Another Week, Another Home.

It’s hard to believe that we have only been in Norway for nearly two months! It feels a lot longer with everything that we have managed to fit in so far. This has included lots of new things, like taking a boat to dinner. No, we didn’t take a boat for actual diner but we had to get one to travel to the restaurant. I did think this would be really lovely and it was certainly interesting. The boat looked like a big waiting room and, although not the prettiest thing to look at, I thought that it would be a fun way to travel to dinner.

What I hadn’t considered was the possibility of the boat journey being what can only be described as ‘rough’. By the time we got to the restaurant I wasn’t as hungry as when we set off, funnily enough. Then, on our way home, I was regretting eating at all as the boat precariously tipped from one side to the other. Must remember to choose my food more wisely next time!

Luckily, a few days later we moved back to ‘the big city’ so we can now just walk to a bar or restaurant and not risk the choppy waters again. Our new flat is lovely with gorgeous views. It also has a wide range of modern items, some I have no idea how they work. We even have our own candle window boxes!

I am also very pleased to have a great kitchen again. Although, as you can see, I haven’t quite tested my culinary skills beyond the world’s most expensive Indian take away and Fish Finger sandwiches…

I think I will have to don my apron soon though as I have made a horrific discovery! It has really upset me…there is no Gingerbread Men, Gingerbread Women or Gingerbread Houses anywhere!! Unless they are hiding. I will now make it my mission to introduce them to Norway. Starting with Luke’s team first. Not so sure if that will improve or worsen things for him but worth a try!

Another surprise was that it has one very cool hoover. Yes, I am well aware that this sounds a bit sad! I promise that this is not the only reason I like the flat and wasn’t the only thing I was impressed with. I was also very impressed when Luke actually used it, to hoover, and not just hang his coat on. The fact that Luke has used it is a sign of just how cool this hoover is! There has just been one mishap the flat so far, involving the shower door, in that it fell off. Whoops.

I had a few days to settle in and enjoy the view of the quirky multicoloured buildings and the water before it was time to venture to another spouse’s meeting.

It was lovely to meet some new faces and there was lots of cake with coffee. I got to try Lefse which is a Norwegian speciality – It was lovely! However, I think I may have lost a few brownie points with some of the other ‘spouses’ though as I think I have, inadvertently, caused the organiser to sign us all up for a ‘team spouses club’ entry for a half marathon – Whoops!! that earnt me one or two evils. I just sat there quietly trying to unsuccessfully hide behind my coffee. Where’s a coffee shop bucket-like mug when you need one!

Luke and I also got to go to a house party and meet lots of people from all over the world. I had worried about what to wear and Luke was no help. We then found out, just as we had left our flat, it was ‘Bow Tie  themed’ . That set of alarm bells! I couldn’t have been more uncomfortable when we entered the flat and it was full of men wearing bow ties ( as well as suits, don’t worry, it wasn’t that kind of party!) and some fairly dressed up girls. You know the feeling you get when you walk into a party and either you’re the odd one out in fancy dress, or the muppet who forgot to wear fancy dress? Well, that was how I felt. However, everyone was really friendly and I soon relaxed, which possibly may have been helped by the wine! Towards the end of the evening I did wonder if some people were being rude as they retrieved any left over alcohol they had brought and squirreled them away. However, I found out that this was customary in Norway and everyone does this due to alcohol being so expensive. I don’t think this would go don to well at a party in the UK! I suppose it is because it is so expensive here and as one person put it “If I buy a bottle of whiskey in Norway and take it to a party, there is no way I am leaving it at the party”.

I then found out that my hopes of the spouse club organiser maybe forgetting the run were dashed as a follow-up email arrived a few days later, it appeared that my hopes had been wishful thinking. With that, I decided to go for a run. I did wonder why I was finding it difficult at first and it was only when I ran past a building displaying the time and temperature that I realised why. Not only was it ridiculously early, it was also minus 6! I suppose I will just have to get used to this whilst running in Norway – or just start running in a duvet. Although, the locals may think it is strange to just see a duvet, with a pair of trainers sticking out of the bottom, running around Aalesund early in the morning. It may have been freezing but at least the views were worth it!

I got the day to myself to get warm again as Luke ventured into new territory: Alpine Skiing. I have spent a week doing this type of skiing however, as I never managed to master the whole process of being able to stop, I decided to say in the safety of the flat. It appears I made the right decision as Luke arrived home with a bruised face and chin. He explained that he decided to go for the easy slope after getting confident on the baby one . This was, as it turned out, perhaps a bit too soon and a bit too over-confident of Luke.

It resulted in him getting misdirected onto a bit of a medium slope first, which turned out to be far too steep. Therefore, he did what was inevitable and he fell. At first I was caring until I found out that he had only stayed on the baby slope for about thirty minutes. My sympathy quickly evaporated. Honestly!

And if that wasn’t bad enough he informed me a man, who we had met at a party a few days before, was now in hospital. It got worse. He had been skiing behind Luke on the ‘steep slope’ when Luke heard a bang, turned to see him lying in the snow and this had what caused Luke to fall over. By the time he reached his friend the red cross were whisking him away. Luckily it was just a sore leg but this put Luke straight into my bad books, or the books I reserved for muppets, I haven’t quite decided. What I have decided is that I will be concentrating on cross-country skiing for now where it is usually nice and flat!

