You Can't Get Lost

Slept in this morning, packed my bag again, and had a great seafood paella a a restaurant up the alley, walked up and down La Rambla for about an hour, bought some clothes, got my suitcase, got a taxi, had a pretty direct drive to the ship, and, after about 30+ minutes, got my Princess Medallion, which should have been ready for me since I informed them not to send it to me, and finally got on board about 3:30.   The cabin was almost everything I didn't want, but its fine and I like the steward, Margarito. Since we are sailing east, I wanted a cabin on the port side, away from the sun and towards land.  I got starboard instead.  Ehh. I should complain about being in the sun???  (The word posh comes from Brits traveling to India.  They wanted Portside Out, Starboard Home, POSH.)  It's toward the back of the ship and I prefer being forward.  It's on the 10th deck, where I prefer higher, like the 15th or so.  Blah, Blah, Blah, you're on a cruise...

 Hi there! Jere had to catch a 6:15 bus, so I got up a little after she did.  I made my 6:45 bus just fine, but my luggage tag wouldn't print, so I had to go to the desk, where a very efficient clerk got me going.  All went fine until security.  Now, how many times have I gone through security since it started after 9/11?  I should have the process down, but Noooo, I still mess it up. Once I got through the ticket check, I remembered I had a banana in my pocket.  (Yeah, yeah, laugh that one up.)  Scarfed it down quickly.  Oh yeah, I've got a half a water bottle full, drink that down quick.  Get up to the rollers to put the backpack in the box, after pulling out the computer and the Kindle, oops, the phone and pen and pencil.  Oh yeah, and the watch.  I've got really nice suspenders with a plastic/nylon set of grips so they don't trigger the device, but did I remember to use those?  Of course not, so off with the suspenders, so ...

 Hello all, It's been a long day.  We did Norway in a Nutshell from Bergen to Oslo, then to the airport and then to our hotel.  It is an hour ride on a train, 50 mins on a bus, 2 hours on a ferry, 55 minutes on the Flambana train, and then six hours from Myrdal to Oslo.  And it rained, drizzled, was cloudy, breaking clouds, cold, wind, warm, a real smorgasbord of weather.   It's called Norway in a Nutshell because it goes through mountain farms (including four of my great grandparents farms), open farms, a UNESCO World Heritage fjord and mountains, up the steepest non-cog railroad in Europe.  And the long train ride to Oslo passed four (and more) family farms of my great grandparents and other relatives.  It is a long day.  But so worth it.  It is a great wrap-up to a grand trip.  Everything has worked out well.   And tomorrow, I fly to Barcelona for two nights.  Maybe I'll have more time to write there (Ha!). ...

Hey Gang, I'm sorry!  Writing has not gone well, obviously.  I've had computer problems and then sleep problems (as in falling asleep, midsentence, and waking up with the "where am I, who am I, why am I sitting in this chair staring at a half made computer screen????"  syndrome.   There is SO much I want to share, so much wonderful has happened, that I will catch up with, but it may be October 1, my first full day at sea, before I really get a time to write without having a busy day ahead.  It's a warning, maybe not a fair warning, but at this point, probably reality,  because the days ahead are going to be jam packed.   OK, enough sniveling.  Go on with the trip.  

 What can I say?  I have a second family in Norway as close and dear as as my own direct family.  Einar Hilmarsen is Sally's 3rd cousin.  They share the same great-great-grandparents. Yet Einar seems as close to me as a brother with different mothers.  

 As cloudy and overcast as it was yesterday, today it is bright and sunny.  Erik, Liz and I have been staying with Olov in her home called Fredhiem.  This was the view from my window. Erik was up early to help Tore (and Marit?) with the milking.  Kikki was working at the school and Marit was working at the hospital in Tynset, so it was a quiet morning.  Einar was out on the front porch playing his accordion.  Olov and Erik met in the yard in front and started dancing. It was a special moment for me, and I think everyone.  I know Sally would have loved it.   The old barn is quite a structure.  The upper floor used to store the hay or grass that was used as feed.  Now it is used as storage, especially after the big remodeling they did over the last couple of years.  The lower floor was for the cattle.  Now it is the shop and storage also. Look at the size of those timber beams.       Stocking up for winte...