God Jul fra Norge!

Hei from Norway everyone!
Well I have almost been in this beautiful, frosty and strange food loving country for a whole week and I have enjoyed every moment! CC's family is warm and welcoming and I feel as if I have known them my whole life. It gets light here about 10;00 am and dark about 4ish, very strange to wake up and it's still dark. When it does get light it's very beautiful, with a anazing view of mountains and ocean, I wish you all could see it too :)




My journey here however was not as nice as I would have hoped...I spent in total 20 hours traveling! I left Thornbury about 6:30 am last Tuesday with Daniel and a very heavy suitcase. I arrived in Bristol about half past seven and left on the 8:00 am coach to Heath row, and this time my driver was much kinder and helpful. I got to Heathrow at half past ten and managed to check my bag (which was 3 Kg over..oops!) and go through all security points in a half hour, giving me six and a half hours to sit a wait for my flight to Oslo!!! I must say it was the most boring six and a half hours of my life, I had to sit and wait to find out what gate my plane would leave from and I only found out 45 before I was to fly!
My flight was short and I slept through most of it, only waking once because the guy next to me kept trying to chat me up. He turned out to be form L.A. Visiting a friend in Oslo and was fart to interested in my life for my comfort. Once in Oslo I quickly went through the line got my passport stamped with a nice Norwegian stamp and got my bag. I then had to got back up to the second floor re check my bag and find my gate, which was very easy and quick. I then sat at what I thought was my gate for about 2 hours, then I looked at the flight listings and saw that if I didn't change gates soon I would fly to some place couldn't even pronounce! Turned out they had changed my gate at the last minute! I had to walk for ten minutes in order to find the new gate, by this point I was thinking I would never get to Molde at all! I however did and was so excited to land at Molde's very tiny airport and give CC a very long hug followed by squeals of excitement from both of us. CC, Roy and CC's older sister Stine were all there to greet me and help me with my heavy bag.
We drove for about 10 minutes to CC's warm and inviting home, where I was told where I would sleep, and shortly did, and in the nicest bed I have slept in in all these months! Now CC's turn...

CC:
I was not out of school yet, so the day after we didn't do very much. Ilaria... It must have been a good bed, because when I came home during my break to watch the "best" show ever (Days of our lives) you were still sleeping!
Anyways, later that day we were invited to a friend of mine, Elisabeth.
We were about 9 people there and we ate "kakemenn", Christmas candy and we drank "julebrus" (Ilaria loved it!) and "gløgg" while watching the polar express.
I think my friends were a bit afraid to talk English so some of them were quiet the whole night but still, it was cozy. Don't you agree Ilaria?



Ilaria:
Yes I must say I had a great time that night! Also during that day, while you were at school, Roy and I dressed in all our winter clothing took your sweet dog Kaizer for a walk to a small park by your house. I really love this park because it has a very nice view of the sea and mountains. It was nice to just have time to go for a walk and talk to Roy who I had not seen in about four months. Then that night it was very, very nice to meet CC's friends and have a mini Norwegian experience, it really was a cozy and enjoyable night!

Roy and Kaizer:


The View:



Roy:
Hello!!!!!
so I'm writing a blog... the park is very nice and I'm sure that most of my pictures will be of it. They also have world war 2 monuments in the lower part of the park. Which for me is very exciting because I love history and I haven't been to Europe before. Its is a very good experience!!! It's good to see Ilaria and I haven't seen Cc (my girlfriend) in about 6 months!!! so it is the best feeling! Its a mix of being nervous, anxious, very happy and a touch scared all at the same time. I'm sure Cc and Ilaguar!! would agree on there own situation.

CC:
Yeah, I like that park too... The day after was my last day at school. I woke up early to eat breakfast with my class but we agreed they day before that we were going to pick up you and Roy so we could go to the Christmas show that my school had set up together. We came a bit late so we didn't find seats together but it worked out well after all. I thought the concert was amazing! There were a couple of people that had such a powerful voice that I had goosebumps all over me. The hosts were very funny too, even though you guys didn't understand what they were saying, I think you managed to catch some words. The ending performance was "O fortuna" from Carmina Burana.. Very nice! I enjoyed it a lot. After the concert I knew that we had about 30 minutes to kill before Ilaria was getting her Christmas present from my family and I. At that time Ilaria didn't know anything about what it was. She figured it out after spending 10 min in a hair salon because I told her I wanted to "look at a hair straightener". While we were waiting for Ilaria to get her hair done, Roy decided to get his hair done too. They both looked very nice when they were done.



Ilaria's new hair: (mum don't hate me I went dark...:))



Ilaria:
Yes I must say your school has a lot of talent! I was very impressed by many of the performances and the hosts added a very nice element..even if I didn't understand what they were saying, but who wouldn't laugh at a man in a a red silk dress?
The best part of the day was my Christmas present, I was very surprised and grateful! My hair was in need of some serious love, and I really needed a change, so thank you very, very much to you and your amazing family for the perfect present!