 

Learning the lingo and dangerous activities

Well, what a week settling in. I have to say I never want to live in a hotel again and have a few more weeks to go but things could be a lot worse! However, after walking Luke to the boat, to make sure he gets on it to go to work,

at least I get to come back to a ‘lovely’ breakfast. Even if I am there , on my own, with a very strange concoction of food to ensure I try all the local combinations.

The other diners must thing I am slightly odd. Especially when I get out my kids textbook

multicoloured flashcards and start muttering to myself!! In addition to perking up every time I hear anyone speak english. I think I may have to keep an eye on myself before I start following english speakers around the hotel!

Yet when I do venture out of the hotel I have been able to explore the local areas and it is beautiful. I have even discovered my new favourite restaurant called Lyst .

The food is delicious, the interior is all wooden, colourful and modern, it is always busy and I love the candles they put outside to welcome people in. Maybe it could be a new trend for Bollington? Although I am not sure if my street would go for that. It could be a bit obvious to any potential burglars if no one is in when the candles are not lit!

We have also ventured to the cinema. It was quite easy as it was  only with Norwegian subtitles (it was a bit like a more interesting version of my Norwegian ‘teach yourself’ lessons). However, the whole experience was a little bit odd. Think of a leisure centre that has been split into different small compartments and has had a massive tv put on the walls, which is then surrounded by squeaking curtains. Add about forty seats, if you are feeling generous, and that is pretty much the cinema. It was a little bit strange especially at one point. It was a really serious, dark, emotional part in our movie and suddenly there was a loud shout of ’Yippie ka-ay Mother …’. Apparently, next door were watching Bruce Willis. It didn’t quite go with our film, although it did put a rather alternative slant on the scene we were watching.

The rest of the time I have been looking for a job and realising not knowing Norwegian may be more of a problem than I was told but I am learning. Slowly. All the Norwegian people are being very nice to me and really giving me time to pluck up the courage to speak to them in Norwegian, only to answer me in English. I think may have to work on my accent! I also have to work on a slight addiction I seem to have developed after a colleague suggested I try them. The item in question – Bamsemums.

Yes, they may well look cute but they should come with a warning!

They are a gorgeously gooey marshmallow bears covered in crispy chocolate.

It got a little bit ridiculous as I worked my way through a family sized bag so, for the sake of not having to buy new clothes, I asked Luke to help wean me off them by hiding the rest of the bag. So what does Luke do to try to hide them? he sneaks around the room in a not-so-subtly way and then, when he thought he had found the perfect place, he hid them. The only problem with this is that I was still in the room, but with my eyes closed, and instead of moving stealthy I could tell where he was going and to top it all off? he really rustled the bag into the hiding place. It was a little bit of a giveaway! So alas, that particular bag of bears did not make it to the end of the week.

Luckily, we went for a death-defying walk, with one of Luke’s colleagues, in the ice up to Aksla the next day so I think I wont need new clothes just yet. It was a great walk except for the bits were there was a sheet of ice with a fairly large drop on the other side. However, we made it without slipping and got to enjoy the amazing view and have a peek in the sentry post/ pill boxes from WWII.

It was then time to hug the railings on the way down as we passed a sign saying ‘slippery stairs’ and it wasn’t lying!

I still am amazed none of us fell over on the way down! I just kept hugging the railings.

We survived and were able to go for a huge cross-country ski on Sunday. Well, short by Norwegian standard but huge by ours. Especially as we ae stupidly cross-country(ing) in alpine ski wear so it is like being in a sauna as soon as you clamber up your first hill. Still, it was really enjoyable. I had thought I was getting better untill I went down a particularly steep hill and fell over for my first time. Luckily, Luke was there to console me. He did this by swerving to avoid me and ending up flat on his back with the skis in the air. There is nothing like a bit of solidarity between couples! However, this act of unintentional kindness was wiped out when Luke stopped too quickly later on causing me to ski straight into the back of him, and flat on my face. I supposed I deserved that though for being secretly glad he had fallen over at the same time as me earlier on. Well, I didn’t want to be the odd one out!

There was a few more scary bits this time as we were skiing around the a lake. Well , I thought we were skiing around it and Luke and I spent a lot of time discussing whether we were skiing around the lake or on it. It wasn’t untill we passed lots of boat houses quite far away from us, and with their entrances pointing towards us, that it became crystal clear we were actually skiing on the lake. This did wonders for our skiing time as we quickly tried to get off the lake. Another near death situation, well not really near death but a small chance it could have been, was when Luke’s love of skiing down very steep hills saw him snow plough his way down one and then came the moment of realisation that the hill was cut in half by a road. This became apparent as Luke sped towards it, just as a car came driving along it. Meanwhile, I was walking sideways down the hill as I still valued my life. Luckily, the car was faster than Luke and he glided, as gracefully as one can in a snow plough, to a halt. I guess he is fearless for going down the hills, but we will try to check if there are any roads first next time.

