God Jul og Godt Nyttår!

Well it's definitely the festive season in Stavanger. How do I know this? One…because the Coca-Cola truck is in town and two...there are boatloads of Christmas trees in the harbour!

Other signs include multiple Lutefisk/Aquavit dinners for Mr Robertson who is pledging to go on a pre-Christmas diet as we speak. He hasn't got a chance…we're off to Orknøyene and Mother is already planning a mince/clapshot feast for our arrival. Add to that a 20lb turkey on Christmas Day at Largo and I think we all know how it's going to end up! Oh and not forgetting the world-famous 'Christmas Ciabatta' at Trenabies in Kirkwall…I literally cannot wait. And there's more…a weekend in Aberdeen at Chez Cheshire, catching up with friends and family, before we fly up to Kirkwall on 23rd. Which reminds me, can someone please have a word with whoever is in charge of the weather up there and make sure the forecast winds go down a bit? Please??!! One of us isn't a good traveller…

Before we go any further, I notice that a couple of logos/pics I had put in the previous post have disappeared. The first one was a rather menacing logo for the 'Politi'…I think they may be on to me. The other one was a much less menacing picture of 'Julenisse'…I sincerely hope he's not on to me or I'm in big trouble! I'm taking my stocking to Orkney with me just in case...

Final word of the year and a very appropriate one…'hytte' (hewt-ter) meaning cabin/hut/chalet/lodge/cottage. This is where a lot of Norwegians go to spend the festive period with their families, most probably up in the mountains although some also have a hytte by the sea. The hytte is an integral part of Norwegian life, with most people electing to spend the summer and/or winter holidays there. It literally is a home from home.

But the Norwegians aren't the only ones who have hyttes…oh no…the Mulder cat has one too and this is where he will be spending Christmas this year. More commonly known as Randaberg Dyrpensjonat (the cattery to you and me!). We've tried to explain to him how lucky he is to have a hytte, especially one such as Randaberg which has an individual inside and outside space for each 'katt'.  They take such good of care of them, leave the radio on for company…ok so it's Radio Norge but still. Sadly he's not too impressed?! This will be the scene tomorrow morning…

While the weather isn't exactly festive as I write, we had the most amazing fall of snow a couple of weekends ago…woke up to a load of powder on Saturday morning. The landscape was transformed into a wonderland. Fifi le Fiat was almost out of sight!

And with that festive scene, all that remains is wish everyone a very (very) Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2014.

God Jul og Godt Nyttår!

p.s. For those following the lessons, note the different spellings of 'good'…in the same sentence…ARGH!!

POLITI...

Five months in and we've had our first brush with the long arm of the law. Who knew that an innocuous trip to 'the tip' on a Saturday morning would result in (a) a breathaliser test and (b) a car tax check? We pulled up in Forus to join a queue of cars/trailers (not unusual) but it quickly became apparent that something else was afoot…various people in hi-vis jackets talking to every driver.

Mr R was at the wheel and had the pleasure of blowing into the tube. Needless to say he was absolutely fine but it certainly polarises the amount of wine you had with dinner the previous night! Even though >12 hours had gone by since alcohol was consumed, it still makes you wonder.

The law on drinking and driving in Norway is crystal clear i.e. they don't tolerate it…at all. The legal limit is 20 milligrams of alcohol (-v- 80 in the UK) per 100 millilitre of blood, essentially enough to allow for any alcohol in food, as well as certain medications. The penalties are severe, ranging from a fine and 6-month suspension of licence to a very heavy fine, 2-year suspension of licence and imprisonment…depending on how much over the limit you are. In addition, fines are calculated according to your income.

Having had the cultural training before/after we arrived here (thanks to GdF), we were already acutely aware of the various laws around driving. It must be said, the Norwegian stance on drinking and driving makes it very easy for drivers, there's no dubiety whatsoever, no wondering 'will I be ok with one'….you just don't do it.

As Alexander the meerkat would say…seemples!!

