Hitting The Road - Yes, Aga

 Where did that three years go?  Time for another fabulous Fowler Family Reunion!  Michael's sprawling family convenes every three years at another destination in the United States for a week long gathering filled with displays of new babies, new husbands/wives and maybe even pets.  It's always a rollicking good time.  Our next reunion, in 2028 will mark the 50th year the since the clan started the event.  We think the first one had about 36 participants but this year's festival included over 90 relations.  This is quite a logistical undertaking.  It's not easy to find adjacent condos to house the horde and we all get together for dinner every night.  Dinners must accommodate a range of people from those cutting their first teeth to those losing theirs from old age.  Food accommodations are not generally regarded.  You can only do so much.  The reunions started with the broods of the three Fowler matriarchs and people have been marrying and breeding with abandon ever since.  So where was it this time?

Branson, Missouri

Really?  Branson Missouri?  In July?  Really?  Review above on difficulty of securing accommodations for 90 people.  Branson Missouri is like.... well...unusual.  If you have ever been to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee you would be looking at Branson.  But you probably haven't been to Pigeon Forge.  It is a town built almost exclusively for tourism -- a sort of Country themed Las Vegas.  And, like Vegas, it offers a staggering amount of entertainment options if you are in the mood.  Lots of country and western, amusement park, Museums (Titanic, Ripleys, some weird upside down houses, Dolly Parton's Stampede, golf and a big lake).  There was a golf scramble, a day on the lake, the amusement park (all of which kept everyone busy).  But it was HOT!! How hot?  Like 110 degrees hot.  It takes a lot to slow down the Fowler clan but by ten at night people were pretty much sweated out.

It was a reunion of bumper crop babies -- all outrageously gorgeous and we are quite sure brilliant.  Ages ranged from under 6 months to 85.  This will be a short blog because who really wants to hear about the minute details of other families lives but we think you'll enjoy these photos with a glimpse of what goes on and the area we explored.  Shortly after this, we'll start publishing our blogs about our six week trip to Scandinavia and the Baltics.  The family reunion gave me a gift that kept on giving as you'll find out in the subsequent blogs.  Until then we hope your summer was as fun as ours and we look forward to hearing from you. 

One of the big draws to Branson (other than all the things Deirdre mentioned) is Table Rock Lake.

The houses we rented overlooked the lake.

One of the interesting things we did was go to Top of the Rock, where you drive four person golf carts on the Lost Canyon and Cave Nature Trail.

This photo and the one above clearly show how Table Rock got its name.

This horse shoe shaped rock formation leads into the cave.

The four person golf carts line up to enter the cave.

The lights inside the cave when we first entered gave the cave an otherworldly effect.

Without the effect of the lights the waterfall in the cave looks more natural.

Two different views of the wolf sculpture...

and one of the deer sculpture on the Nature Trail.

James, Deirdre and Justin underneath the Eagle sculpture.

The one living "natural" thing we saw on the Nature Trail was this woodchuck. They obviously leave food for the woodchuck so he will make an appearance when he is hungry.

There was ironwork with inset designs along the Nature Trail. This one of a kingfisher was just one example. 

Every reunion we do a group photo on the last day. As you can see from this photo it was a very large group (James, Justin, Deirdre and I did not appear in the photo since we had to leave early).

Onward to Oslo

Indulge our Being a Little Backward

We actually went to Michael's family reunion (next blog) before we set off to Scandinavia but decided to get this blog out first.  No particularly good reason... mere caprice.  I think we'll end up with 6-8 blog posts before this whole adventure is chronicled. So, here goes on what was a fun, but as usual with us, somewhat fraught voyage.

Holy Moly. I Had No Idea!

It's funny how you think you sort of know a country from what you've read or heard and then you get there and go "huh?  Really?'  That was the way we felt about Norway and actually all of Scandinavia.  We knew it was expensive.  But 4 Euros to use a public toilet or $20USD for a mediocre glass of wine? Chill social mores and "live and let live" mentality.  Not very chill.  Very rule bound and inflexible.  They even SAY they are inflexible and rule bound and point out with seeming pride that they don't smile much. Trying to buy a bottle of wine is like trying to find a speakeasy.  The government controls all liquor sales and they don't make it easy.  I asked a waitress where we could buy a bottle of wine and she said (this is true):  "You go to the department store.  You walk to the back to the elevator bank.  You go to the basement and turn left.  Look for bottles.  There are no signs."  It wasn't easier in Sweden or Finland either.  We never got into the issue of "free love".

Getting Started

We landed without incident in Oslo and hauled our sizable luggage onto a train to the city.  We seemed to have an inordinate amount of stuff since we had to pack to accommodate 100 plus temperatures in Missouri as well as the  temperature anticipated at the Arctic Circle.  We met up with our travel group and set off the next day to Vigeland Sculpture Park in central Oslo.  This is the largest sculpture park in the world in which the sculptures were created by a single artist -- in this case Gustav Vigeland.  He won a contest for the best park design and took it pretty seriously.  Over twenty years (1920ish to 40ish) he designed the landscape and sculpted 212 works.  The park stretches on a diagonal 850 meters featuring fountains, bridges and manicured beds.  The park sees over 1 million visitors a year and is probably the biggest attraction in Oslo.  Vigeland's central theme was the cycle of life and Michael's photos will hopefully reveal the range of emotions he manages to convey in his human sculptures.

A passel of babies starts the cycle of life...

and a father and child continues.

Each of the sculptures represents a different phase of life and different emotions, including anger & violence.

1924 was when the city decided to have an area in Frogner Park reserved for Vigeland's sculptures.

