'Norway in a Nutshell' claims the title "Most Beautiful Journey in the World" and I sincerely agree! We begin the journey on the 8:11 train out of Oslo to Myrdal. Here we change trains to the Flamsbana, the private train which will land us in Norway's Sognefjord.
Now the boat ride through the Sognefjord. Beautiful blue skies, crystal clear waters, and happy Gallaghers glide where Vikings once ruled. The landscape commands your respect. The massive cliffs evoke fear while still softly whispering their secrets. The meandering glass-like, still waters entice you to see what lies around the next corner. My spirit beat in harmony with the ancient Viking's as we slid between narrow passage ways. The message spoke of travel and adventure; Wunderlust. I too, want to go a viking.
My favorite time of the day came at evening song, when the light receded but did not complete fade from the sky. This is approaching the summer equinox when the days are at their longest. Here the boys made a game of attempting to remain in the icy waters the longest and Joe and I sat back and took in the view from our apartment's balcony.
Frogner Park is a gem in the heart of Oslo. Wonderfully located just outside the city
center, it is a place for young and old to gather for picnics (with “one time
grills”) and evening strolls. The garden is masterfully decorated by Gustav
Vigeland. During his career, Vigeland made
a deal with the city to cast over 600 figures beautifying Oslo in return for a
great studio and state support. It is an
ideal in public planning. It is loved
and respected by its people; no police necessary, no graffiti present and no
fences need.
Vigeland’s theme for the park represents the cycle of
life. His sculpture is poignant and powerful,
showing all stages of life from birth to death.
The enormity, larger than life scale of his creations, lends itself to
self contemplation. The wide open spaces
throughout the garden leave room for reflection and tranquility.
Our history unit culminated! This year's exploration of the Vikings and the Celts left us longing for more information on these ancient civilizations. In Ireland last June, we got up close to our Celtic ancestors and this year we venture a little further north to Scandinavia. Those brutal, yet poetic Norsemen hold delights and mythic lore that speak to my three young men. This is the Vikingshiphuset in the Bygdoy neighborhood (greater Oslo) where we begin our field trip. This impressive museum holds the best-preserved Viking long ships in existence. The Oseberg ( 834 AD) ornately carved sailed on inland waters during festivals, but not in the open ocean. The Gokstad ship (950 AD) is a practical working boat, capable of sailing the high seas. It is just such a vessel that explorers like Eric the Red sailed fro Norway to Iceland to Greenland and then onto North America.
Our wonderfully charming Gite challenged our GPS and Joe's patience, but once we found it, we were so happy to share a lovely bottle of Burgundy wine together. The woman that runs/owns this little hide away farm, lead us up and up and up to our room amongst the rafters. The spiral staircase was, not exaggerating, 33 steps, with one GIANT one at the top. We always remark how this "would never be allowed in the US". But part of the fun and adventure of traveling, if you have a good sense of humor, is trying something different.
Delicious wine, asking a farmer directions and wee bit of all those stairs!
Our dinner began at 8:00, with typical French flair -- the boys ate
Escargot and
(WOW) and Ham in Parsley Aspic
(see below)
And as if you might still need further encouragement to visit the region of Burgundy, there's THE wine!
The city of Beaune, famous for it's grapes on the Cote de Beaune are some of the finest Burgundy Wines in the World. We sampled a few lovelies with plans to return without the kids another time :)
Also located in Beaune, is the Hotel Dieu a medieval hospital for the poor. The Hospices de Beaune received the first patient on 1 January 1452. Elderly, disabled and sick people, with orphans, women about to give birth and the destitute have all been uninterruptedly welcomed for treatment and refuge, from the Middle Ages until today. Over the centuries, the hospital radiated outwards, grouping with similar establishments in the surrounding villages of Pommard, Nolay, Meursault. Many donations - farms, property, woods, works of art and of course vineyards - were made to it, by grateful families and generous benefactors. The institution is one of the best and oldest example of historical, philanthropic, and wine-producing heritage, and has become linked with the economic and cultural life of Burgundy. (wikipedia)
notice the surgical instruments - YIKES!
outside colorful tiles and gargoyles
The colorful tiles have an interesting story to share. Apparently, the local craftsmen would leave the tiles to dry in the nearby fields where animals would happen chance to leave behind an autograph.
Now for a "little" art.... as we view
The Last Judgment Polyptych in Beaune, 1446-52 by Rogier van der WEYDEN
The altarpiece was intended for the chapel that stood at the end of the
72-meter-long hospital ward. The patients were to be able to see it across a
partition, and its considerable dimensions and composition, clearly distributed
over the entire surface of the picture and easily surveyed even from some way
off, helped it to meet that requirement. Opened out, the retable shows the Last
Judgment, a clear admonition to the sick to remember their own mortality and
turn their minds to God. This is easily understandable, since the spiritual care
of the sick was as important as their bodily care, and in the thinking of the
time only those in a state of spiritual grace could be restored to health.
