Podcasts about Hardanger

Skandinavian Folklore and Feast Days.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.Syv Slags Kaker. (or, Seven Sorts of  Cookies)December 22nd – Evening, Five Days LaterJorunn said, “Well, Gunnar, we are back at our starting point, and this concludes the tour. We got off to a rough start on the first day, but since then, I have enjoyed spending time with you. After my mom got divorced, I stopped dating. Sure, I went out in mixed groups with my friends, but I cannot remember the last time I went somewhere, by myself, with a man. The divorce made me lose all confidence and trust in men. Why enter a relationship, and give my heart to a man, knowing it is going to fail? My father hurt my mother and me so badly, that neither of us have recovered. You were so wonderful to me this week, and showed me that not all men are like my father.”Jorunn looked at me with pleading eyes, “I don’t want this tour to end. I don’t want you to leave. Can you please stay in Oslo at least a few more days?”Jorunn didn’t want me to go. And I didn’t want to leave her either. I replied, “Jorunn, I cannot think of anyone or any place I would rather be than here in Oslo, with you.”Jorunn said, “It’s still early enough that we may be able to find seating without a reservation. I know a great place for seafood.”“Lead on,” I replied.Jorunn and I discussed the now-completed tour while enjoying a delicious dinner at a small kafé. I offered suggestions for the tour, but otherwise let her know I enjoyed seeing Norway, and I told her what a wonderful guide she was. After returning to America, I promised to recommend her tours to everyone I knew.As I looked over the dessert menu, I asked Jorunn, “I’m willing to stay a few more days. Are there any other Norwegian Christmas traditions or activities worth doing over the next few days?”“If you put down that dessert menu, there is one called Syv Slags Kaker. I baked seven kinds of cookies to celebrate Jul. If you come to my house, we can have coffee and you can sample all seven kinds.”“That sounds great,” I replied. Jorunn was inviting me to her home. She was beautiful and funny, and I admit I developed fantasies about her as I watched her vlog videos back in the nursing home. Heck, I even created new fantasies over the last week. She was much warmer toward me at the end of the tour. In Tromsø, we shared a blanket as we rode in a sleigh pulled by an actual reindeer. But after the Nutcracker ballet, I held back and did not cross any lines. Could a 56-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman have a sexual relationship? I managed to keep up with Jorunn all week and didn’t see any reason not to. I reached below the table to carefully re-position myself before standing up.We made our way to the Train Station and rode to Jorunn’s neighborhood. As we walked to her house, I noticed many homes with a lighted star in one of the windows.“What are those stars,” I asked.“They are a tradition in Norway. A star is lit on the first Sunday of Advent to help guide the Three Wise Men.”We stopped in front of a modest house. There was no star in the window, but I saw sheaves of oats hung from one of the trees. I was familiar with the tradition of putting out something for the birds in the frigid days of December. As we stepped inside, I was suddenly surprised. “Hi, Mom! I would like you to meet Gunnar Larsen.”“Good evening, Mr. Larsen. Jorunn has been sending me text messages all week about your exciting travels. I hope you enjoyed your tour. My name is Leah.”This was not what I expected. I hoped to be alone with Jorunn. The family resemblance was striking and quite apparent. Leah’s straight hair was a bit shorter than Jorunn’s but matched her daughter’s pure blonde color. Her blue eyes stood out from her attractive face. She was wearing a multi-colored Norwegian Dale sweater and green trousers. I possessed absolutely no experience telling how old Norwegian women are. She must be in her forties but looked younger.I said, “I enjoyed Jorunn’s tour very much. Your daughter is quite talented in many ways. Please, call me Gunnar.”Jorunn said, “Gunnar was asking about other Jul traditions and activities here in Norway over Christmas. I thought Syv Slags Kaker would be a good one, and your cookies are the best ones in Oslo. I’ll make us some coffee.”Leah looked at me, “Please sit Gunnar. How much longer will you be staying in Norway?”I replied, “About two more weeks. I wanted to celebrate the New Year here before returning to America.”I talked about the completed tour, and she seemed interested enough that I rambled on.“I really enjoyed visiting Lillehammer. It brought back memories of watching the 1994 Winter Olympics, probably my favorite one. The music was fantastic, and the woman who sang the Olympic Hymn at the opening ceremony possessed such a wonderful voice.”Leah replied, “Her name is Sissel Kyrkjebø. She is still extremely popular today, and we consider her a national treasure. I was 18 at the time, and worked at those Olympics.”“I’d love to hear more about that,” I replied. “It was nice to see many of the venues still being used. I also enjoyed the Olympic Museum in Maihaugen, which told the history of the 1994 Olympics. I was surprised to learn that Norway has won more Olympic medals than any other country. But the highlight for me was riding the chairlift to the top of the Lysgårdsbakkene ski jump. The views were amazing. I can’t imagine anyone being brave enough to make such a jump.”“I agree with you on that!” laughed Leah.I continued, “We also flew to Tromsø, and I got to see the Northern Lights. We can sometimes see them in southern Minnesota, but they were much more impressive here with the clear Norwegian air. Jorunn and I took a ride in a sleigh, pulled by actual reindeer. Reindeer are much larger than I thought. We visited a Sami farm, where we ate reindeer stew and learned about the Sami culture.”“I’ve never been, but I hear it’s really fun,” replied Leah.“Bærums Verk was also a highlight. You may already know that the town dates to the 1600s. I loved the old buildings and cobbled streets. Although the Christmas Market was small, I found it unique, with artisans selling handmade crafts. It was nice to see the old crafts like glassblowing, ironwork, and woodworking.”Jorunn returned with a large tray, holding coffee and cookies, and we began sampling.Leah asked, “Did you take Gunnar to Pepperkakebyen in Bergen? It’s a marvelous gingerbread village in my hometown. There are over 200 small gingerbread houses, and with the tiny lights turned on, it looks so real.”Jorunn replied, “A week goes by quickly, mamma. There is only so much time. The gingerbread houses are very nice, and I have fond memories of going there with you.”As we continued talking and munching cookies, I looked around at the decorations. There was an advent calendar, wreaths, angels, gnomes called nisse, hearts, stars, and candles. The decorations looked more natural, perhaps a bit less commercialized than in America. There was a real tree, complete with its wonderful pine smell, a star at the top, garland, tinsel, ornaments, and white lights.I looked at Leah, “I noticed that you don’t have a Christmas star in the window as many of the other houses do.”Leah replied, “I found my former husband in bed with another woman. I immediately divorced him. Among the many things he took from Jorunn and I, was our Christmas Star.”Leah sounded deeply hurt and from more than just the missing star. After tasting the last of the seven cookies, Leah asked how I liked them. “The waffle-like Krumkaker was probably my favorite. We tried making them in Minnesota, but yours turned out so much better. And, of course, the Pepperkaker gingerbread stars were great.” I held up another cookie and said, “I don’t know the name of this one, but it was also excellent.”Leah replied, “That one is Serinakaker, a Norwegian butter cookie.”I realized the inevitable, “It is getting late. Thank you both, Leah and Jorunn, for a wonderful evening. I need to get back to my hotel and figure out what to do over the next few days.”I saw Jorunn look at her mother, who nodded. As I stood up, Leah did too. “Nonsense, Gunnar. I won’t have it. Come, spend Christmas with Jorunn and me! Nearly everything in Oslo shuts down in the afternoon on Christmas Eve and stays closed until the 27th. No restaurants or shops will be open. I have an unused bedroom upstairs. Come celebrate Jul with us.”I caught the signal between mother and daughter and wondered if this was pre-planned. But spending Christmas alone in my hotel sounded almost as bad as spending it alone in the nursing home. It was an easy decision. “I accept.”Leah said, “Good. I’ll stop by your hotel tomorrow and help you move your things. Perhaps we can have lunch as well at one of the restaurants along Karl Johans gate.”“It would be my pleasure, ” I replied. “Let’s say, about 11:00 AM”Little Christmas EveDecember 23rd - MorningIt was December 23rd, known in Norway as Lille Julaften. Spending Christmas with Leah and Jorunn created a problem for me. I needed to find at least one Christmas present for each, just in case they bought a gift for me. I got up early and headed out to search. Reflecting on last night, and indeed, the last week, it ended up being far simpler than I feared. I soon found a gift for each, along with reusable cloth gift bags in Christmas colors.I heard a knock on my hotel door and opened it. Leah stood there, holding a coat over her arm. She was wearing a traditional Norwegian folk costume called a bunad. Her blonde hair, simply styled, was highlighted by two attractive braids.I smiled and said, “What a pleasant surprise. You look like you just stepped out of a fairy tale.”She looked past me into the messy room, then took a step toward me and surprised me with a kiss on my cheek. She stepped back and started laughing. “It didn’t work. I am a fairy tale princess, but you are still a frog! It looks like we have some work to do cleaning up your lily pad.”As Leah entered the room, I said, “I already packed a small bag, enough for a few days.”Leah walked over to the pile of clothes from my week-long trip. She picked up a shirt and sniffed it. Then she pulled a wool sweater out from the pile. “Keep your wool sweaters away from the rest of your dirty clothes. Wool is harder to clean and may pick up the smell. Let me see what else you packed.”Leah dumped out my small gym bag onto the bed and then began tossing things aside. “This won’t do. We need to take all of your clothes back to my house and wash them.”Fond memories returned. Whenever we went on a trip, Solveig would always dump out my suitcase and re-load it with other clothes. Solvieg would also pick out clothes for me to wear whenever we dressed to go out to weddings or a party.Leah said, “Don’t expect me to wash them for you. I have other things to do to get ready for Christmas. You’ll have enough free time you can wash them yourself. We will gather everything up after we come back from lunch.”What a woman! I can see where Jorunn inherited her strong personality. We left my hotel, and Leah took me to one of her favorite kafés. As we walked, Leah’s bunad drew eyes, and attracted smiles, as if she were a magnet. As we waited for our food, I asked Leah about her bunad.Leah replied, “I don’t get to wear my bunad very often. I usually wear it for National Day in May, and for weddings and baptisms, but I haven’t been to many of those lately. Christmas is also an acceptable time to wear it.”Leah wore the traditional white blouse with a silver neckpin. Her vest was bright red with a handmade breastplate. Her navy skirt was trimmed with intricate embroidery, and covered in front by a white apron. Around her waist and running down the front was a decorative handwoven belt.“I grew up east of Bergen, in the Hardanger region, so my bunad is in the Hardanger style. While details may vary, you can tell where someone is from by which style of bunad they are wearing. It would not be proper to choose a bunad from a different region simply because you prefer a different color.”“That’s a lovely silver brooch you have on. It looks very old.”“It was my grandmother’s. Norwegians have a spiritual connection to silver, and silver brooches are handed down for many generations. One day, it will be Jorunn’s.”The food was excellent. I have not eaten a bad meal here in Norway. Leah was a great conversationalist, and she freely shared her humor and wit. Her stories from the 1994 Olympics were fascinating, and even though Jorunn and I were just there, I wanted to go back. I learned Leah worked as a radiology technician at a local hospital here in Oslo and took the entire holiday off. The meal finished too quickly, and we returned to my hotel.As we gathered my assorted clothing, I saw one of my socks on the floor, so I walked around Leah to pick it up. Turning quickly, I found myself face-to-face with her. We stared at each other for a moment, then moved at the same time. Our lips came together, and we kissed. Not a gentle kiss, but a passionate one, long and deep. Intentions were clear on both sides.We separated. Leah said, “I have not had sex since divorcing my husband nearly three years ago. That bastard took away more than my Christmas Star, he took away my trust in men. I am forty-seven years old. I never go out on dates, because I’m afraid to open my heart again to another man. Jorunn texted me every night for the past week and would send short videos she took during the day. She kept repeating how much fun she was having with you, and how nice a man you are. I know it sounds funny, but after watching and reading what Jorunn sent me, I feel like I already know you, and have made it past the first date. I know you lost the woman you loved. I cannot replace her in your heart, but if you are ready, I would like to share mine.”This was unexpected. “When I was in Minnesota, I watched Jorunn’s vlog almost every night. She is so sweet and funny and does such an excellent job. Even though I never met Jorunn, I felt like I knew her. To use your dating analogy, it’s one of the reasons I picked her as a tour guide. I felt comfortable with Jorunn and was too afraid to trust another tour company. When I came to Norway, I left my past behind. It is time for me to find something, or someone, to love.”Our bodies came together, and our lips re-joined. Any fears of rejection vanished as I locked my lips onto those of this beautiful Norwegian woman. Our tongues danced with each other, while our hands moved quickly over each other’s bodies.“Help me take off my bunad,” pleaded Leah.Together, we unclasped, unbuckled, unbuttoned, and untied, removing one layer at a time of the intricate bunad and laying it over a chair. It was like slowly opening the best Christmas present I have ever gotten, as more of Leah’s body slowly revealed itself to me. Her breasts were small, but firm, and went well with her slender frame. I forgot how delicate a woman’s features are, and Leah’s body was perfect in every way. Below her waist, I found a mound of pure blonde hair, barely darker than the color on her head.“I have no other words, you are truly a gorgeous woman, Leah.”“Thank you, Gunnar. Now it’s my turn to have fun.”Leah approached me. With small steps, she moved gracefully. She lifted my pullover shirt, pausing as it obscured my eyes. “Don’t take your shirt off. Just enjoy the sensations.” In the darkness, her fingers teasingly played with the hairs on my chest. A fingernail flicked back and forth over my nipple, drawing it to an erection. Moving lower, Leah unbuckled my trousers and slid them down, taking my knickers with them. I was not yet erect, but moving rapidly in that direction. Cool fingers wrapped around my cock and lifted, while a single fingernail twirled against my ball sack. Her tongue dragged across the tip of my cock. Then, Leah’s hands moved behind me to cup and squeeze my bum cheeks. Her warm breath washed over my cock.Leah stood and pulled my shirt the rest of the way off, and I stepped out of my trousers. We remained like this, both naked, looking longingly at each other. Leah reached up and touched my hair. “You have just a touch of grey. I like that. Few mature men are as blessed as you, with a firm, lean body. I see all kinds of patients. You look like a forty-year-old.”I suppose that was one benefit of eating the low-fat, low-sugar, and tasteless nursing home food. I lost nearly thirty pounds. “I am older than I look, and you should know that I had a stroke two years ago. I am doing much better, but still have a balance issue, and sometimes slur my words."Slurring your words might just be because you have a lazy tongue. Perhaps we can find a way to fix that later.”For a moment, I wondered what she meant, then hoped my notions might come true. Leah dropped to her knees directly in front of me and ran a finger along my nearly erect shaft. “It feels so nice to touch a real one again. What a lovely cock you have.”I said, “I’m sorry. I don’t have a very large penis.”Leah laughed, “Anything more than a mouthful is just wasted. Now let’s begin. I will say a Norwegian word, and you repeat it. Listen carefully to my pronunciation and maybe we can fix your American accent.”Leah said, “Penis.” Then she grabbed my cock with her right hand.This might be fun, so I replied, “Penis!”Leah whispered, “Rub.” Then she began gently sliding her hand along my shaft. Without any lubrication, there was quite a bit of friction.I replied, “Rub!”Leah said, “Lick.” Leah extended her tongue, and starting near the base, began leaving wet trails along each side of my glistening cock. The warm softness of her tongue brought me to full erection.It felt fantastic, and I gasped out, “Lick!”Leah said, “Suck.” She opened her mouth wide and took in the head of my cock, using her tongue to tease the underside. Bringing her lips together, I felt the insides of her mouth pressing inward and squeezing tightly against me. When her suction began, she pulled the head of my cock deeper into her mouth. Leah’s head pulled back ever so slightly, allowing her soft lips to glide over me until my cock was almost freed. But not quite. Using the extra room, Leah teased my opening with the tip of her tongue. From the way her tongue easily twirled around, I was certain I contributed my pre-cum.Then her suction pulled me deeper into her mouth. She look

