the city centre and has four platforms. The station was opened in 1913, four years after the Bergen Line itself opened (Wikipedia). As previously noted, where we arrived in the city . . . ]
[Another look at Mt. Ulriken as weather appears to be bearing down . . . ]
[Though Gamlehaugen is not officially a castle, it is known as such to many locals, and the royal family have confused this status even more by using this elegant building as their West Norway residence. Gamlehaugen was modelled on a Scottish – you guessed it – castle but only built in 1900, though similarly grand manor houses stood in its place at Gamlehaugen for centuries before then. The fjord view and park, which was also remodelled in 1900, make for beautiful surroundings even on a rainy Bergen day. Tours of the interior are available during the summer. Gamlehaugen is roughly an hour’s walk from the city centre or easily reachable by car (https://theculturetrip.com/europe/norway/articles/the-most-beautiful-buildings-in-bergen/).]
[And now returning to the ship and the cruise will finally begin!]
[We’re sailing! After six days ashore! Woo-woo!]
[And enjoying the views pre-dinner . . . ]
[And finally, fine dining at its finest!]
[Then past the piano player in the atrium on the way to our rooms. See you in Geiranger next!]
What business has science and capitalism got, bringing all these new inventions into the works, before society has produced a generation educated up to using them! ~ Henrik Ibsen
[Always a multi-day affair, it began with a trip to brother Cam’s and sister-in-law Karen’s homestead in Mounds View . . . ]
[Our evening repast was at the iconic Moe’s in their neighborhood. The Super and I shared a “commercial” that would have fed us all for the next five days . . . ]
September 2 – Labor Day
[And a mini-family reunion day. Our Uncle Tom and Aunt Mary Kay were in town from Scottsdale, Arizona, and Mary Kay’s brother Bob and sister-in-law Ginger joined us for fine dining designed, fashioned, and grilled up by Karen with help from son Michael John . . . ]
[Their front yard – Cam removed 28 trees from here several years ago. Still heavily shaded . . . ]
[In today’s America, everyone has their own car, and then some . . . ]
[Needless to say, a unique sign in their neighborhood . . . ]
[After the Great Recession destroyed the jobs of both brothers, Cam went to Century College and tacked on a landscaping associates degree to his geography BA long ago obtained from the University of South Carolina. He provided all the brains and brawn in landscaping his yard . . .
[And now in his backyard as he prepares for company . . . ]
[The Super helped with all the outdoor furniture . . . ]
[No, I don’t slide – but Karen has 81 first cousins so this pool gets a lot of use . . . ]
[I believe these are all annuals, requiring a total re-do next year . . . ]
[Their yard shed on the left . . . ]
[The back of the house from . . . ]
[And the Super from . . . ]
[The backyard cabana . . . ]
[The Super’s pool towel; the Obert boys were all Cardinal fans in our youth . . . ]
[Looks ready for company . . . ]
[The pelican stands guard over the pool . . . ]
[Beautiful day!]
[Michael, Cam, and Karen fired up both grills . . . ]
[Seriously, it’s going to be very good . . . ]
[The guests have arrived . . . ]
[Bob, Cam, Ginger, Mary Kay, and the original Tom Obert . . . ]
[A serious discussion about . . . kabobs?]
[No more than 20 different spices . . . ]
[Why yes, I will be 72 in two days. Why yes, this is bizarre. Thanks again to our hosts, collectively known as the Mounds View Oberts . . . ]
September 3
[Cam’s hanging baskets early in the morning . . . ]
[The holiday was over. Karen and Cam both work. The Super and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather to visit downtown Minneapolis . . . ]
[Here we are on St. Anthony Main, along the west bank of the Mississippi River . . . ]
[And on the other side is the Minneapolis skyline . . . ]
[And that’s the 3rd Avenue Bridge, so named because it’s on 3rd Avenue (though it was originally known as the St. Anthony Falls Bridge, but that didn’t fit on the identifying plaque) . . . ]
[The area at night as taken by our niece Katy, Michael’s older sister, some time ago . . . ]
[An attractive bridge with arches (and Dr. Scholl’s inserts for support) . . . ]
[Pillsbury’s Best Flour, or how it came to be named the Mill City . . . ]
[The St. Anthony Main sign and area construction . . . ]
[Infrastructure of water power . . . ]
[Looking back while trending toward the river . . . ]
[First glimpse of St. Anthony Falls (notice it wasn’t renamed 3rd Avenue Falls) . . . ]
[From whence we came . . . ]
[First glimpse of the renowned Stone Arch Bridge and the equally renowned Tyrone Guthrie Theater (black building, right center) . . . ]
[Guthrie on the left, Gold Medal Flour on the right (again, that Mill City thing) . . . ]
[The Guthrie (oh, you knew that already?) . . . ]
[We’re trending toward the Stone Arch Bridge with every intention of crossing it . . . ]
[And this guy was along the way . . . ]
[Small band shell or place for a photo op?]
[On the Stone Arch Bridge. Badly posed by me – should have been farther out on the bridge to avoid the photo bombing by the electrical wires . . . ]
[Walk left or right, bikes in the middle . . . ]
[Looking downstream on the Mississippi . . . ]
[Upstream to St. Anthony Falls, or as I noted on FB, why Minneapolis is where Minneapolis is . . . ]
[The Super from our vantage point on the Stone Arch Bridge . . . ]
[I believe this is still an ongoing park project on the riverfront . . . ]
[As you probably guessed from the initial photo, this was a railway bridge. I’ve always said you can never go wrong with a “graceful curvature” . . . ]
[And now just to further extol the virtues of this bridge, some night shots from the Google machine . . . ]
[Now some telephoto shots of “the other side” from the bridge . . . ]
[And no so telephotoish . . . ]
[Looking back on the bridge, catching some of the “graceful curvature” . . . ]
[Where we were on “the other side” . . . ]
[Self-explanatory below . . . ]
[Arggghhh, photo bombed by a bicyclist . . . ]
[The shot I was trying to get . . . ]
[I had a visit with her coming and going. I really liked what she was working on – she said it’s been taking months because of the weather. On our way back, she was packing up because it was getting too windy . . . ]
[Looking back at the bridge . . . ]
[We have to come back – heard nice things . . . ]
[Remember when we were over by the construction crane?]