Related articles

• Skis, Snow Boots and Snow (lhgardener1988.wordpress.com)
• The Norge adventure continues! (lhgardener1988.wordpress.com)
• Crazy Norwegians! (mariarygge.wordpress.com)
• Top 10 – Unusual Places To Ski (essentialtravel.co.uk)

 

The Norge adventure continues!

As the adventure continues we haven’t got in to too much mishap so far. Well, when i say too much I mean that we have definitely not wrongly boarded a boat to be swiftly directed off it (in our defence we just followed some other people onto it). Nor have we ordered a diet coke almost the size of a child and been laughed at by the whole restaurant (I mean the whole restaurant, especially when the glass needed two hands just to pick it up!).

In addition, Luke has certainly not fallen over more times than I care to remember , or remember how often I have not looked for him just to see a pair of bright yellow legs sticking up from a mound of snow. Nor had Luke made one child giggle and the other fall over at the sight of his yellow trousers. Nor did he keep wanting to go down lots of steep hills, despite us participating in cross-country skiing! This also did not result in me waiting at the bottom for so long I wondered what had happened to Luke only to find the answer reveal itself to me as just one of Luke’s ski arrived at the bottom of the hill, without Luke.

However, what we have done is eaten Norwegian ‘delicacies’ in the form of Japp, Boller and Gjende. I have also definately had a mixed Norwegian/ English conversation with a lovely lady we met Cross Country skiing. I don’t think I said anything to offend her…..

\

Not much more I can add really apart from that I am still gobsmacked this is my new home and we have only been here four days!

Related articles

• Reise til Norge (lhgardener1988.wordpress.com)
• Skis, Snow Boots and Snow (lhgardener1988.wordpress.com)

 

Skis, Snow Boots and Snow

So, day two and we certainly kept busy. I managed to drag Luke to the gym before breakfast and that went well, untill the lights went off and we couldn’t find the switches. We got a few funny looks from other people who entered the gym later and found us, working out on the cross-trainers, in total darkness. Oh well, we can just tell them it is a new English craze! We then went to breakfast and I decided to have a mixture of all of the items that would make up a typical norwegian breakfast, big mistake! I swiftly retreated to my bread and peanut butter after I rapidly discovered that gherkins, ham, sardines in tomato sauce and Brunost did not make a great mixture early in the morning, if indeed at any time! I think I shall give myself, and what is left of my confused taste buds, more time to settle in before I carry out another tasting onslaught like that again! Then, with the taste of sardines still lingering, we met up with one of our ‘guides’ who, whilst driving on roads that would have seen the whole of the UK shut down with warnings of not driving unless it was absolutely necessary, took us to the police station and tax office.

Both places were different to their UK counterparts as they were very efficient and punctual. Dead on nine am and the police office rolled up its shutters and we were able to gain Norwegian residency. Not only was this different but the gentleman at the tax office was very friendly! it was a bit of a shock! It was then time for me to have another different experience as I attended the spouse club for expats. Never mind the small fact of not being a spouse yet, or having any children to bring to the meeting, but I really enjoyed it. Everyone was lovely and their was lots of useful information ( which bread to buy, where to shop, what to do etc), cake and of coffee (which they do remarkably well over here, so well in fact that by the time I got to the spouse’s club I had already had about four cups of strong coffee I don’t think I will be able to sleep ever again!).

It was then time to do a quick room swap in the hotel. Don’t worry, we had asked first and we were both moving rooms together! all we had to do was scuttle across to the older building and take all of our belongings with us. It was a bit like a scene out of a fast forwarded old movie with different characters chasing each other around a building. Luke took the suitcases and I followed him behind with items he had dropped or left. I think the hotel staff were wondering who they had let themselves in for! It was then time for lunch and we went to an amazing cafe, which appears to have a strong love of Tzatsiki, and indulged in a massive lunch.

We then felt that we needed to do something sporty after such a big lunch so, we went shopping.

Well, it is almost a sport and it was shopping in a sports shop so it does count, kind of. We were able to track down winter boots

spikes for my running

and then moved on to the cross-country skis. This proved a little bit more difficult as the assistant asked for  our heights. He looked at me and almost visibly winced whilst trying not to laugh. It then took him a while to work out which length skis I should have, before declaring they didn’t have any short enough and I would just have to settle for the size up. I know the shop is called XXL

but honestly! I didn’t expect them to only cater for giants and Nordic gods. Well, ok then, just non vertically challenged people. He did assure me that the couple of centimetres wouldn’t make a difference but if I end up falling over lots, or Luke is better at cross country skiing than me, then those additional centimetres will almost certainly be at fault. Although, they did seem fine as we did a bit of indoor skiing. I promise this is not a code for anything, Luke did actually mean he wanted to test out his skis in our hotel room. I couldn’t let him gain an advantage over me so as the saying goes, if you can’t beat them then join them! It could be a new sporting event? Eddy the eagle move over- here come the LuLu’s live from the Quality Hotel!

It was then off to swap our car. We had previously got stuck on a hill, skidded, made it to the top and then became stuck behind an OAP vehicle (yes, they have them here too).

Therefore, we decided to get another car. I stayed in our previous car whilst Luke went to choose.

I was kept amused by watching people dig their way into their cars after disembarking from their flights but I wasn’t amused for long as Luke came back with the new car. Which one does Luke choose? Which one did he think would be best for tackling San Franscio style hills made of pure slippery ice? Why, a Beetle of course!