Which brings me neatly on to a not-unrelated story. December is upon us and with it the usual festive gatherings. Tonight sees Mr Robertson head off out to his very first 'lutefisk dinner', which tradition demands will be washed down with Aquavit. Lutefisk is a traditional dish of the Nordic countries made from dried whitefish and lye. So far so good. It's gelatinous in texture and has a somewhat pungent odour. Uh oh. Aquavit is a very strong alcoholic spirit and is distilled from fermented potato or grain mash before being flavoured with savoury herbaceous ingredients. Hmmm. The reason for having it as an accompaniment to the lutefisk is becoming more apparent all the time…SKÅL!

Suffice to say Mrs Robertson will be assuming full taxi duties tomorrow morning lest we have another run-in with the Politi...

The festive season officially begins here on December 1st and folks houses are literally transformed with welcoming lights both outside and in, as is the town centre. It's very similar to the American traditions of New England although as you can see there's always one who goes slightly overboard…to be fair, this is a drinking establishment down by the harbour, so I guess he's trying to attract customers?!

A topical word of the day…'nisse' (nees-eh) or 'Julenisse' (yoo-le-nees-eh) meaning Father Christmas! It seems that the modern-day Julenisse is a combination of the fabled barn elf from Scandinavian folklore and the American Santa Claus. He's dressed much like the fjosnissen of old, with grey woollen clothes, knickerbockers and a red hat, and heralds his arrival on Christmas Eve with the words 'are there any good children here'? Here's hoping he doesn't get Aquavit left out for him at every house or he wont get far…!

And the winner is...

No, not the ice hockey match, the cinnamon bun contest! I give you...Kanelsnurren Bakeri!! It was a close run thing between them and Ostehuset but this one just edged it.

And at the DNB Arena on Saturday night…alas Norge were narrowly beaten by Danmark. It was a very close match with plenty of meaty incidents, most of which culminated in a stint in the sin bin! Fair to say we're now hooked and will be going along to support the local team - Stavanger Oilers - who had two players in the national team. The most entertaining part of the proceedings was the random 'dance cam' and 'kiss cam' that appeared on the big screen during any breaks in play…the idea being that if you were featured on the screen you either had to shake your booty or kiss the person next to you…in the hope it was your partner!!

Word of the day….'genser' (gehn-serr) meaning jumper. Not all that far away from 'ganzie' I reckon! It's definitely the time of year for 'genseren' (plural), seems to be getting darker and colder by the day.  Nouns in Norwegian are either masculine, feminine or neuter and as such, any adjectives describing those nouns take on different endings depending on the gender. Confused? Join the club! So where we would say a 'good' day, a 'good' house, a 'good' cake or 'good' books (plural), in Norwegian the word 'good' would be (respectively)…'god', 'godt', 'god' and 'gode'. Why use one word when four will do in other words!! Here endeth today's language lesson...

Darkness is descending over the fjord, so it must be time to crack open one of those eye-wateringly expensive bottles of wine. Ha en god helg (there's that word again…)…

Skål!

Klokken er tilbake!

So we continue to be in sync with the UK with the changing of the clocks. The extra hour is always welcome, the dark nights less so. Telling the time in Norwegian uses the most convoluted method imaginable. For example…20 past 2 is 'klokken er ti på halv tre', which translated means 10 minutes before the half hour before the following hour of 3 o'clock. And 20 to 3 is…'klokken er ti over halv tre' or 10 minutes after the half hour before the following hour of 3 o'clock. Is it any wonder my head's bursting??

I got a nice surprise on the language front in the form of a certificate from Berlitz which indicates that I've actually completed Level 1 AND 2 of the course. How big a swot am I??!! That would explain the relentless pace of information coming my way. Fair to say it doesn't change the fact I still only have a very basic understanding of 'norsk'. That said, I managed to converse with the mannie at the fruit/veg market stall yesterday…started by asking him to repeat how much money he wanted for the tatties, to which he asked me (in norsk) where I was from. All I uttered were three words…'kan du gjenta' (can you repeat)…and he clocked I wasn't local! The conversation went on from there, with me saying I was from Scotland and him telling me he was going over to Aberdeen this Thursday, me telling him to have a good time etc! I was rapidly heading for difficulty but thankfully another customer appeared.

A quick recap given the gap since the last post. We had a brief trip across the North Sea to the Big Smoke to celebrate a birthday. The most memorable part was a trip up The Shard - the capital's newest and tallest building (but not for long I suspect). The views from the 32nd floor were amazing.

