25 JulyOslo to Lillehammer to Ringebu( Tovestugu- The Cabin)

(we're back with updates)
The Road trip begins as we head North with Geiranger Fiords in our sights. This is the way to see the Norway beyond Oslo. The plan this evening is to stay at the Family cabin at Ringebu, an hour north of Lillehammer. On the way we traveled through Lillehammer which was the venue of the 1994 Winter Olympics, visited the Olympic facilities and of course for some memorable Buzz moments. He hasn’t spoken to us since we made him go over the Ski Jump. Unfortunately Buzz because of his makeup has always been of few words. We have put it down to his plastic brain. The scenery is magnificent. The cabin at Ringebu is in ski country, rustic and really charming. Chris’ family rents it off a neighbour where they have a special arrangement that they maintain and add value to the property in exchange for rent. This has suited them well for the last 5 years, but now with their changed circumstances they are giving the cabin up and Matthias their neighbour is now going to sell it. It has no running water, hence no shower or proper toilet but it has an indoor composting toilet. The nearby camping ground provides any showering facilities. It has 2 bedrooms, kitchen, living space with fire and heaters and its interior is absolutely gorgeous as the photos show. It is very warm and cozy to cater for the winter season. The views are great. We are as comfortable as three bed bugs. Had a lovely home cooked meal of spag bol, before snuggling in our bunks. Off to Guirenger tomorrow.

24 July Oslo

Getting used to the extra long days as when it is light your body stays awake. All of us decided to delay the road trip another day and had a relax. We will be heading off to the cabin at Lillehamer tomorrow. This has been a venue of the Winter Olympics in 94. Norway is known for its Viking Heritage and what better than visit a museum, which has, excavated Viking Ships. In this case they had been used as burial ships with all their possessions and supplies for the thereafter. It was quite a find. They found 3 bodies 1 man and 2 women so after inspecting them they reburied them. That turned out to be a great tragedy as they were exhumed in 2007 and it was discovered that water had got in and pretty much destroyed 2 of them.
The other museum was the Fram Museum, which documents the travels of Roald Amundsen in his travels on the ship the Fram as it explores both the Arctic and Antarctic. The ship is now enclosed in a building literally, so you can be totally immersed in the ship and exploits.
Off to Lillehamer tomorrow so purchased supplies for 5 days to check out the Wild West of Norway. We may not have Internet access so signing off for a few days. Catch up soon..

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

22 July Paris

Another big day as we want to see everything. No sleeping in as we are have to meet a bus to go to Versailles. This is about 13 miles out of Paris. It took about 40 minutes to get out there, as we were part of Paris’ Rush hour. Some roads and roundabouts have no lanes and when 4 rows of traffic converge into a teeny space it is very scary to watch with lots of horns tooting and hand gestures. Surprised we didn’t see any accidents though heard lots of sirens so I guess accidents were happening with amazing rapidity, we were not there to see it. A panel beater would make a fortune here. The city of Versailles was built around the Palace. It was all about incredible extravagance. 36,000 workmen built the Palace and the surrounds. The gardens are massive. Louis 14th lived till he was 77 and out lived his sons, grandsons and great grandsons. Many died of particularly nasty diseases, which I will not describe but you can guess. I can now understand why the French revolution came into being as the royal family just robbed the economy of everything it had and were totally absorbed in their own selves. I guess we would not have the incredible buildings we are seeing today if it wasn’t for them. That is history for you. They made their furniture from solid gold rather than have money in the bank (not that there were banks back then) when times were tough, you took a dining room chair to be minted into coins and you were able to remain in the style you were accustomed to for a wee while longer. There are over 1000 rooms in the Palace. We viewed a few. The photos speak for themselves.
4 hours later we had real Italian Pizza then went to the Louvre and saw what we wanted to see. My art history studies came to life with recognition of many paintings I had studied. A great experience none the less. Can tick this one off the to do list.
The evening was spent with a package deal of a dinner cruise of the Seine, a great time had. Buzz posed with the Captain and the chef of course. At this stage the skies opened and it poured. We had left the umbrella and parka at the hotel so had to brave the elements in our finery with the Eiffel tower being our next visit. Fortunately the rain eased and we were transported by lift to the second level, then discovered for another 5 euros each we could catch a lift to the top. Wow, what a view as the photos prove plus a once in a life time experience. Never thought we could go to the top. The last part of our trip was called Illuminations, which is a bus tour of the lights of Paris. Thought a bit disappointing as we had a slack commentary and the heavens decided to reopen which didn’t help. Another late night. Have to repack for Norway tomorrow.

21 July Paris

What a gorgeous hotel we are staying in. Morwenna, you have to recommend Golden Tulip Opera Noailles to anybody who wants to stay in Paris. The last time we experienced personal service like this was our 25th anniversary celebration at the Hotel Du Vin. They just seem to go the extra mile while making us so welcome. The Continental breakfast is yummy. Christophe and Alix set us right with excursions and tips. We discovered a light was not going and the maintenance man had it fixed in 10 minutes. Our beds were so comfortable we slept in, a bit rough, as Bill wants to see everything in 2 full days, which suits me as well. Again we did the Paris On Off tours which take you around all the attractions. The ticket lasts for 1 or 2 days dependent on how much time you have. Wow, We loved the UK, but Faye and Anne, you are so right, we love Paris. Both Bill and I were like kids in a candy store. Everything is so much larger than life and seeing things in the flesh brought it alive for us. One thing I now regret is not taking my French Studies more seriously back in High School. Poor Mr. Herbert back then. .I had Anne’s French phrase book to refer to but there is definite room for improvement. It is amazing how fast the learnt language does come back. The French to my surprise are very accommodating as I did try. Bill is a quick learner as he remembers everything I tell him. The photos speak for themselves. What an awesome day. Stocked up on my French Parfum so should keep me going for a wee while. Visited an Art Gallery with the largest private collection of Marc Chagalls in the world. I was very moved, as he is one of my favourite artists. I am sure Paris is the most expensive city on earth. A Coke in a place we had lunch was 6 Euros or $12. Yikes! In the evening we went to the Lido Theatre on the Champs Elysees for Dinner, music and a show. You have to dress up for the event, a few photos to whet the appetite but no photos I am afraid of the show because of copyright laws. The Show or revue is called Bonheur. It is about a woman’s quest for happiness, in the guise of fantasy and discovery. Four Tableaux each with 5-6 scenes with amazing acts separating them makes it a cross between Cirque du Soliel, Las Vegas and Burlesque. They had an amazing stage, which could be made into a real fountain, an Egyptian Pyramid, and what ever takes their fancy. It was an unforgettable experience, not cheap, but hey you are only in Paris once. Not allowed to sleep in tomorrow. We are off to the Palace at Versailles.