Continuation of trip to Oslo--Sunday Sep 26

This is Mom/Grandma again to continue our Sunday adventure.  The young lady that sat by Tami in Relief Society and Sunday School was very special and took us under her wing.  She was a petite single girl (35). She was a new convert of about three months. She was so kind! We were unsure where we needed to go to catch the bus on to Oslo, so she offered to walk with us and show us the bus stop.  It was just a short way from the chapel.  She stayed there and visited with us until the bus came.  Our buses that we rode from Kongsberg and Drammen were both nice buses with a place underneath the bus for our luggage and a driver who helped us load it.  We drove on into Oslo and the bus stopped in the middle of the city at this big transportation terminal building with buses and trains coming and going all over the place.  Where to go to find a city bus to take us to our Youth Hostel?  Again Holly and I watched the luggage while Tami went someplace to find how we even got out of the building and to the buses were.  They suggested it was much cheaper to buy a bus ticket from somewhere else other than try to pay when we got on the bus.  So, finally we found our way out of the building and out across a plaza to the street where buses were coming and going constantly.  Again, it was (duh!), where do we buy tickets.  Throngs of people wandering around.  We couldn't spot any vending machines or anything for tickets so our 'forerunner' again goes someplace to  try and find a place we could buy tickets and to find out what bus number we needed to catch.  Tami came back still not knowing where to go but decided to go across the street where there were a few little shops etc.  This time, I decided I would go with her.  We went into this little shop and Tami asked if they sold bus tickets and he said yes and we found out the bus that we should take was #31.  We rush back over and get Holly and our luggage and get down to the bus stop and shortly our bus pulls up.  Remember now, this is a city bus and we have to take our luggage on with us.  The bus is packed and people are standing in the isles and here we are trying to get ourselves and our big luggage on.  Holly and I get on okay but the bus is packed right up to the front, so there was no room up there for any more. he closes the front doors just as Tami is about to get on and motions that the others will have to go to the back doors and try to get on.  Holly and I were just praying that Tami managed to get on the bus--we couldn't see her with all the standing people.  Fortunately Holly remembered the name of the stop where we were to get off and we were so happy to see that Tami got off also.  What an ordeal!

We can see our hostel to the left of us up on this hill. To get there we had to go down this little hill and through a tunnel that the hiway crossed over to get to the other side.  I would say that we had to go about a half mile over this asphalt trail to get up to our hostal.  It gradually got steeper and the last part was very steep.  I was puffing like a steam engine and would have to stop every little while to catch my breath.  Finally Holly took my suitcase along with hers and started up the steep slope while I caught my breath.  Some kind guy saw out plight and came down and asked Holly if he could help her.  He took my case up the rest of the way and took it clear into the hostel lobby--another angel to our rescue!  I finally made it up the hill 'dragging my tail behind me'. This hostel room had bunkbeds, of course, which was not easy for Holly, who got the honor of climbing up and down. The room was quite a bit smaller than our hostel room in Kongsberg.  We had to rent our sheets and towels.  We were happy they did serve a breakfast.

For a little while we were wishing that we didn't have two days yet to go in Oslo.  The highlight of our trip, being in Kongsberg and meeting family was over. We could have come home right then and been happy.  But we soon got over our blues and thanked our Heavenly Father for blessing and watching over us that day, and went to work planning what we wanted to see in the city the next day or two.  At least we wouldn't have our luggage to pack around and we did see some interesting things.  I don't have any pictures so hopefully Tami can put some in. Bye for now.

Sunday- Sept 26 2010--trip and church in Drammen, Norway

This is Mom/Grandma and I am going to try this on my own.  I am home now and Holly is on her way today to Utah.  It sure is lonesome around here. We were very sad when our time in Kongsberg was over.  Our stay there in the Hostel and visiting with Marit, Gine and Eryling had truly been the highlight of our trip.  We truly felt the Spirit there with our wonderful new family who treated us so royally. We love and miss them.
But, it was time to move on to the last leg of our trip.