Back in Stavanger and we're still cramming in as many outdoor trips as we can before the weather really turns. Just to the north of Hafrsfjord Bridge, is a memorial to 123 people who where killed when the Alexander L. Kielland capsized whilst working in the Ekofisk Field in March 1980. The capsize of the semi-submersible drilling rig was the worst disaster in Norwegian waters since WWII.  The rig was named for one of Norway's literary giants, Alexander L. Kielland, and served as a 'flotel' for offshore workers. Reports say that a crack in one of its five legs had gone undetected and went on to rupture after being hit by a massive wave. All the anchor cables would subsequently snap, resulting in the rig's eventual capsize. The memorial - 'the broken chain' - is right on the coastline.

Time for the word of the day…any idea what 'grønnsaker' might mean (grurn-saak-er)? Yep, the earlier mention of tatties was a clue…….it's 'vegetables'!! Sadly the snazzy name doesn't make them any the more appealing to eat, especially since we've just segwayed into sprout season which incidentally are called 'rosenkål' (roo-sern-kawl).

We're off out tonight to the Konserthus (no prizes for guessing what that is!) to see Randy Crawford, an R&B singer that people who remember the 70s (like me) will know about. And on Saturday night, a very exciting outing is planned to the DnB Arena to watch the Norway -v- Denmark ice hockey match. Stand by for a report…

I'll sign off with a pic of swans on the fjord this morning.

Til neste gang!

p.s. Bonus word…'bra' (braa) = 'good', 'super', 'alright'! Probably where we got 'braw' from…

Berlitz leksjoner er ferdig...jeg er veldig glad!

Big PHEW!!! Level 1 of basic Norwegian has been completed with the emphasis on 'basic'. 36 lessons crammed into 4 weeks and it's fair to say the high level alarm is going off in my head i.e. time for a break before we have a spontaneous combustion incident! It's now time to launch myself on an unsuspecting norsk public, see if I can put into practice what I've learnt. Cue the same tactic before entering Starbucks...repeat several times what you're going to say before you actually say it...'grande triple shot mocha skinny extra hot to go' blah blah blah! If you see anything in the paper about a British woman apprehended in Stavanger for repeatedly lurking outside shops/cafes muttering to herself...it'll be me!

So henceforth the blog shall feature a 'word of the day', today's one is ... gammel (gahm-merl) which means 'old'. The reason I chose this one is because it's my birthday this week and, yep you guessed it, that combined with the 'norskkurs' means I'm feeling gammel! Mind you, 'femtien' (fem-tee-en) doesn't sound nearly as bad as 51 does it? Clutching at straws.

So we're off back to Blighty for a long weekend to celebrate said birthday, all of which means the Mulder cat is headed for the cattery (a different one...) later on today. Currently to be found studying the insides of his eyelids, little does he know what's in store. Still not venturing out much but preferring instead to park himself on the balcony railings in order to get a better view of the doves...

We've had a fantastic spell of autumn weather, the leaves are a blaze of colour and the temperatures are dropping. These photos were from last Sunday...first one is taken from the house, second one was on a mini hike down in Sandnes and the third one is the sun setting on the fjord below Chez Robertson. And no, that's not our boat (sadly)!

Last weekend we also had a major treat on the jazz front, in the form of the Kyle Eastwood Band who were visiting Stavanger. If you like jazz, you'll know that he's made a very big name for himself as a bassist despite having the potential to be overshadowed by his somewhat famous father (Clint). No doubting the likeness!

Oh and how could I forget...the world-famous search for the premier cinnamon bun goes on. At the moment, the Ostehuset one is out in front (pictured) but there could be a late contender in the form of another local baker - Charles & De. One last trawl around before I declare a winner, if only because I don't want to be get any bigger!

Til neste gang!

Letter from......Ikea??

"When you goooo, will you send baaaack, a letter frrrrrrrom Americaaaa!!! That's what regaled me as I trudged around everyone's favourite Scandi store today. The bottom lip was threatening to tremble but then I remembered...I don't even like the Proclaimers! Don't tell Mr Salmond though or I'll never be allowed back...