All of Vigeland's sculptures are nude because Vigeland said: "When you are naked you can be anyone, anywhere at anytime."

In May & June 1947 the first 16 of the total of 36 granite groups were put in place.

The last of the granite sculptures depicts old age.

All of the granite sculptures are arranged around a circular flight of steps that lead to the Monolith. It stands at the highest point in the Park, and measures 17 meters above the ground & was carved out of one stone block. The sculpture depicts 121 human figures of various ages clinging and floating together. The top is reserved for children.

In the west axis from the Monolith is The Wheel of Life in bronze, which was modled in 1933-34 and erected in 1949.

The Fountain is the earliest sculpture unit in the Park. 

In the center of the basin six giants support the large saucer shaped bowl from which a curtain of water spills down around them. 

The panels below the fountain reflect images from birth...

through the various stages of life to death.

Twenty tree groups entwined with humans surround the Fountain.

In keeping with the Vigeland's theme each tree group represents life's evolving stages, stretching from childhood, adolescence through adulthood's stages culminating in death.

The panels below the fountain follow this same progression as the tree groups.

Gustav participated in the restoration of the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. Here he became inspired by medieval works, especially the dragon as a symbol of sin fighting against man.

These two granite sculptures were the first placed in the Park in 1939.

This bronze statue of father and son is one of 58 statues on the bridge over a pond .

This father, juggling many children, and the other bronze statues were modeled by Vigeland from 1925-1933.  

The dancing woman, representing energy and vitalism, along with the other bronze sculptures were the first ones displayed in Vigeland Park .and opened to the public on July 7, 1940.

This is the iconic little boy Sinnataggen (The Angry Boy). You can see the hand where the patina has been rubbed off. Norwegians rub the hand for good luck.

Shared themes for the sculptures on the Bridge are play, lust, energy and vitalism.

Vigeland was born in 1869 and died in 1943 before seeing many of his sculptures completed and on display.

There was no dilly-dallying on this tour.  The next morning, bright and early, we were on a bus headed westward towards Bergen. The first stop was the oldest stave church in Norway-- and perhaps the world. Made entirely of wood except for a stone foundation the church has been standing since 1100. Shingles have been replaced and waterproof tar applied but essentially this is the original building.  It is particularly impressive when you think about how fierce the Norwegian winters are.  Although the structure looks fairly sizable the usable interior is perhaps 20 ft. by 20 ft.

The stave church is on the right, the bell tower in the middle and the new church on the left.

The wood for the Borgund Stave Church was cut in 1180 CE.

This is one of the most photographed stave churches because of its dragon decorations...

which are intricately carved and adorn the church in several places.

These intricate wood carvings are in the entrance to the church.

There was a graveyard next to the stave church

The bell tower for the stave church.

This is one of the few sod roofed houses we saw on our trip.

The next three pictures are of the scenery around the stave church. The weather here was cloudy and cool (much cooler than the Arctic Circle).

  Flam Flames Out

A highlight of this trip was to be the Flam Railroad billed as one of the most magnificent rail journeys in the world.  Featuring a dizzying assent and numerous waterfalls and natural wonders we were prepared to be stupefied. Regrettably, it was raining so hard (oh, SOOO hard) that you really couldn't see much beyond the steam rising from the fellow passengers waterlogged clothing.  Honestly, even without rain I don't think it could have beaten the Eiger/Jungfraujoch train or several other train trips we've taken in the Alps.  Just a tip if you're contemplating a dash over to Norway for a ride.

The Farm in the Fjords

Absolutely one of the most fascinating events of our entire trip was a visit to a small farm in the western portion of Norway. First, the farm was absolutely adorable... as was the farmer.  In order to eke out a living this family has to really hussle.  Even with subsidies it's a struggle because the land isn't very hospitable and prices for everything in Norway are crazy expensive.  So, beyond the prosaic farming endeavors the family also hosts traveling groups and provides background on rural Norwegian life and traditions, as well as one of the best meals we had the entire trip.  Our host talked about how he has tried to form a co-op with other farmers to spread the workload and pool resources but how resistant the other farmers are to change.  He spoke of the challenges facing the European Union and NATO and that's when it got interesting.  As he turned more political our tour guide became visibly anxious.  This was an ongoing feature.  Clearly they have been told to avoid politics (both between locals and tourists and tourists and tourists).  I think they fear full scale warfare in the back of the bus if politics comes up.  Anyway, he told us about WWII and the occupation of Norway and how quickly they went from freedom to being under the Nazi's heels.  In a cautionary voice he said, "They never really even understood what was coming." He then thanked us (well our grandparents I guess) for liberating them.  As we left and I shook his hand I said,"Well, it may be your turn to liberate us next." He didn't crack a smile but said "We'll do our best."

Sheep feeding at the trough...

while this one, which looks a little "Shrek the sheep" like was wandering in the field.

The owner of the farm who was wearing shorts (it was summer after all), despite the cooler weather.

This is a Fjord horse from the mountains of Norway. It is the oldest breed in the world, having been bred for over 2,000 years.

This is a Dolehest horse, a draft and harness horse, with Thoroughbred and Arabian blood.

The dining room we were treated to one of our best meals in Norway.

The owner and his employee showing the traditional Norwegian clothin

The Rainiest Place in Europe

We rolled into Bergen in the midst of what appeared to be a normal day for the city -- ferocious rain and wind.  Bergen gets 7 feet of rain per year and I think it got 2 feet of it while we were there.  It was a brief stop because that afternoon we boarded our boat to begin our journey through the fjords to the Arctic Circle.  Yike!