Skandinavian Folklore and Feast Days.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.Syv Slags Kaker. (or, Seven Sorts of  Cookies)December 22nd – Evening, Five Days LaterJorunn said, “Well, Gunnar, we are back at our starting point, and this concludes the tour. We got off to a rough start on the first day, but since then, I have enjoyed spending time with you. After my mom got divorced, I stopped dating. Sure, I went out in mixed groups with my friends, but I cannot remember the last time I went somewhere, by myself, with a man. The divorce made me lose all confidence and trust in men. Why enter a relationship, and give my heart to a man, knowing it is going to fail? My father hurt my mother and me so badly, that neither of us have recovered. You were so wonderful to me this week, and showed me that not all men are like my father.”Jorunn looked at me with pleading eyes, “I don’t want this tour to end. I don’t want you to leave. Can you please stay in Oslo at least a few more days?”Jorunn didn’t want me to go. And I didn’t want to leave her either. I replied, “Jorunn, I cannot think of anyone or any place I would rather be than here in Oslo, with you.”Jorunn said, “It’s still early enough that we may be able to find seating without a reservation. I know a great place for seafood.”“Lead on,” I replied.Jorunn and I discussed the now-completed tour while enjoying a delicious dinner at a small kafé. I offered suggestions for the tour, but otherwise let her know I enjoyed seeing Norway, and I told her what a wonderful guide she was. After returning to America, I promised to recommend her tours to everyone I knew.As I looked over the dessert menu, I asked Jorunn, “I’m willing to stay a few more days. Are there any other Norwegian Christmas traditions or activities worth doing over the next few days?”“If you put down that dessert menu, there is one called Syv Slags Kaker. I baked seven kinds of cookies to celebrate Jul. If you come to my house, we can have coffee and you can sample all seven kinds.”“That sounds great,” I replied. Jorunn was inviting me to her home. She was beautiful and funny, and I admit I developed fantasies about her as I watched her vlog videos back in the nursing home. Heck, I even created new fantasies over the last week. She was much warmer toward me at the end of the tour. In Tromsø, we shared a blanket as we rode in a sleigh pulled by an actual reindeer. But after the Nutcracker ballet, I held back and did not cross any lines. Could a 56-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman have a sexual relationship? I managed to keep up with Jorunn all week and didn’t see any reason not to. I reached below the table to carefully re-position myself before standing up.We made our way to the Train Station and rode to Jorunn’s neighborhood. As we walked to her house, I noticed many homes with a lighted star in one of the windows.“What are those stars,” I asked.“They are a tradition in Norway. A star is lit on the first Sunday of Advent to help guide the Three Wise Men.”We stopped in front of a modest house. There was no star in the window, but I saw sheaves of oats hung from one of the trees. I was familiar with the tradition of putting out something for the birds in the frigid days of December. As we stepped inside, I was suddenly surprised. “Hi, Mom! I would like you to meet Gunnar Larsen.”“Good evening, Mr. Larsen. Jorunn has been sending me text messages all week about your exciting travels. I hope you enjoyed your tour. My name is Leah.”This was not what I expected. I hoped to be alone with Jorunn. The family resemblance was striking and quite apparent. Leah’s straight hair was a bit shorter than Jorunn’s but matched her daughter’s pure blonde color. Her blue eyes stood out from her attractive face. She was wearing a multi-colored Norwegian Dale sweater and green trousers. I possessed absolutely no experience telling how old Norwegian women are. She must be in her forties but looked younger.I said, “I enjoyed Jorunn’s tour very much. Your daughter is quite talented in many ways. Please, call me Gunnar.”Jorunn said, “Gunnar was asking about other Jul traditions and activities here in Norway over Christmas. I thought Syv Slags Kaker would be a good one, and your cookies are the best ones in Oslo. I’ll make us some coffee.”Leah looked at me, “Please sit Gunnar. How much longer will you be staying in Norway?”I replied, “About two more weeks. I wanted to celebrate the New Year here before returning to America.”I talked about the completed tour, and she seemed interested enough that I rambled on.“I really enjoyed visiting Lillehammer. It brought back memories of watching the 1994 Winter Olympics, probably my favorite one. The music was fantastic, and the woman who sang the Olympic Hymn at the opening ceremony possessed such a wonderful voice.”Leah replied, “Her name is Sissel Kyrkjebø. She is still extremely popular today, and we consider her a national treasure. I was 18 at the time, and worked at those Olympics.”“I’d love to hear more about that,” I replied. “It was nice to see many of the venues still being used. I also enjoyed the Olympic Museum in Maihaugen, which told the history of the 1994 Olympics. I was surprised to learn that Norway has won more Olympic medals than any other country. But the highlight for me was riding the chairlift to the top of the Lysgårdsbakkene ski jump. The views were amazing. I can’t imagine anyone being brave enough to make such a jump.”“I agree with you on that!” laughed Leah.I continued, “We also flew to Tromsø, and I got to see the Northern Lights. We can sometimes see them in southern Minnesota, but they were much more impressive here with the clear Norwegian air. Jorunn and I took a ride in a sleigh, pulled by actual reindeer. Reindeer are much larger than I thought. We visited a Sami farm, where we ate reindeer stew and learned about the Sami culture.”“I’ve never been, but I hear it’s really fun,” replied Leah.“Bærums Verk was also a highlight. You may already know that the town dates to the 1600s. I loved the old buildings and cobbled streets. Although the Christmas Market was small, I found it unique, with artisans selling handmade crafts. It was nice to see the old crafts like glassblowing, ironwork, and woodworking.”Jorunn returned with a large tray, holding coffee and cookies, and we began sampling.Leah asked, “Did you take Gunnar to Pepperkakebyen in Bergen? It’s a marvelous gingerbread village in my hometown. There are over 200 small gingerbread houses, and with the tiny lights turned on, it looks so real.”Jorunn replied, “A week goes by quickly, mamma. There is only so much time. The gingerbread houses are very nice, and I have fond memories of going there with you.”As we continued talking and munching cookies, I looked around at the decorations. There was an advent calendar, wreaths, angels, gnomes called nisse, hearts, stars, and candles. The decorations looked more natural, perhaps a bit less commercialized than in America. There was a real tree, complete with its wonderful pine smell, a star at the top, garland, tinsel, ornaments, and white lights.I looked at Leah, “I noticed that you don’t have a Christmas star in the window as many of the other houses do.”Leah replied, “I found my former husband in bed with another woman. I immediately divorced him. Among the many things he took from Jorunn and I, was our Christmas Star.”Leah sounded deeply hurt and from more than just the missing star. After tasting the last of the seven cookies, Leah asked how I liked them. “The waffle-like Krumkaker was probably my favorite. We tried making them in Minnesota, but yours turned out so much better. And, of course, the Pepperkaker gingerbread stars were great.” I held up another cookie and said, “I don’t know the name of this one, but it was also excellent.”Leah replied, “That one is Serinakaker, a Norwegian butter cookie.”I realized the inevitable, “It is getting late. Thank you both, Leah and Jorunn, for a wonderful evening. I need to get back to my hotel and figure out what to do over the next few days.”I saw Jorunn look at her mother, who nodded. As I stood up, Leah did too. “Nonsense, Gunnar. I won’t have it. Come, spend Christmas with Jorunn and me! Nearly everything in Oslo shuts down in the afternoon on Christmas Eve and stays closed until the 27th. No restaurants or shops will be open. I have an unused bedroom upstairs. Come celebrate Jul with us.”I caught the signal between mother and daughter and wondered if this was pre-planned. But spending Christmas alone in my hotel sounded almost as bad as spending it alone in the nursing home. It was an easy decision. “I accept.”Leah said, “Good. I’ll stop by your hotel tomorrow and help you move your things. Perhaps we can have lunch as well at one of the restaurants along Karl Johans gate.”“It would be my pleasure, ” I replied. “Let’s say, about 11:00 AM”Little Christmas EveDecember 23rd - MorningIt was December 23rd, known in Norway as Lille Julaften. Spending Christmas with Leah and Jorunn created a problem for me. I needed to find at least one Christmas present for each, just in case they bought a gift for me. I got up early and headed out to search. Reflecting on last night, and indeed, the last week, it ended up being far simpler than I feared. I soon found a gift for each, along with reusable cloth gift bags in Christmas colors.I heard a knock on my hotel door and opened it. Leah stood there, holding a coat over her arm. She was wearing a traditional Norwegian folk costume called a bunad. Her blonde hair, simply styled, was highlighted by two attractive braids.I smiled and said, “What a pleasant surprise. You look like you just stepped out of a fairy tale.”She looked past me into the messy room, then took a step toward me and surprised me with a kiss on my cheek. She stepped back and started laughing. “It didn’t work. I am a fairy tale princess, but you are still a frog! It looks like we have some work to do cleaning up your lily pad.”As Leah entered the room, I said, “I already packed a small bag, enough for a few days.”Leah walked over to the pile of clothes from my week-long trip. She picked up a shirt and sniffed it. Then she pulled a wool sweater out from the pile. “Keep your wool sweaters away from the rest of your dirty clothes. Wool is harder to clean and may pick up the smell. Let me see what else you packed.”Leah dumped out my small gym bag onto the bed and then began tossing things aside. “This won’t do. We need to take all of your clothes back to my house and wash them.”Fond memories returned. Whenever we went on a trip, Solveig would always dump out my suitcase and re-load it with other clothes. Solvieg would also pick out clothes for me to wear whenever we dressed to go out to weddings or a party.Leah said, “Don’t expect me to wash them for you. I have other things to do to get ready for Christmas. You’ll have enough free time you can wash them yourself. We will gather everything up after we come back from lunch.”What a woman! I can see where Jorunn inherited her strong personality. We left my hotel, and Leah took me to one of her favorite kafés. As we walked, Leah’s bunad drew eyes, and attracted smiles, as if she were a magnet. As we waited for our food, I asked Leah about her bunad.Leah replied, “I don’t get to wear my bunad very often. I usually wear it for National Day in May, and for weddings and baptisms, but I haven’t been to many of those lately. Christmas is also an acceptable time to wear it.”Leah wore the traditional white blouse with a silver neckpin. Her vest was bright red with a handmade breastplate. Her navy skirt was trimmed with intricate embroidery, and covered in front by a white apron. Around her waist and running down the front was a decorative handwoven belt.“I grew up east of Bergen, in the Hardanger region, so my bunad is in the Hardanger style. While details may vary, you can tell where someone is from by which style of bunad they are wearing. It would not be proper to choose a bunad from a different region simply because you prefer a different color.”“That’s a lovely silver brooch you have on. It looks very old.”“It was my grandmother’s. Norwegians have a spiritual connection to silver, and silver brooches are handed down for many generations. One day, it will be Jorunn’s.”The food was excellent. I have not eaten a bad meal here in Norway. Leah was a great conversationalist, and she freely shared her humor and wit. Her stories from the 1994 Olympics were fascinating, and even though Jorunn and I were just there, I wanted to go back. I learned Leah worked as a radiology technician at a local hospital here in Oslo and took the entire holiday off. The meal finished too quickly, and we returned to my hotel.As we gathered my assorted clothing, I saw one of my socks on the floor, so I walked around Leah to pick it up. Turning quickly, I found myself face-to-face with her. We stared at each other for a moment, then moved at the same time. Our lips came together, and we kissed. Not a gentle kiss, but a passionate one, long and deep. Intentions were clear on both sides.We separated. Leah said, “I have not had sex since divorcing my husband nearly three years ago. That bastard took away more than my Christmas Star, he took away my trust in men. I am forty-seven years old. I never go out on dates, because I’m afraid to open my heart again to another man. Jorunn texted me every night for the past week and would send short videos she took during the day. She kept repeating how much fun she was having with you, and how nice a man you are. I know it sounds funny, but after watching and reading what Jorunn sent me, I feel like I already know you, and have made it past the first date. I know you lost the woman you loved. I cannot replace her in your heart, but if you are ready, I would like to share mine.”This was unexpected. “When I was in Minnesota, I watched Jorunn’s vlog almost every night. She is so sweet and funny and does such an excellent job. Even though I never met Jorunn, I felt like I knew her. To use your dating analogy, it’s one of the reasons I picked her as a tour guide. I felt comfortable with Jorunn and was too afraid to trust another tour company. When I came to Norway, I left my past behind. It is time for me to find something, or someone, to love.”Our bodies came together, and our lips re-joined. Any fears of rejection vanished as I locked my lips onto those of this beautiful Norwegian woman. Our tongues danced with each other, while our hands moved quickly over each other’s bodies.“Help me take off my bunad,” pleaded Leah.Together, we unclasped, unbuckled, unbuttoned, and untied, removing one layer at a time of the intricate bunad and laying it over a chair. It was like slowly opening the best Christmas present I have ever gotten, as more of Leah’s body slowly revealed itself to me. Her breasts were small, but firm, and went well with her slender frame. I forgot how delicate a woman’s features are, and Leah’s body was perfect in every way. Below her waist, I found a mound of pure blonde hair, barely darker than the color on her head.“I have no other words, you are truly a gorgeous woman, Leah.”“Thank you, Gunnar. Now it’s my turn to have fun.”Leah approached me. With small steps, she moved gracefully. She lifted my pullover shirt, pausing as it obscured my eyes. “Don’t take your shirt off. Just enjoy the sensations.” In the darkness, her fingers teasingly played with the hairs on my chest. A fingernail flicked back and forth over my nipple, drawing it to an erection. Moving lower, Leah unbuckled my trousers and slid them down, taking my knickers with them. I was not yet erect, but moving rapidly in that direction. Cool fingers wrapped around my cock and lifted, while a single fingernail twirled against my ball sack. Her tongue dragged across the tip of my cock. Then, Leah’s hands moved behind me to cup and squeeze my bum cheeks. Her warm breath washed over my cock.Leah stood and pulled my shirt the rest of the way off, and I stepped out of my trousers. We remained like this, both naked, looking longingly at each other. Leah reached up and touched my hair. “You have just a touch of grey. I like that. Few mature men are as blessed as you, with a firm, lean body. I see all kinds of patients. You look like a forty-year-old.”I suppose that was one benefit of eating the low-fat, low-sugar, and tasteless nursing home food. I lost nearly thirty pounds. “I am older than I look, and you should know that I had a stroke two years ago. I am doing much better, but still have a balance issue, and sometimes slur my words."Slurring your words might just be because you have a lazy tongue. Perhaps we can find a way to fix that later.”For a moment, I wondered what she meant, then hoped my notions might come true. Leah dropped to her knees directly in front of me and ran a finger along my nearly erect shaft. “It feels so nice to touch a real one again. What a lovely cock you have.”I said, “I’m sorry. I don’t have a very large penis.”Leah laughed, “Anything more than a mouthful is just wasted. Now let’s begin. I will say a Norwegian word, and you repeat it. Listen carefully to my pronunciation and maybe we can fix your American accent.”Leah said, “Penis.” Then she grabbed my cock with her right hand.This might be fun, so I replied, “Penis!”Leah whispered, “Rub.” Then she began gently sliding her hand along my shaft. Without any lubrication, there was quite a bit of friction.I replied, “Rub!”Leah said, “Lick.” Leah extended her tongue, and starting near the base, began leaving wet trails along each side of my glistening cock. The warm softness of her tongue brought me to full erection.It felt fantastic, and I gasped out, “Lick!”Leah said, “Suck.” She opened her mouth wide and took in the head of my cock, using her tongue to tease the underside. Bringing her lips together, I felt the insides of her mouth pressing inward and squeezing tightly against me. When her suction began, she pulled the head of my cock deeper into her mouth. Leah’s head pulled back ever so slightly, allowing her soft lips to glide over me until my cock was almost freed. But not quite. Using the extra room, Leah teased my opening with the tip of her tongue. From the way her tongue easily twirled around, I was certain I contributed my pre-cum.Then her suction pulled me deeper into her mouth. She look