[We’re at the theater. The Super is leery of trying to cross an urban street with all the cars, bikers, and scooterers . . . ]
[But we made it – this is the “Endless Bridge” appendage to the building . . . ]
[The original Guthrie lasted from 1963 – 2006 – it moved into this new theater and opened with “The Great Gatsby” on July 15, 2006 . . . ]
[Playwrite murals abound on the building exterior . . . ]
[I tried to get them all, but I’m not sure . . . ]
[Cam performed in “The Seagull” when he was at Century College . . . ]
[The place is open, so just walk in . . . ]
[Then up a DC Metro equivalent escalator . . . ]
[On the next level, the Endless Bridge at the far end . . . ]
[And now, the views from the Endless Bridge . . . ]
[The rare triple play: The Super, the 3rd Avenue Bridge, and the Stone Arch Bridge all in a single shot . . . ]
[Happy Birthday weekend to me!]
[And then out the opposite side of the theater. Yes, that’s Vikings stadium, a place I’ve said I’m not going to enter until our Alexandria Cardinals make the state championship game . . . ]
[The theater’s namesake is on this side . . . ]
[I.e., you might hurt the ruins!]
[The Pillsbury A-Mill is a former flour mill located on the east bank of the Mississippi River. It held the distinction of being the world’s largest flour mill for 40 years. Completed in 1881, it was owned by the Pillsbury Company and operated two of the most powerful direct-drive waterwheels ever built, each capable of generating 1,200 horsepower (895 kW). The mill was named a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and has since been converted into resident artist lofts (Wikipedia).]
[Where we parked is where Karen works – Cuningham Group, designer of Alexandria Area High School and provider of the window for my selfie . . . ]
[We lunched right next door . . . ]
[At the Aster Cafe. From their website: The Aster Cafe is located under the trees on the prettiest street in Minneapolis. Overlooking the mighty Mississippi river and the skyline of the city, the Aster is a candle-lit restaurant-bar with a sweet European patio. Live music, great brunches, craft beers and cocktails, and a thoughtful wine list add up to City Pages calling us the “best place to go on a first date”. Under Executive Chef Drew Ledo, our menu is fresh (no deep fryers!) and inventive. We also have lovely spaces for events and weddings, which you can check out by contacting our Event Goddess. So get down here! . . . ]
[That evening we went to see Michael John’s group, Mill Street Caravan, at Ambi Wine Bar in Anoka – and since that’s on the way, we drove home to Alex from there . . . ]
[Never pass up a selfie opportunity . . . ]
[And here they are . . . ]
[From their FB page: Band Members: Sophia – Violin/Vocals; Nick – Guitar; Mike -Cello; Kyle – Percussion Hometown Minneapolis, MN Mill City Caravan is a group of Minneapolis musicians playing in the traditional stylings of early jazz artists and specializing in cafe music from around the world including tango, swing, blues, and bossa nova.]
[You can find Ambi right across the street from Johnny Junk & Co. in downtown Anoka.]
[Love their tip jar . . . ]
[Place had the look and feel of our Garden Bar, but it’s smaller . . . ]
[We had a little vino and a nosh . . . ]
[Nephew Michael . . . ]
[Sophia, Michael, and I believe one of the other guys are music teachers . . . ]
[Stolen from the group’s FB page . . . ]
[And the live video taken at that very evening . . . ]
September 4 – The Birthday
[Our usual Wednesday night fine dining at the AGC, opting for a birthday pizza . . . ]
[Fries with those cupcakes?]
[Birthday cupcakes all around . . . ]
[The natural enemy of the smart phone – cupcake frosting!]
[And thanks to the Super for . . . ]
Age is something that doesn’t matter, unless you are a cheese. ~ Billie Burke
Up Next: Will I ever get the chance to finish Norway?
Brought to you, previously recorded, from the frozen tundra of Vikings Savings Bank Field at Alexandria Area High School in Alexandria, Minnesota . . .
[OK, it was actually quite the perfect evening for the Cardinals opening game of the 2019 season . . . ]
[And now, the particulars . . . ]
[This game attracted statewide interest because we were playing the Buffalo Bison, with their star quarterback, Aidan Bouman (whose father once played quarterback for the Vikings). Here he is pictured on the right, along with Jalen Suggs of Minnehaha Academy, as the best pair of senior quarterbacks to come out of the state (Strib, 8-26-19). He is now listed at 235 pounds on their current roster . . . ]
Quarterback Aidan Bouman, Buffalo: 6-6, 210. A lifetime at the knee of father Todd, a longtime NFL quarterback, coupled with a strong, accurate arm. The best pro-style QB in the state. Passed for 3,474 yards and 41 TDs in 2018. Iowa State-bound. (Strib, 8-27-19)
[But I digress, back to the game . . . ]
[Further proof it was a perfect evening as the regular crowd shuffles in . . . ]
[It was parents’ night, so likely the only parents of high schoolers who knew where their kids were on a Friday night . . . ]
[The team captains met at field center for the coin toss and other related matters. The Bison student section was in the background, though I was surprised at the small crowd on the visitors’ side . . . ]
[I laughed when over the PA system it was announced that one of the teams would be on “this side.” Huh? Unless the ref in the huddle was mic’d and said that . . . ]
[Mark Ripley and Mike Kluver have been covering the Cards from a photographic and video perspective since the Great Depression . . . ]
[Now do we understand where everybody is going? The Cards won the toss but elected to defer . . . ]
[Senior Sean Haak (4) handled the kicking duties . . . ]
[Following him through on his appointed task . . . ]
[NASA, we have liftoff (can you the ball against the bleachers, about half way up in the middle of the picture?) . . .
