Grandson Nathaniel came to visit us and to spend 24 hours with his mother Kate. We performed the mirror ritual, where Nathaniel puts the mirror high on the wall so he and David can see their faces. Later that evening he was reading my grandmother’s hand-written recipe book.
Son John $pencer took Nate for a hike and a long ride in the mountains. This was a refreshing change from working in an office at his university. He chose this as his favorite photo of the day.
While Kate was driving here from New Jersey, John and I took Nathaniel to a favorite thrift shop in Hendersonville. Although it was his idea to go there, we were the ones who bought things. I chose two plates to go under pots on the back porch and a storage jar for coffee. Nate pointed out a pretty gravy boat. Knowing how I love gravy boats, John bought it. Nate couldn’t resist trying on this flashy red hat and had the staff in stitches.
We took a long way home through the mountains so that Nate and I could listen to a stream for a little while. The grandsons know how to get the most from a stream by standing in it.
We drove till mid-afternoon to get from Bergen to the mountain hutte (pronounced hoot-a) where we spent two nights. The scenery was spectacular. We started off driving along the edges of several fjords, thoroughly enjoying the breathtaking vistas of water and mountains and opening the windows to hear water hurling itself down rocky gullies.
We climbed higher and higher until there were no trees. High plateaus with out-croppings of rocks were bleak. All along the way were lakes, some huge and some small. It was almost unbelievable that we stopped by the side of the road to play in snow. We actually saw people sunbathing, sitting in snow.
Lisa and Kate play in snow
The road was something else again. It was so narrow at times – the widest places were in the tunnels! Riding in our English car, John was sitting on the outer edge of the road, and I was exposed to cars hurtling down the road and much too close for comfort. My left knee was actually tired from the reflexive action of trying to draw in my side of the car.
The mountain hutte loaned to us by a brokerage firm had five bedrooms with enough beds to sleep 12!!! They mainly use it for skiing holidays. Ski racks were in the wide, rough entrance hall. The shower was a bit primitive, but there was a real sauna complete with benches to sit on and a wood burning stove.
Area with mountain huttes where we stayedJohn outside the hutte where we stayed
We were needing more clean clothes, so I washed by hand and John hung them outside on a line. That line was situated half way up the mountain and is more efficient than an electric English drier! The first set was soon knocked dry by the wind, so we did more. After they dried, we did two pair of jeans.
The kitchen was a bit primitive. There was room to install a sink, but there wasn’t one. The stove was a wood burning thing. The kitchen does have one electric hot plate and three burners that run on bottled gas. The fridge didn’t work. Cold water only ran into a tiny receptacle. We had very simple meals.
Did any of you have a Toni doll from the 1950’s? I copied this photo of an ad on the internet that shows the doll with setting lotion, a curler, and a comb. I had a doll like this, only mine had dark hair. I am amused now, because I disliked dolls. Not only that, my miserliness can be documented to the day I received this doll as a gift. I wouldn’t use the setting lotion because I wouldn’t spend money to get more. My mom read the label and said we could make our own lotion, because the listed ingredients were sugar and water!! Today I am appalled at that memory. From time to time we have infestations of ants in our kitchen. Can you imagine having a doll that might draw ants like a magnet??? I wouldn’t have taken a doll to bed, but some girls might have. Ugh! How totally disgusting!
Now for today’s story. I was gathering branches John had trimmed from the bushes near our back porch. It was tedious, since the branches were small and had been rained on. My head was so full of grumbles that I paid no attention to the hummingbird feeder. That is, I paid no attention until I began to straighten up right under the feeder. My head hit it, not once, but twice. Sugar water splashed onto my hair. You know what happened then, don’t you? I BECAME A LIVING TONI DOLL!
Royal Wedding Day in England! We didn’t see a bit of it, but found when we got back home that Thom had done a superb job of taping the whole thing for us. He had carefully planned the timing so that the major portion of the wedding itself is on one tape with other related bits collected on other tapes and meticulously labeled.
In Bergen we saw King Haakon’s Hall and went to an organ recital and service at the church where Grandpa Ellertsen had gone as a boy.
It was raining nearly all day long, but we kept going. We ate lunch at an outdoor museum of old Bergen and took the tour of the place with a German family. I liked the barber shop and dentist’s home. The waiting room for the dentist was his dining room, and the dental chair was in the living room. A great instrument of torture must have been the foot-powered drill.
The stave church felt as if it were at the top of a mountain – what a climb! It was a lovely little church.
John works with a woman in London whose niece was vacationing in Bergen. The girl, Trude, stayed with Lisa and Kate at our hotel while John and I ate at the Norsk Hotel. We had smoked salmon and a seafood casserole served in a shell with rice beside it.