Skandinavian Folklore and Feast Days.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.Syv Slags Kaker. (or, Seven Sorts of  Cookies)December 22nd – Evening, Five Days LaterJorunn said, “Well, Gunnar, we are back at our starting point, and this concludes the tour. We got off to a rough start on the first day, but since then, I have enjoyed spending time with you. After my mom got divorced, I stopped dating. Sure, I went out in mixed groups with my friends, but I cannot remember the last time I went somewhere, by myself, with a man. The divorce made me lose all confidence and trust in men. Why enter a relationship, and give my heart to a man, knowing it is going to fail? My father hurt my mother and me so badly, that neither of us have recovered. You were so wonderful to me this week, and showed me that not all men are like my father.”Jorunn looked at me with pleading eyes, “I don’t want this tour to end. I don’t want you to leave. Can you please stay in Oslo at least a few more days?”Jorunn didn’t want me to go. And I didn’t want to leave her either. I replied, “Jorunn, I cannot think of anyone or any place I would rather be than here in Oslo, with you.”Jorunn said, “It’s still early enough that we may be able to find seating without a reservation. I know a great place for seafood.”“Lead on,” I replied.Jorunn and I discussed the now-completed tour while enjoying a delicious dinner at a small kafé. I offered suggestions for the tour, but otherwise let her know I enjoyed seeing Norway, and I told her what a wonderful guide she was. After returning to America, I promised to recommend her tours to everyone I knew.As I looked over the dessert menu, I asked Jorunn, “I’m willing to stay a few more days. Are there any other Norwegian Christmas traditions or activities worth doing over the next few days?”“If you put down that dessert menu, there is one called Syv Slags Kaker. I baked seven kinds of cookies to celebrate Jul. If you come to my house, we can have coffee and you can sample all seven kinds.”“That sounds great,” I replied. Jorunn was inviting me to her home. She was beautiful and funny, and I admit I developed fantasies about her as I watched her vlog videos back in the nursing home. Heck, I even created new fantasies over the last week. She was much warmer toward me at the end of the tour. In Tromsø, we shared a blanket as we rode in a sleigh pulled by an actual reindeer. But after the Nutcracker ballet, I held back and did not cross any lines. Could a 56-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman have a sexual relationship? I managed to keep up with Jorunn all week and didn’t see any reason not to. I reached below the table to carefully re-position myself before standing up.We made our way to the Train Station and rode to Jorunn’s neighborhood. As we walked to her house, I noticed many homes with a lighted star in one of the windows.“What are those stars,” I asked.“They are a tradition in Norway. A star is lit on the first Sunday of Advent to help guide the Three Wise Men.”We stopped in front of a modest house. There was no star in the window, but I saw sheaves of oats hung from one of the trees. I was familiar with the tradition of putting out something for the birds in the frigid days of December. As we stepped inside, I was suddenly surprised. “Hi, Mom! I would like you to meet Gunnar Larsen.”“Good evening, Mr. Larsen. Jorunn has been sending me text messages all week about your exciting travels. I hope you enjoyed your tour. My name is Leah.”This was not what I expected. I hoped to be alone with Jorunn. The family resemblance was striking and quite apparent. Leah’s straight hair was a bit shorter than Jorunn’s but matched her daughter’s pure blonde color. Her blue eyes stood out from her attractive face. She was wearing a multi-colored Norwegian Dale sweater and green trousers. I possessed absolutely no experience telling how old Norwegian women are. She must be in her forties but looked younger.I said, “I enjoyed Jorunn’s tour very much. Your daughter is quite talented in many ways. Please, call me Gunnar.”Jorunn said, “Gunnar was asking about other Jul traditions and activities here in Norway over Christmas. I thought Syv Slags Kaker would be a good one, and your cookies are the best ones in Oslo. I’ll make us some coffee.”Leah looked at me, “Please sit Gunnar. How much longer will you be staying in Norway?”I replied, “About two more weeks. I wanted to celebrate the New Year here before returning to America.”I talked about the completed tour, and she seemed interested enough that I rambled on.“I really enjoyed visiting Lillehammer. It brought back memories of watching the 1994 Winter Olympics, probably my favorite one. The music was fantastic, and the woman who sang the Olympic Hymn at the opening ceremony possessed such a wonderful voice.”Leah replied, “Her name is Sissel Kyrkjebø. She is still extremely popular today, and we consider her a national treasure. I was 18 at the time, and worked at those Olympics.”“I’d love to hear more about that,” I replied. “It was nice to see many of the venues still being used. I also enjoyed the Olympic Museum in Maihaugen, which told the history of the 1994 Olympics. I was surprised to learn that Norway has won more Olympic medals than any other country. But the highlight for me was riding the chairlift to the top of the Lysgårdsbakkene ski jump. The views were amazing. I can’t imagine anyone being brave enough to make such a jump.”“I agree with you on that!” laughed Leah.I continued, “We also flew to Tromsø, and I got to see the Northern Lights. We can sometimes see them in southern Minnesota, but they were much more impressive here with the clear Norwegian air. Jorunn and I took a ride in a sleigh, pulled by actual reindeer. Reindeer are much larger than I thought. We visited a Sami farm, where we ate reindeer stew and learned about the Sami culture.”“I’ve never been, but I hear it’s really fun,” replied Leah.“Bærums Verk was also a highlight. You may already know that the town dates to the 1600s. I loved the old buildings and cobbled streets. Although the Christmas Market was small, I found it unique, with artisans selling handmade crafts. It was nice to see the old crafts like glassblowing, ironwork, and woodworking.”Jorunn returned with a large tray, holding coffee and cookies, and we began sampling.Leah asked, “Did you take Gunnar to Pepperkakebyen in Bergen? It’s a marvelous gingerbread village in my hometown. There are over 200 small gingerbread houses, and with the tiny lights turned on, it looks so real.”Jorunn replied, “A week goes by quickly, mamma. There is only so much time. The gingerbread houses are very nice, and I have fond memories of going there with you.”As we continued talking and munching cookies, I looked around at the decorations. There was an advent calendar, wreaths, angels, gnomes called nisse, hearts, stars, and candles. The decorations looked more natural, perhaps a bit less commercialized than in America. There was a real tree, complete with its wonderful pine smell, a star at the top, garland, tinsel, ornaments, and white lights.I looked at Leah, “I noticed that you don’t have a Christmas star in the window as many of the other houses do.”Leah replied, “I found my former husband in bed with another woman. I immediately divorced him. Among the many things he took from Jorunn and I, was our Christmas Star.”Leah sounded deeply hurt and from more than just the missing star. After tasting the last of the seven cookies, Leah asked how I liked them. “The waffle-like Krumkaker was probably my favorite. We tried making them in Minnesota, but yours turned out so much better. And, of course, the Pepperkaker gingerbread stars were great.” I held up another cookie and said, “I don’t know the name of this one, but it was also excellent.”Leah replied, “That one is Serinakaker, a Norwegian butter cookie.”I realized the inevitable, “It is getting late. Thank you both, Leah and Jorunn, for a wonderful evening. I need to get back to my hotel and figure out what to do over the next few days.”I saw Jorunn look at her mother, who nodded. As I stood up, Leah did too. “Nonsense, Gunnar. I won’t have it. Come, spend Christmas with Jorunn and me! Nearly everything in Oslo shuts down in the afternoon on Christmas Eve and stays closed until the 27th. No restaurants or shops will be open. I have an unused bedroom upstairs. Come celebrate Jul with us.”I caught the signal between mother and daughter and wondered if this was pre-planned. But spending Christmas alone in my hotel sounded almost as bad as spending it alone in the nursing home. It was an easy decision. “I accept.”Leah said, “Good. I’ll stop by your hotel tomorrow and help you move your things. Perhaps we can have lunch as well at one of the restaurants along Karl Johans gate.”“It would be my pleasure, ” I replied. “Let’s say, about 11:00 AM”Little Christmas EveDecember 23rd - MorningIt was December 23rd, known in Norway as Lille Julaften. Spending Christmas with Leah and Jorunn created a problem for me. I needed to find at least one Christmas present for each, just in case they bought a gift for me. I got up early and headed out to search. Reflecting on last night, and indeed, the last week, it ended up being far simpler than I feared. I soon found a gift for each, along with reusable cloth gift bags in Christmas colors.I heard a knock on my hotel door and opened it. Leah stood there, holding a coat over her arm. She was wearing a traditional Norwegian folk costume called a bunad. Her blonde hair, simply styled, was highlighted by two attractive braids.I smiled and said, “What a pleasant surprise. You look like you just stepped out of a fairy tale.”She looked past me into the messy room, then took a step toward me and surprised me with a kiss on my cheek. She stepped back and started laughing. “It didn’t work. I am a fairy tale princess, but you are still a frog! It looks like we have some work to do cleaning up your lily pad.”As Leah entered the room, I said, “I already packed a small bag, enough for a few days.”Leah walked over to the pile of clothes from my week-long trip. She picked up a shirt and sniffed it. Then she pulled a wool sweater out from the pile. “Keep your wool sweaters away from the rest of your dirty clothes. Wool is harder to clean and may pick up the smell. Let me see what else you packed.”Leah dumped out my small gym bag onto the bed and then began tossing things aside. “This won’t do. We need to take all of your clothes back to my house and wash them.”Fond memories returned. Whenever we went on a trip, Solveig would always dump out my suitcase and re-load it with other clothes. Solvieg would also pick out clothes for me to wear whenever we dressed to go out to weddings or a party.Leah said, “Don’t expect me to wash them for you. I have other things to do to get ready for Christmas. You’ll have enough free time you can wash them yourself. We will gather everything up after we come back from lunch.”What a woman! I can see where Jorunn inherited her strong personality. We left my hotel, and Leah took me to one of her favorite kafés. As we walked, Leah’s bunad drew eyes, and attracted smiles, as if she were a magnet. As we waited for our food, I asked Leah about her bunad.Leah replied, “I don’t get to wear my bunad very often. I usually wear it for National Day in May, and for weddings and baptisms, but I haven’t been to many of those lately. Christmas is also an acceptable time to wear it.”Leah wore the traditional white blouse with a silver neckpin. Her vest was bright red with a handmade breastplate. Her navy skirt was trimmed with intricate embroidery, and covered in front by a white apron. Around her waist and running down the front was a decorative handwoven belt.“I grew up east of Bergen, in the Hardanger region, so my bunad is in the Hardanger style. While details may vary, you can tell where someone is from by which style of bunad they are wearing. It would not be proper to choose a bunad from a different region simply because you prefer a different color.”“That’s a lovely silver brooch you have on. It looks very old.”“It was my grandmother’s. Norwegians have a spiritual connection to silver, and silver brooches are handed down for many generations. One day, it will be Jorunn’s.”The food was excellent. I have not eaten a bad meal here in Norway. Leah was a great conversationalist, and she freely shared her humor and wit. Her stories from the 1994 Olympics were fascinating, and even though Jorunn and I were just there, I wanted to go back. I learned Leah worked as a radiology technician at a local hospital here in Oslo and took the entire holiday off. The meal finished too quickly, and we returned to my hotel.As we gathered my assorted clothing, I saw one of my socks on the floor, so I walked around Leah to pick it up. Turning quickly, I found myself face-to-face with her. We stared at each other for a moment, then moved at the same time. Our lips came together, and we kissed. Not a gentle kiss, but a passionate one, long and deep. Intentions were clear on both sides.We separated. Leah said, “I have not had sex since divorcing my husband nearly three years ago. That bastard took away more than my Christmas Star, he took away my trust in men. I am forty-seven years old. I never go out on dates, because I’m afraid to open my heart again to another man. Jorunn texted me every night for the past week and would send short videos she took during the day. She kept repeating how much fun she was having with you, and how nice a man you are. I know it sounds funny, but after watching and reading what Jorunn sent me, I feel like I already know you, and have made it past the first date. I know you lost the woman you loved. I cannot replace her in your heart, but if you are ready, I would like to share mine.”This was unexpected. “When I was in Minnesota, I watched Jorunn’s vlog almost every night. She is so sweet and funny and does such an excellent job. Even though I never met Jorunn, I felt like I knew her. To use your dating analogy, it’s one of the reasons I picked her as a tour guide. I felt comfortable with Jorunn and was too afraid to trust another tour company. When I came to Norway, I left my past behind. It is time for me to find something, or someone, to love.”Our bodies came together, and our lips re-joined. Any fears of rejection vanished as I locked my lips onto those of this beautiful Norwegian woman. Our tongues danced with each other, while our hands moved quickly over each other’s bodies.“Help me take off my bunad,” pleaded Leah.Together, we unclasped, unbuckled, unbuttoned, and untied, removing one layer at a time of the intricate bunad and laying it over a chair. It was like slowly opening the best Christmas present I have ever gotten, as more of Leah’s body slowly revealed itself to me. Her breasts were small, but firm, and went well with her slender frame. I forgot how delicate a woman’s features are, and Leah’s body was perfect in every way. Below her waist, I found a mound of pure blonde hair, barely darker than the color on her head.“I have no other words, you are truly a gorgeous woman, Leah.”“Thank you, Gunnar. Now it’s my turn to have fun.”Leah approached me. With small steps, she moved gracefully. She lifted my pullover shirt, pausing as it obscured my eyes. “Don’t take your shirt off. Just enjoy the sensations.” In the darkness, her fingers teasingly played with the hairs on my chest. A fingernail flicked back and forth over my nipple, drawing it to an erection. Moving lower, Leah unbuckled my trousers and slid them down, taking my knickers with them. I was not yet erect, but moving rapidly in that direction. Cool fingers wrapped around my cock and lifted, while a single fingernail twirled against my ball sack. Her tongue dragged across the tip of my cock. Then, Leah’s hands moved behind me to cup and squeeze my bum cheeks. Her warm breath washed over my cock.Leah stood and pulled my shirt the rest of the way off, and I stepped out of my trousers. We remained like this, both naked, looking longingly at each other. Leah reached up and touched my hair. “You have just a touch of grey. I like that. Few mature men are as blessed as you, with a firm, lean body. I see all kinds of patients. You look like a forty-year-old.”I suppose that was one benefit of eating the low-fat, low-sugar, and tasteless nursing home food. I lost nearly thirty pounds. “I am older than I look, and you should know that I had a stroke two years ago. I am doing much better, but still have a balance issue, and sometimes slur my words."Slurring your words might just be because you have a lazy tongue. Perhaps we can find a way to fix that later.”For a moment, I wondered what she meant, then hoped my notions might come true. Leah dropped to her knees directly in front of me and ran a finger along my nearly erect shaft. “It feels so nice to touch a real one again. What a lovely cock you have.”I said, “I’m sorry. I don’t have a very large penis.”Leah laughed, “Anything more than a mouthful is just wasted. Now let’s begin. I will say a Norwegian word, and you repeat it. Listen carefully to my pronunciation and maybe we can fix your American accent.”Leah said, “Penis.” Then she grabbed my cock with her right hand.This might be fun, so I replied, “Penis!”Leah whispered, “Rub.” Then she began gently sliding her hand along my shaft. Without any lubrication, there was quite a bit of friction.I replied, “Rub!”Leah said, “Lick.” Leah extended her tongue, and starting near the base, began leaving wet trails along each side of my glistening cock. The warm softness of her tongue brought me to full erection.It felt fantastic, and I gasped out, “Lick!”Leah said, “Suck.” She opened her mouth wide and took in the head of my cock, using her tongue to tease the underside. Bringing her lips together, I felt the insides of her mouth pressing inward and squeezing tightly against me. When her suction began, she pulled the head of my cock deeper into her mouth. Leah’s head pulled back ever so slightly, allowing her soft lips to glide over me until my cock was almost freed. But not quite. Using the extra room, Leah teased my opening with the tip of her tongue. From the way her tongue easily twirled around, I was certain I contributed my pre-cum.Then her suction pulled me deeper into her mouth. She look