Week 3 of 'snakker norsk' and my powers of memory and concentration have never been more tested. This probably has more to do with my age than anything else but nevertheless. It feels like I'm taking one step forward and two back. This also explains the lack of blogging...too busy doing homework...at 50??!! But...I can now go in a shop/cafe/drycleaners and come out with what I went in for...and all exchanges done in norsk. OK so it's not exactly high brow conversation but it's progress in my world!!

Autumn has arrived and the weather continues to be favourable for us tourists. Last weekend saw a visit to Birkjedalstunet, which is south of Stavanger (towards Sirdal), and a reunion with a Fergie! Birkjedal boasts an impressive candle factory and, in the adjoining restaurant, some rather fine home-made meatballs. It's worth the trip if only for the drive. On the way there, you pass over Gloppedalsura - scene of a spectacular rockfall circa 10,000 years ago when the mountains essentially collapsed and divided the fjord in two. Rocks the size of a house lie there as if carefully placed by a giant troll. Gloppedalsura was also the site of a famous WWII battle that saw 250 Norwegian soldiers prevent two German battalions (800 troops) from advancing on Sirdal. Proof if it were needed that Vikings are not to be messed with!!

Another day, another ferry trip, this time to Tau. And a much more familiar pose...akin to Orkney i.e. a warm coat and and a funky hairstyle! Tau is north of Stavanger but the scenery is no less impressive. Green valleys nestle between the vast mountains and the farmers go about their business even though it's Sunday. Around where we live, they're busy cutting and baling what looks like silage or at least a grass crop of some kind.

On the home front, we've had our first lot of visitors...well two lots really. Kay paid a flying visit, long enough to testify to the fact that the cinnamon buns are indeed the stuff of legend. And we had a super weekend with Mike and Fran...balmy sunshine and lunch outside one day, rain and restricted views (but not restricted fun) the next. And the Mulder cat behaved impeccably throughout although he did manage to deliver the odd "are you still here?" look!! That said, katten is coping well with his new self-imposed imprisonment with only the odd bout of cabin fever. His nemesis has upped his game and is now spraying on our front door...reiterating the point that you don't mess with Vikings...katten or otherwise!!

Og på den bombshell...

Snakke snart!

Climb every mountain

It's official...Pam has climbed her first mountain! OK so it wasn't 'that' huge but it was a mountain by Norwegian standards at least. That's what comes of getting enveigled (spelling?) with a bunch of expats who think nothing of scaling rock faces for fun....every week. This one was called Dalsnuten, down in Sandnes, and was probably a good one for me to start with, given my severe lack of fitness/stamina. It was worth it though, the views over Stavanger were amazing. Next up is Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) hopefully before the end of September.

You can tell I'm getting more and more settled, from the lack of blog posts...haven't got time! Norsk lessons are in full swing and testing my powers of memory/concentration to the limit. I do them in a 'virtual online classroom' i.e. in front of the computer with a set of headphones and a tutor on the other end of the line. The screen becomes a whiteboard and no English is spoken....eek. I can now say my name and where I come from - Orkenøyene - as well as a whole bunch of other stuff, the most useful of which is probably...jeg forstår ikke (I don't understand). That one will be trotted out a few times over the coming weeks/months!

We had a drive up the coast last Sunday, to Tungenes Lighthouse, which was decommissioned in 1984 but is now preserved as a museum. The living quarters have been made up to look like it would have in the early 70s. You realise how old you are when you're looking around and constantly saying..."Oh I remember that"!

We have our first lot of visitors coming this weekend so the resident tabby has had a stern lecture as to what is acceptable in terms of behaviour. Needless to say it hasn't worked, given that I've just been downstairs to the spare room (or the Swedish Sauna as we like to call it...I'll explain later) to de-fuzz the spare bed! Mike and Fran, if you're reading this, it's not as bad as it sounds...honest! This is Mulder's way of making you feel welcome...I think. Brings to mind when we lived in Banchory-Devenick and his partner-in-crime Scully (RIP) would leave a dead mouse under the spare bed for unsuspecting visitors. We think it was her version of the horse's head in the bed...watching too much Godfather.

