The most important word I learned in Norwegian during Christmas 2014 was koselig. It means cozy. You can be cozy, have a cozy house, or have a cozy time. And when the temperature is -2 degrees Fahrenheit, it's very important that you have all the koselig things you can possibly layer on your body.
I began my adventure in the Article Circle in the little town of Tromsø (pronounced Troomsa). I stayed with a family through airbnb and really lucked out. Katrine went above and beyond as a hostess (I wrote her an excellent review) by offering me a pair of gloves when I realized I had forgotten mine, suggesting restaurants and cafes, making breakfast, and letting me try each Christmas cookie she baked! Also, her house is very koselig!
The first place I ate was at Dragøy, a fish market in the shopping center close to where Katrine lives.
There are very few hours of "daylight" during the winter in Tromsø. Between 11 and 3 the sky becomes dark blue, like just after sunset. And then it's just dark.
In the center of the city, there were heart shaped Christmas lights.
There were also a lot of trolls in the shop windows, which I later found out was nissen, aka Santa Claus.
On December 22nd, I met with a tour group to chase the Northern Lights. This time last year, I decided it was a the top of my list of things I wanted to do in 2014, followed by sailing in the Adriatic Sea. I had been looking forward to this trip for a while and as fate would have it, I chose one of the best evenings to spot the Aurora Borealis. The sun was particularly angry that day, giving off a large solar flare, and we had clear skies! First we stopped on the side of the road to gear up which included snow boots, tripods for cameras, head lamps, and a snowsuit. We continued driving for another hour out into the wilderness. When we stopped, we set up camp on a snowy beach. It was lovely with the sound of the waves washing onto the shore as we watched the glow of the Northern Lights dance in the sky. Everything I can write about the experience just seems silly. I don't have the vocabulary to describe its beauty. All I know is I've never seen anything like it.
I met a girl named Lonneke from Holland. She was really nice and let me take some pictures with her camera. She also took some pictures of me. I only fell once beacuase I couldn't feel my toes anymore.
We ate soup, grilled cheese sandwiches and drank hot chocolate before moving on to another location. Next we were out in the middle of nowhere with mountains all around us. I was so cold our tour guide suggested I run up the hill and back. And then she gave me a shot of whiskey. Both were helpful. I also saw three shooting stars.
All the houses had these stars lit up in their windows for Christmas.
This is the view from Katrine's house where I stayed.
This is the most amount of daylight I saw while in Tromsø.
Lastly, I went to the local brewery called Mack. The beer is pretty good, but so expensive! The polar bear isn't too bad either.
Next, I flew down to Oslo where I celebrated Christmas. To understand who I stayed with, I have to back up to the end of September 2014 when I was in New York. I had just bought my plane ticket to Tromsø and knew I'd be meeting friends in Berlin a few days after Christmas. The next day I happened to met a couple from Oslo at a little cafe called Kitchenette. Jorunn told me she is an elementary teacher as well and Øyvind said I would have to go cross country skiing with them if I was in Oslo. I got Jorunn's email address and I said I would contact them if I ended up staying in Oslo, and that I would be alone on Christmas, so the company would be nice. My friends told me I was crazy. And I hardly recognized myself, essentially inviting myself to visit strangers during the holidays! But as I kept in touch with Jorunn and Øyvind, they made it clear they would be happy to host me as well as their three kids Olaf, Ana, and Jenny. From the moment Jorunn picked me up from the airport I felt comfortable, welcomed, and special that I got the opportunity to share the holiday with this lovely family. Jorunn shared her joyful and heartbreaking experiences in life. It was a pleasure to meet such generous and genuine people. Jorunn told me that her youngest daughter, Senne, passed away a year and a half ago. And that Christmas was her favorite holiday, making it bittersweet this year to celebrate without her. I heard so many stories about Senne and saw how loved she is by her family. I heard about her funeral and visited her grave. In some way, it felt like we needed each other, the way good friends do. Here are a few pictures of their lovely house.
Before church on Christmas Eve, Jorunn and I went for a walk. They live in Brandbu, a small town an hour outside of Oslo.
From left to right, Jorunn, Øyvind, Olaf, Jenny, Olaf, and Ana at Christmas Eve dinner.
Øyvind spent the day preparing the meal. It was absolutely delicious! We enjoyed lamb, sausage, sauerkraut, ribs, mashed rutabaga, and potatoes. We drank hot toddies, beer, wine, and akvavit which is a traditional Norwegian liquor.
I was also pleasantly surprised when they gave me Christmas gifts! I must say my favorite was the Norwegian cheese! It's unlike any cheese I've ever had before. It's brown goat cheese and tastes very sweet! Luckily I made it back to Spain with it in my carry on!
In Oslo I finally got a little glimpse of the sun.
Jorunn and Øyvind took me cross country skiing as promised. I only lasted an hour or so because it was unbelievably cold!
They let me borrow all the appropriate clothes and gear I needed. I actually got quite warm after skiing a bit uphill!
I spent four days in Oslo and when I said goodbye they told me they were sure we would meet again. Ana said I'd have to come visit her where she lives further south of Oslo in the summer and that we can go sailing. Jenny said I'd have to come back to visit the city of Oslo. Jorunn and Øyvind said I'm welcome back anytime. And of course I told them all to come visit me in Madrid or New York! It's safe to say, I had a very koselig time in Brandbu. Tusen takk!
