Meeting our Relatives in Kongsberg

We need to tell you about our relatives that we have met here.  Marit Naess and Gine Tangerud, they are sisters. They have a brother, Kjell Bjerke that we are meeting in Oslo Monday 9-27. They have been so wonderful and we have felt like we have always known them.  Marit's home is just 2 blocks from the 4 museum's where we first met Erling Halling(cousin to sisters)


Wednesday morning(our first morning in Kongsberg). He took time to meet us even though he was busy preparing to go to North Dakota that I mentioned before.  We we have had a grand time with Marit and Gine, they took us to dinner Wed (9-22) evening at this cute little place in the basement of an old building.  We had some beef with boiled potatoes and vegetables with sauce.  We could relate it to a pot roast except the meat was like a boiled meatloaf of sorts.  It was very delicious.  We have noticed that they serve boiled potatoes with a lot of the meals.  They are just like a peeled baked potato.  We just visited and talked about family, things they do, TV that they like and everything.  It was so fun.  We then walked in to the town and walked thru this mall.  From the outside you could never guess that it was as big as it was.  It looked like what our malls would look like pretty much with the same type of stores.  Clothing, books, Kitchen, Bedding etc.  You would not believe how these girls can walk.  They walk everywhere.  Marit is just recovering and doing therapy on her right hip.  She fell last Easter and is doing so well.  Gine who works in a Bank(has been past manager, but is just working part time now) walks everywhere. Marit who has not driven her car since her hip replacement offered to drive us to this Flaaterud farm out in the valley today Thursday (9-23). 

Our relative lived and farmed on this land for over 50 years. He was also a ferryman there even at the age of 80.  So they had called this man Tormod Flaaterud(owner) and he said that we could come and look around.  He is still farming at the age of 80 and was in fact harvesting the potatoes (digging them up) at the time we were there.  We saw an old homestead that he said wasn't very old because it was just over 100 years.  We walked around and saw the large river and tried to guess just where the ferry might of been.

 The river is the Numedal that is very large and stretches thru a very large area.  This valley is covered with forest and trees and is just starting to turn fall colors.  Gine has a cabin were they like to go year round to fish, and ski in the winter about 1 hour from Kongsberg.  It's just like going to the mountains then it will have a small area with farms with very large houses and barns.  It is so beautiful, and clean and neat. We then stopped in this village called Lampeland and they again treated us to a early meal.  Tami had this pork dish with a light mustard type sauce and purple boiled cabbage that she just loved.  I had fish with boiled potatoes and salad. Mom had baked Salmon.  All the food has been especially delicious.  We have liked everything.  As I mentioned before the breakfast has been served at all the places we have stayed and they have such a variety of things.  Bacon, boiled or scrambled eggs, a type of waffle, loafs of bread of all kinds that you cut yourself.  They have fish, kavier, cereal and I can't even mention all the other things.  Yes Larry they even have a brown goat cheese. No I have not tried it.  But they say it is like a very sharp cheese.  I am going to try to bring you some home.

 They even took us to the Ski Resort on the hill and then we walk down this path to a place on this tall rock where they had put the years that their many kings had come thru the area starting with 1624 until the present king in 1995.  It is beautifully kept.  We had an amazing day and are so grateful to Marit and Gine for taking the time to escort us around.  They have been so generous to us and we love being with them.  It has been the hi-lite of this trip to meet them and spend time with them.  We are looking forward to meeting their brother who travels alot and does public speaking.  What a special experience we have been having.   



Holly, Marit, Mom standing by old box used for transformer. Now just decoration.  Right next to Marit's house.



Holly, Gine, Mom

 

 

Looking thru cemetary in Flesberg