Yes, it is cute, but it hardly screams ‘Look at me, I can take on any amount of ice or snow you can throw at me’. I don’t think I shall be driving it yet (and yes mum, I know to drive on the other side of the road!) We carried on our debate about the merits of the car over a quick dinner in a local inn.

I began to wonder why my mouth was on fire when I learnt that Norwegian have chilli sauce in the english version of tomato ketchup bottles!!! I almost had to go outside and get some snow for my tongue but I chose to have a drink instead. We then decided the Beetle would stay as it had seat warmers (heaven) and Luke is convinced that, with winter tires and his excellent driving (HAHAHA), that the car will be fine. We shall see.

However, it did do well as we went flat searching this morning. I have to admit I was intrigued by the flats but I am not sure if they were right. One was huge with enough beds and sofas to rival DFS and the other was quite a bit smaller but with a stunning view. We have decided to continue the search and, who knows, maybe I will end up getting Luke to build a longship instead! In the meantime we will enjoy having lovely waiters, and a restaurant to ourselves, followed by a lovely walk around the town before heading back to the hotel.

This whole relocation is not so bad really…

Related articles

• Reise til Norge (lhgardener1988.wordpress.com)
• Burning Cheese Closes Norwegian Road For Days (wnyc.org)
• Perils Of Packing (lhgardener1988.wordpress.com)
• Truckload of Flaming Goat Cheese Closes Tunnel In The Most Delicious Disaster Possible (jalopnik.com)
• Cheese Closes Norwegian Tunnel (lezgetreal.com)
• Norwegian Road Tunnel Closed By 27 Tons Of Flaming Goat Cheese (geekosystem.com)
• Burning Cheese Closes Norwegian Road For Days (npr.org)

 

Reise til Norge

So, the day had finally come to leave the UK and begin our journey to Norway. I can’t say it went as smoothly as we hoped. I realised this as, after I had half fell out of bed, I caught a glimpse out of the window to see a blanket of snow. This was followed by a steady stream of prawn-craker esque snow that continued to fall. Add this to the anticipated arrival of the fixer-of-boilers, as well as the pressing need to finish packing for Norway, and I may have been a teensy bit stressed. Especially as Luke was still packing half an hour before we had to leave the house (told you!). However, the Murray Parents saved the day as they were kind enough to stay in our slightly chilly house to await the fixer-of-boilers . We were then able to leave our lovely house to begin our journey to the airport. This involved a quick stop for a hug with the grandparents, and covertly check they had their fire on and didn’t need milk, because if you ask them if they need anything they say no and then you find out later they have made an Artic-like expedition to the shops!It was then time to be driven to the airport with all of our bags. In total we had two rucksacks, two carry on bags, three suitcases and two lap top cases. It was ridiculous! but, as Luke was laughing at me, I pointed out the merits of my packing and how, as we were moving for two years, it could have been a lot worse. I don’t think he appreciated my analysis as he had difficulties trying to wedge the items into his boot earlier. Luckily he was able to fit all the cases in otherwise it would have been a long walk for me to get to the airport in time!

Once we had said all our goodbyes it was time to say goodbye to our luggage which, thankfully, was not overweight. Then we braced ourselves for security and began our descent further into the airport. I hate this part of travelling and this hatred always appears justified. Not only was I held up in the queue, due to the man in front not being allowed to take his duty-free items with him, but Luke overtook me! Even worse? both him, and the security guard dealing with him, were laughing at me as he sailed through security whilst I was still waiting to place my items in the boxes. The guard even joked with Luke and directed a “nice one Luke ” to him as he skipped ahead of my queue informing me that “Luke had made a wise move Lucy”. Well yes Mr Security Guard he may have made a good move getting ahead of me but he would still have to face me on the other side! so maybe not the wisest move Luke had ever made! However, this sentiment floundered as I was finally accepted through to the next round of security only to set of the  first alarms. Consequently, I then had to go through another detector; then I had to remove my shoes; and then I had to have body search. Meanwhile, back in the land of the other ‘Lu’, Luke had sailed through and was waiting for me at the other side. This incident did nothing to improve my experiences with going through security at Manchester Airport! Then the ultimate gooey icing on this particular cake was when I was informed that I was not allowed the three bags of liquids, which Luke as a frequent flyer had informed me would be fine, and would have to fit them into one bag. Oh no, only one bag! Deep breaths.

We finally made it onto the plane and I began to relax a little bit more, especially as the food was served. It was a lovely salmon and rice concoction. Although I had to cajole Luke into eating it. I did this by informing him he had to get used to it as we were moving to a place where fish formed its main food staple. He did then eat it the fish and the rest of the flight was rather pleasant. However, we ended up the last ones on the plane as I could not find my passport. Luckily, I eventually found it and we entered the Copenhagen airport that was full of wood and leafy plants, typically Danish I thought. There was then a few jokes from the security guard after he noticed I now have to wear glasses, which did wonders for the self-esteem, and then it was on to the hotel. Thankfully, I had resisted the urge to joke back with the security guard as I knew I really did need to be allowed to stay in the country for the night.

