aelf

So I should write about this while I remember everything. As always I do key elements so I can remember whole sections....

Bec and I went on a trip to Norway and Sweden. And this.... was a seriously long one. About 14 days total and it was an incredible amount of fun. Definitely one of the longer trips I have taken and something I have wanted to do for about as long as I can remember...

So... We started by flying into Oslo, got to the hotel, reservation was for the second day not the first. I started to flip out, then realized I had a tool to fix this problem: MONEY! So I asked them for a room for the first night and everything just worked out for like $150 total. No worries, no problem, took care of it in 5 minutes as opposed to going bananas.

We crashed out, then did a bit of exploring that day and the next. Went to an amazing Ballet performance at the Oslo opera house the second evening, then on the third started the real trip with a flight out to Trondheim to meet our Vacations By Rail group. The ballet was experimental, we had front row center seats, and I could just reach out and touch them. I like classical, but I also like the experimental aspect including the "what does it MEAN" sort of thing. Ballet changes, it evolves, and if you just see Giselle and Swan Lake you're missing the evolution and it becomes stuck in time.

Anyway, about 14 or so British people and 2 other Americans were in the group. Nice enough, we discussed how insane the US was and I reminded the Brits that they did similar dumb things with Brexit. It's an opportunity for the rest of the world to stop looking to the US and being smothered by us and start charting their own destiny. I have thoughts on that, but will keep this to the trip.

Then from Trondheim it was off to Bolo via train, an 8 hour trip went by in no time. Then on to the Lofoten islands with rain, some snow, oddly kind of warm, really pretty place. I LOVED the electric ferry to the islands, an hour cruise on total battery power. They use what amounts to a huge magne crarger to charge the boat, and it works. So silent, went on deck, pretty....

From there we went to Narvik, which had an amazing war museum. It was.... timely... and interesting to remember how a few nazi traitors allowed the Germans in and supported them. That's one of the points to remember, about 20-25% of the population fully supported the Nazis, helped them, let them in, and got to be puppet leaders for years. And they are still there. They are always there... People did protest, and many of them died, but it's a lot better to die for what you believe in than be a simp and have to live out the rest of your long life as one. More on that another time.

Then off to Kiruna where we did camping in cabins (totally upscale) and got to see the Northern lights. Remember looking out to the horizon, then having someone tap your shoulder and point you UP? Yeah, it was beautiful, across the sky, amazing. Got two nights of that....

We did dogsleding, puppy playing, saw a local village, tried the local cuisine, did some shopping in town, got to see the ice hotel (the original one is amazing, the replica is a beer cooler), guided tours of the countryside, the whole nine yards. Bec was a great travel partner as well, it could get lonely without someone with you and she was a lot of fun to try new stuff with me. We had a lot of fun!

Finally after 3 days there it was time to come "home". We flew back to Stockholm and since we had an extra night there we dumped our baggage at the airport and grabbed the local train to go see the Vasa....

Now I remember the story of the Vasa when I was a kid. They brought up a 400 year old warship from the harbor and were restoring it, a process that in 1973 would take till "the next century". Well here we are, so we zipped down to the museum and SAW it.

Yeah, it was every bit as cool and amazing as I thought it would be. Felt like that 5 year old kid again, thinking "yes, this is the future I thought about" as I toured the exhibits.

Then we had dinner at a ramen noodle place (tasty) then flew home the next day. No problem with the flights, no problem with customs, no problem getting home.

And... Now I am home. Thoughts and observations will be another time, but it was good to get out of this stupid country and go someplace else for a bit. Weird to see how other people are, what they do, reflect on who I am and why. This weekend was the Pi party, then clean up the house and yard and prepare everything for spring. Which is coming and will come.

Oh also the US had to go to war while I was gone with Iran. I am so sure that will work out well, already gas prices are hitting the ceiling and I am sure energy prices will blow through the roof as well. Glad we have the truck, the Volt, and working solar panels.....