[Now, truly airborne . . . ]
[Spotting it on radar . . . ]
[As the ball almost escaped Earth’s gravity, the Cards rocketed down the field in pursuit. I got an idea of our overall team speed here as we tackled the Bison ball carrier on about their own 10-yard line . . . ]
[The first play for QB Bouman (8) from the shotgun, which almost all teams use all the time now . . . ]
[He’s looking . . . ]
[But Cardinal right defensive end, senior Derek Pasta (85), decided a sack sounded like a good play . . . ]
[So he pounced upon his prey . . . ]
[Derek is not big for a defensive end, 6’2″, 216 pounds, but he has speed . . . ]
[He’s also a hockey player . . . ]
[Down goes Bouman! (And spoiler alert, Pesta was defensive player of the game . . . ]
[Since he was almost tackled for a safety, Bouman rolled out on the next play . . . ]
[He moved well for a big guy and seemed comfortable doing it . . . ]
[Nevertheless, it was a 3-and-out for the Bison and they had to punt . . . ]
[The Cards got the ball on our own 48-yard line . . . ]
[On the first play, senior quarterback Matthew Carlsen (7) handed off to junior running back Nolan Morical (5) . . . ]
[Nolan saw a hole he liked and cut for it . . . ]
[He’s in the hole . . . ]
[And the next thing you knew, he was in the end zone. A 52-yard touchdown run! Exactly 42 seconds from the start of the game, the Cards had a 7 – 0 lead . . . ]
[Hooray for our team!]
It’s time for some further background. I went to the preseason scrimmage last year and came to the conclusion it was going to be a tough year for the Cards. It was . . . but they got better as the season progressed ending with a big win over Moorhead. I went to the preseason scrimmage again this year, and owing to my reputation as a talent scout of some repute (some would say ‘ill repute’), I saw a completely different team from the previous year. Now in his 2nd year as starter, Carlsen looked poised and comfortable at QB (he’s also a pitcher in baseball and defenseman in hockey, all-around athlete). On a very windy day, his passes were sharp and right on the money. And he has help. The Cards 4×100 relay team won the state meet last spring (the first outstate team to do so since 1847), and three of those guys are on this football team, including the aforementioned Morical. So, I figured we could score . . .
[But back to the game, the first series for each team set the tone for the entire game. The Cards were going to score; and despite Bouman’s considerable talents, the Bison were not. The biggest surprise for me was how well our defense played – we’re small but speedy and really attack the ball . . . ]
[Here Matthew picks out his favorite target, sophomore slot receiver Kristen Hoskins (13) who caught 12 balls for 3 TD’s and about 200 yards. Kristen was one of the 4×100 relay guys and also stars for the basketball team. He’s obviously a really good athlete – but I didn’t know he had such good hands as he never seems to drop passes . . . ]
[This time rolling and passing right . . . ]
[And in the duel of the lefthanded quarterbacks, it was Matthew’s night . . . ]
[Here’s another handoff to Nolan, looking for that right side hole . . . ]
[This time Matthew looked deep . . . ]
[Received a protective block from Nolan . . . ]
[A 13-yard TD pass to Kristen . . . ]
[Handoff or not?]
[What a job here by the O-line . . . ]
[2nd quarter now (see how I picked up on that?). The telephoto lens makes the Grand Arbor complex seem like it’s just outside the fence – it’s actually a few hundred yards away on the other side of the street . . . ]
[Matthew’s rolling right again with Nolan’s protection . . . ]
[Down close, the handoff goes to junior Aaron Jost (36) . . . ]
[Then Nolan took it in on the next play, Cards up 21 – 0 . . . ]
[The Bison tried a running play . . . ]
[But the Cards pretty much stuffed those attempts all game long . . . ]
[Derek again rushes in on another passing attempt. The Bison eventually started to doubleteam him . . . ]
[I think Bouman got this one off . . . ]
[Then a flair to the right . . . ]
[And this may have been the play where he really showed off his credentials. With Derek bearing down on him again, he hit a 76-yard TD pass to his speed receiver Michael Tweten (2). The ball must have gone 70 yards in the air and hit him in stride. That was their only TD against us when the score was still meaningful . . . ]
[But that TD only made us mad. We came back immediately with back-to-back passes to Kristen that covered 77 yards, with the TD pass good for 38 yards . . . ]
[And the cheers for it!]
[Bouman kept firing. His game stats ended up pretty good. He completed 21 – 44 (that percentage was good coverage by our guys), and threw 3 TD passes . . . ]
[Here’s a flair to Tweten who, like Kristen, caught 12 balls . . . ]
[But he only broke that one long one . . . ]
[And they still weren’t able to run. Noticing sophomore DE Wyatt Odland (28) here – he’s only 5-11 and 204 pounds, but if they were running to the opposite side he would run it down from behind . . . ]
[Early on it was obvious they always thought they could throw against us. Several times they went for it on 4th and long, and from deep in their own territory? They never did go back in a punt formation – every once in a while Bouman would actually pooch kick from his usual shotgun position. Never figured out what they were doing, but it didn’t work . . . ]
[We didn’t score from down here at the close of the 1st half . . . ]
[But prior to this Matthew hit another TD pass to Kristen for 45 yards . . . ]
[At the half (and some people left then hoping to avoid the game end traffic jam) . . . ]
[I brought out the Cardinals’ lucky charm for the season opener. Brad made his first game in a looonnngggg time. He’s been on the IR (Illness Reserve) but survived the entire game.]
[I call this, “The Call.” I predicted Nolan (5) was going to take the 2nd half kickoff all the way – and he did, 91 yards . . . ]
[Touchdown!! So, our first offensive touches at the start of both halves were touchdowns runs by Nolan . . . ]
[Time for a shout out to the other member of the 4×100 relay team. Senior WR/DB Cody Branson (15) played both ways, caught a couple passes, but he was really a big key defensively with his size (6’3″) and speed mostly covering Tweten and preventing the long pass . . . ]
[The hi-tech bench to review what happened “in real time” (I hate that phrase). I went down at halftime and watched a re-run of “Family Guy” . . . ]
[At the end of the 3rd quarter. They got their last touchdown after our only turnover of the game, deep in our end after making a first down . . . ]
[The “skill” position starters all came out in the final series of the 3rd quarter and didn’t play at all in the 4th. We never attempted a pass in the last period, just literally trying to run out the clock. Here junior quarterback Brady McCoy (1) hands off to Aaron (36), a starter who hadn’t had many carries . . . ]
[They scored again after we gave them a short field. Expecting an onside kickoff, they went deep and we downed it on our 12-yard line. But on the first play from there, sophomore Will Heydt (38) took it the distance for our last touchdown. Got to congratulate his proud granddad on the way out . . . ]
[Sidelines as the game wound down: Sophomore QB Carter Steffensmeier (11) with his classmate Kristen (13); senior WR Jaymeson Molesworth (9) who had a catch or two as I recall; senior LB Xavier Homelvig (35) had a terrific game hitting people all over the field; sophomore WR Matthew Olson (40) . . . ]
[Xavier (35), Matthew (7), senior tackle Isaac Siegel (54)
[And so, until the next game. This could be a really fun year if we can stay healthy. But isn’t that always the case? We’ve had a few very good teams over the last several years that were derailed by injury. Keeping my fingers crossed . . . ]
Remember that as a teenager you are at the last stage of your life when you will be happy to hear that the phone is for you. ~ Fran Lebowitz
We received a shocking notice last week that Nancy had died on August 25. We understand she had several medical issues and apparently an infection went to her heart. She was a real character who developed quite a following in our home town. We send our sincerest sympathies to her family.