And on that note, I'll leave you with a couple of fab photos that Mike took last week. This is sunset over a place called Florø, which is north of here and is where he flies from to get to the Gjøa Field.

Takk for lesing.
Hade!

North of the Galt

That's us back in Stavanger after a memorable trip to Orkney and in particular Eday. A word of explanation is required as to the title of this post and indeed the overall blog itself...for non-Orcadian readers. There's a point/headland/skerry on the north-west of the island of Shapinsay known as "the Galt" and the area to the north of there is said to be pretty special as (of course) are the people who come from there. This is a myth that has been handed down the generations in folk(pub)lore to the extent that the phrase "he's/she's fae north o' the Galt" is widely/proudly used to identify someone's heritage.

It must also be said that the chap whose wedding we were at - Gary Byers - also recently declared in a featured farmer interview with Living Orkney magazine that "North o' the Galt is best"! Who can argue with that?? Mind you, I elected to use 'east' for the blog name as I wasn't sure Stavanger was strictly speaking technically 'north'...although no Admiralty Charts were consulted in the decision-making process, just a squint at a map. You begin to get the idea that this is serious stuff!! If nothing else, it's good wind-up material.

The wedding itself was absolutely brilliant from start to finish, despite the bride being 30 minutes late...something to do with hairdressers and bridesmaids apparently! The kirk was packed, the champagne flowed at the reception and the dance in the byre was a fitting way to end the day...the following day. Gary and Anne must be one of the most ideally suited couples I've ever known...I foresee many happy years at Greentoft.

Back to reality and today saw me up in front of the "Police" in Stavanger (aka immigration/tax), bidding for an identification number required for living and working here. I squelched my way there through thunderstorms, clutching every relevant piece of paper to my name. It's fair to say they're people of few words but 'deportation' wasn't one of them, so I guess I'm in! Maybe they'd heard I was from North o' the Galt...

This was the view across the lake in town this morning, you can see thunderous skies in the background. Oh and possibly the last cruise ships of the year were in today too...apparently we don't see any more after the first week in September. I liked the traditional wooden boat in the foreground, certainly provided a bit of contrast to the veritable skyscraper of a thing (ship?) behind it!

No post would be complete without a mention of Mr F Chops (as Auntie Michelle has nicknamed him) or indeed HRH (as Auntie Ruth more aptly calls him)! The Mulder cat survived 6 days in a rather dubious cattery...or perhaps endured is a better word. I'd like to say he was none the worse for it but sadly that wasn't the case. If I told you I've been on litter box duty all week since we got back, that about covers it. Anything more than that would be too much information. But, you can't keep a good mog down and he's more or less back to his usual today. Even managed a half hour outside...VERY brave!

Time to sign off with some photos from the wedding - the new Mr & Mrs Byers and the clootie cake complete with sheep!

Det er fredag ​​og fem i Norge så skål!

p.s. Norwegian lessons start next week...you have been warned.

The Battle of Hafrsfjord

Time for a history lesson.

Just along the fjord from us is an intriguing monument called "Sverd i Fjell" or "Swords in Rock". Unveiled by King Olav in 1983, it commemorates the Battle of Hafrsfjord in 872 AD where it is said that King Harald Hårfagre (Fair Hair) fought a battle that united Norway's three districts into one kingdom. The Viking swords' hilts depict crowns from the districts which took part in the battle,  representing peace, unity and freedom. It's a major tourist attraction in Stavanger.

As luck would have it, the site of the three swords was on our Sunday cycle route. It started out with the suggestion... "let's just go oot for a run"...the warning flags should have been going up at that stage. We had a vague notion that there was a cycle path that would take us right around Hafrsfjord, over a bridge, round by Tananger, Sola and back home. There is and it did, eventually...3 hours and 20 kilometres later, in 23 degree heat, two greasy spots rolled up at Hestnes. The airport's at Sola and, as we cycled past the end of the runway, it's fair to say we wished we'd taken our passports with us!

A quick word on the "other" battle...Mulder has decided to retreat and regroup before deciding how best to tackle his obnoxious neighbour. Little does he know that things are about to get worse...he's getting dropped off at Windiness Cattery later today for a wee holiday while we head home to Orkney. Oblivious for the time being...

:-(