Msgr and I kicked around several ideas for a trip in 2008 in addition to the fall trip to Egypt/Holy Land, and he mentioned Ave had suggested Scandinavia as a destination. Sounded good to me, especially since Dale’s mother had immigrated to the US from Norway in 1928 at the age of 14.
Dale’s mother was born and grew up in Bergen, and her house is still standing and being lived in. While we were there, I hired a taxi and we went to the house. It is on a hillside overlooking the harbor.
Each of the three countries had very distinctive and interesting cultures. All had a history of royal families and much of that period is preserved, palaces etc. Norway was my favorite, a strong, beautiful, and accomplished people, like my wife.😉
Memories: We saw two ancient ships that had been recovered in cold, deep water and are intact. The first was Oseburg Viking ship in Oslo and the other was the 64 gun warship Vasa in Stockholm which sank in 1628 on its maiden voyage. Ave and I visited the Maihaugen museum village in Stockholm, a village of structures recreating life in the early 20th century, complete with docents in period costumes to explain everything. The stave churches are remarkable. A stave church is a medieval wooden Christian church building once common in north-western Europe. The name derives from the building's structure of post and lintel construction, a type of timber framing. There are about 28 left in Scandinavia, the most outstanding example being the Borgund Stave Church in Norway. Water is everywhere. Virtually all the cities grew up on the water, and the mountainous terrain affords spectacular views and experiences. We took a cruise up fijords, and a trip on the Flamsbanen railway to the spectacular Kjofossen waterfall.
And we had a terrific skit, featuring Lloyd again, as “Thor”, a Msgr whose Irish ancestor was captured by a Viking and gave birth to Edward, an ancestor. The gene erupts on a visit to Scandinavia while he is leading his group of religious fanatics. Mary Bess was our commercial girl, “Lucy”, former girlfriend of Lucifer, who was recovering from her fiery past by raising money for the Edward J. Dillon Retirement Fund by hawking Holy Spirit Soap (which is guaranteed to cleanse away those pesky venial sins) and something else I can’t remember. They were great. I miss both of them dearly.