Someone once queried, “Who is Nancy Flynn”?: She was “The Nanner.” The girlfriend before Ruthie . . . we all had them, didn’t we? Anyway, she had a fan club on FB and the blog because of her sarcasm. So I’d set her up to see what she’d come up with? Patty Wicken, whom she has never met, became a FB friend with her because she could hardly wait for The Nanner’s responses to me. The Nanner was in the senior executive service (several levels above me) at the Department of Labor. Our first date occurred because I made a dinner bet with her that my Gophers would beat her Wolverines (her alma mater) in football – a bet I knew I’d lose. Our “relationship” lasted about three years but eventually died a natural death – we remained friends. (10-18-15)
She has established a certain cult following on the ‘net for zinging me. 😉 She recently got a new job as Administrator for Centennial Planning for the 2013 Centennial of the U.S. Department of Labor. By sheer coincidence, her class is celebrating its 45th reunion in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this weekend. Before she left, here was her parting shot: “I’m sorry, but you look like an idiot. What happened to you? You used to be cute” (8-21-10).
I will intersperse photos throughout – to give you an idea what she was responding to. You will note I made it easy for her. 🙂
Nobody cares! ~ The Nanner (on most of my posts)
[She was one month older than me . . . ]
You look like their grandfather. ~ The Nanner (9-10-07)
Once again Nancy Flynn gave me a good belly laugh. I didn’t know your grandpa. But you look NOTHING like my grandpa did at 60. ~ Anonymous (for her sake, 9-11-07)
My 45th reunion is also this year in Kalamazoo, Michigan. We are so damn old. ~ The Nanner (5-12-10)
[The Flynn family restaurant in Kalamazoo . . . ]
I believe the following were all her (6-12-10): – Do you regularly wear a hat with your pajamas? – Yes, the delete button on the computer works as well. – There are some pictures that you really should not keep. These would fall into that category. – Is this new facial hair? Did I start something by what I said last week?!?
From 6-29-11: Did I send this before? Greg Trumm with a telephoto lens across the gym. OMG, I look like Uncle Deek! ~ Me I thought it was Uncle Deek, but the hat gave you away! ~ Nanner Nancy, you are so right. The thumbnail picture looked like Deek until I opened it up and yikes, could that really be my older brother??!!! ~ Gretchen Yes, you definitely are an old Gooba and look like Uncle Dick. ~ Gretchen Funny. ~ Nanner
Pathetic. ~ The Nanner (9-27-11)
The pictures are disturbing. ~ The Nanner (2-23-12)
Thank you! You made my day! ~ The Nanner (7-19-12)
That is a great poem [‘The Shirt”]. I have read books by Jane Kenyon and Donald Hall because of the Ann Arbor connection. Donald Hall wrote a heartbreaking book of poetry after his wife’s death (Without). The dinner sounds delicious and I’m sure it was much less expensive than a comparable dinner in the DC area! ~ The Nanner (2-14-13)
Very pretty area. The running commentary is not exactly scintillating, however. ~ The Nanner (4-14-13)
Wonderful picture of Arlington and DC, and the Obert clan. My late brother-in-law loved the Italian Store. He and my sister and my niece would pick up sandwiches before they drove to Michigan in December and August. I can’t believe Whitey’s is closed. The fact than Anne Gross is still working makes me feel guilty, but it doesn’t seem to bother Bill. The pictures of the poker group are priceless! ~ The Nanner (4-18-13)
The pictures are beautiful. I love snow. It makes me homesick for Michigan. ~ The Nanner (4-19-13)
I’m speechless! ~ The Nanner (4-19-13, re The Fat Boys Walking Club)
Nut Goodies are awesome. I liked Bit-O-Honey too. I hope it catches on with Millennials because Boomers (including me) don’t want to eat anything that might pull out our fillings or break a tooth! ~ The Nanner (5-10-13)
Tasteless and juvenile. Just when I was beginning to think there might be hope for you. ~ The Nanner (5-26-13)
Tasteless, but very funny! ~ The Nanner (6-1-13, commenting on my life in general)
Happy Mother’s Day Ruth! You look fantastic and Jami’s card and note was awesome! Question for Tom: Is anyone in Alexandria under 60? ~ Nanner (6-1-13)
I’d be surprised if the Nanner doesn’t nail you (7-8-13).
From 10-20-13: I’m sure your cruise was fantastic. But Tom, on behalf of the Midwest you could have put on a tie. ~ The Nanner Nancy…if you don’t “reply to all” I won’t see your hilarious comments which make my day….including this one!!! ~ Patty I agree with Patty and I don’t even know Nancy. (I do love her sense of humor.) ~ Paul She’s a hoot! Her incredible dry sense of humor…she can say more with two words than most people can with a paragraph…I have belly laughed so many times… ~ Patty You are being a wimp. Medicare will pay for it and your doctor will say it is necessary. I had both eyes done years ago and the improvement was amazing. It is painless and easy. ~ The Nanner Why do I want to kill myself every time I look at your pictures? I know you guys have a much more interesting life than I do, but looking at all those old people is such a downer. My problem, not yours. I still love the pictures! ~ The Nanner That’s pretty funny! ~ The Nanner
The following is a conversation between The Nanner and Crazy Dave (about moi). They have never met and live thousands of miles apart. One is a Wolverine and the other a Buckeye. Scarey! (12-5-13): I keep hoping you will grow up, but I don’t think it will happen! ~ The Nanner As soon as he is committed to a nursing home, he will realize!!! ~ Cheers, Dave Funny! Somehow I think he will be even worse. ~ The Nanner I believe he is prepared…I’ve been around him enough…btw he can’t get any worse… ~ CD I think you are right! ~ The Nanner
I am so blessed to have known John and Natalia Obert. Wonderful, brilliant people. ~ The Nanner (12-5-13)
[A caricature by Libby Hendrix.]
