Half of Norway

[Anders Christian Siveb¾k]

Hi all

I've been in Norway in this week - from last saturday to yesterday. 
If you've been here for some time you'll know that since summer 1998 such
trips have 
resulted in a report from me on this list. A report of what I've been
doing on this duck-realted trip. 

Saturday morning my mother and I drove to Hirtshals (the usal ferry which
departures from Hanstholm
was in dock half of the winter holidays...) - More than two thirds on the
way there I suddenly realized 
I had forgotten something - the reprint-books that i had promised my
friend Sigvald - but it was too late - 
I had to send them when I got home again. That's just about the only sad
thing about the trip.

I had a nice trip to Kristiansand - I bought issues of the weekly and the
monthly and enjoyed myself 
reading in a book, and going to the taxfree shop to buy snacks and tobacco
for a member of Sigvalds family. 

When I reached Kristiansand I asked for the way to the train station -
That was a bit unncessary as I 
couldn't have missed it. Luckily i didn't fall on the way there, as the
norwegian don't really put as much sand and salt on
their roads in the winter as we danes do. When i got to the station,
having carried my heavy-as-heck-back all the way, 
as it couldn't be dragged on the wheels because of the ice, the station
was closed, i mean the waiting room wasn't closed, 
but the ticketsale was. And ticketautomats don't seem to be invented. And
there was no sign saying: 
Tickets sold in the train when ticketsale is closed (so I had to go back
to the ferry terminal to get this information.)
So the train arrived, and I sat down - next to a dane, as a matter of
coincidence. We got a good talk on the way, about danish train companies
(Arriva vs. DSB... which do you choose, danish friends??) I was told by
the conductor to pay at the cantina -
Yes, as a difference to danish trains with a stewardess coming to you with
a little wagon, this norwegian Signatur train had
a bar where you could get hot food, drinks (even with alcohol - yes, this
was Norway, believe it or not), magazines and weeklies - and 
even pay for the trip as I did. This was 388 kr - more than i payed for
teh ferry, but it was a nice trip. 

When i arrived in Stavanger something unusual happened: Sigvald wasn't
there - the train had arrived to early, and Sigvald hastily came running
about 5 minutes after I arrived - He had had trouble finding a parking
lot. Happy to meet eachother again we drove to the house where Sigvald and
his father (also called Sigvald - they are the 3th and 4th of that name in
the family, starting with the great grandfather)
lives. We had some food - bread and norwegian cheese, juice and milk -
just what i needed after a trip where I had eaten exactly all the things
my mum had given me for the trip. I was to sleep in Sigvalds sisters old
room - where the bed had been warmed for me with one of these electric
blankets; nice. 
After having talked with Sigvald - given him the things I had brought for
him, I got a well-deserved nights sleep. 

Next morning we got up early - had a well made english breakfeast and
drove to Sandnes. Do you know IVV? Internationaler Vander Vorbund - they
arrange walking trips all over. We went on a trip in Sandnes, which was
maybe around 5 km or so. - On the way Sigvald an I talked about what we
were going to do in the week - and on the way we saw many ducks. 
Well home we had dinner - Norwegians like to put many good things in the
dishes - This day Sigvald's father had made Komler - a norwegian potato
ball with flour, which is boiled - along with this pork, sausage and
kålrabi ... hmm, i can't seam to find the english word for that last
ingredience...
After dinner we drove to Stavanger Museum where Sigvald worked last year.
We saw interesting exhibition with animals and norwegian history. I found
out that i ought to know about the norwegian author Alexander Kielland -
We met a friend of Sigvald who works at the museum, and made appointments
that we would come there again in working hours to talk. (The museum is
open on sunday which is not the working hours of the office)

Home at Sigvald we had a quiz that Sigvald gave to Geir Hasnes and Olaf
Solstrand when they met - I had all 20 questions right. - 

Excuse me,  friends, but it's11.30 pm and I'm tired. Hopefully I'll
finnish the report tomorrow. - So as they say in comics: To be continued. 

Hilsen/Yours
Anders Christian Sivebæk
Donaldist