Skandinavian Folklore and Feast Days.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.Syv Slags Kaker. (or, Seven Sorts of  Cookies)December 22nd – Evening, Five Days LaterJorunn said, “Well, Gunnar, we are back at our starting point, and this concludes the tour. We got off to a rough start on the first day, but since then, I have enjoyed spending time with you. After my mom got divorced, I stopped dating. Sure, I went out in mixed groups with my friends, but I cannot remember the last time I went somewhere, by myself, with a man. The divorce made me lose all confidence and trust in men. Why enter a relationship, and give my heart to a man, knowing it is going to fail? My father hurt my mother and me so badly, that neither of us have recovered. You were so wonderful to me this week, and showed me that not all men are like my father.”Jorunn looked at me with pleading eyes, “I don’t want this tour to end. I don’t want you to leave. Can you please stay in Oslo at least a few more days?”Jorunn didn’t want me to go. And I didn’t want to leave her either. I replied, “Jorunn, I cannot think of anyone or any place I would rather be than here in Oslo, with you.”Jorunn said, “It’s still early enough that we may be able to find seating without a reservation. I know a great place for seafood.”“Lead on,” I replied.Jorunn and I discussed the now-completed tour while enjoying a delicious dinner at a small kafé. I offered suggestions for the tour, but otherwise let her know I enjoyed seeing Norway, and I told her what a wonderful guide she was. After returning to America, I promised to recommend her tours to everyone I knew.As I looked over the dessert menu, I asked Jorunn, “I’m willing to stay a few more days. Are there any other Norwegian Christmas traditions or activities worth doing over the next few days?”“If you put down that dessert menu, there is one called Syv Slags Kaker. I baked seven kinds of cookies to celebrate Jul. If you come to my house, we can have coffee and you can sample all seven kinds.”“That sounds great,” I replied. Jorunn was inviting me to her home. She was beautiful and funny, and I admit I developed fantasies about her as I watched her vlog videos back in the nursing home. Heck, I even created new fantasies over the last week. She was much warmer toward me at the end of the tour. In Tromsø, we shared a blanket as we rode in a sleigh pulled by an actual reindeer. But after the Nutcracker ballet, I held back and did not cross any lines. Could a 56-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman have a sexual relationship? I managed to keep up with Jorunn all week and didn’t see any reason not to. I reached below the table to carefully re-position myself before standing up.We made our way to the Train Station and rode to Jorunn’s neighborhood. As we walked to her house, I noticed many homes with a lighted star in one of the windows.“What are those stars,” I asked.“They are a tradition in Norway. A star is lit on the first Sunday of Advent to help guide the Three Wise Men.”We stopped in front of a modest house. There was no star in the window, but I saw sheaves of oats hung from one of the trees. I was familiar with the tradition of putting out something for the birds in the frigid days of December. As we stepped inside, I was suddenly surprised. “Hi, Mom! I would like you to meet Gunnar Larsen.”“Good evening, Mr. Larsen. Jorunn has been sending me text messages all week about your exciting travels. I hope you enjoyed your tour. My name is Leah.”This was not what I expected. I hoped to be alone with Jorunn. The family resemblance was striking and quite apparent. Leah’s straight hair was a bit shorter than Jorunn’s but matched her daughter’s pure blonde color. Her blue eyes stood out from her attractive face. She was wearing a multi-colored Norwegian Dale sweater and green trousers. I possessed absolutely no experience telling how old Norwegian women are. She must be in her forties but looked younger.I said, “I enjoyed Jorunn’s tour very much. Your daughter is quite talented in many ways. Please, call me Gunnar.”Jorunn said, “Gunnar was asking about other Jul traditions and activities here in Norway over Christmas. I thought Syv Slags Kaker would be a good one, and your cookies are the best ones in Oslo. I’ll make us some coffee.”Leah looked at me, “Please sit Gunnar. How much longer will you be staying in Norway?”I replied, “About two more weeks. I wanted to celebrate the New Year here before returning to America.”I talked about the completed tour, and she seemed interested enough that I rambled on.“I really enjoyed visiting Lillehammer. It brought back memories of watching the 1994 Winter Olympics, probably my favorite one. The music was fantastic, and the woman who sang the Olympic Hymn at the opening ceremony possessed such a wonderful voice.”Leah replied, “Her name is Sissel Kyrkjebø. She is still extremely popular today, and we consider her a national treasure. I was 18 at the time, and worked at those Olympics.”“I’d love to hear more about that,” I replied. “It was nice to see many of the venues still being used. I also enjoyed the Olympic Museum in Maihaugen, which told the history of the 1994 Olympics. I was surprised to learn that Norway has won more Olympic medals than any other country. But the highlight for me was riding the chairlift to the top of the Lysgårdsbakkene ski jump. The views were amazing. I can’t imagine anyone being brave enough to make such a jump.”“I agree with you on that!” laughed Leah.I continued, “We also flew to Tromsø, and I got to see the Northern Lights. We can sometimes see them in southern Minnesota, but they were much more impressive here with the clear Norwegian air. Jorunn and I took a ride in a sleigh, pulled by actual reindeer. Reindeer are much larger than I thought. We visited a Sami farm, where we ate reindeer stew and learned about the Sami culture.”“I’ve never been, but I hear it’s really fun,” replied Leah.“Bærums Verk was also a highlight. You may already know that the town dates to the 1600s. I loved the old buildings and cobbled streets. Although the Christmas Market was small, I found it unique, with artisans selling handmade crafts. It was nice to see the old crafts like glassblowing, ironwork, and woodworking.”Jorunn returned with a large tray, holding coffee and cookies, and we began sampling.Leah asked, “Did you take Gunnar to Pepperkakebyen in Bergen? It’s a marvelous gingerbread village in my hometown. There are over 200 small gingerbread houses, and with the tiny lights turned on, it looks so real.”Jorunn replied, “A week goes by quickly, mamma. There is only so much time. The gingerbread houses are very nice, and I have fond memories of going there with you.”As we continued talking and munching cookies, I looked around at the decorations. There was an advent calendar, wreaths, angels, gnomes called nisse, hearts, stars, and candles. The decorations looked more natural, perhaps a bit less commercialized than in America. There was a real tree, complete with its wonderful pine smell, a star at the top, garland, tinsel, ornaments, and white lights.I looked at Leah, “I noticed that you don’t have a Christmas star in the window as many of the other houses do.”Leah replied, “I found my former husband in bed with another woman. I immediately divorced him. Among the many things he took from Jorunn and I, was our Christmas Star.”Leah sounded deeply hurt and from more than just the missing star. After tasting the last of the seven cookies, Leah asked how I liked them. “The waffle-like Krumkaker was probably my favorite. We tried making them in Minnesota, but yours turned out so much better. And, of course, the Pepperkaker gingerbread stars were great.” I held up another cookie and said, “I don’t know the name of this one, but it was also excellent.”Leah replied, “That one is Serinakaker, a Norwegian butter cookie.”I realized the inevitable, “It is getting late. Thank you both, Leah and Jorunn, for a wonderful evening. I need to get back to my hotel and figure out what to do over the next few days.”I saw Jorunn look at her mother, who nodded. As I stood up, Leah did too. “Nonsense, Gunnar. I won’t have it. Come, spend Christmas with Jorunn and me! Nearly everything in Oslo shuts down in the afternoon on Christmas Eve and stays closed until the 27th. No restaurants or shops will be open. I have an unused bedroom upstairs. Come celebrate Jul with us.”I caught the signal between mother and daughter and wondered if this was pre-planned. But spending Christmas alone in my hotel sounded almost as bad as spending it alone in the nursing home. It was an easy decision. “I accept.”Leah said, “Good. I’ll stop by your hotel tomorrow and help you move your things. Perhaps we can have lunch as well at one of the restaurants along Karl Johans gate.”“It would be my pleasure, ” I replied. “Let’s say, about 11:00 AM”Little Christmas EveDecember 23rd - MorningIt was December 23rd, known in Norway as Lille Julaften. Spending Christmas with Leah and Jorunn created a problem for me. I needed to find at least one Christmas present for each, just in case they bought a gift for me. I got up early and headed out to search. Reflecting on last night, and indeed, the last week, it ended up being far simpler than I feared. I soon found a gift for each, along with reusable cloth gift bags in Christmas colors.I heard a knock on my hotel door and opened it. Leah stood there, holding a coat over her arm. She was wearing a traditional Norwegian folk costume called a bunad. Her blonde hair, simply styled, was highlighted by two attractive braids.I smiled and said, “What a pleasant surprise. You look like you just stepped out of a fairy tale.”She looked past me into the messy room, then took a step toward me and surprised me with a kiss on my cheek. She stepped back and started laughing. “It didn’t work. I am a fairy tale princess, but you are still a frog! It looks like we have some work to do cleaning up your lily pad.”As Leah entered the room, I said, “I already packed a small bag, enough for a few days.”Leah walked over to the pile of clothes from my week-long trip. She picked up a shirt and sniffed it. Then she pulled a wool sweater out from the pile. “Keep your wool sweaters away from the rest of your dirty clothes. Wool is harder to clean and may pick up the smell. Let me see what else you packed.”Leah dumped out my small gym bag onto the bed and then began tossing things aside. “This won’t do. We need to take all of your clothes back to my house and wash them.”Fond memories returned. Whenever we went on a trip, Solveig would always dump out my suitcase and re-load it with other clothes. Solvieg would also pick out clothes for me to wear whenever we dressed to go out to weddings or a party.Leah said, “Don’t expect me to wash them for you. I have other things to do to get ready for Christmas. You’ll have enough free time you can wash them yourself. We will gather everything up after we come back from lunch.”What a woman! I can see where Jorunn inherited her strong personality. We left my hotel, and Leah took me to one of her favorite kafés. As we walked, Leah’s bunad drew eyes, and attracted smiles, as if she were a magnet. As we waited for our food, I asked Leah about her bunad.Leah replied, “I don’t get to wear my bunad very often. I usually wear it for National Day in May, and for weddings and baptisms, but I haven’t been to many of those lately. Christmas is also an acceptable time to wear it.”Leah wore the traditional white blouse with a silver neckpin. Her vest was bright red with a handmade breastplate. Her navy skirt was trimmed with intricate embroidery, and covered in front by a white apron. Around her waist and running down the front was a decorative handwoven belt.“I grew up east of Bergen, in the Hardanger region, so my bunad is in the Hardanger style. While details may vary, you can tell where someone is from by which style of bunad they are wearing. It would not be proper to choose a bunad from a different region simply because you prefer a different color.”“That’s a lovely silver brooch you have on. It looks very old.”“It was my grandmother’s. Norwegians have a spiritual connection to silver, and silver brooches are handed down for many generations. One day, it will be Jorunn’s.”The food was excellent. I have not eaten a bad meal here in Norway. Leah was a great conversationalist, and she freely shared her humor and wit. Her stories from the 1994 Olympics were fascinating, and even though Jorunn and I were just there, I wanted to go back. I learned Leah worked as a radiology technician at a local hospital here in Oslo and took the entire holiday off. The meal finished too quickly, and we returned to my hotel.As we gathered my assorted clothing, I saw one of my socks on the floor, so I walked around Leah to pick it up. Turning quickly, I found myself face-to-face with her. We stared at each other for a moment, then moved at the same time. Our lips came together, and we kissed. Not a gentle kiss, but a passionate one, long and deep. Intentions were clear on both sides.We separated. Leah said, “I have not had sex since divorcing my husband nearly three years ago. That bastard took away more than my Christmas Star, he took away my trust in men. I am forty-seven years old. I never go out on dates, because I’m afraid to open my heart again to another man. Jorunn texted me every night for the past week and would send short videos she took during the day. She kept repeating how much fun she was having with you, and how nice a man you are. I know it sounds funny, but after watching and reading what Jorunn sent me, I feel like I already know you, and have made it past the first date. I know you lost the woman you loved. I cannot replace her in your heart, but if you are ready, I would like to share mine.”This was unexpected. “When I was in Minnesota, I watched Jorunn’s vlog almost every night. She is so sweet and funny and does such an excellent job. Even though I never met Jorunn, I felt like I knew her. To use your dating analogy, it’s one of the reasons I picked her as a tour guide. I felt comfortable with Jorunn and was too afraid to trust another tour company. When I came to Norway, I left my past behind. It is time for me to find something, or someone, to love.”Our bodies came together, and our lips re-joined. Any fears of rejection vanished as I locked my lips onto those of this beautiful Norwegian woman. Our tongues danced with each other, while our hands moved quickly over each other’s bodies.“Help me take off my bunad,” pleaded Leah.Together, we unclasped, unbuckled, unbuttoned, and untied, removing one layer at a time of the intricate bunad and laying it over a chair. It was like slowly opening the best Christmas present I have ever gotten, as more of Leah’s body slowly revealed itself to me. Her breasts were small, but firm, and went well with her slender frame. I forgot how delicate a woman’s features are, and Leah’s body was perfect in every way. Below her waist, I found a mound of pure blonde hair, barely darker than the color on her head.“I have no other words, you are truly a gorgeous woman, Leah.”“Thank you, Gunnar. Now it’s my turn to have fun.”Leah approached me. With small steps, she moved gracefully. She lifted my pullover shirt, pausing as it obscured my eyes. “Don’t take your shirt off. Just enjoy the sensations.” In the darkness, her fingers teasingly played with the hairs on my chest. A fingernail flicked back and forth over my nipple, drawing it to an erection. Moving lower, Leah unbuckled my trousers and slid them down, taking my knickers with them. I was not yet erect, but moving rapidly in that direction. Cool fingers wrapped around my cock and lifted, while a single fingernail twirled against my ball sack. Her tongue dragged across the tip of my cock. Then, Leah’s hands moved behind me to cup and squeeze my bum cheeks. Her warm breath washed over my cock.Leah stood and pulled my shirt the rest of the way off, and I stepped out of my trousers. We remained like this, both naked, looking longingly at each other. Leah reached up and touched my hair. “You have just a touch of grey. I like that. Few mature men are as blessed as you, with a firm, lean body. I see all kinds of patients. You look like a forty-year-old.”I suppose that was one benefit of eating the low-fat, low-sugar, and tasteless nursing home food. I lost nearly thirty pounds. “I am older than I look, and you should know that I had a stroke two years ago. I am doing much better, but still have a balance issue, and sometimes slur my words."Slurring your words might just be because you have a lazy tongue. Perhaps we can find a way to fix that later.”For a moment, I wondered what she meant, then hoped my notions might come true. Leah dropped to her knees directly in front of me and ran a finger along my nearly erect shaft. “It feels so nice to touch a real one again. What a lovely cock you have.”I said, “I’m sorry. I don’t have a very large penis.”Leah laughed, “Anything more than a mouthful is just wasted. Now let’s begin. I will say a Norwegian word, and you repeat it. Listen carefully to my pronunciation and maybe we can fix your American accent.”Leah said, “Penis.” Then she grabbed my cock with her right hand.This might be fun, so I replied, “Penis!”Leah whispered, “Rub.” Then she began gently sliding her hand along my shaft. Without any lubrication, there was quite a bit of friction.I replied, “Rub!”Leah said, “Lick.” Leah extended her tongue, and starting near the base, began leaving wet trails along each side of my glistening cock. The warm softness of her tongue brought me to full erection.It felt fantastic, and I gasped out, “Lick!”Leah said, “Suck.” She opened her mouth wide and took in the head of my cock, using her tongue to tease the underside. Bringing her lips together, I felt the insides of her mouth pressing inward and squeezing tightly against me. When her suction began, she pulled the head of my cock deeper into her mouth. Leah’s head pulled back ever so slightly, allowing her soft lips to glide over me until my cock was almost freed. But not quite. Using the extra room, Leah teased my opening with the tip of her tongue. From the way her tongue easily twirled around, I was certain I contributed my pre-cum.Then her suction pulled me deeper into her mouth. She look