Libby’s farewell was perfect-and well deserved. I got to see a lot of people I worked with, which was great. Bill Gross was festive in a yellow sweater and told me about your next planned cruise. Tim Helm was festive and very funny as MC. Libby’s speech was amazing and she was very gracious and appreciative. Everyone seems to have grey hair. I’m sticking with blonde until I can’t afford it anymore. I will send you tidbits when/if I remember them! ~ Nanner (12-8-13)
Ridiculous hat, but at least your mouth is closed. ~ Nanner (12-30-13, and My nomination for the zinger of the year! ~ Jim Pohl)
What a great trip! I cannot believe Tom is drinking directly from the can! That stuff is poison! ~ Nanner (1-13-14)
Happy Birthday Gretchen! What a cute picture. I would have killed for a cake like that. Medicare is great. You can fix everthing that you have been putting off! ~ Nanner (2-18-14)
What is AAAA? Alcoholics Anonymous for large groups? ~ Nanner (3-3-14)
If you are from MN you have to at least pretend that you like hockey! ~ Nanner (3-11-14)
You are all disgusting. (You know who you are.) ~ Nanner (4-5-14)
That is not good. I have a theory that kids who live in places that cancel school all of the time have a disadvantage. I know that I am old, but when I was growing up in Michigan, school was very seldom closed because of snow. Our mothers wanted us out of the house because there were so damn many of us! ~ Nanner (4-29-14)
That was not even close to funny. ~ Nanner (5-5-14)
He is not my idea of a dream–in fact he sounds like a nightmare. I hope his former wife did not commit suicide. I don’t have a leaky faucet. ~ Nanner (5-6-14)
Incredibly beautiful architecture, art and scenery, not to mention the food and wine. They must hate American tourists, but it pays the bills. ~ Nancy (7-3-14)
Eat your heart out. ~ Nanner (7-22-14)
Enough of the picture already. ~ Nanner (8-11-14)
Tom, your friends have better jokes that you do–not that that will discourage you! ~ Nanner (8-22-14)
I am sure I am missing some beautiful pictures as well as opportunities for insults, but I never open the alexandriacardinals.wordpress.com e-mails because I get kicked off e-mail and facebook when I open it and now that I am old I am lazy. ~ Nanner (8-24-14)
That is so cute-a little disturbing-but cute! ~ The Nanner (9-1-14)
The person or persons who introduced you to the camera should be hanged. She knows not what pain she has wrought. I rest my case. ~ Nanner (9-10-14)
One more reason why I refuse to be photographed. What were (some of them) thinking? Some of them look really good for their age. That is the highest praise you can get when you are in your 60’s and estrogen has abandoned you. ~ Nanner (I thought that they alllooked good – wrinkles at a minimum or non existent! ~ Rosie) (9-14-14)
I love it. The movie got so-so reviews, but Bill Murray’s performance got raves. The great thing about this scene is that he doesn’t give a damn and he looks happy. And he dresses like Tom–on a good day! ~ Nanner (10-29-14)
“s’pose?” Have you forgotten how to spell? Unacceptable. ~ Nanner (3-3-15)
I never open links but I’m sure your pictures are lovely and your captions amusing. ~ Nanner (4-3-15)
Count your blessings and stop bragging. I’m addressing it to you. We are so fortunate to have a pension, which is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. ~ Nanner (4-14-15)
We REALLY don’t care about Minnesota either. ~ Nanner (5-14-15)
Wonderful picture [of my folks] –– I still wear red lipstick! ~ Nanner (6-18-15)
From 8-9-15: I did not go home after the football game . . . I might have felt the urge to change my attire. I figure the Super can dress for both of us. Would you believe my entire wardrobe is over 20 years old (The Nanner is disqualified from this event because of proprietary disinterest)?
You lost me at Mt. Rushmore. ~ Nanner (12-18-15)
I’m sure all of your correspondents can hardly wait for your next trip. God help us. I stopped opening these links a year ago. If narcissism could kill you, you would be dead. ~ Nanner (1-6-16)
Eat your heart out Tiger. ~ Nanner (3-6-16)
In your dreams. ~ Nanner (3-26-16)
Oh God, the dreaded blog is starting. ~ Nanner (5-10-16)
From 6-16-16: Nahhhh, Nancy just likes to throw some sprinkles on the fire to make it sizzle. ~ Gretchen God knows at our age we need all the sizzle we can get. ~ Nanner
Blogging is not work. I hope you realize that. Any activity that you do not get paid for is not work. Sadly, I think that means that you will never take a vacation from blogging. ~ Nanner (7-4-16)
Ba Da Boom ~ Nanner (7-18-16)
You need to get a life. Please shoot me. I’m just waiting to find someplace I want to visit. So far, no luck. ~ Nanner (9-8-17)
So tasteless ~ Nanner (3-4-18)
That is so stupid and tasteless. ~ Nanner (4-1-18)
Tasteless and juvenile ~ Nanner (4-9-18)
Too many “selfies.” Ruth is pretty. You are not. ~ Nanner (12-18-18)
“Officially” the first day of the cruise because the ship actually started moving with we tourists aboard. But we began the day with a couple of cruise sponsored land tours of Bergen. The first, here in Part 1, was Panoramic Bergen, a two-hour bus and walking tour in the morning. The second, in Part 2, was 4-hours in the afternoon of the Best of Bergen and Mt. Floien. (I should also note that while writing this I had reason to visit my camera bag, where I found 540 forints. Lest you aren’t aware (as I had forgotten) the forint is the unit of currency in Hungary, and I am now $1.81 richer than I thought I was.)
[After breakfast, the Super and Ole just waiting to begin our day’s adventures . . . ]
[First, a two-hour panoramic bus/walking tour of Bergen. A bus window shot . . . ]
[Because I wanted a photo of a classic Norwegian name . . . ]
[Translates to Bergen’s oldest cape . . . ]
[Our bus, lest you were wondering . . . ]
[That appears to be Hagelslund Bridge in the distance, but I’m just a tourist . . . ]
[We were driving around ISO views over Bergen Harbor . . . ]
[And here’s one with a stop and a walk outside . . . ]
[Tourists were everywhere. Oh, that’s our group . . . ]
[And back to our bus . . . ]
[We went back here later (see Part 2) . . . ]
[Apparently simply known as the Fish Market Mural – that Norwegian understatement again . . . ]
[But no golden arches?]
