Blogs from Bodø, Northern Norway, Norway, Europe - page 3

Valnesfjord Helsesportssenter is an institution that works with people of all ages with disabilities. Norway has an amazing system of healthcare, things are very expensive here, lots of tax. However, going to the hospital for any reason, or any time of medical thing or rehabilitation is all free - you don't even need a health card. Norwegians think that the idea of "suing" other people is crazy. Seriously - they don't understand it. But the good news is that they think it's all an American thing.. as one girl said "the americans - aren't they the ones who walk around suing each other" I try to encourage this way of thinking. Anyways, this institution is free for people with disabilities - it would be prescribed by their physician and then they come here to stay. The ... read more

BEFORE I TALK ANY MORE I MUST TELL YOU ABOUT THE WORLDS NEW MOST DELICIOUS SNACK: NUGATTI.. CRUNCHY DELICIOUSNESS IN CHOCOLATE. i am in heaven. okay you may read now. Don't know what that title means? Me neither until Google translate 2 seconds ago... the following entry is in 2 parts PART 1 - Monday March 21, 7:15am I am aboard my train at the moment, waiting excitedly to head to the centre. A few minutes ago I realized I was about 45 minutes early, hence getting out the computer. Our last day in Svolvaer was a gloomy one, cold and wet all day long. We still managed to hike down into town with our Dutch friend Paul who was also staying at our Bed and Breakfast, walk around, get soaked, look at some of the ... read more

Remembering some of my previous jaunts around the world, I just happened to think about the stuff I lost while in Norway.... One day while I was hard at work, solving crime, at the Army Criminal Investigation office in Hanau, Germany, I received a call about a trip to Bodo Norway. I had not been to Norway so it sounded like a good deal to me. The call was from one of my buddies on the Protective Services detail at CID Second Region Headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. I was one of fifteen Army CID Special Agents chosen to fly to Norway to assist in the protection of the then (1970’s) Secretary of Defense (Mr. Brown) while he attended a NATO conference. I arrived in Oslo Norway where I met up with the other fourteen Agents. We ... read more

Zoals verwacht goot het vanmorgen. Met lichte cynische toon zeg ik goedemorgen tegen de Serviërs waarop ze antwoorden dat het prachtig weer is. Het inpakken wordt een natte boel. In de keuken zeg ik nog vaarwel aan de Zweden die ik beslist nog terugzie. Ze wijzen me er ook nog even op dat er nog een vol campinggaspatroon in de keuken staat, achtergelaten door een goede ziel. Een fransman slaat het boeltje gade en komt ook nog met 2 cartouches af. Normaal moest ik er vandaag kopen maar dat zal ik niet direct nodig zijn. Door de druppels fiets ik naar de terminal die vlak achter de camping ligt. Het inschepen gaat net beginnen. Ik sleur allerlei zaken mee naar boven om me bezig te houden. Ik neem ook nog een pilletje tegen zeeziekte. Naast me ... read more

This entry is not about traveling, it's not about the things I've done over the past week or the new friends I've made or the laughs we have shared. It's about an old event, an old friend, one that passed away exactly 2 years and 3 days ago today. And when the date was pointed out to me earlier this afternoon, I just stopped and stared. I wasn't home, I was in Sweden on the actual anniversary of her death, but on that day (Sunday), I didn't know the date or the time or have any plans. I still thought it was November. And perhaps that is a good thing, perhaps it shows the closure I have made and the progress that comes after someone you idolize has left this world. But when I got to ... read more