Start Artist Song Time Album Year 1 Other Lives NN 12_02_2025 0:02:12 Other Lives What’s It Gonna Take 3:30 Volume V 2025 2 Kalandra NN 12_02_2025 0:06:08 Kalandra Till The End 3:30 Mørketid 2025 3 Benedicte Maurseth NN 12_02_2025 0:10:00 Benedicte Maurseth Nysnø over reinlav 7:49 Mirra 2025 4 Cafuné NN 12_02_2025 0:18:18 Cafuné Cafuné 5:36 Tra le corde dei racconti 2025 5 Fuzy Lights NN 12_02_2025 0:24:19 Fuzzy Lights The Promise 6:07 Fen Creatures 2025 6 Mediæval Bæbes NN 12_02_2025 0:30:45 Mediæval Bæbes January 3:36 December 2025 7 Deposed King NN 12_02_2025 0:34:39 Deposed King Daymare 6:45 Letters to a Distant Past 2025 8 Anna Von Hausswolff NN 12_02_2025 0:41:55 Anna von Hausswolff Unconditional Love 6:34 Iconoclasts 2025 9 Midlake NN 12_02_2025 0:48:50 Midlake The Ghouls 3:52 A Bridge To Far 2025 10 Azam Ali NN 12_02_2025 0:53:08 Azam Ali Song to the Siren 3:29 Synesthesia 2025 11 Lunatic Soul NN 12_02_2025 0:57:04 Lunatic Soul Good Memories Don’t Want to Die 4:40 The World Under Unsun 2025 Volume V by Other Lives favorite track What’s It Gonna Take Hailing from Stillwater, OK, the band began as a trio of multi-instrumentalists, and now includes 5 members. The music is dense and lush, heavily orchestrated, simply gorgeous chamber folk music with alt- and post-rock leanings. Mørketid by KALANDRA This EP from Norwegian folktronica band, Kalandra, includes new songs, plus their last single release. They remain true to their Nordic sound, with their light and airy vocalist being the singular identifying element of the band. Mirra by Benedicte Maurseth favorite track Nysnø over reinlav Norwegian folk/jazz/ambient hardanger fiddle player offers this gem, exploring the environment of reindeer. Indeed, it features the sounds of a reindeer herd (the title is an almost-lost Hardanger word for when reindeer run about in circular patterns). The result is hypnotic and entrancing. Not on Bandcamp Cafuné “Tra le corde dei racconti” 2025 This sublime Italian sextet offer a modern slant to medieval and renaissance styled music, utilizing both acoustic and electric instruments. They combine guitars, flute, harp, keyboards, bass, and drums, with a stellar female vocalist. There are originals here, as well as reworkings of traditional tunes. Best played as a whole, to illustrate what you'll hear, I'm choosing the opener as my favourite track. Favourite Track: Cafuné Fen Creatures by Fuzzy Lights favorite track The Promise The fifth album for this Cambridge quintet is a fine example of what can happen when you blend psych, folk, drone, and post rock. Female lead vocalist, scratchy violin, guitars, bass, drums, and electronics comprise the makeup of the band. All together, the songs are ominous, dark and eerie, just the kind of thing I love to hear. December by Mediæval Bæbes favorite track January This is an old-fashioned “single” format, a two song release, with the promise of an upcoming full release. As always, superb vocals and musicianship from these women and their guests. The two pieces are decidedly wintery, with the title track being more upbeat in mood. Letters to a Distant Past by Deposed King favorite track Daymare Classically influenced atmospheric and cinematic rock with smatterings of folk, psych, post rock, and some heaviness from time to time, this Hungarian duo deliver once again. This release is best played from start to finish, but I will use Daymare as my favourite track to pique your interest. ICONOCLASTS by Anna von Hausswolff favorite track Unconditional Love feat. Maria von Hausswolff Stunning new release , this one delves deeply into the destruction of idols. It also examines the destruction from personal relationships, with the freedom of resurrection after the depths have been plumbed. Indeed, there is a guest appearance from a true iconoclast, Iggy Pop, on one poignant tune. Her signature dense pipe organ is still here, with plenty of orchestration, plus she adds vocals throughout, with her daughter contributing as well, on my favourite track of the release, A Bridge To Far by MIDLAKE favorite track The Ghouls Midlake are back with another stellar release. They bring their indie alt-rock dreaminess in full force, with some whispers into jazz territory at times. The overall feel is warm and dreamy, with flute and piano flourishes, and a sense of distance, as though listening from a spot down the hall from where the band is playing. Synesthesia by Azam Ali favorite track Song to the Siren Perennial favourite of mine, Azam Ali also brings a new full release of her always sublime music. This one brings plenty of world and electronica, also folk and trance music. It explores feelings of disconnectedness (as during the pandemic), yet still conveying a sense of belonging to the spiritual. She does two cover tunes, one by Natalie Merchant, and this one, my sentimental favourite of the release, Tim Buckley's Song to the Siren The World Under Unsun (24-bit HD audio) by Lunatic Soul favorite track Good Memories Don’t Want to Die The eighth and final in a series of solo releases by Mariusz Duda (on all instruments and vocals), bringing the cycle full circle. He examines complex toxic relationships, rejects them, and finds peace, while retaining what good there was, through introspection and, ultimately forgiveness. There is plenty of forcefulness, but, as one might expect, the delicacy (and harp sounds) of Good Memories Don't Want to Die, is my favourite track.

