Ola and the King of Norway

So what do Ola and King Harald of Norway have in common?  They both had to dress up for Norway's Constitution Day, May 17.  This holiday is as significant as July 4.  There are parades and people dress up in bunads or suits and dresses.  We went to Oslo to visit Unn, Ole Morten and their newborn son, Ola.

Ole Morten and son Ola.

Notice the flags on TV?

I'm pointing to the Royal Family, King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Håkon, and Princess Mette Marit

See?  The King had to dress up, too.

The weather turned out very nice for 17.mai.

Ola took a well-deserved nap. 

Ingvild, Arild and Mari came to visit the next day.

This at the Train Station.  Mari has a tiger by the tail.

A BIG tiger.  

We took a nice walk through a creekside park near Unn and Ole Morten's home.  And we visited the University Residence Hall where I spent part of the summer of 1973.

Tove had baby stroller duty.

Nice evening.

Studentbyen på Sogn

And now..... to celebrate Ola and the King, we bring you "Kanskje Kommer Kongen" with translation below.


Perhaps the king is coming to dinner today.
We've set the station platform dinner table with all kinds of good food.
Mayonnaise and foie gras with beets and onions.
We must serve our best food for the King's visit.

Perhaps the king will come
Perhaps arriving on horseback.
The horse will get the smellbonbon (this is a "party popper" but more like British "Christmas Crackers" because they have a chintzy little prize inside, like a paper hat or crown),
because the hat will fit him best.

Turkey coated with lobster, small jars of artichokes.
Knutsen can serve and Ludvigsen will cook.
When we get to dessert, we will get caramel candy drops.
It is not good for your teeth, so we'd better eat them ourselves.

Perhaps the king will come in a car,
driven by a tight chaffeur
He can blow up the balloon
like drivers often do.

But perhaps the king is not coming
all our preparations notwithstanding.
It does not matter much
because then there will be more for us.