Last Night in Norway

Well this is the last evening in Norway, June 21st.  The longest day of the year.  Can't complain even though hard to go to sleep when still sunny it's better than the other way around.  Weather going from 60 degrees to 97 in Houston when I'm scheduled to land June 22.  We had a big gathering last night at a place owned and run by a transplanted Texan who runs an award-winning barbeque place in Stavanger.  He had a bumper sticker on his pickup truck (a rarity over here) that said "I didn't get to the top of the food chain to become a vegetarian".  We got to help make the dinner and it was all quite tasty though the clothes I had on (now packed into suitcase with other clothes) are soaked in smoked mesquite smell and will inevitably contaminate the whole bag now. 

Ok, I'm trying to catch some sleep before take-off - set to wake up around 4am.  Talk to you all soon!

Love, Paul

Some weekend pix

Picture from top statue in Vigeland park full of sculptures.

The top statue in the center of the park.

The most famous statue in the park of an angry little boy.

A statue of Lincoln in the park given to Norway by people of North Dakota (probably Norwegian immigrants) early 20th century.

Our US embassy.  Under lock and key and fence and guards.  As usual.

A picture outside the city hall morning they gave 1991 belated Nobel Peace Prize to Suu Kyi this past Saturday.  The king and queen were there too. 

The National Theatre on Karl Johans Gate.

An orchestra playing in the gazebo on Sunday evening.

Orchestra take 2.

In the Oslo Hard Rock Cafe, this is the drum set used by Alex Van Halen to record the first Van Halen album in 1978 and also went on their subsequent tour.  Autograph on upper left drum in picture says "Turn it up".

Some thoughts

Noticed that Norway is only place I know of that eats earlier than the USA. breakfast seems to be at normal time but lunch is no later than 11am and dinner is at 5. I don't understand it have to force feed myself at lunch. Someone told me they'd "starve" if they couldn't eat lunch till 1130. Saw people filing into canteen at 1030am one day for lunch. Also notice in their airports their domestic terminals are much nicer than the international terminals. That is a sharp contrast with the rest of the world but is in line with their protectionism ideals.

No Scream picture

In case anyone was wondering the museum did not allow any pix in the room where Munchs Scream painting is. It was the only room where no pix allowed. Funny the security around it. The painting has been stolen twice since 1994. The first time by some pro life activists amazingly. So now they are just all over it with security. Patrons seemed to follow he rule I saw no one taking pix unlike in the Sistine Chapel where the rule was completely and utterly ignored even despite guards yelling at people who did it.

Pix from weekend

Trying this again hope it works this time.

Nobel peace price center

Atop the roof of the Oslo Opera house.

The opera house.

Oslo Harbor one of them anyway

Part of the seafood and music festival.  Band was actually playing Johnny Cash music hard to believe.

Pathway to dungeon of old castle and fortress.

View from palace front down main street Karl Johans Gate.  Nazis marched up this street upon 1940 occupation.

Royal Palace.  I noted to a local there is nothing stopping a vehicle from driving right up to the front door (a security concern I would think).  They replied that there is one guard sitting at the front door...

Van Gogh self portrait

Picasso, Man and Woman

Cranach painting

A Monet painting

Painting by Johan Christian Dahl

Weekend

Hope to get the picture thing fixed soon.  Regardless had a good weekend in Oslo.  A vibrant city and easy to walk around.  That's good about Europe - if things on map look far away the really aren't that far away.  Visited their National Gallery (Munch's Scream, Van Goghs, Goyas, Renoits, Rodins Thinker, etc etc), the Palace, the ancient castle and fortress, their new Opera house, their Cathedral and the Nobel Peace Center. By the way, if by chance there is a new US prez next year the Euros will be completely shocked. Not that they follow too closely but their image of US politics is circa November 2008 and there is no one who could be better suited for the office than the incumbant.  Maybe best of all here in Oslo is their seafood sold from the waterfront.  Had my fill on shrimp, scallops and salmon since arriving.  Some of their salmon is the tastiest I've ever had. 

The trouble with pix

Having trouble posting pictures this weekend which is a shame I've taken lots of them.
If you go back in my posts you'll see I picked the Belmont-winning horse Union Rags to win......the Derby.  Something fishy about that I'll Have Another scratch, I have a feeling there's more to the story than is being told right now.