[Back in our hotel’s neighborhood . . . ]
[And there it is . . . ]
[Bergenhus fortress (Norwegian: Bergenhus festning) is a fortress located at the entrance of Bergen harbour, the castle is one of the oldest and best preserved stone fortifications in Norway (Wikipedia).]
[Grieg Hall (Norwegian: Grieghallen) is a 1,500 seat concert hall located on Edvard Griegs’ square. Grieghallen was named in honor of Bergen-born composer Edvard Grieg, who served as music director of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra from 1880 until 1882. It serves as the home of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. The building was designed in modernist architecture style by the Danish architect Knud Munk. Construction was started in 1967, with completion during May 1978 (Wikipedia).]
[Amazingly, I could find nothing on this wall-size mural? I assume Norwegians would name it Woman With a Blue Face?]
[One picture is that of a 30 ton Italian-made mosaic of Himmelfarten. Himmelfarten was Hardi Felgenhauer Sinohelberg, born in Bergen, Norway in 1753. For 30 years his occupation was to carry large fish bought at the fish market home for the shoppers. In 1870, someone dressed up like Himmelfarten and sold photographs to the tourists. In 1884, an American businessman bought the photograph as a trademark for his cod-liver oil “Scott’s Emulsion”. The trademark is still used today. S o go check your medicine cabinet and see if Himmelfarten is in your cabinet (http://www.mytripjournal.com/travel-741091-norway-himmelfarten-city-homes-area-bergen-cabinet-campsite).]
[Gamlehaugen is the residence of the Norwegian Royal Family in the city. Gamlehaugen has a history that goes as far back as the Middle Ages, and the list of previous owners includes many of the wealthiest men in Bergen. Today owned by the Norwegian state, the most recent private owner was Christian Michelsen, a politician and shipping magnate who later became the first Prime Minister of NOrway after the dissolution of the union between Swede and Norway. Michelsen commissioned the construction of the current main building at Gamlehaugen, where he would live for most of the rest of his life (Wikipedia).]
[Bergen Station, or where the trains come and go . . . ]
[The Grieg Academy (Norwegian: Griegakademiet) historically was the higher education music programs in Bergen, the birthplace of composer Edvard Grieg, as well as various collaborations across music institutions. However, as of mid-2016, due to mergers between several Norwegian institutions, the structure of Grieg Academy is changing and its remaining components are expected to be a doctoral research school (Grieg Research School in Interdisicplinary Music Studies) and various research groups (Wikipedia).]
[The Music Pavilion is located in Byparken (the city park). The pavilion was constructed in 1889, and was carried out in cast iron. It was bought in Germany as a kit, and was put together in Bergen. The statue in the background is a statue of the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. The Music Pavilion was given to the city of Bergen by the merchant, consul F. C. Gade (www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Norway/South/Hordaland/Bergen.]
[Torgallmenningenis Bergen’s main square . . . ]
[And back to the harbor . . . ]
[And our boat . . . ]
[Where I assume we had lunch . . . ]
[Before heading to Mt. Floien in Part 2 . . . ]
Norwegian racism is always a kind of racism that is not prepared to accept it being qualified as such. Because we’re the good guys, and racism is what bad people do. ~ Michael Booth
The whole day in Bergen, so everything you need to know about the city but were afraid to ask, though this day was mostly about boarding the ship. As you may recall, the trip was a “cruise” and we’ve spent the first five days on land . . .
[And how we get here . . . ]
[What a way to begin the day, with me eating breakfast in the hotel . . . ]
[You just cannot beat this for excitement . . . ]
[Overlooking Vagen Bay, where our ship is at the end of the far side . . . ]
[Leaving the hotel for a stroll of the neighborhood before ordering our cab for a ride to the ship . . . ]
[The neighborhood from the hotel’s “porch,” to include a gull on the porch fence . . . ]
[Bryggan across the way . . . ]
[From left to right: The Super, another gull, our ship . . . ]
[Bryggan, close up . . . ]
[Looking down restaurant row, Mt. Ulriken (the tallest of the seven mountains of Bergen) in the distance . . . ]
[And yet another gull with our ship, Viking Sun, in the background . . . ]
[This statue of Salome is part of a fountain located by the Clarion Hotel Admiral . . . ]
[Then the short cab ride to ship check in. Ole did not need a passport . . . ]
[Yep, everything still looked the same since last we left this ship a year and a half ago.]
[Ole was pleased to finally be settling down . . . ]
[Introducing Ole to our atrium hangout . . . ]
[I still can see my initials here . . . ]
[Our usual hangout, the The Explorers’ Bar with the bow view . . . ]
[Bergen enjoying another splash of non-sunshine . . . ]
[But ’twas lovely shipboard . . . ]
[Our little breakfast nook, Mamsen’s. Take a couple steps to our left in this photo and you’re in the area of the above photo . . . ]
[In The Explorers’ Bar and where we were going exploring . . . ]
[More views of the city from the bow . . . ]
[Blue skies made an appearance . . . ]
[As did the three-master in front of us . . . ]
[Shooting aft into the end of the bay . . . ]
[And the sky kept brightening . . . ]
[Ole’s room for the cruise . . . ]
[Ole’s room credentials . . . ]
[From the balcony off Ole’s room . . . ]
[Ole gave me permission to try it out . . . ]
[The aft pool and spa – favorites of the Super . . . ]
[The atrium entertainment . . . ]
[The Viking Classical Duo . . . ]
[Cruise Director, Corinne Bach, welcomed everybody aboard with an introduction to Bergen. This was our first Port Talk . . . ]
[The ship’s officers, to be inserted herein as needed . . . ]
[Our first dinner on the ship . . . ]
[Looks yummy, but I can’t remember what it was . . . ]
[Well, this has to be filet mignon . . . ]
[And Anne and Bill have rejoined us after taking a different path cross country . . . ]
[Oh, my!!]
[Oh, my!!!]
[Then back to the ship’s theater, where Corinne welcomed us, for the evening’s entertainment . . . ]
[Destination Performance: Sounds of Norway featuring . . . ]
[Classical violinist Tor Jaran Apold. We would have two tours of Bergen the next day.]