The food was served so attractively all over Scandinavia; even simple sandwiches were beautiful. Cheese was swirled on bread, twists of lemon and cucumber topped things, and lettuce peeped out for a frill of green.
John’s distant cousin Bjarne met us at the door of the Institute in Bergen, handed the girls booklets about the aquarium, and we were off behind the scenes where the public cannot go. John, meanwhile, walked back to town to go to two shipping offices.
The girls thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the exhibits. They’ve not been to an aquarium before, and their enthusiasm showed. We saw all the fish from above the tanks, but the public looked at them at eye level and couldn’t see us. Bjorner brought us right by the seals and penguins outside just at feeding time. He answered my question about whether it matters to a penguin which way the fish goes into his mouth, and it seems the fish must always be swallowed head first! If the tail is nearer, they turn the fish around before gobbling it.
In the lobby was a very low tank with a rim that invited sitting. Bjarne explained that it was made big and low so that children could touch the fish! He picked up a cactus-type creature for us to touch.
Bjarne went back to work, and we girls went shopping. We bought trolls and a cheese knife. We looked at countless things and found them terribly expensive.
Edward Grieg’s house was simple, but pretty. Outside it was painted white with green trim.
John posed for a quick photo with Grieg’s piano as we took the tour.
John was dressed for going to shipping offices downtown.
We also saw the studio nearer the water where Grieg did most of his composing. He and his wife are buried in a tomb hewn out of rock about 15 feet above ground.
Lovely music was written here.
We met the three Ellertsens to eat at a restaurant in the oldest section of town.
Buildings of the Hanseatic League.
Kate chose biscuits and cheese; Lise ordered beef, John and I, whale. The whale was terrific – tender and tasty as beef with a very slight taste of seafood.
This is the photo that belongs here. We were with Hildur and Bernt, to have dinner in the old section of the city.
We had quite a day communicating with distant relatives Hildur and Bernt Ellertsen all day long. He speaks limited English; she understands some. After coffee, cake and much gesticulating, we walked around the fish market where Hildur bought fish.
Bergen Fish Market
Family poses in the fish market
Hildur stayed home to cook while Bernt took us to see the house where Grandpa Ellertsen was born, the school his father attended, and the church where he was christened.
Grandpa E’s birth place
View from Ellertsen doorway
School of Grandpa E’s dad
This is the church where John’s grandfather was christened. He later went to the United States, taught school, went to seminary to become a Lutheran pastor, and founded a church in Brooklyn.
Bjarne (my spelling might be as good as your pronunciation), their son, came home from work at 4:30. His parents live in the north of Norway, but the problem of cooking in her son’s kitchen didn’t phase Hildur a bit. She produced a marvelous dinner of cod in a batter, lightly fried.
Bernt, Hildur, Lisa, Kate, John, Bjarne
We all went on the funicular train up the mountain above Bergen. Four went to see Christina Onasses’ yacht in the harbor; Kate, Hildur and I went to Bjarne’s house to wash dishes.
View from the funicular
Kate on top of the mountain
Norwegians have fish shops to equal English butcher shops. We realized after we got back to England that we had had meat only two times on the whole trip.
The normal dinner time of Norwegians on the west coast is 4 to 5 p.m.!! My impression is that people from Bergen have a late breakfast, coffee and cake, middag (dinner), and sandwiches later before bedtime.
Old Bergen
Bernt and Hildur
In Bergen we stayed at a summer hotel – in winter it’s a college dorm. We think it spacious with two bedrooms, kitchenette and shower room. The shower drains into a hole under the sink; have to mop up a little to use the loo, which is in the same room. The closets are built into the hall walls and are covered by curtains.
When rain set in, David went on the front porch to enjoy it from his hammock/swing. Sadie was anxious to be out there with us, so David improvised a barrier at the top of the stairs. Even though there was other activity on the street that Sadie barked at, she made no attempt to jump over the two chairs and a table.
Sadie’s barrier
There was no containing Sadie’s excitement when she saw Logan (10) at our driveway. The boy was barefooted but wearing a sweatshirt in the heavy rain. He patiently moved gravel to channel the water down the street. We guessed he wanted the rainwater to float a large black shoe, although we could have been wrong. He was on the left side of a small evergreen tree in this photo.
He worked down the street and to the right of the evergreen tree, still moving gravel in place. His focus and diligence were amazing. I texted Shawn this photo, saying it was the best entertainment for neighbors.
She replied, “And for parents.” She then responded with a photo from her porch.
Their view was better than ours. Unfortunately, the rain stopped and so did Logan’s work on the water project. It was getting late and time to go in.