Fluent Fiction - Norwegian: A Harvest of Hearts: Love Blooms at the Hardanger Festival Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/no/episode/2025-10-05-07-38-20-no Story Transcript:No: Epletrærne i Hardanger bugnet av frukt.En: The apple trees in Hardanger were laden with fruit.No: Farger i rødt og gull omgav hele området, og luften var klar med duften av modne epler og falne blader.En: Colors of red and gold surrounded the entire area, and the air was clear with the scent of ripe apples and fallen leaves.No: Fra avstand kunne man se fjorder og fjell som bakteppe til denne idylliske fruktgården.En: From a distance, one could see fjords and mountains as a backdrop to this idyllic fruit farm.No: Det var høst, tid for den årlige eplehøstfestivalen.En: It was autumn, time for the annual apple harvest festival.No: Lars, en lokal bonde, hadde alltid bodd i Hardanger.En: Lars, a local farmer, had always lived in Hardanger.No: Han elsket gården sin, men det var ensomt arbeid til tider.En: He loved his farm, but it was lonely work at times.No: Han håpet denne festivalen ville bringe noe nytt inn i livet hans.En: He hoped this festival would bring something new into his life.No: Kanskje noen han kunne dele det med.En: Perhaps someone he could share it with.No: Han var en stille mann, litt sjenert, men alltid vennlig.En: He was a quiet man, a little shy, but always friendly.No: Ingrid, en reiseskribent, ankom festen med nysgjerrighet.En: Ingrid, a travel writer, arrived at the festival with curiosity.No: Hun ville skrive om festivalens sjarm og lokal kultur.En: She wanted to write about the festival's charm and local culture.No: Hun ønsket å bygge ekte forbindelser, ikke bare samle opplysninger.En: She wanted to build genuine connections, not just gather information.No: Hun tittet rundt, imponert over den vakre hagen.En: She looked around, impressed by the beautiful orchard.No: Lars så Ingrid fra avstand.En: Lars saw Ingrid from a distance.No: Hun skilte seg ut med sitt oppslukte blikk.En: She stood out with her absorbed gaze.No: Han samlet mot, gikk bort til henne og tilbød en tur på gården.En: He gathered his courage, approached her, and offered a tour of the farm.No: Han fortalte om epletrærne og historien bak dem.En: He told her about the apple trees and the history behind them.No: Hun takket ja, glad for muligheten til å få en innsider inn i historien.En: She accepted, happy for the opportunity to get an insider's view for her story.No: Mens de vandret mellom trærne, delte Lars historier fra barndommen.En: As they wandered between the trees, Lars shared stories from his childhood.No: Den sterke lukten av epler fulgte dem, og himmelen begynte å farges i rosa og oransje nyanser.En: The strong scent of apples followed them, and the sky began to be colored in pink and orange hues.No: Solnedgangen var vakker, og Ingrid følte seg koblet til stedet og til Lars.En: The sunset was beautiful, and Ingrid felt connected to the place and to Lars.No: Under den gyldne himmelen, fortalte Lars om sin familie.En: Under the golden sky, Lars told about his family.No: Om deres kamp gjennom årene og den kjærligheten de hadde lagt i gården.En: About their struggles over the years and the love they had invested in the farm.No: Ingrid lyttet medfølende, rørt av hans åpenhet.En: Ingrid listened compassionately, touched by his openness.No: Hun delte også sine følelser, om sitt nomadiske liv og hennes lengsel etter et sted å kalle hjem.En: She also shared her feelings about her nomadic life and her longing for a place to call home.No: Den kvelden, mens månen steg opp over fjordene, forsto de begge noe viktig.En: That evening, as the moon rose over the fjords, they both understood something important.No: Lars følte seg mer selvsikker.En: Lars felt more confident.No: Ingrid følte seg knyttet til mer enn bare en historie for artikkelen sin.En: Ingrid felt connected to more than just a story for her article.No: På festivalens siste dag bestemte Ingrid seg for å forlenge oppholdet sitt.En: On the festival's last day, Ingrid decided to extend her stay.No: Hun kjente at hun hadde funnet noe spesielt i Hardanger.En: She felt she had found something special in Hardanger.No: Ikke bare et sted å skrive om, men et sted hun kunne høre til.En: Not just a place to write about, but a place she could belong to.No: Lars, med et nytt glimt av selvtillit, var glad for å ha noen å vise den første sommernatten i bergen.En: Lars, with a new glimmer of confidence, was glad to have someone to show the first summer night in the mountains.No: Sammen gikk de hånd i hånd under stjernene, et nytt eventyr i vente.En: Together they walked hand in hand under the stars, a new adventure awaiting.No: De visste at forbindelsen deres, som den rike jorden i Hardanger, hadde potensial til å vokse.En: They knew that their connection, like the rich soil in Hardanger, had the potential to grow.No: En fremtid lå foran dem, full av solfylte dager og modne epler.En: A future lay ahead of them, full of sunny days and ripe apples. Vocabulary Words:laden: bugnetidyllic: idylliskeharvest: høstannual: årligelonely: ensomtcuriosity: nysgjerrighetcharm: sjarmgenuine: ekteorchard: hageabsorbed: oppsluktegaze: blikkgathered: samletcourage: motaccepted: takletwandered: vandrethues: nyansercompassionately: medfølendenomadic: nomadiskelonging: lengselmoon: månenconfident: selvsikkerconnection: forbindelseextend: forlengeglimmer: glimtpotential: potensialadventure: eventyrsoil: jordenstruggles: kampinvested: lagtcompassion: medfølelse

