23 July Paris - Oslo

We farewell Paris.
After being dropped off at a reasonable and decent hour at departures at Charles De Gaulle airport, we discovered that only two people were checking in SAS(Scandinavian) airlines and they were checking in a number of planes. We were in the queue for an hour and a half before we were processed and that’s not including the miles of poor people behind us. We considered ourselves pretty fortunate. The metal detectors were very sensitive and my earrings set off alarms so was frisked. The lady behind me set off the alarm as well with her belly button ring. At least I was not the only one picked on that day. Bill sailed through even with his large brass belt buckle. We had great seats. The first 3 rows on the plane were business class size with lots of legroom. The first row labeled Business class got a basic economy lunch and got to use the front toilet. Second row was premium economy, got a filled roll and a drink and the rest was economy. We had to pay for anything extra and had to use the rear toilet along with everybody else. Ryan Air in the UK charges 1 pound per deposit for their toilet so at least that didn’t happen. (I kid you not!) Didn’t worry us at all as we were grateful for the extra legroom and it was only a two-hour flight. The queue delays held our flight up to Oslo by 40 minutes. On a more serious note Bill’s sister Chris was our main reason for our trip to Europe. Chris ’husband Frank lost his battle with cancer before Christmas hence the reason for us spending quality time with her for the next couple of weeks. I know she has been looking forward to our visit. Chris lives in a quiet suburb 25km out of Oslo called Hoybratenvn. I was surprised that all the homes are weatherboard considering the extreme winter conditions they must face. The homes are quite lovely with clapboard fences, are a cross between Swiss chalet/Georgian style and all have lovely treed gardens. They all have underground basements. Double glazing of course and heating to deal to –31 degrees and deep snow in winter.
It was quite an evening with a Welcome to Norway party with family and close friends. Frank’s Mum who is 87, does not speak a word of English, is a very special lady who we immediately had a connection with. Frank’s two brothers, and Nina and Michael our niece and nephew. They have both left home. Nina is a fashion designer, and making quite a name for herself with a brand called Bik Bok. She has just bought and settled an inner city apartment. Michael is an electrician and will be buying his first home soon. Last night we discovered he was in Kuala Lumpur on the 5th July and neither of us knew it. Chris’ other close friends came to meet us as well. It was like one big family reunion. The body clocks are getting another jolt as in summer it is light here till 11 PM. We are literally at the top of the world. It is “dark” for only a couple of hours so we want to stay up all the time. It is the opposite in winter. Talk about contrast