We sadly said farewell to sister Barbara, Thom, and their four children as they started on the last leg of their homeward journey. We had such a great visit with them and hated to see them go. Now to keep my mind off sadness, I’ll go back to the beginning of our holiday.
We timed our departure well – just as kings of the Middle Ages left their castles when the plumbing was over-loaded, we left home at 3:30 a.m. after the upstairs toilet overflowed twice.
We all missed John $, but we know he was happier staying with the Aunt Barbara and Uncle Thom in England than he would have been cooped up in a car going to Norway. Wasn’t it a mind-boggling offer for a family of six to care for a temporary orphan? We hesitated, not wanting to ruin their holiday, but the temptation was too great for that extra freedom for us to insist we would take him with us. When we returned two and a half weeks later, $ was as happy as a clam. He learned to say Amen after grace, to take off clothes which have been partially removed, and to pull people down on the floor to play with him. He has seen more of London than I have, having been treated to trips to the zoo, museums, and stores.
On the way from the South of England to the North, we stopped in Durham and heard a boy choir rehearsing for a concert. It made the church so alive. The two notables buried there are St. Cuthbert and Venerable Bede.
In Newcastle we boarded a ferry and discovered our cabin for the 25-hour trip was larger than one in a Pullman car. The bathroom was tiny, but even equipped with a shower.
The first port of call was Stavanger, a delightful town of little white wooden houses, tiny streets, and flowers. We had enjoyed watching the steep hills of Norway pass by for several hours before getting our first good look at the country at Stavanger. All the trees were pushed up on the steeper parts of the hills. The backdrop of mountains appeared painted behind the crystal clear row of hills near the harbor. We soon left that town and sailed to Bergen.
Finn F., a broker who does business with John, met the ferry, led us to our hotel, and arranged for his family and ours to eat at a downtown hotel. We ate shrimp cocktail and a delicate Norwegian catfish with herbs. [John explained that Finn’s family welcomed our coming. If John had been there alone, they would have had to stay at home while Finn went out with him. Since John had his family with him, Finn’s family was included. We all enjoyed it.]
I’m sorry there are no photos to share, but it does make for a shorter post.
We’ve had a marvelous time with John’s sister Chris, Steve, and children Barbara and Chrissie. Surprisingly, our girls didn’t complain about having to go to school while Barbara and Chrissie were free to do what they wanted. Two days they spent more time in London than Lisa and Kate did in school.
Chris and Steve
It’s been so much fun for me to have someone to giggle with. Do you know, I almost believed I had become more proper, until Chris came when I reverted to my normal American self. I know John was glad to have someone around to talk about stuffy, serious things with.
John $ got hold of the stick we use for pulling down the attic stairs. I thought it harmless enough until I saw him swinging it at the ceiling light fixture as if it were a pinata.
The relatives arrived Tuesday and came home with John on the train. We insisted Steve had to sit in the front immediately so that he could get a good view of left-hand driving. He properly appreciated it. I don’t know whether he might have shaken with pleasure of seeing us or fright at being on the wrong side of the road.
I was home bound for two days while the car was in for repairs. Some garage in Epsom was supposed to do something on a part and return it to Walton, but they goofed. The car was inoperable overnight; the mechanic offered to have a man drive me to Reigate to get the girls in the afternoon and to send the same man to take them to school the following morning. What a God send! Those two days our relatives were in London, anyway, so the lack of a car did not hamper us unduly.
John $ reading to his sisters in school uniforms and cousins
Wednesday they took a bus sightseeing tour and then saw Westminster Abbey and Cathedral, a street fair, Buckingham Palace, and the Royal Mews where the carriages and horses are kept. I’m sure they saw more than that, but it’s all my fuzzy brain remembers. I found most interesting their telling that the coaches were all labeled saying who is to ride in which one for the Royal wedding. The signs also tell which would be used in case of rain. What happens if it rains during the ceremony, but not before? For that the weather forecasters need coaching.
Thursday, among other things I’m sure, they saw the changing of the guard from the vantage point of center front and later shopped on Oxford Street. That day they saw some of the preparations for the garden party the Queen had at Buckingham Palace in the afternoon.
Chris had her conducted tour of Micklefield with the headmistress, Miss Kinman, Friday morning while the rest of us wandered the town of Reigate. The 10p car tour included our last house and church. Boots and Woolworth’s were experienced before we greeted Paula and friend in Co op. Following lunch, Chrissie helped Mr. Clewes while Barbara and I explored a footpath and Chris drove the car. Later Steve had a chance and said he’d rather drive on the wrong side than feel like a sitting duck in the passenger seat. Dorking and Box Hill tours brought us circling home.
