What a cruise... I've just got back from a cruise to Germany. What a 'marvellous trip' - I felt like wondering the streets of Hamburg to explore the Beatles stomping ground in the late 50s early 60s. Not that I'm much for travelling in other peoples footsteps - I've always preferred my own.
Anyway - I'm back from Germany and find that I'm living in Norway - what the bloody hell am I doing here? It's expensive and I have no one to be here with - all on my lonesome. Bloody silly... So I sit here and listen to old Beatles songs - which is OK, but it's not really a life, yet. I think it's time I had a change of scene...
In the meantime I'll satisfy myself with listening to the occasional play of Norwegian Wood - safe in the knowledge that he didn't set fire to the flat he was in - he merely lit a fire in the fireplace, waiting for her to come home... ahhh, bless!
There are only ever happy endings... I think I must be living in Hollywood... Oh look, there's Lassie!
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Saturday, 24 May 2008
Short Night's can cause delirium...
Saturday morning in Oslo. It's the 24th May and already it's light until nearly 10:30pm or so - and light again at about 4:15; and there's another month to the solstice.
When we get there morning twilight will start at about 2:30am and finish the following morning at about 12:30am - giving us a grand total of 2 hours of 'proper' darkness. In this time I hope to build a scale model St Paul's cathedral out of my gnawed toenail off-cuts. There should be time.
Whilst I wait for this azimuth of light I am going to prepare physically for the event by eating nothing but raw herring and living on a small island in the centre of the Oslo fjord. Supposedly this will give me the constitution required to last the short nights.
Enough of this absurdity - I must away and find myself a boutique from which I can purchase my next year's worth of shoes. Have a grand weekend! Until the next time!
When we get there morning twilight will start at about 2:30am and finish the following morning at about 12:30am - giving us a grand total of 2 hours of 'proper' darkness. In this time I hope to build a scale model St Paul's cathedral out of my gnawed toenail off-cuts. There should be time.
Whilst I wait for this azimuth of light I am going to prepare physically for the event by eating nothing but raw herring and living on a small island in the centre of the Oslo fjord. Supposedly this will give me the constitution required to last the short nights.
Enough of this absurdity - I must away and find myself a boutique from which I can purchase my next year's worth of shoes. Have a grand weekend! Until the next time!
Saturday, 17 May 2008
Castles, Palaces and Constitutions
It's the 17th of May - Norwegian National Day. It commemorates the signing of the countries first constitution in 1814 when the country was 'released from Danish rule after 400 years of subjugation'.
I think the official line is that the Dane's lost Norway to Sweden in a bet. So the Swedes got in and took 'power'; however, the Norwegians retaliated by shrugging their shoulders and saying, 'So what?' - setting up their own independant government and political system; after two decades of being ignored the Swedes kind of got embarrassed about 'things' and Norway got it's complete right to independance.
Nowadays it's a good excuse for all the children (some of them in their 40s) to march in parades and dress up in old national dress down Karl Johan's Gate - the main high street in central Oslo, whilst parties ensue all over the country... Many beers are taken - for medicinal purposes, of course.
Here's a 'did you know': the Norwegians sing 'God Save the King' to the same tune and with the same words (translated, of course) to Norwegian? It's not their National Anthem - but it is the 'King's Song' - as it was described to me.
Obviously I would have expected it to be rife amongst the 'old colonies' - don't you know - but it was also popular across all of Europe (including France, until the masses favoured the guillotine) and, last but by no means least, Lichtenstein (which, I have to say, I thought was a Principality - so do they sing 'God Save the Prince'? It's these kinds of questions that keep me up at night - no doubt about it).
Right - got to get to work, not because it's time - just because I woke up at 4:10am (well, it was sunny!) and after two hours of faffing about it seems like a good idea to go now that I'm sure the public transport will be running.
By the way - I never did find the King and Queen, even although, apparently, they were standing on the balcony of their 'Castle' ('Palace' of course - but the locals seems to like the word castle there, despite the lack of turrets and fortifications). Shame - maybe next year... but I doubt it...
I think the official line is that the Dane's lost Norway to Sweden in a bet. So the Swedes got in and took 'power'; however, the Norwegians retaliated by shrugging their shoulders and saying, 'So what?' - setting up their own independant government and political system; after two decades of being ignored the Swedes kind of got embarrassed about 'things' and Norway got it's complete right to independance.
Nowadays it's a good excuse for all the children (some of them in their 40s) to march in parades and dress up in old national dress down Karl Johan's Gate - the main high street in central Oslo, whilst parties ensue all over the country... Many beers are taken - for medicinal purposes, of course.
Here's a 'did you know': the Norwegians sing 'God Save the King' to the same tune and with the same words (translated, of course) to Norwegian? It's not their National Anthem - but it is the 'King's Song' - as it was described to me.
Obviously I would have expected it to be rife amongst the 'old colonies' - don't you know - but it was also popular across all of Europe (including France, until the masses favoured the guillotine) and, last but by no means least, Lichtenstein (which, I have to say, I thought was a Principality - so do they sing 'God Save the Prince'? It's these kinds of questions that keep me up at night - no doubt about it).
Right - got to get to work, not because it's time - just because I woke up at 4:10am (well, it was sunny!) and after two hours of faffing about it seems like a good idea to go now that I'm sure the public transport will be running.
By the way - I never did find the King and Queen, even although, apparently, they were standing on the balcony of their 'Castle' ('Palace' of course - but the locals seems to like the word castle there, despite the lack of turrets and fortifications). Shame - maybe next year... but I doubt it...
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