The hotel was lovely and we even got a dressing gown each! I am easily pleased I know, I even had trouble sleeping in my anticipation of the hotel breakfast! You can tell I don’t stay in hotels often! The breakfast didn’t disappoint as I was able to have cheeses and ham, as well as a huge vat of coffee.

It was then a struggle back to the airport to get on our final plane. We stopped for a juice along the way at ‘Joe and the juice’ where they shout your name when your order is ready. Unfortunately, just I was trying Luke’s drink the waiter then shouted ’Luke’ . Turns out I was trying the wrong drink…. there was then an embarrassed silence and swopping of drinks.

Luckily, we made it without any mishaps untill it came to opening my milk, for my coffee, whilst we were on the plane. The poor gentleman sat next to me got spattered with drops of milk as I opened my carton upside down. Thankfully, he appeared to see the funny side (I think) and refused my embarrassed attempt to offer him a napkin. He then looked slightly concerned when I asked for another coffee but as I asked Luke to open the next one for me he visibly seemed to relax. I must remember never to open milk on a plane again, unless it is completely empty! The plane that is, not the milk carton

We arrived safely in Norway, The Avis man agreed, somewhat amusedly, that we would definitely need a bigger car than a beetle as he peered his head above the desk to take a look at the two trolleys full with our bags!

After we fitted in all of our suitcases into the hire car, we were on our way through the stunning scenery to Aalesund. The best thing about the drive? apart from the views I was reunited with seat warmers! Heaven.

It really was stunning and I still cannot believe this will be our new home. What I also cannot believe is how expensive it is! After  checking in to the Quality Hotel, we had a meeting with a very nice lady who told us all about the things we needed to know  we went for a lovely dinner at Anno. I had only meant to get one glass of wine, honest! but as he brought the wine over and asked me if it was ok I began to worry slightly.

This worry intensified when I saw Luke’s alarm bells go off after the waiter asked me to taste the wine before pouring me a full glass. Luke then asked the waiter how the wine system worked and if they just charged by the glass, to which the waiter replied along the lines of  you ordered the bottle you would have to pay for it so would you like a glass. Luke almost choked a quiet ‘yes please’ back and took a very, very long drink, whilst I was racking my brain to work out what the cost of the bottle was. I apologised profusely and then we found out at the end how much it was. I almost fell off my very high chair (a high stool not a child’s chair, don’t worry ,  even though I am in the region of giants and vikings  it doesn’t appear that I am unusually short, i don’t think). I am sure I heard the man sitting behind us giggling to himself as we debated the cost of the wine and tried to justify it to ourselves. I now know never, ever, to order anything that might appear in a bottle instead of a glass. Ever.  Seventy Pound! It hurts just to think about it. I have never spent that much on a meal out let alone just the drinks! I needed the wine just to get over the shock and Luke did his best Victor Meldrew impression, although I don’t think he meant to, as he proclaimed “I don’t believe it!” . However, we did have a very nice meal regardless.

I was even served cloudberry chutney with my cheese!

Well, you must have cheese with red wine… at least that is what I told Luke!. It was then time to absorb the shock of the price of one bottle of wine. The flurry of snow was enough to sober us up as we made our slippery way back to the hotel and, as we raved about the lovely food we had eaten, we also made a vow to only stick to spirits in the future.

Related articles

• Perils Of Packing (lhgardener1988.wordpress.com)

 

The Perfect Kidnap

As Norway approaches my wonderful sister and mother decided to kidnap me for the day. I began to get a little bit worried about what they may have in store for me as I was given a time to meet them, in order to go to our first destination, without any clue for what was in store. Had they decided to do something drastic and bungee jump from somewhere? or possibly base jump off the Manchester Hilton? Whilst I am absoultely positive that this would make me remember both Manchester and the day, though possibly not in the best light, I remembered that there would probably never ever be the slightest chance my mum would be going to the top of any tall buildings in order to parachute off them, or was there? It was quite a relief when we boarded nothing more frightening than a train which took us to our first destination. This just happened to be The Richmond Tearooms, somewhere I have been wanting to go to for ages.

I wasn’t disappointed as we left the surreal world of clubbers being ushered out of a hidden club at ten in the morning (ten! I am getting old, there is no way I could stay out that long anymore!) and entered the lovely , almost time-capsule like, tea rooms. Think mad hatters tea party, birds and English things and that is almost what the inside is like. It is hard to describe as it was just lovely. I was even more thrilled as we were allowed to sit on the comfy seats at the back.

Nothing is worse than going to a lovely cafe/ restaurant and being plonked in the middle of the room where you can’t relax or feel comfortable. It was lovely and the staff were great.

We had real door-stopper toast and lovely Eggs Benedict.

We somehow managed to sneak in a cheeky peach Bellini as well . Perfect!

It was a lovely, decadent way to sped the morning and I highly recommend it!

It was then off to the cinema and I didn’t find out the film we were watching until it started, although I had suspected it wouldn’t be the 3D version of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre! It turned out to be The Quartet (phew) which had a great cast and a poignant storyline. It was then home for more drinks, food (including homemade Toy Story cupcakes) and films.

Great way to send one of my last days and was the perfect kidnap! I feel very spoilt to have such a wonderful sister and mother.