rWotD Episode 3054: Bernt Theodor Anker Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Saturday, 13 September 2025, is Bernt Theodor Anker.Bernt Theodor Anker (7 March 1867 – 21 August 1943) was a Norwegian linguist, priest and author. Anker was one of the first priests to use Nynorsk from the pulpit, and was a strong proponent of Nynorsk in the church and in society.He was born in Vestre Aker and grew up in Bergen and in Risor, where his father was the customs inspector from 1877. He attended the Latin school in Drammen during 1884. Anker finished his Cand.theol. at the University of Oslo in 1890, where he had studied theology, comparative studies, and politics. Anker worked as a priest and teacher throughout his professional life. He first served as a sexton in Arendal from 1890-93 followed be assignments as parish priest in Søndeled, Kviteseid and Lårdal. He finished his career as provost of Hardanger og Voss prosti in Hordaland.Theologically, he was strongly influenced by the writing of N. F. S. Grundtvig and became involved in Grundtvigianism. He was also active in youth work throughout his life. He translated four historical books and four prophetical books of the Old Testament for the first translation of the Holy Bible into Nynorsk in 1921. One of his hymns appears in Norsk Salmebok, the hymnal of the Church of Norway.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:18 UTC on Saturday, 13 September 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Bernt Theodor Anker on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Ayanda.

