Norway!

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Yeah yeah we know, the airheads omitted the picture of the cutest of the cute. Plan on it appearing here if the aforementioned airheads remember.

Now for a bit of reality for you Americans. We took a drive a couple of days back from Copenhagen to Oslo. We knew Norwegian gas was a bit more expensive than Swedish, so we stopped near the border to buy a bit. Actually, we packed the tank with 11.5 gallons (our little Volvo has a small tank but achieves over 40 mpg) for just over $77. Should anyone like to compute, they will arrive at around $6.70 per gallon, and we were "pleased" with the price for we then crossed the border where the same gas at our next fillup will be over $8. So, no complaining about three dollar gas.

Regarding Norway, this is an extremely environmentally conscious country. They have extensive oil and gas reserves, especially the latter, and certainly could offer gas in-country at a rate at least commensurate with what we pay in the U.S. Nonetheless, they heap large taxes on automobile gas in an effort to limit the pollution and CO2 that results. Furthermore, automobiles that are the most fuel efficient receive breaks in various fees. Yes, this is a highly taxed country, but the people are quite pleased with their tax structure and the benefits that accrue for all citizens as a result. The wealth gap here is minimal by U.S. standards and, their citizens are the happiest of earth. All of this and their per capita income is over $10,000. higher than ours. Perhaps we should get a clue.

Tad about the actual country so far. As we were approaching Norway from Sweden we noted a bit of alpine flavor to the homes and, there was a lovely pastel green to the countryside, not that Sweden was not green, it is. The population of Oslo is about 1.5 million, and as far as we can discern several of them would fit inside Atlanta. Their "skyscraper" is a thirty-seven story Radisson Hotel. The architecture is a mix of historical and modern; the historical buildings not nearly to the extent of Denmark or Sweden. There is a great deal of construction occurring. If fact, all three countries we have visited are in a building phase, reflecting strong economies. We heard the water is good here. Well, that does not do it justice. Drinking it just feels bright and refreshing; no ice needed as already quite cold.

Tomorrow we depart Oslo for a short 575 km drive across the spine of the country then south to Jorpeland for the sole purpose of visiting the Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen). For anyone who suggests this is poor time management we would recommend a Google search of this land feature.

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Photos

Sally!
Everything is right with the world now; here is the picture of beautiful Sally. Thanks Baby Bird.

Olympic Ski Jump
Okay M-2, get yourself up there and jump this.

Opra House
Bird is standing toward the top of the Oslo Opera house. Yes, folks seem to walking on the roof of this beautiful building. The roofline extends higher out of the frame toward the left. Yes, the interior is equally innovative.

Peace Prize
The Peace Prize is awarded on December 10 in Oslo. No one knows why Nobel chose Oslo for the Peace Prize, while all of the others are awarded in Stockholm. Sorry, we neglected to take a picture of the Stockholm museum.

Viking Ship
Recall the Viking ships from Denmark? They were rather scant remains, not so with these. This fella was some rich dudes pleasure craft; made for coastal and fjord cruising.

Seagoing Viking Ship
Contrasted with the previous one, this guy was used for ocean voyages, say Iceland or England. Warriors slept, ate or planned their business trips in the open. There are no below decks.

Our First Stave Church
There is an island in Oslo where a number of historical artifacts were moved to preserve them. This over 800 year old church is one. Rather peculiar isn't it? Norsemen continued to have a bit of paganism in them; the extensions were to ward off evil spirits. Inside the church we imagine forty folks could be packed in.

Santa Claus
And you thought Santa Claus was a Greek Bishop. The Sami people of northern Norway and Sweden have been using reindeer to pull sleds long before.

M1's Skis
These skis are in the Resistance Museum. Norway had an active resistance to the immense Nazi occupation during WW II. We think M-1 would like the pair on his wall.

Kon-Tiki
Do you remember the voyage of the Kon-Tiki. I recall reading it in late elementary or early middle school. Six Norwegians proved South American Indians "could" have populated Polynesia by sailing a raft from Peru to Polynesia. All managed to survive the harrowing journey, but the theory of humans coming from South America was wrong.

Comments

[Luanne Helms]

hey from georgia
love the pictures..especially picture of Sally!! KEEP HAVING A FUN BEAUTIFUL TIME

[Luanne]

Sally
Love all the pictures especially the one of Sally. Keep having a great time and be safe!