Bryllupsfest Part Two

I'll eventually get to the actual Bryllupsfest, I promise.  But it was like a week-long party leading up to the Bryllupsfest, so I need to "blog" about it, too.

Bestemor and Grandpa prepare food while Piper observes.

As reported in Part One,  we spent the first full day with Devon Patrick and Piper with a car trip around town, followed by waffles at Sponhuset on the Trondheim Fjord shore.  That evening we had a simple fish soup for dinner. Tove baked a birthday cake for Devon's birthday (July 3, 2011).  So we enjoyed cake and coffee in the Norwegian fashion. 


Devon's Birthday Cake



We got word on July 3 that Tove's older daughter, Ingvild, her man, Arild and their daughter, Mari, were coming on July 4th.  They had planned on doing work on their house in Eiksund (about 6 hours drive south of Trondheim) during their first few days of vacation, but the poor weather was not cooperating.  So it made sense to come up to Trondheim and stay with us for a few days before the bryllupsfest.

Ingvild, Arild and Mari arrived in time for dinner.  Tove surprised everyone one with a table decorated to honor "4th of July."  It was unexpected but very thoughtful.  I used our wok to "stir fry" chicken and vegetables -- so on July 4, 2011, we celebrated an American holiday in Norway by drinking Danish beer and eating Asian food. 




Breakfast Table




Piper and Patrick are ready!




Bubble Fun




Really Grandpa?  I don't think so!




Tove surprises with July 4 decorations!




Arild loves his daughter Mari and Mari adores her Papa




Arild



Mari, who is not yet 3 years-old, exercises with the Hula-Hoop

Later in the week we visited Tove's 93 year-old mother, Kitty.  Kitty lives in a condo about two miles away.  She is self-sufficient, although Norway's social services provides her with house-cleaning services twice a month, and if she wanted (she doesn't!) they would come every day to help cook the main meal.  After she broke her arm this spring she spent about a month in a rehab/assisted living facility for about a month.  After she was discharged she had daily home-help for about a month to help with putting on her support hose and helping her with personal hygiene.  But since she has recovered she is healthy, alert and active.  She takes the city bus into town a couple of times a week to meet her sister and brother-in-law at the bingo hall.  They play bingo then go out to dinner together.  She impresses me.  She invited us for "coffee". 



Kitty meets Piper -- Love at First Sight








"Coffee" at Kitty's.  Arild, Mari, Ingvild, Kitty, Tove and Piper



What you eat at a Norwegian "Coffee"

 Mid-week, when the weather improved, I took Devon and  Patrick on a walk through the woods near our house.  We left at about 10:30 P.M. and got back about 11:45 P.M.  I think the kids were amazed by the sunlight so late at night:



View from near our home



Trail Sign in the woods.

Devon and Patrick in the woods at about 11PM



This is the walk way I take to go to the store

Devon and Patrick explored Trondheim during the week -- I got them bus passes so that they didn't have to fiddle with exact change.  Tove and I got to watch Piper and with the warmer weather we let her explore in the back yard.



Seconds before placing the rock in her mouth.



Devon had mentioned in a comment on this blog that she would like to go to the swimming lake that Tove and I had visited.  We went one lovely afternoon.

After the lake, I took them to an old tavern from the 18th century for a beer:

It was so nice to spend some time with them.