The majority is always wrong; the minority is rarely right. ~ Henrik Ibsen
* Soiree: An evening party or gathering, typically in a private house, for conversation or music, “a fancy evening affair.” It comes directly from the French, thus useful as a fundraising term for the arts . . .
[As you may recall, we had our first Theatre L’Homme Dieu fundraising soiree last year. We attracted some 90 soiree-ees and raised $125,000, shocking us all!]
[We need fundraisers for theatre infrastructure and other such things. Among the first items of need, as to be soon displayed, is a two-lane paved entry road to the back of the threatre. Here the current dirt road enters the campus to the old lodge . . . ]
[The two old cottages are hiding in the trees . . . ]
[The soiree event tent. Last year we had open sides. This year the evening had the possibility of being a tad chilly . . . ]
[The theatre. Another item on the first things to do list is to extend the patio farther out onto the grounds so we can enjoy outdoor tables and chairs for pre- and post- event activities . . . ]
[The sign-in area on the east side of the theatre where the festivities began with drinks and mixing – and possibly mixed drinks . . . ]
[Looked inviting, as was the weather . . . ]
[And here are the plans . . . ]
[It really helps to have plans. As some wag once said, “A picture is worth a thousand words” . . . ]
[The schematic shows how we will address our first major issue – the dispersal of water away from the theatre . . . ]
[Handicap parking will be paved and on the east side of the building. The existing grass parking lot will be expanded with tree removal, which also finally gives clear access to the back stage staging area . . . ]
[The plans are to accomplish this before the next season . . . ]
[And here the items that were auctioned off, to the delight of all. (Yes, I just noticed the “speical” evening – stuff happens.) A la last year, we first auctioned an evening at Chet’s.]
[A Venn Hagen specialty food store coming to Alex soon . . . ]
[So, let’s PAR-TAY . . . ]
[Fred and Phil, current and past theatre presidents, discussed things presidential . . . ]
[Board member Jim (glasses on head) and wife Jan greeted arrivees . . . ]
[The evening’s dress code was resort elegant. As you see, that works for the Super. Elegant is generally not a word that applies to me . . . ]
[Board member Lisa (elegant flower dress) hosted a table . . . ]
[Dr. Steve has long favored the kilt; Dr. Sandra favored the resort elegant. I believe they may be mutually inclusive . . . ]
[Photos of this guy are generally only seen on the back of milk cartons . . . ]
[I believe the psychological and sociological terminology for the grouping of people at parties is called . . . ]
[Clumping . . . ]
[And as people continued to arrive . . . ]
[The clumps became larger . . . ]
[Could it be . . . ]
[Really . . . ]
[The Fiddler on the Roof!]
[The outside bar, from whence the assembled masses began heading . . . ]
[To the back stage staging area . . . ]
[Where the Fiddler on the Roof picked up three musical partners . . . ]
[An area of the theatre where most patrons have never visited . . . ]
[An interesting place made accessible for this event by the removal of three dumpster loads full of ‘stuff’ . . . ]
[And the sign said, “The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls” – Paul Simon]
[Then, the surprise opening to the theatre from backstage . . . ]
[The Super found graffiti from an old friend now building a new home just down the road from us . . . ]
[For me, it was nice to receive a specific invitation . . . ]
[And now entering the theatre proper . . . ]
[The exterior entry door, now barely accessible through the the outside foliage . . . ]
[TA-DA!!]
[The Super, Jan, and Jim in the first act of Hamlet . . . ]
[Exit, stage right . . . ]
[Thor, the theatre mascot . . . ]
[And then it was time for the program . . . ]
[With a glance back at the lodge . . . ]
[Fine dining with all the accouterments . . . ]
[Our group discovered our table . . . ]
[The Fourth Estate was on hand; it’s always nice to have backup. Thanks to Ross and the Echo Press for coverage . . . ]
[We had Table No. 7. Other famous No. 7’s were Mickey Mantle, John Elway, Pete Maravich, Satchel Paige, and, I believe, Sir Lawrence Olivier . . . ]
[These were our table mates. It was a situation totally within their control . . . ]
[Also our table mates whose first question was, “Who are you again?” . . . ]
[The rest of the house . . . ]
[Where we were in “the rest of the house” . . . ]
[Our fearless leader, Nicole, the theatre’s executive director, with John, the progeny of our first recognized table mates . . . ]
[But seriously folks, as our executive director, Nicole has been hitting it out of the park.]
[Meanwhile, back with the rest of the house . . . ]
[Defining the term resort elegant (a 14 on a scale of 10?) . . . ]
[General milling around . . . ]
[More milling (or is it clumping?) . . . ]
[Another board member table discovered . . . ]
[Good job, Jeanne!]
[Foreground patrons known to photobomb university presidents . . . ]
[Greetings everyone, and welcome to the soiree!]
[Ladies and gentlemen, your hosts for the evening . . . ]
[Auctioneer Glen Fladeboe and Phil . . . ]
[And thanks to Mahrie Ohren and the Garden Bar on 6th for again making sure we were all well fed. Their salmon is always a personal favorite . . . ]
[While Deb agreed with me, Brad said give me some MEAT . . . ]
[And it also appears Jeanne and Tom opted for the filet . . . ]
[Jim is a relatively new member to the board. As I noted on FB, he changed his birthday plans to be a part of this event. His rousing introduction was a great lead-in to a terrific evening. Many thanks again, Jim!]
[I love theater!]
[President Fred followed extolling the virtues of our community theatre. A member of the Bursch family has been involved with TLHD since its inception 59 years ago . . . ]
[And now, for your dining and dancing pleasure . . . Nicole introduced the entertainment, a secret she even kept from the board. JigJam, live from Tullamore, Ireland!]
[They rocked the house till closing . . . ]
[A YouTube borrow from a venue not unlike ours . . . ]
[And then Phil and Nicole made the big announcement. We raised $175,000 on the evening! Wow!]