 Sunday morning we arose and got dressed in our Sunday clothes and packed our bags.  We found we could catch a bus, just a ways from the hostel, that would take us to Drammen, where the church was located.  Tami had a little map where the chapel was located.  The advise was to show the bus driver the map and see if they could drop us off close to the church.  The bus driver had never heard of the church and the map didn't seem to help her.  A couple of people on the bus was trying to help her figure out where it was, but they really didn't know either.  Tami was told by the Bishop there that it was located a ways out of town and not right in the city center.  Just a way out of the city, as we were driving along, Tami spoted a spire without a cross and she said she bet that was the church, but by that time, the bus driver and these couple of other people thought they knew where the church was so she drives into the city and stops and they told us that they thought it was just around the next corner.  We thought we heard something about Catholic.  So off we get and here we are in this strange city with hardly a soul around.  We knew that our church wasn't just around the next corner and it was quite a ways back to where Tami had seen the spire.  It was like, "What do we do now?"  Holly was ready to try to pull our luggage clear back to the church, but we realized that would be impossible.  I said, "Let's say a little prayer for help." So we stood there on the sidewalk with our luggage surrounding us and said a prayer.  Tami went to check out for sure that our church wasn't around the the next block corner.  It wasn't there, of course, but while gone, she saw someone on the sidewalk and asked if they could help.  He comfirmed from the map that it was back out of town where Tami had thought.  He suggested that if we wanted to get to church on time that we should  probably take a Taxi.  He showed her where to go to catch one.  Tami ran back and told us and down the sidewalk we ran like a herd of turtles dragging our luggage behind us.  The Lord answered our prayer.  Fortunately, there was a taxi there and we piled in, again having to hold part of our bags on our lap, and away we went.  It was at least three or four miles back.  We saw the spire and told him there it was.  He even packed our bags up a flight of stairs that led into the church.  We arrived just about five minutes or so before the meetings started. We parked all our luggage in the entrance hall where the coats etc. were hanging.  We were greeted by a couple of missionary Elder's--one from Pleasant Grove and the other from Bounteful.  We were so impressed with all the young men we saw in the halls dressed in suits and white shirts.  All the deacons wore suits.

We had Relief Society first and Sacrament meeting last.  So we went into Relief Society. The people were friendly and welcomed us. One sister came and sat by Holly and another young woman was by Tami so they began translating for them and sharing some English scriptures.  Someone went and made an English  copy of the Conference talk that the lesson was on so we could follow along.  During Sunday School class, another sister came and sat by me and was translating.  I just had trouble hearing well, even with hearing aids, but it was so kind of them to do that.

Then came Sacrament meeting.  Everything was in Norwegian, but we felt the Spirit.  The lady that was helping me was the organ player.  It came time for my song and I spoke a few words to them before I sang and expressed our thanks for the warm welcome and the privilege of being with them.  I told them about how we had met Mathew Isacsen by chance in the old church in Kongsberg where he was practicing the piano and how he had given us a private little concert and how much we appreciated that.  (He come into the meeting and happened to sit in the same row as us.  We were hoping to be able to speak to him afterward, but he disappeared quickly and we were sad that he didn't come and speak to us.) Anyway, back to the singing.  The Lord really blessed Tami and me and it went well.  Afterwards so many people came to me and Tami and thanked us.  Several said it brought tears to their eyes.  Several people said that was one of their favorite songs.  The Elder from Bountiful  went on and on about how much he enjoyed it and hearing it sung in English.  It was an honor for me to be able to sing for the Saints in Norway.  I will hold that memory dear.
I need to quit for now, but will continue the saga of our Sunday journey tomorrow.         