 

Perils Of Packing

We are off again! This time to the land famous for its fish, the invention of paper clips, open sandwiches, the northern lights and A-HA. Yes, we are moving to Norway. Now the big problem for me is, with less than a week to go, what do I need to pack. I have asked Luke to advise me on what sort of clothes they wear but, as is often the case with the male species, his reply was an unhelpful grunt along the lines of “the same as we wear in the UK“.  This is probably true yet we don’t usually get feets of snow, blizzards or freezing temperatures. However, the past month of English weather may have helped to prepare me. Therefore, I have had to work out for myself what clothes will be essential and so far all I have decided is that thermals were a priority even if they will make me look like a member of the Blue Man Group, especially when my face turns blue in the cold.

I did do a spot of forward planning for the packing and sent Luke over with a suitcase filled with food that I didn’t think I would be able to get in Norway. This caused great amusement for Luke and his colleagues when he transferred the contents into another case for storage. Apparently they do have baked beans (yes, even of the Heinz variety), cream eggs, Jaffa cakes and mustard. This may not have helped me make the best first impressions although my saving grace was the huge jar of Marmite, which still remains a true british product. This meant that it was worth Luke lugging the heavy suitcase on three planes, to various hotels and up lots of stairs even if he might disagree somewhat as he just happens to be a member of the ‘hater’ club when it comes to Marmite. Somehow I don’t think he shares in my happiness that we at least have a jar of Marmite to welcome us when we arrive in Norway.

This whole exercise has also shown me that the packing skills, which I thought had been expertly honed from all our previous travels, is not quite up to scratch. Luke kindly informed me that this became abundantly clear when  the contents of my huge suitcase, which he had struggled with all week, were transferred comfortably into a suitcase half the size. Therefore, I have changed the packing game plan and have repacked various suitcases to ensure everything is squished down and every bit of space has been used. I also have a new mantra whilst packing and that is that we are not moving to another planet and they will have things like toothpaste, towels and shower gel in Norway so just pack the essentials. So before I approach the suitcase I can now be heard to mutter “pack the essentials, pack the essentials, pack the essentials”. I had hoped this would work but then again how do you decide what is essential? Is a jar of peanut butter essential? for me yes, for Luke not so much; Are lots and lots of jumpers essential? for me yes, for Luke he can just take a few and he is happy.I have realised that I am not quite as light at packing as I want to be. I always end up looking more like a bag lady than an experienced traveller, and that is just if I am going away for a weekend. Luke’s face fills with horror at the thought of all the various bags I will have to take with us for a ‘trip’ that will last at least a couple of years.

I have discovered a few packing tips which should help me, in theory.

• Roll or fold. Doing both will take up more room (although, deciding on which technique to use is tricky)
• Only take what you can carry on the plane (so there goes all my extra bags).
• Stick to the luggage allowance to save landing a hefty surcharge.
• Remembering that you will be able to buy things over there and you do not have to pack up your whole house (or in my case items that are classed a ‘just-in-case’ for example a dog bowl or monopoly board, which I have now removed from my suitcase and hidden away so they won’t find their way back into the case).
• Everyone packs differently. I pack weeks before but then end up repacking to make sure I have everything. Luke is still packing an hour before we are due at the airport. (I am planning to be out f the house whilst he packs as it will either make me jealous of the ease with which he packs or, if he flapps around looking for the elusive sock or missing charger, I will find it incredibly hard to resist informing him that he should have packed sooner. No one likes to hear that when they are stuck under the sopha trying to look for the missing items).
• If you pack a suitcase early try to store it in a safe place which is easily accessible. (not balance precariously on top of each other so that they fall on top of you, which in my defense has only happened a few times, or that it is like a massive game of Jenga when you realise you have packed items that you still need).

Now all I need to do is find somewhere to unpack all the suitcases, once we arrive in Norway, as we have a slight problem in that we still do not have anywhere to live. We could always put Luke’s love of, or slight addiction to, building flatpack furniture to good use and he can build us a Viking Longship. How hard can that be?

Related articles

• A travel list that won’t fit in a suitcase (edgeofthearctic.wordpress.com)
• End to Marmite drought in sight (stuff.co.nz)
• Genius Pack Introduces a New Kind of Travel: Technology Integrated Suitcases with Extreme Functionality (pr.com)
• 6 Months, 1 Carry-On Suitcase (electrifymag.com)
• Packing Your Luggage For a Long Vacation (planegrazy.com)

 

Dickensian Christmas

It was time to round-up the Grandparents and take them on their surprise Christmas day. We managed to keep the destination a surprise right up until the last-minute as, luckily, both Grandmas can talk just a little bit. My Granddad seemed perfectly happy, in the peace and quiet, in the front of the car. Luke kept giggling at me sat in between two of our favourite ladies as they began their conversation began pre-WW2 and chatted all the way up to modern-day. Now that was a really fascinating, very condensed, history lesson for us. The historical theme continued as we pulled up to the gates of the beautiful Tatton Park, where the surprise was revealed. We were taking the grandparents to Tatton Park for a look around the Christmas Fair and the Dickensian themed mansion.

