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From Sunny Bergen to Rainy Røros

Monday afternoon Martin and I caught the bus and train to the Trondheim airport for a quick one hour flight to Bergen. We went through Hell to get to the airport. The Village of Hell, that is. So, if anyone ever tells me to "Go to Hell", I can say I've been there, and it wasn't really that bad…

Bergen is known for being rainy, but this day Trondheim was soaking wet, while Bergen had a little sun and blue skies. The flight was brief, but traveling by car is reported to take 10-12 hours.

We were met at the airport by my third cousin (and Martin's aunt) Catherine, who I had been in contact with before, but never met. Monday was Catherine's daughter, Mari's 11th birthday, and we arrived just in time for her birthday dinner.
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Introducing S’mores to Norway?

I’ve really been enjoying my stay in Trondheim, and the time I have spent getting to know family here. Over the past couple years, with the help of technology- e-mail, Facebook, and Skype- I have been able to connect with people that otherwise would have been difficult, perhaps impossible. Without these connections, this trip would be a complete different experience.

For the past few days I have been visiting with another family of relatives in Trondheim. For nearly a year I have been in regular contact with my cousin Martin. We share a birthday- he is 16. I’ve had the opportunity to help him with English homework, while he has tried to teach me some Norwegian. Despite his best efforts, his English far outshines my Norsk…

Martin and I will be traveling to Bergen tomorrow for a few days to visit his aunt, Catherine. I’m excited to see Bergen while spending some time with Martin and meeting even more relatives.

I’ve been trying to figure out something “American” to share, and I recently asked if s’mores were popular in Norway. Nobody knew what I was talking about… They have marshmallows. They have chocolate. No “Graham crackers”- but a reasonable replacement was found after an Internet search.

Marshmallows were toasted over a barbecue and mashed between a couple biscuits with some chocolate. The result: s’mores. I’m fairly certain Martin and his dad enjoyed them.

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Trondheim

It’s hard to believe that I have been on this trip for over two weeks- time has definitely gone by quickly. I have been on the move a lot and have seen a lot.

I have met several more relatives, and have definitely been made to feel like part of the family. It has been exciting to help connect relatives living in the same city that have never met.

Trondheim is much smaller than Oslo, and I haven’t spent much time in the city, but I look forward to doing some more exploring and taking pictures. I have located some houses that my great-great grandparents lived (according to the 1875 Census and 1900 census records), and would like to go see them. I know that at least one of the houses is still standing.

I visited Vår Frue Kirke, the church where my great-great grandparents married and my great grandfather and his siblings were baptized. The original part of the church was built around 1200.

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Today I am meeting a new family of relatives that I have been very excited to meet. This journey continues to be one amazing experience after another.

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On the Train to Trondheim

On the train north to Trondheim, Norway after a great week in Oslo that went by very quickly. I had a great introduction to Norway and experienced amazing hospitality from new-found family and friends.

Saturday, Petter took me along to "a little summer party" at his friend's farm in Eina, outside of Oslo. This party was actually more of a rock festival hosted by Ronnie Le Tekrø of the Norwegian rock band TNT. His farm was home to a popular recording studio and his sommerfest with bands playing into the wee hours of the morning. While there, I competed and represented my country in the "Rock n' Roll Olympics", taking the win in the stage gear flight case race- a total test of strength, agility, and speed… My prize, a CD, and a "Tronder Mafia" t-shirt three sizes too small. I was made to model the shirt- there are pictures, may they never surface… It was a great day with great music, fun people, and beautiful weather in an amazing setting.

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