[It was time for her to memorialize everything . . . ]
[Deb’s either saying, “Shame on you” . . . ]
[Or “We’re No. 1.” I’m hoping for the latter . . . ]
[The season is now over, and Nicole has got to be exhausted . . . ]
[If I were her (using the subjective “were” because we likely wouldn’t have the same dress size – but I digress) I’d sleep until the day before Thanksgiving . . . ]
[The diehard partiers were still hanging on in the back of the tent . . . ]
[Who knows what kind of shenanigans was going on back there . . . ]
[The Super moved up to open front row seating . . . ]
[And we were all on our feet and clapping and dancing to the very end . . . ]
[But eventually all good things must end. Next year this will hopefully be a paved entry to handicap parking and the back stage . . . ]
[And as we left I realized I hadn’t taken any photos of the staff. They were manning the concession stand to settle on all the donations . . . ]
[With apologies for not catching them above, here are Joe, Sarah, Spencer, and Jorge with Nicole at Carlos Creek Winery earlier this summer. They were indispensable for the preparation and operation of not only the soiree, but the entire season. So a big thank you and shout out to all of them . . . ]
[And a shout out to all the volunteers who made the season so special . . . ]
[And so, until next year . . . ]
No one has ever become poor by giving. ~ Anne Frank
When last we left you, we had just completed our boat ride through the Flam fjords. On this part of the journey we took a bus from Gudvangen, then a train from Voss, enroute to Bergen. Here’s what we subsequently learned in Bergen: The phrase “stick it where the sun don’t shine” refers to Bergen. Bergenites don’t know how folks in Seattle can slather on enough sunblock to protect themselves. Two, one comes to Bergen for ART – it says so right on a building. Three, our server the first night was a Ricky Rubio look alike from Barcelona. Four, four young folks from Spain, working here, were sitting at the next table talking in English. Our last three servers in country have been from Poland, Italy, and Spain. Our meal was one entree and two glasses of wine – for about $60. Welcome to Norway. Oh, then we had ice cream. We stayed at the Clarion Admiral Hotel. I think I’m done?
[Starting the bus ride from Gudvangen to Voss where we would catch the train to Bergen. It was all up hill with many swtichbacks . . . ]
[And the sights along the way . . . ]
[We started from down there . . . ]
[And ran into a few waterfalls along the way . . . ]
[Kinda looks like Yosemite?]
[Do I detect sunshine?]
[A place to stop and catch our breaths . . . ]
[You never have to replace the shingles – though you may have to do some weed whacking . . . ]
[The Super finds another troll friend (but Ole looks scared) . . . ]
[Back on board again . . . ]
[By the end, we had completed 13 hairpin turns on the Stalheim Road . . . ]
[And then somehow we missed photographing the transfer to train in Voss, as here we are arriving in Bergen. So, a shot out to Voss, where Bill and Anne would spend the next night before joining us. The Voss Hotel was right at the train station – it was cold and windy, so we just hunkered down until the train came . . . ]
[Ole led us to our hotel room and immediately posed for pictures . . . ]
[After a brief respite, it was time to hit the streets of Bergen . . . ]
[Our Viking ship – we would board the following afternoon . . . ]
[The historic district and environs . . . ]
[Easy walking distance from our hotel . . . ]
[Ludvig Holberg, Baron of Holberg (3 December 1684 – 28 January 1754) was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian and playwright born in Bergen, during the time of the Dano-Norwegian dual monarchy. He was influenced by Humanism, the Enlightenment and the Baroque. Holberg is considered the founder of modern Danish and Norwegian literature, and is best known for the comedies he wrote in 1722–1723 for the Lille Gronnegade Theatre in Copenhagen. Holberg’s works about natural and common law were widely read by many Danish law students over two hundred years, from 1736 to 1936 (Wikipedia).]
[Hmmm, I wonder what’s in there?]
[The Fløibanen is a funicular railway. It connects the city centre with the mountain of Floyen, with its mountain walks and magnificent views of the city. It is one of Bergen’s major tourist attractions and one of Norway’s most visited attractions. The line is 844 m (2,769 ft) long, covers a height difference of 302 m (991 ft), and carries over 1 million passengers a year. The line is owned by Fløibanen SA, a company with a number of shareholders, the biggest being the municipality of Bergen (Wikipedia).]
[We would do this the next day . . . ]
[Bryggen, also known as Tyskebryggen, is a series of Hanseatic heritage commercial buildings lining up the eastern side of the Vågen harbour in the city of Bergen, Norway. Bryggen has been on the UNESCO list for World Cultural Heritage sites since 1979 (Wikipedia).]
[We walked Bryggen on our own, even knowing we would be taking a formal tour through here the following day. Were we cheating?]
[There’s a formal tour down there . . . ]
[This will be us soon . . . ]
[The Super finds a dried cod . . . ]
[Photo of a tourist taking a photo . . . ]
[Bryggens Museum was established during 1976. The architect behind the design work was Oivind Maurseth, who also designed the nearby Radisson SAS Hotel. Bryggens Museum has been part of Bergen City Museum since 2005. During 1955, parts of the historic district of Bryggen were ravaged by a fire. During subsequent archaeological excavations a number of objects were uncovered, providing an insight into commerce, shipping, handicrafts and everyday life during the Medieval Period. Many of these artifacts now form the basis of the modern museum and are permanently exhibited (Wikipedia).]
[Our Bergen neighborhood . . . ]
[You can see part of our Viking ship behind the black ship in the foreground . . . ]
[Cabin cruiser last seen on Lake Carlos . . . ]
[I believe the nautical term for this is “anchor” . . . ]
[That’s our hotel . . . ]
[Here among its neighbors . . . ]
[Boat last seen on beautiful Lake Darling?]
[Apparently a normal day in Bergen . . . ]
[We may have mentioned (and likely will again) that Norway has restricted the number of cruise ships that can visit the country. Internet travel sites note Bergen gets thousands of visitors. How much they don’t seem to say – likely thinking the numbers would be a turnoff for prospective visitors . . . ]
[The Super leading the way as we’re looking for a place of fine dining . . . ]
[Maybe in here?]
[Why Bergen is famous for ART?]
[Again, our Clarion Admiral Hotel . . . ]
[A nice and handy place to stay . . . ]
[ART, for its own sake . . . ]
[Young Barcelonans to the front of me . . . ]
[The aforementioned $60 split meal – but it was good!]
[Young Barcelonans to the front of me add more to their number . . . ]
[Where we were, above and below . . . ]
[And we all scream . . . ]
[For ICE CREAM!]
[The required last photo attention grabber – in our hotel . . . ]
Really to sin you have to be serious about it. ~ Henrik Ibsen
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