What the fjuck is a fjord?

As it usually goes, on our last day in Norway the sun finally came out. With only half a day left, we went on a really long walk along the shore of a Stavanger fjord.

I felt like I was living in a postcard - we could not have asked for a more perfect afternoon.

The shoreline was just breathtaking. It's interesting because homeowner's have their backyards back up into the fjord, but it's illegal for them to fence it off without a gate. Even if you own the property, it's a law that you must allow the public to walk along the shore.

The water was impeccably clear. Even I, who hates water, wanted to spend all day in there!

Now that's fresh.

These are houses that look onto the fjord. And beleive it or not, they only cost around $1.5 million to own. But, I guess when half of your income goes towards taxes, it's more like $3 million. Still, you'd pay more than that for a half decent condo in Chicago!

It was just so romantic. I can't wait to go back!

There were some families there enjoying their Sunday afternoons with thermoses of coffee while skipping rocks. Ahhh, the simple things in life...

My mom touched this strange thing with her shoe and then it projectile squirted some liquid all over her leg - hilarious!

If only one small section of Norway was this beautiful, I can't wait to see more of it.

Solheim

We spent a couple hours driving into the mountains through nearly torrential downpour to visit my mom's eighty five year old uncle.

I took a quick trip outside and got some shots before it started pouring again. I felt like I was in the true Norway: mountains, freezing temperatures, ice, snow, and horizontal rain.

In the seventies my mom would spend her summer hiking in these hills and swimming in this creek. I can't wait to see what this area actually looks like in a green season; I'm sure its even more beautiful.

Family

It was a weekend of reunions for my mother and new introductions for myself. Right here is a picture of my grandparents and my grandmother with her sister.

Storm.

My mom and her cousin who had some good times back in the day.

There is actually a photography book covering the area in which my family is from. My mom got it as a gift, and here is a photo of my great-grandmother.

Stavanger Part II

On our self-guided tour of the quiet city, we came across this unexpectedly bright and colorful area. It was absolutely lovely, and we all ended up eating lunch at a great vegan cafe called Respet. This cafe had delicious food and the nicest employees in the world as far as I know.

And yes, there was still outdoor seating even though it was a dramatically low temperature.

I was told by a Norwegian who visited the States that he was shocked when he found out what our minimum wage is. Even though Norwegians are taxed a lot, their minimum wage is still the equivalent of $30.

Also, I was told that the Norwegian government is trying to pass a law to eliminate the entire use of cash. The idea is that if everyone uses plastic, there will be no more crime. It's a bit far-fetched, but it makes sense in the sphere that it has potential to eliminate illegal deals and money laundering. Those Norwegians... so progressive...

My mom's cousin told me that Norwegian prisons are like hotels. Regardless, they don't have many people in them and sentences are short (like 12 years for murder). They even pay their prisoners 100 Krone a day ($20) which they get to receive once they are released. It's an interesting concept which I can only compare to the way the system works in America that sends prisoners back out into the world with no money, no job, and sometimes no support group of friends or family at all. It's a good idea to keep prisoners stable and break the cycle of returning to the big house after getting released.

Stavanger Part I

My mom, cousin (sort of) and I ventured into Stavanger's city center for one day. The sky was filled with clouds like I've never seen before; it seemed that they had stripes of white and blue. I can only describe it in one word: unreal.

Here is the neighborhood we stayed in. We took the public city bus into town. A short ride for about $12 - yikes!

But it was all worth it for these amazing views of the bay!

There was a precious park at the edge of the coast but no one was there besides us, probably because it was so cold.

The colors in this country are just unbelievable!

Vestnes

Right after arriving at the airport, we were met by mom's cousin. He immediately took us to Vestnes, once declared one of Norway's most beautiful beaches.

The weather was overcast, but gave the entire environment a really ethereal feel.

Street Art in Stavanger

There was some great street art at every turn in Stavanger. Here is the Amnesty International building.

Norwegian Food

The great thing about visiting family is that you get a lot of great home-cooked meals. As a student that is still trying to hone my skills in the kitchen, I really appreciate that. We visited my great uncle in the mountains, and him and his wife served one of the most delicious dinners I've ever had: moose. Better yet, my 85 year old great uncle and his wife were together with the man that hunted the moose, and they all carried it back to their home on their backs.

With a good meal must come a good dessert, and that was the case. These are Norwegian multe berries, specific to the area, Kvinen, in which we were visiting. They are served as a dessert with cream and sugar - wow are they good!

I was tricked: I initially expected this to be a brownie but it was instead a delicious cinnamon cake.

A wonderful fluffy pancake with fresh strawberry topping.

Norway's Mannequins

While walking around Stavanger, I couldn't help but notice the... creative... Norwegian mannequins.

Who needs the Red Light District in Amsterdam when you have the city center in Stavanger?

Now that's a pearl necklace!

Really?