UFFDA - Ultimate Foreign Family Dahlstrom Adventure

Eating our way through The Land of the Midnight Sun

It’s already Sunday morning (we’re sitting at the airport waiting for our flight out of Norway)

and I’ve been neglectful in my blog duties – I have to go back to Tuesday to tell you about our experiences up north.  Much of our day on Tuesday was filled with eating – eating raw salmon, smoked salmon, pickled salmon, pickled herring, lamb, bread, cow cheese, goat cheese, white cheese, brown cheese, lefsa, buttermilk lefsa linginberries, salami, ham, 5 minute hard boiled eggs, 7 minute hard boiled eggs, 9 minute hard boiled eggs and waffles.  We had breakfast at ten in the morning, lunch at four in the afternoon and dinner at eight in the evening.  Oh and there was wine, beer, scotch, aquavit and lemon water.  Needless to say our bellies were full all day.

BREAKFAST:  our day started and ended at the same “kafe” – that’s how they spell café in Norway – I guess it either makes it look fancier or it’s just the way they spell in the Norwegian language – I don’t know for sure.  Might be a bit like Markus – seems like my name spelled with a k (Markus) looks better to me when I’m in Norway then Marcus with a c – must be a European thing.  Anyway, we had breakfast at a kafe in Hamnvik.  The building we ate in is call a Gammelbrygga – old warehouse.  

It’s been there since 1797 and was used to store dried fish and such.  People back in 1797 were shorter than we are now – the ceiling in this warehouse was very low – I’m pretty sure everyone that goes in the building hits their head on a cross beam.  It hurts a bit.  But in some strange way the pain is worth it.

The Norwegians breakfast is my kind of breakfast – meats, cheeses, bread, great coffee, and a waffle if you want something sweet.  Oh and there is raw fish – salmon and herring – all great ways to start you day.  I think I’ve eaten more raw fish this week then I have in my entire life.  The key to remember is this isn’t raw salmon or pickled herring like you’ve ever had before – most of this fish was probably swimming in a fjord yesterday and I’m eating it today.  Doesn’t seem fair but right now God has us the top of the food chain (except for maybe Grizzly Bears, African Lions and the elusive Siberian Tiger) so we eat the fish that swan in the ocean yesterday and we are happy.

 

LUNCH:  after breakfast we went to an old church and was given a private tour by a childhood friend 

of our host, Odd Reitevold.  

Odd (pronounced Odd) is my 3^rd cousin on my Mom’s side.  Odd’s sister, Nancy, spends her summers in the home where my Great-Grandfather Markus grew up.  He was one of eight children that grew up in the house and word on the street is that Markus used to row across the fjord to meet up with Johanna who he eventually left Norway with to go to America.  

Markus and Johanna settled in Blue Earth, Minnesota – had 9 kids of their own, one being Elida, who is my Grandmother – my Mom’s mom.  Anyway, Markus used to attend this church before he decided to go to America – that would have been in the 1850’s.  We all decided Markus must of really liked Johanna because rowing across the fjord looks to be no easy task.  First, it was a long way, second the boat couldn’t have been very big and third it seems to be cold, windy and rainy most of the time.  So I’m sure Markus was a stud.  Anyway, we had lunch at Markus’ house where Nancy summers.  

Again, raw fish – salmon.  Very fresh, firm and delicious.  But the best part about lunch was the ease at which this group of related strangers talked, laughed, told stories and generally behaved like we’ve know each other all of our lives.  It was one of the highlights of the trip.

DINNER:  back to the “low ceiling everyone hits their head” kafe for a great meal of lamb, pototatos and vegetables.  Again excellent food and another round of great conversations.  

Our chef/server told us the history Hamnvik and all the comings and goings over the past few centuries.  Several kings have been there and other famous dignitaries.  I’m pretty sure a Viking or two passed thought the area and took what they wanted, when they wanted and as much as they wanted.  That’s the Viking way – if you can kill me and take my stuff (including wife, kids, livestock, etc.) that’s OK.  It was truly survival of the fittest.  And it you think about it that’s why we come from such hearty stock – if you were weak, you died.  Period.  Harsh world but necessary in those days.

After dinner we tried to see the Midnight Sun but it was a bit cloudy and frankly everyone and probably thankful because after three endless meals through the day we all were way beyond a food coma – with full bellies and happy hearts we all slept well.  Besides, we had to get up at 5am to catch the ferry to Nardvick so we could go to the airport.  And was you might expect, we were not going to go hungry in the morning – the chef from the kafe had prepared two large boxes of sandwiches for us to eat while traveling on the ferry – sandwiches with raw salmon and hearing.  

They do know how to eat fish over here.

Marc