Syttende Mai

Monday p.m. 19 May 1986

Dear ones,

Vince went to see about getting the oil changed in the car – we have 5000 miles on it already. It went in to the garage last Tuesday for a new fender and a few other things. They said they would need to have it 3 days. So on Thursday Vince called to see when he could pick it up – of course it wasn’t going to be ready that day and the man wasn’t sure it would be ready on Friday, which meant we wouldn’t get it till tomorrow - Saturday and today have both been holidays so Norwegian stores and businesses are closed again. Vince told him he really needed the car – we had commitments. What he said was, “Jeg trenger bilen!” He was supposed to call back on Friday at 10, to find out if it would be ready that day. Think he had mentally prepared himself that it wouldn’t be ready. So when he called at 10, he was relieved to hear that it would be ready, and we should call at 1 to see what time we could get it. Vince was going to noon seminar at the U. to say goodby to the dentists he’d been working with; so he called a cab. Jene called the body shop (he speaks only Norwegian) to find out what time and he said 2 o’clock. So I went to get the car – I also took a cab.

We were invited out for supper Friday to a ‘cousin’ on Vince’s side. We had met her once before. She had roast lamb – very good. With tossed salad and potato salad. And after awhile we had coffee and cake.

Syttende mai was Saturday. We were invited to Koppang’s for breakfast. We had scrambled eggs and cold salmon, and another plate of cold meats – including dried mutton. They tried to push us out the door by 9 because we had special ‘passes for foreigners’ to be in a special area for watching the children parade before the King. We decided not to take the car down, and then had to wait for a long time for the trikk. So the parade had started, and we had to push thru people 8 deep and then cross in front of the parade to get to were we wanted to be. We watched for a couple hours and still no sign of an end to the paade. We decided to leave – both to beat the crowd and also because Oddvar was expecting us in As. We met him at a wide spot in the road where the train stops, and he took us to nearby farm. We met the farmer, I think he is distantly related to Vince. We chatted briefly, took a few pictures and then went on to As. There we watched a short parade. Malfrid took the kids and went to a coffee party. Oddvar went with us, to see a few more farms, take some pictures, etc. He had made new discoveries on Vince’s great grandmother so had some different farms to show us. Then we went to his place. We were going to have cake and coffee but Oddvar was hungry, so was Vince, so Malfrid made sandwiches, too. We visited till midnight. So guess we had celebrated 17 May!

Sunday we drove down to meet him again and this time went with them down to their summer hytte which is south on the Oslo fjord. They hadn’t been down there yet this spring – it’s been cool and wet. But he wanted to get the ‘cistern’ open so they could be collecting water. It’s a simple cabin – no running water, no electricity. But nice. We watched 3 swans swimming right in front. They had packed food along for middag, pork steaks on the grill. Oddvar’s mom came along, too, and we were invited back to her house for coffee later on. Malfrid’s dad and sisters live not too far so they decided we should stop by there. There we had cake and coffee. Afterwards when we got back in the car Oddvar’s mom said, “I was going to have cake, too”. We did have cake but she also made some scrambled eggs and cold him. We didn’t visit quite as long as the night before, but said our goodbyes. They have really put themselves out for us while we have been here.

Today is Pentecost Monday so Norway is closed. We should have gone to see some thing – the sun was even shining. But we didn’t get in gear. I washed 3 loads of clothes – that took over 3 hours. Some are still on a rack on the balcony, and some are still hanging in the dryer.

Without the car last week, we didn’t do much. Tuesday I laid around with another cold – it started while we were on our trip, probably that ferry ride on the Geiranger. Vince had it Thursday, Friday, Saturday –so it was a bad weekend to have so many invitations. Jene and I went downtown on Wednesday, and Thursday I went to the city library to read bygdeboker for awhile.

10:45 p.m.

Had supper after Vince got back. Watched the news and then a movie. Now we’ve just come back from a walk, and it will be dark in a half hour or so. I’d better write down the itinerary and have this ready to mail tomorrow.

May 22 – Goteburg
May 23 – Copenhagen
May 24 – Copenhagen
May 25 – Arhus
May 26 – Arhus (Vince lectures at Danish Dental School)
May 27 – Hanover
May 28 – Schweinfurt
May 29 – Bavarian Alps – Oberammagau
May 30 – Liechenstein
May 31 – Freiberg
June 1 – Lusembourg
June 2 - Breda
June 3 – Netherlands
June 4 – Canterbury
June 5 – Bradford
June 6 – Edinburg
June 7 – Inverness
June 8 – Carlisle
June 9 – Aberystwyth
June 10 – London
June 11 – London
June 12 – Iowa City – 9 p.m. Leave London 2 p.m. Arr. Chicago – 4 p.m.