Bergen

Enjoyed the stunning bus ride from Forde to Bergen but sadly slept through the longest tunnel in Norway (I think its 27km). Got met at the bus station by my dad's cousin Froydis (sister to Caroline). Went to her gorgeous flat on the edge of a fjord close to where we used to live as kids. Her daughter Nina lives in the flat while her house on an island is being built and Froydis uses it as a weekender. It was a stunning day so after I had been fed and serenaded by Froydis playing scandinavian folk songs on her two row button accordian we swam in across the fjord to a historic museum.

In the afternoon went to see my Great Uncle Eigil who is 101 1/2. I was thrilled to see his fingers were totally free of arthritis, he's only recently stopped playing piano. He still speaks several languages and switched between English and Norwegian for my benefit. I sang him the song I had written to one of his poems "Sister and Brother" and then Froydis and he sang his song of the same poem to me. I felt very blessed to be there and found it very sad to leave...

Froydis dropped me off to my old school friend Ellen (who lived just across a few fields and round a lake to Froydis' place) and it turned out they knew each other...

Ellen and I had been friends when we were 5-9 years old and we'd seen each other once since then when we were 16. Now at 35 we met up again. Ellen has a 15 year old son and 8 year old daughter and is lecturing Spanish at uni (she said she'd email me some good websites links to help with my spanish). Friendship seems to really be a timeless treasure!

Ellen and I went for a walk around the lake and gorged ourselves on wild rasberries along the way. The next day went to Bergen harbour which was filled with tall ships who were on a race, I think from Scotland to Russia. A Mexican ship came into the harbour with white uniformed saluting sailors standing way up high along the arms of the mast of the ship. It was so impressive! For a while I thought they must be mannequins rather than real people as they were standing so still... then I saw one move his arm. It was really quite breathtaking!