Kongsber Silver Mine, Saturday 25, 2010

We need to finish writing about some of our experiences in Kongsberg.  Marit said that she wanted to take us to the silver mines but she didn't want to go in.  We were concerned that it would be a long wait for her but she really wanted to take us and we were glad to spend more time with her.  She came and picked us up at the Hostel about 11am.  Marit had treated us to early dinner for 2 nights so we decided that it should be our treat this time. We had packed our lunched the day before but Marit and Gine bought us dinner so we hadn't used them. So we wanted to use them and packed one for Marit and thought it would be fun to treat her.  At the hostel you can make a lunch for about 45 NOK.  Every hostel or hotel offered these wonderful breakfasts and at first we couldn't believe that there were meats and cheeses, cucumbers and tomatoes, kaviar, fish dishes and some stuff we didn't recognize at every breakfast.  We finally realized that they were also setting out lunch stuff too if someone wanted to make and pay for it. But you wouldn't believe that people eat so much cheese and fish for breakfast too.  They need to cater to everyone.  I know that if a Norwegian came here to the USA and it said continental breakfast and all they got was a donut and orange juice, coffee or tea.  They would be very disappointed.  Sorry to break from the story but we looked forward to breakfast every morning because we were really only having 2 meals a day.  We went to their little grocery store to by some food and we would see prices like 3800 NOK for a candy bar and 7200 for a banana, 12900 for a bag of chips.  We surly thought we were going to starve to death that first few days.  We didn't think our money was going to last us for a week let alone 2 weeks. We felt like we were living the joke that Darrell tells so well.  How much is your bread? THAT HIGH! Oh Wow, well we have to have some bread!  How much is that Banana? THAT HIGH! We..ll we have to have something to eat.  OK we will buy one. The store clerks says "Thanks for not making fun of my hunch back".  We say "Hunch back!, I thought it was your bum!  Everything else was so HIGH!  
But we did so good that we were running around the airport looking for something that would be 40 NOK or less just to get rid of the change.  The bank won't exchange change back.  We are so funny.
     Back to the Silver Mine.  We know from the census that our relatives worked in the silver mines or connected to the workings of the mine.  The story is two children were playing on the hill tending a cow and it went to sharpening its horn in the dirt and it stirred up something shiny.  They picked up the shiny rocks and took it to their farmer father.  He knew it was silver and wanted to keep it quiet so he could be rich.  But the Danish King Christian IV heard about it and then sent his soldiers to claim it.  Then the mines were dug into the top of the mountain straight down.  The mine we visited was called the Kings mine and is the biggest and deepest.  We rode this enclosed mini train car into the mine.  They give you ear plugs to wear and the little cars only hold 6 people, knees interlocking with your across neighbor.  We stopped and got out in this hugh big area that was used to store valueables during the war.  They put painting, museum pieces etc and they told us that the 3 large glass chandaliers that were in the Kongsberg church were even stored in there.  Amazing. Halvor(guide) told us that the miners would wake with the church bells ringing about 3or4am and then walk up the mountain to the mines.  It would take 1-2 hrs for them to walk up the hills and then home again 1-2 hours but it was a long time before they built places for the men to live closer during the work week.  It was recorded that after the bells would ring that the hills would start swarming with men walking from every direction up the mountain.  That would be quite a site.  In the winter the men would walk up the hills and ski back home.  We call it cross country skiing for the fun, it was just a way of life and a necessity for them.     

Oslo, Norway-last leg of trip

Ok, so we fell down on the job these last few days.  We are staying in the Hostel in Oslo (it is all uphill - don't think we ever got a picture of it so you would know how very long and steep the hill was) and they have internet connection but not in the rooms, only in the public areas, so it has made it inconvient to try and post stuff.  We spent two days, Monday and Tuesday walking a lot.  We have seen the folk museum, just walked into the Viking Museum but didn't pay to look around.  Tuesday we saw the King's palace and the changing of the guards and a lot of statues.  We still have luggage stories and transportation nightmares but now we have added camera problems.  My camera battery died on Saturday in Kongsberg and went to change with the extra battery I bought just for the trip.  We have searched high and low and torn everything apart looking for it but it must be at home somewhere.  So we have just been using Holly's camera because has recharable battery but then her disk was full.  I thought I would come to the resuce with the extra disk I brought but alas it was a generic brand and could never get it to format so it would not work.   So in the middle of our Tuesday outing we are now camera less. We decided we are done.   I guess it is a good thing we are coming home tomorrow.   We have one last luggage dragging session and one last trying to find the right spot to catch the bus that goes out to the airport.  Wish us luck.

