Onward to Norway

Walking on the cross-country ski trail
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Leaving Germany was hard, but it made it easier knowing that we were on our way to see the other side of the family in Norway.  There was a big welcoming committee waiting for us upon arrival, waving their Norwegian flags.  After a snack at Turid and Ottar's house, we took a long walk through the woods...the same trail they cross-country ski on during the winter months.  The boys were lucky enough to find some rare "Moeltebaer", which are orange-colored wild berries (similar in shape to a blackberry) that are delicious mixed with cream and sugar.  After we returned home, we had a delicious meal of fresh whole shrimp and crab that Tina's boyfriend Stian had caught earlier.

A rare Moeltebaer
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The next morning we met Inger Lise and Henning and took a walk around the city of Trondheim.  They were celebrating the St. Olav's Festival, so the boys had the opportunity to chisel and saw on stone, as was done hundreds of years ago during the construction of the Nidaros church.  In addition, there were blacksmiths and leaded glass craftsmen demonstrating their skills in the church courtyard.  We then viewed the military history museum; of particular interest was the display depicting the Norwegian resistance during the Nazi occupation during WW2.  Inger Lise told us that one relative was tortured by an infamous Norwegian Nazi sympathizer, who was subsequently executed after the war.  The uncle actually spent 3 years in Sachsenhausen until he was liberated.

Mateis and a friend chiseling stone
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The rest of the day was spent enjoying the city sights, after which we had a fabulous dinner at the new home of May Liz and her family.

Food of the Day:  Scallops in a cream and cheese sauce that were caught in Afjord (the family homestead) by May Liz's husband, Lars.  The main course was deer with a homemade red currant jelly.