Update 21 - Ski Flying

Vikersund - Ski Flying

Last weekend we caught a train to Vikersund (well partway there then Jo and Stine picked us up)To pass the time I summoned trainsSome Norwegian countrysideStopping at Drammen along the wayWe met Jo and Stine at a place starting with an 'H' and they drove us half an hour to VikersundThis is the house Stine grew up in. Her Dad built it!The view from the balconyTheir lounge roomWe put on our long johns and headed off to catch a bus to the ski jump (which we could see from the balcony!)We had Norwegian flags and were all ready to cheer for the Norwegian jumpersHere I am practisingStine and I walked to the river while Dan and Jo bought chocolate suppliesThen we got on a bus that took us to the jump...which was only 5 mins awayAnd here it is!Tasty eh?The record jump is on that sign, 219m.We somehow found Stine's parents in the crowdThere were 30,000 people there apparently!I think this was one of the test runsCan you even spot the jumper?You can certainly spot us :)After a little while they raised the starting point even higherThe view back towards Vikersund. Later on we were drinking in that big tent.Nice hat...very NorwegianWe tried some german sausagesI think they were german?My sausage looks very...er...phallic!More jumping..er...flying!Nice landing!There was a break during the jumping and little ants came out to tidy up the lines in the snow.The Norwegian jumper, Jacobsen (pronounced Yacobsen) was the winnerThe crowd went wildAfter much cheering...and a fireworks display...we wandered off trying to get home.Strangely enough an empty taxi came out of nowhere and we were able to get it home!!Where we ate lots of homemade soupMmmmmmWe ate soup, drank Akvavit (Scandinavian spirit) and sang along with the familyHovard showed us a Norwegian party trick (so that's why they like beards?)After much soup we tried a Norwegian dish that was local to the area made from flatbread and you pour fat over itIt was actually really delicious!But then again, we will eat anything won't we?Oh so full!After much toasting to 'Jacobsen' and a fair amount of singing, Stine's mum orderd a taxi bus for us to go back to the ski jump inHere's the busAnd here we all are heading back to the jump at about 10.30pmWe had thought that these were individual tentsBut it was actually one big tent...with lots of drunk Norwegians inside!This beer is brewed in Drammen...Aass!More beard related party tricksIt was such a fun night with Stine's familyThey kept us amused for hourswith 'peek-a-boo'We met many strangersWith all sorts of strange hatsHere's a couple of friendly people we met outside the toiletsThe next morning we woke to a bright, sunny, extremely hungover dayStine's parents cooked up a big egg and bacon breakfast...which Dan felt too sick to eat. But I enjoyed it!Stine's Dad put gravel on the icey road before we went for a walk.Slippery!We took our sore heads out for a nice cold walk in the afternoon sunThe girls!AwwThat was a nice walk trying not to slip over...now who wants to get some food?Mmm, burgers! This was a great way to end the weekend. The best weekend we've had all winter!

Fair dinkum snow!

We weren't sure if there would be snow for Bruce's visit next week. But yesterday it snowed as we walked to the shops.It snowed as we left the shopsAnd it snowed into the night. Today we awoke to this!It snowed most of the morning and this afternoon we decided to make our first snowman of the season.The snow was dry and fluffy (not good for sticking together into balls) but we tried anyway.With much stacking and patting we managed to create this guy! Dan added hair plugs.Ta Da!Chillin with the snowguyWatch out Dan! There's a snowman behind you!A lot of people had their sleds out for the first time this seasonCan you just make out the snowman? I wonder if he will still be there tomorrow (our last snowman survived a day...damn kids!)