Chrissie was a big help to Mr. Clewes – he said he wouldn’t have finished clearing up the debris if she hadn’t helped. Barbara helped me in the kitchen, and one night I’d have never gotten the meal on the table if she hadn’t arranged the salad and fixed the appetizer. Many thanks, girls.
Yesterday we went to Windsor Castle. The day we went with my brother and his family, I felt it was on the other side of everywhere, since I was driving. John seemed to have no trouble finding his way quickly and easily. We lucked out on the parking, too, finding a lot open just across the street from the nearest visitor entrance to the castle. I think I enjoyed seeing the State Apartments more this time since I’ve read so much more English history than I had before the first visit. Couldn’t have had anything to do with the fact that I had charge of $ the first time and not the second!
We saw boys rowing down the Thames practicing for a regatta. I’m glad to have seen that, since it is another British institution.
While we were looking across the green to the buildings where the royal family stays when in residence, several soldiers marched up to inspect the sentry there. We howled at the high pitched, cracking voice of the tall soldier in charge. It seemed so out of character for him to have such a voice. I signaled John to walk $ around behind the soldiers standing near us so that we could get him in the picture with them. John said later that $ was frightened when they first marched up. From the perch on his father’s shoulders, $ ogled them until they marched away.
We had been invited by Mr. Wolters, the agent for the house in Reigate, to come to the Claygate Flower show. It is his pride and joy, since he is the head of the organizing group. There were a few tents with displays, but the biggest drawing card seemed to be the carnival rides. It was the highlight of the day for four girls.
While the fathers took the children for their thrills, Chris and I trooped through the tents. I was shocked at how few entries there were. Perhaps I thought it would be like the Mid-South fair, and that it wasn’t! In many cases, there was only a first prize, there being no other entries in that category. The most popular entries in the pet tent were rabbits and parakeets. There was one common alley cat calmly lying in his cage, having won first prize since he was the only cat there. I struck my funny bone.
There was a small band of bagpipes and drums that marched in the central roped-off area. Their bright red kilts were striking, and we noticed the daggers in their socks. I was surprised to note that they all played the same notes; you could tell by watching their fingers.
We found Mr. Wolters in the secretary’s tent and spoke to him for several minutes. Just a few days ago he’d sent our three children crown coins minted in honor of the Royal Wedding. We are so glad to have these keepsakes.
This morning all except $ and I drove to see St. Paul’s Cathedral and to worship at the Abbey. While I took a bath, John $ emptied my gadget drawer in the kitchen. Now he is scattering the contents of the desk drawers all over the bedroom.
We tried to get a picture of $’s pose when Chris and Steve left their bedroom door open. He strutted in and made himself at home sitting on the clothes in their open suitcase as if it were a golden throne. He was reading a romance novel belonging to Chris.
Back to Windsor – Bob, I took special time to look at all the carvings by Grinling Gibbons this time, thanks to your sparking of my interest. I was glad to be able to recognize lots of the portraits, too, from my reading.
Soon the rest of the clan will return from London. We’ll have a quick bite, and go through the awful time of saying goodbye to people we’d rather not see the backs of.
Back row: Barbara, Lisa, neighbor Catherine. Front row: Kate, Chrissie, neighbor Philippa
What a jolly crowd of relatives and neighbors!
John $ has now gathered the scattered items and put them in the laundry basket, pushing them around the room barge style. Why do we buy toys?
We’re leaving for Norway next Saturday. We’ll see Bergen, Oslo and parts of Denmark and Sweden. Think we return here August 13.
Grandson David and the catbird have nothing to do with each other, except that I took their photos on consecutive days. If I’d used film, you could say I was on a roll.
As I walked near the overgrown sheep pasture, I became aware that a bird was flitting from weed to weed. It was gray, but I couldn’t see it clearly. Right now the camera has better focus than I do, so I zoomed in and shot it. The bird was agitated, probably because its nest was nearby. Its call reminded me of a cat. Bingo! It had to be a catbird. The photo confirmed it – an all-gray bird with a black cap. It’s the first time I’ve seen one here in the mountains.
We ate at a Japanese restaurant after church and were impressed with David’s choice of tempura chicken. What a mountain of food, beautifully arranged! He said it was delicious.
Putting up a porch swing/seat was amusing. It did not come with a chain for hanging, so David climbed into it from a ladder to test it out. Yes, it was very comfortable.
He wiggled around in it until he looked like a colorful caterpillar with blue and green stripes. Don’t you wonder what he would have turned into if he had waited for metamorphosis to occur?
My name is Suki, my human is a writer, and this is about my world. The world according to Suki The Cat. My humans smell funny, look weird, and I can't understand a thing they say, but they feed me, so hey, what are you gonna do?
Mehrling Muse 