 Here are a few pictures but not really any commetary to go with them.  Thought we had more pictures of changing of the guard but remember they are on Holly's internal memory in her camera but don't know how to get to them.  So that's all folks.   I need to go pack and need to pack up the computer.  Bye bye from Norway.  When we post some more pictures we will be back home.  Tami


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One of those live statues



This is luggage we are glad we don't have to haul around.  At least ours has wheels.

 

Kongsberg Silver Mine 25 Sep 2010, Sat.

We visited the the Kongsberg Kings mine today, Saturday 25th Sep 2010.  Again, Marit was so kind to take us around today.  Marit picked us up around 11:00 am and we drove about 8 KM up the mountians to the hamlet of Saggrenda to the entrance of the mine.

 

Our tour guide was actually a Beck relative.  When he introduced himself as he started the tour he said his name was Halvor Saelebakke and middle name was Beck.  We realized later that he did it for our benefit.  He knew we were visiting today and did it probably as a way to see if we would come forward.  Of course, when we had a chance to talk with him we told him we were related to Beck's and he says " Oh are you Tamilyn Berry".  We talked how we would be related and we got his email for future contact.  It was his mother Karianne that was the Beck. 

As you can see it is cold down in the mine.  About 6 degrees Celsius. I will let you convert the temp and the m's.  We went 342 M below ground and 2,300 m into the deepest mountian.  

After the Mine tour we ate lunch that we brought in a little Kafe in one of the Museum buildings and went to the Souviner shops.  Halvor had told us there is a book that list some miners names in it and it has some Beck names but they didn't have that book available.  He told us he had the book and would scan the pages and send to us.  We are excited to see that and find out exactly how he ties in to our Becks.

Then Marit took us on a drive to see the countryside.  Again, we had a wonderful day that we will remember forever.  It will be hard to leave Kongsberg in the morning.  Love you all.  

 

Today was another special day. We had more plans with Marit to see some folk museums and such, but it was raining pretty hard. We were not concerned and looked forward to seeing her again. We knew that her sister Gine was going to go to her cabin and we were going to miss being with her today but looked forward to going back to be with Marit. We walked to Marit's flat and she said that if it was alright that we could change our plans and we told her that we had no set plans except to spend time with her if she liked. We sat and exchanged more information together.

 

We got very excited several times as we could see that doors were opening. We asked her several questions about places and homes if they might still exist, and she said that she knew what areas the places were and some did and others did not. She than planned a map and drove us around to show us these places. We got to see a part of the town we would have never ever got to see. She even showed us places that her grandparents and aunts, uncles lived and how it use to be only farm land and as usual it is being built up with new among the old. We took pictures even in the rain, of everything we could, even some beautiful flowers. It was so fun.

I had told her sister Gine on a past visit that my husband liked cheese and that I hoped to find him some good Norwegian cheese. Gine had told her sister Marit this and offered to go find some good cheese. It was fun to look in their store and have her help pick out some good Norwegian items to come home with, chocolate even. But believe it that they have candy similar and we could find Snicker bars and other of our favorites there in the store. We recognized many items like Uncle Ben's rice and products. Marit also did some lunch shopping and we then went to her flat and feasted on rolls and many different kinds of cheese, strawberries, cake donuts and some other fun stuff. We sat and talked about so many things.

 

We were there for hours and then she also offered to take us to the silver mine tour that we want to do in the morning. She said that it was also suppose to be better weather and that she would also take us to the folk museum place to see it. She has been such a gracious host and we have felt so comfortable, like we have known her forever. Every night we come home with such wonderful feelings and memories that we know that we have been truly blessed. As we were leaving Mom mentioned that she felt like Dad (Grandpa Berry)would have loved to be there and was the talker in the family. Mom also said that she felt like he was there in spirit. She also expressed that she felt the same with her grandfather and the others. It was so special that we all had tears. As Marit said many times it gave her chills and warmth in her heart. I wish I could remember her exact words. She expressed it many times in her stories of living in Jerusalam and many other places with her husband and 3 sons. Her husband was in the UN and they lived in Jerusalam for 6 years and she cried to have to leave. We could say much more but know that we have all felt the spirit of those before us.





House Marit was born in



area that Johan Pedersen Beck lived 1801 Census



Marit's Grandparents grocery store



Gine's Home




Kongsberg Hospital then Marit's School



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