We managed to park and joined the crowds of people heading into the midst of the beautiful grounds. Well, we went at a bit of a slower pace as my grandmas, bless them, kept having to stop just to talk to each other. What ever happened to women being able to mulit-task! Although, I secretly congratulated myself on taking them all on the same day as they proved great companions for each other and they got on wonderfully.

We had almost made it to the Dickensian mansion as we stumble upon a gloriously beautiful Merry-Go-Round.

I had never been on a Merry-Go-Round, least of all one with the old-fashioned colourful horses and I think either a lama, or possibly an over sized chicken, but I couldn’t really tell. I just couldn’t resist. Luke and I joined the other, somewhat younger, Merry-Go-Rounders. Honestly, you would think we were children again as every time we passed our group of grandparents my Granddad was surprisingly nifty at using Luke’s phone to take pictures, although I don’t remember that sort of technology being used when I was younger! Although I did remember grandparents always being cautious as our grandmas were reminding us to keep both hands on the bars each time we passed them.

Once we had returned to acting our correct age, well almost, we led them through the packed courtyard full of people eating lunch and followed an enchanted looking, fairy-lit path towards the stunning mansion.

I scooted ahead to get the tickets in case my Granddad did his usually trick of disappearing and then turning up having already paid for whatever event we were at, you can’t trust him or let him out of your sights! you try taking him out anywhere and he has a habit of pretending to go to the toilet and secretly paying. Once it ended up my dad, myself and my Granddad all leaving the table separately, only to find ourselves all at the till cards at the ready. There wasn’t any way that would happen this time. I was then able to greet them at the entrance to the mansion with a little bit of a delusion of grandeur occurring, well it is best to aim high!

The mansion was just perfect. It was so beautifully decorated and each room provided a delightful surprise from Mrs Havisham‘s Wedding Feast , chirstmassy themed libraries, beautifully set tables

twinkling Christmas decorations which including a few surprise uses of forks and spoons! I am not sure if hanging knives and forks hung around my house would have the same impact!

and the Cratchit’s Christmas Dinner. There were even carol singers lining the main stair case although I was distracted by a strange figure on the landing and as I was worried at first that I was the only one who could see it until I asked Luke and we discovered it was Jacob Marley’s ghost! I got over my distraction by admiring the beautiful garlands and learning more from the extremely helpful staff. We also got to go underneath the house and explore the cellars and see where the coal was transported along,

where the beer was stored and where the food was prepared.

We followed the tantalising smell of freshly baked minced pies and found the kitchen where we were able to listen to the very knowledgeable Housekeepers explain their jobs and roles within the house.

It was then off to the Christmas fair which was filled with beautiful crafts, presents and goodies.

There was also a stalls selling pies and fudge. However, we resisted and headed to the farm shop instead where we discovered jams, strawberry wine, scrumpy jack cider, chocolates and cheeses. All stocked up we headed back to the car park through the glorious gardens. We were going to have lunch in the restaurant but unfortunately it was just too popular so we discovered a cosy pub on the way home, still in keeping with the day though as it was called Egerton Arms.

I would highly recommend a trip to Tatton Park, especially at this time of year, to anyone who wants to enjoy a special day. It was a perfect present for  our Grandparents as they thoroughly enjoyed themselves and the mansion was fascinating, you could tell how much effort had gone into making it look so beautiful. I think this is going to become a tradition every year now.

 

Surprise Surprise

My new venture had begun. I was planning a surprise party. Easy? No. Exciting? Yes. A walk in the park? No. Worth it? Definitely.

It began weeks in advance with invites and planning. There was then the secret shop to buy the supplies, the secret phone calls and organising a night to stay at my parents (where the party was being held) in order to decorate the house and then lure Luke over for his surprise 25th birthday party.

This party was not without its little hiccups. I had, with the help of my mum, managed to get a vast array of party food whilst I was staying at my parents. Just as I had loaded the fridge with the goodies then who should arrive? Luke. Queue mad dash to load all the sausage rolls, cocktail sausages, quiches and various dips into a bag and hide them untill he had gone. This then had to be repeated the next night after another surprise visit. Honestly, I thought I was meant to be the one surprising him!

Then there was his phone calls to his grandparents who informed him they may be away… this set off a lot of muttering from me and going mildly red-faced, one might say almost puce. Luke asked why I was so bothered and I am a very, very bad liar so I had to think on my feet and replied that there was no reason. Not the most creative excuse but I think it might have worked.

I took the day off before the party to bake and then my most classic hiccup occurred. As I was halfway through making my red velvet cake (see my post ‘Red Velvet Cake and S’mores Cupcakes‘) I realised I had forgotten red food colouring. I then had to go out again for the second time that morning and walk to the shops in search of the colouring. Honestly, who makes a red velvet cake without checking they had red colouring before. I don’t even know what I could have called the cake if I hadn’t found it…the white velvet cake?Hopeless I know.

However, I finally had the cakes and cupcakes done. My biggest struggle then was to avoid Luke picking me up from work as, well, I wasn’t there, but he didn’t know that. Luckily, I got away with this too and spent the evening with some well-earned wine whilst decorating the house with the help of my mum and sister. The wine provided some additional inspiration as well but it didn’t help me blow up the balloons, which took ages. I almost gave up!