I also had fun while Roy was getting his cut because you and I did some shopping and did a bit of catching up, which I have missed very much! Then when Roy was finished, his hair looking very smart, we went back to your house to relax and chat and later we had a very Norwegian supper with your family.

Roy:yeah... but when Ilaguar was getting her hair done i had nothing to do cause Cc had to be back there with her to translate.... SO!!!!!!!!!!!! I walked to the store (bunnpris) and bought some cold beverages!!! I found something to do...!!! then I got my hair cut... the school performance was very very good and they sang songs that I knew as well. I didn't think that they would. every dinner is very good here I'm going to go home and ask my parents... what the hell is this stuff???!! every day till they listen.

CC:
Nice Roy...anyhow...
The next day was not all that exciting. I woke up with a fever and didn't feel good at all. But after taking some medicine we decided to go to the mall to do some shopping. Later that day we had a huge feast. At least it felt like it. It was raclette, a bit like fondue but better! There is a mini oven in the middle of the table and everyone has their own little pan that you put potatoes, cheese, onions, peppers and meat in to cook! It's really good and I think everyone was very full after eating.

Ilaria:
Although you felt sick we still had a nice day and that meal was soooooooooooooo good! I had a lot of fun that night chatting with your family and eating yummy food!It so strange how I feel like I have known them for years...:)
Now CC will tell you a bit about Saturday!

CC:
My family has also said that it feels like they have known you for several years!
On Saturday we had planned to go to the island were my mom grew up and chop down our Christmas tree. Roy had left early at like 7 in the morning to go hunting with my sister's boyfriend and my brother. We left at like 11 and of course I was driving the entire way...:D Ilaria and I wore UGG's so it wasn't so tempting to walk around in the forest were you suddenly could fall into a mud hole. My uncle and dad told us to just stay at the big stone so they could go by themselves. They found several candidates, so they chopped it down and then we left for my uncle's house for some coffee and Christmas bread. Amund (Stine's boyfriend), Sigve(my brother) and Roy also came to the house without having slaughtered some bambi's (thank god!). Horrible way to say, I know.
Later that day when we came home to Molde again, we relaxed for an hour and then we left for dinner. We had reserved tables at my work, which is a pizza restaurant, and my uncles, aunt, sisters, brother, parents and cousins joined with us. We had a very good time and I think they all agreed that the pizza was good.
Roy followed Amund (my sister's boyfriend) to a bar where they met some friends of theirs and had a beer. Ilaria and I rented a movie instead. "I know who killed me". It was a weird movie with a bad ending to it. Oh well.
Today (Sunday) We have been cleaning all day. Ilaria and Roy have been very nice and helped a lot! We're going to decorate the tree today and I'm pretty we're going to have porridge with the competition of finding the almond first.
Also one of our Christmas traditions...

Ilaria: Yes I must say what a nice day we had on the Island with your family! I really liked meeting them all and your grandmother was so sweet! Then when we all went out for dinner was a real treat, the food was good and the conversations nice, I can't wait for tomorrows Christmas feast! Now something from Roy about the hunt...


Roy: the slaughtering of the Bambi did not go as planned... in fact we didn't get anything . we had our chance but amund!!!! missed a deer from about 10 meters away with!!! a shotgun!!! That's a little suspicious if you ask me.... how does that happen?? he had a shot gun!!!! oh well... but the hunt was very fun... i was cold and a little bored for the first 3 hours cause i was laying on the ground in a field waiting for the Bambi to show itself. well in short it never did!

Ilaria: Well although you didn't kill Bambi it sounds fun, and in a way I'm happy, poor Bambi's!
Well anyway here are some photo's from Saturday:



CC with a perspective tree for her room...


cool photo of CC and I:


CC and her Grandma:


Roy, me and CC:


Roy and cc: ahhh how cute!


(from left to right) Astrid (CC's mum), Gro (CC's aunt), Einar (Astrids brother, Married to Gro), Einar (uncle) and Odd Tore (CC's dad):


Stine and Sunny (CC's sisters!): how sweet!



Ilaria:
So far I have had a wonderful time here in Norway, CC's family is very sweet and joy to be with! To my family they send God Jul greetings and love.
I'm looking forward to Christmas and New Years with them all, should be something I shall never forget. At the moment we are cleaning up the house, about to decorate the tree, and then try and find the almond! So I better go, but stay tuned for more on my stay here in Molde...there is a lot to come!
Cheers and God Jul to you all!
Love,
~Ilaria, CC, Roy, Astrid, Odd Tore, Stine, Sunny, Sigve, and Kaizer

P.S. Grandma and Grandpa thank you so much for my Christmas Package, I loved it!
xoxox