(courtesy of http://www.wga.hu/html_m/w/weyden/rogier/08beaune/index.html) I don't know if I would find this very comforting!!
New York City, is a source national pride for me. Our country's great metropolis, internationally compared to Paris and brimming with energy and power. I love New York with its fantastic museums, beautiful parks, the Statue of Liberty, 5 star restaurants, Broadway Shows, Wall Street and the list goes on and on. As with any big city, its origins tie in closely with a river. New York's river is the Hudson.
The river is named after Henry Hudson, an Englishman sailing for the Dutch East India Company, who explored it in 1609. Settlement of the colony clustered around the Hudson, and its strategic importance as the gateway to the American interior led to years of competition between the English and the Dutch over control of the river and colony. The Hudson is a 315-mile (507 km) river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains.(Wikipedia)
Hudson himself, attempted to sail the Hudson (known then as the North River), but was unsuccessful. After finally coming ashore, Hudson remarked, "The land is the finest for cultivation that I ever in my life set foot upon, and
it also abounds in trees of every description." North Eastern United States is "home" for me, so I am partial to itsclimate, but I must agree with Mr. Hudson here.
As I watched this video of the Hudson River Project, I was struck by the energy of the city. The city seems to hum at a higher frequency than other places. The occupants seemed to take on this hum too. The man in the film, James Bowthrope, seems out of place, like a person walking at a different speed, not invisible to the New Yorkers, but kind of a pale reflection of a past dream. I really like this short film. The atmosphere is so hopeful and innocent. The music is perfect and colors the entire film with a sad optimism. My interpretation of the project, and why I contributed, is here's one person who is taking a simple idea, hard work, a vision and making a go of it. What better allegory remains of "The American Dream". Furthermore, our "modern adventurer" keys in on three areas that I consider America's fatal flaws: wastefulness, ignorance our historical origins and the lose of our wonder at our beautiful country. Unwanted castoffs are moving art as they invoke a memory of our spiritual vibrancy founded in each drop of that river. When Bowthrope sails down the Hudson I hope people will see the metaphor and remember that it is not too late.
Every time I look down on this timeless town whether blue or gray be her skies.
Whether loud be her cheers or soft be her tears, more and more do I realize:
I love Paris in the springtime.
I love Paris in the fall.
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles,
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles.
I love Paris every moment, every moment of the year.
I love Paris, why, oh why do I love Paris?
Because my love is near
He's back home safe and sound with his crazy boys to jump on him. It was truly a surprise for the boys. We didn't expect Joe until this week, but he was able to fly out a little earlier!! I got a call that he'd arrive around 11AM on Wednesday morning, so I took the boys to piano lessons and then went to pick Joe up. So when the boys came down the stairs from lessons, they were in disbelief -- which changed quickly to happy pandemonium. Welcome Home Dad!
The noodle nut turned 9 today. How did this happen so fast? He was only 2 the other day and now he's nearly a decade old. It all goes by so fast and with this little leprechaun it's very high intensity. Ryan put his clay working skills to new heights making 20 angry birds and pigs out of fondant. Doesn't the cake look cool? Ryan did an AWESOME job with it. Jonathan helped with the quirky sign you see on the door. And all our friends here in Germany made the day extra fun!! The only thing miss was Joe :(. But not to worry, because Joe will be home here with us in just a few short days :)
As a military family stationed in Germany we have a wonderful opportunity to be able to travel throughout Europe. When we first discovered that we'd be able to live in Germany, my husband and I started naming all the places we'd like to see. Most of our list consisted of cities because that's where the art museums are located; we really enjoy seeing the masterpieces we've studied only in pictures. However, if anyone has ever tried taking three boys under the age of 12 through an art gallery and really wanted to study a painting, then you'll know that it's nearly impossible! So as we started to become REALLY frustrated, we both knew we'd have to come up with a better plan. Our plan centered mostly around, and from the guidance of, a book by Cynthia Harriman called Take Your Kids to Europe.
In it, Ms. Harriman narrates the best strategies as well as offering many excellent recommendations. She breaks the trip into the following areas of focus: "before you go", "on the road" , "home base" and the best, "the totally biased guide to what to see and do". In each of these areas she asks and answers questions like, "How to balance your and your kids' interest for a successful trip" and "how to get the most from any site". The book then goes on to higlight different countries and lists some of the best sites for kids that still offer something for the adults. Check out my blog for trips we've enjoyed using the book as a guide!