I then was a little concerned that the house now looked ready for a five-year olds birthday , and not at twenty-five year olds, but, as my sister accurately pointed out, this as probably more suitable for Luke anyway as he is just a big baby really!

The next morning I was up early to make cream cheese frosting, ruin a meringue topping, make up for it with vanilla buttercream instead, finish decorating and lay out party food.

Just in the nick of time everything was almost done as the first family arrived, although I may have roped my brothers partner into hoovering for me! Their arrival was swiftly followed by the Murrays. There was then a long, long, long period of nervous tension, with intermittent party cone noises, as we awaited the birthday boy. However, the birthday boy is notorious for his poor time keeping skills so we were waiting a bit longer than we thought. One time we thought he had arrived but, no,  it was my sister’s boyfriend who then joined the group of us hiding in the kitchen. I then received a text saying he was five minutes away but stuck in traffic on a roundabout. At least he wa on his way, but who knew which roundabout? However, this led to everyone remaining silent for the next five minutes until Luke arrived.

Finally, he was there and my sister diverted him into the kitchen where he was greeted by a loud chorus of surprise and happy birthdays. Luckily, he did look surprised and even more so when he discovered his mum had brought recordings of when he was a child and everyone spent the next few hours giggling, at Luke, as a little boy trying to play golf (he is only marginally better now) and on trips to various places, including a place called Sandyballs. Ummm.

My challenge was then to carry the birthday cake into another room for the birthday song to begin.

Then it was Luke’s biggest challenge of the party. Trying to cut the birthday cake without it toppling over.

Amazingly he managed it! After cake everyone started departing, some (grandparents!) more slowly than others as my Nana and Luke’s Nana delved into various conversations…as the rest of the Murrays waited outside in the car. Once they were safely bundled up It was then time to do a quick clear up and head back out for drinks at the Manchester Christmas Market.

Phew.

 

Thanksgiving comes early

After missing America, and chatting to a friend who happens to be half American, I decided to invite her and another friend for a pre-thanksgiving meal. However, as we had lived in Indiana I decided to make an unconventional thanksgiving meal and chose Maple-Mustard Pulled Pork for dinner. I used the recipe from BBC Good Food website.

Ingredients

200g Sea-Salt

300g Light Brown Sugar

2kg Pork Shoulder

100 ml Maple Syrup

100g Wholegrain Mustard

English Mustard Powder

1. Mix the sea salt and 200g of the sugar in a large food bag, add the pork and coat it well. (If you don’t have a bag, rub over the pork in a dish and cover with cling film.) Leave in the fridge overnight.
   

   

   
2. The next day, remove the pork and wipe down the meat with kitchen paper. Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Mix the remaining sugar, the maple syrup, mustards and some ground pepper. Rub half the mixture over the pork and sit it on a rack in a roasting tin. Roast for 6 hrs.
   

   

   
3. 

   

   Spoon the remaining maple mixture over the pork and roast for 1 hr more.

   
4. Rest the meat for 30 mins on a plate loosely covered with foil. To serve, tear the pork into big fat chunks and, after skimming the surface, spoon over any juices from the tin.
   

   

I also managed to rustle up some Pumpkin Bread

as I eagerly awaited the arrival of my friends who , when they arrived, were full of bags and legs. I had forgotten just how tall they were. I began to have a glimpse into what Hobbit‘s may feel like, which has begun to happen more regularly, as I was surrounded by each friend who are nearly a foot taller than me each! My home had become filled with tall people. I was almost tempted to bring my steps along for the first venture. This could have proved a useful weapon , or an aid to leap over any available hedge, as, during a ramble over to the local pub, we were being followed by very scary cows. I had wanted to show my friends, from more smokey industrial places, the charms of the country. What I hadn’t accounted for was the menacing, possibly evil, cows. Yes, really, they were terrifying for things that my friend says just “poop and make milk”, think of the menacing cows in the advert where they are wanting their milk back and that was these cows, but somewhat less friendlier. I was just glad my tall friends came in handy as I was a coward and hid behind them. However, all of this was forgotten once we were sat in front of a roaring fire with a very large glass of wine… or two..

After a few more glasses it was time to head back to see if the pork was nearly pulled. I was worried at first it looked more like a big piece of charcoal however, thankfully, once it was ‘pulled’ it looked right. I then served it with Aunt Jemina’s corn bread, maple glazed carrots and green beans. The corn bread was the oddest way I have ever made bread before.

All I had to do was add an egg and milk to the bag, shake it then pour the mixture into cardboard tray that had arrived in the box. it all seemed a little bit lazy however the result was very tasty and I was pleasantly surprised.

We then vegged out on the sofa with  a few American choccies and saturday night TV.

Then Luke decided to make his own contribution in the morning by making pancakes…

Can you imagine if  I had taken him up on his offer to cook the pork!? Howver, I must admit my attempt was no better. Luckily, I had an emergency set. They were scotch but, really, what is the difference? I served this with croissants, bacon and pumpkin bread. I then banished the incredibly tall people from my house (this banishment was sweetened with a loaf of pumpkin bread and cinnamon teddies), and began to feel like a normal sized person again. Untill I had to use my steps to reach something on the top shelf.