This episode of Cider Chat, was recorded in person with Abram Goldman-Armstrong at CiderCon2025 in Chicago. Hear his journey to cider. From growing up in Oregon's Yamhill County to his current work in Norway's Hardanger region at Alde Sider. Abram began fermenting cider as a student in Minnesota and went on to found the cidery known as Cider Riot in Portland, Oregon. His experience reflects both the evolution of the cider industry and the challenges of building a business grounded in values and community. The Cider Riot Years Cider Riot grew from a home cider making project into a well-regarded cider brand and pub. Abram describes building the business, navigating challenges like rising rent and market shifts, and the significance of Cider Riot as a political and cultural hub. The pub hosted community meetings, union organizers, and events that reflected Portland's activist spirit. Standing Against Far-Right Violence On May 1, 2019, Cider Riot became the site of a violent confrontation when members of the far-right group Patriot Prayer, led by Joey Gibson, clashed with patrons during a May Day celebration. The altercation resulted in injuries, including a woman being knocked unconscious. Abram filed a $1 million lawsuit against Gibson and others involved, alleging that they had instigated the attack. The incident drew national attention and highlighted the challenges faced by businesses taking a stand against hate groups. Relocating to Norway After Cider Riot closed in late 2019, Abram accepted an offer to collaborate with cider makers in Norway. He began working with a small brewery before moving west to Hardanger, where he now produces cider at Alde Sider. The region has a long history of apple growing and is the first in Norway to receive a protected designation for cider. In this Cider Chat Early influences in Oregon: Working with Alan Foster of White Oak Cider, planting bittersweet varieties like Kingston Black. DIY beginnings: Making cider in college using apples from the dining hall and a cheese grater. Founding Cider Riot: From garage startup to a full-scale cidery and pub in Portland, Oregon. Pub culture & Portland community: Supporting labor organizing, queer and trans spaces, and anti-fascist events. Financial challenges: Draft-focused sales model, missed retail opportunities, and the impact of hard seltzers. Closure of Cider Riot: Reflections on its cultural significance and decision to shut down in 2019. Move to Norway: Invited to launch a cider program with a brewery in Sandefjord, leading to Tall Ship Cider. Transition to Alde Sider: Current role as lead cider maker in Hardanger, Norway's key cider region. Hardanger cider traditions: Protected cider designation and historic use of apples like Gravenstein and Discovery. Production methods at Alde: Use of Nottingham ale yeast Chaptalization with Danish beet sugar High-acid juice (~pH 3.1–3.2) Residual sweetness target of 1.003 SG Crossflow filtration to halt fermentation Barrel aging program: Experiments with French agricole rum and Norwegian whiskey barrels. Community cider scene: Five producers in the village of Nå, collaboration across the fjord, and cider tourism via fjord boat. Cultural observations: Comparing pub cultures, lifestyle differences between Norway and Portland. Low-ABV cider innovation: Creating a 4.7% cider for draft sales in collaboration with 7 Fjell Brewery. Use of wild yeast: Petnat-style experiment using orchard yeast and natural inoculation. Future plans: Continuing to explore cider styles in Norway, working with bittersweets, and developing new blends. Contact Info Abram Website: https://www.aldesider.no Mentions in this Cider Chat 317: How a “Cyder” Teapot fueled the American Revolution Stone Ridge Orchard Wassail May 3rd & 4th – tickets https://www.clover.com/online-ordering/Event-Tickets Episode: 450th Roger Wilkins – The Cider King

Andre søndag i advent kom og gikk uten mye styr, men tro ikke derfor at julefreden har lagt seg. Nei snarere tvert i mot. Tre tapre sjeler har tatt turen ned til studio for å gi alt og litt til denne kalde desembermorgenen. Gode julegavetips, bålpanne i Torshovdalen og Taylors nye bok krydrer mandagen din og gjør deg klar til å ta dagen med storm. Nora, Lefsenora og Herman er studio med Maria "The Goat" Schjerven på teknikk. PS: dette er ikke Skummas siste julesending, selv om vertene gir litt for mye utrykk for det. 

Lots of homegrown talent to enjoy this hour along with global spins on Celtic traditions, from northern Brazil (Furmiga Dub), Peilmanni folk from Finland (Salamakannel) rockin' Hardanger fiddle from Norway (Gangar) even a Celtic-inspired track from Vampire Weekend! Served with a twist each week with Patricia Fraser. Celt In A Twist! Firkin - Santiana  Gangar - Grotleken  The Clumsy Lovers - Streams Of Whiskey CANCON Derina Harvey Band - Run To Me CANCON Furmiga Dub - Upi Biti  Niteworks - An Toll Dubh feat. Sian  Salamakannel - Salamahumppa  Searson - My Canadian Town  CANCON Enter The Haggis - Can't Trust The News CANCON The Finlay MacDonald Band - Salsa's The Stapletons - The Bigler  Lunarium - Evening Star  Vampire Weekend - Bryn  The Duhks - Magalenha Iain Copeland - Neil Ewart Of Ardnamurchan  59:53

Hva skiller egentlig økologisk kylling og kalkun fra det konvensjonelle?

1875. Tegen zijn zin verzorgt de Noorse componist Edvard Grieg de muziek voor een nieuw toneelstuk van Henrik Ibsen. Peer Gynt groeit uit tot Grieg zijn grote hit en wordt hét schoolvoorbeeld van romantische klassieke muziek. In tegenstelling tot wat je zou denken, hoor je in de muziek de Sahara en niet de Noorse fjorden. En is Peer Gynt meer een egoïst dan een volksheld. Moeilijke woorden: Hardanger, pentatoniek. Uitvoering: Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra o.l.v. Ole Kristian Ruud.

I was honoured to have this opportunity to record this conversation with the phenomenal violinist Sara Caswell, who is a GRAMMY Nominee for the Best Improvised Jazz Solo. We focused on the recent 9 Horses album, Strum with mandolinist and composer Joseph Brent, and she also spoke to me about some of her other collaborators including esperanza spalding, Chuck Owen, Nadje Noordhuis, and mentors including David Baker, Mimi Zweig and Josef Gingold. She shared how she started playing the 10 stringed Hardanger d'amore, her rich early musical life in Bloomington, and how she is grounded and inspired from her family and friends.  You can read the transcript or watch the video, both linked here on my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/sara-caswell  https://9horses.bandcamp.com/album/strum https://saracaswell.com/ Merchandise store: https://www.leahroseman.com/beautiful-shirts-and-more Buy me a coffee? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks! Newsletter sign-up: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter Catalog of Episodes: https://www.leahroseman.com/about photo: Shervin Lainez Timestamps (00:00) Intro (02:19) 9 Horses album Strum, Joe Brent (07:12) clip from The House that Ate Myself, 9 horses album Strum (08:30) 9 horses trio and different recording projects (11:50) clip from Americannia from 9 horses ablum Strum (13:09) acoustic versus electric violin (15:06) about Sara's Hardanger d'amore fiddle (23:00) clip from Long Time Away  (25:27) Sara's approach to teaching jazz (28:33) GRAMMY nomination, Chuck Owen the Jazz Surge (32:59) Sara Caswell quartet The Way to You, Nadje Noorduis (34:26) excerpt from South Shore  Sara Caswell quartet The Way to You by Nadje Noorduis (37:30) early musical life in Bloomington, David Baker, supportive parents, Mimi Zweig (40:55) Josef Gingold (48:14) related episodes and ways to support this project (48:57) Bloomington years with David Baker, Jamey Abersold, Janis Stockhouse, Stanley Ritchie (53:32) New York early years, John Blake, Sylvia Rosenberg (56:47) clip from Jennie Pop Nettle-Eater (57:22) meeting Joe Brent (59:18) esperanza spalding (01:02:54) the joy of collaboration (01:04:31) clip from Strum (01:05:19) work-life balance and self-care

Howard Shore carefully brought the text of The Lord of the Rings to life in Peter Jackson's film trilogy, choosing instruments and melodies that the people of Middle-Earth could have created for themselves. No theme shows this better than the one that speaks for the people of Rohan, from the clever selection of a Hardanger … Continue reading "149 – The Voice of Rohan"

Alt har en begynnelse. Og for mange heter den Pelle Parafins Bøljeband. En av fordelene ved å bo i Belgia i et år er å endelig få snakka med flere sjelefrender utenfor Oslo-loopen. Nå skal vi til Hardanger og Ålvik Rock, en festival som står for døra andre helg i september. Ildsjel og rockenerd Tommy Vikdal forteller om stedet sitt, festivalen og oppveksten i et lite industrisamfunn med båttrafikk. I slike omgivelser oppstår det ALLTID et rockemiljø.Hva satte i gang interessen som har preget livet til mister Vikdal? Hvor stor betydning har Iron Maiden hatt? Og er det alltid varmt og digg blant plommetrærne i Hardanger?

Produsert av Mylie Veland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Klarar Lars Monsen å lage god curry? Kva gjer ein når ein går seg vill blant alle telta? Lærer ein eigentleg noko i militæret? Og er det nasjonalromantisk på festival, nett som Brudeferja i Hardanger? Emma, Omar og Furi tar tempen på Vinjerock!Følg med - ny episode kjem i morgon m/

Vida Lill har dratt til Haukeliseter som er hennes faste stoppested på vei til hytta i Hardanger. Kjæresten Bendik forteller om frieriet som skjedde der, Vida Lill besøker Norges høyestliggende bakeri, og hun tar et svært friskt morgenbad. Christer lager EM-mat, og Samantha og Michael får en spesiell oppgave i fredagsleken. Episoden kan inneholde målrettet reklame, basert på din IP-adresse, enhet og posisjon. Se smartpod.no/personvern for informasjon og dine valg om deling av data.

Jarle Mong har gitt ut boken "Mer mann" som tar for seg det bibelske perspektivet på mannsrollen i dagens samfunn. Onsdag 19. juni var det lansering av boken og seminar med Jarle på Leirvik Bedehus. I den anledning laget vi et kort intervju i et provisorisk podkaststudio på bedehuset. Forsiden av boken, viser en løveunge som ser sitt eget speilbilde som en voksen løve. Dette symboliserer reisen mot å bli mer lik Jesus. Jarle delte også personlige erfaringer om å flytte familien fra Jæren til Hardanger. Du får også med noen ekteskapstips fra Jarle, i slutten av episoden.   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ekteskapspodden/message

Den beryktede Elle-festen er rett rundt hjørnet, men hva skal Samantha ha på seg? Etter flere treere fra Jan Thomas tar vi grep for å sikre sekseren i neste utgave av Se&Hør. Michael forteller fra året han gikk på folkehøgskole i Hardanger og Vida Lill har hørt et rykte om Bjørn. Episoden kan inneholde målrettet reklame, basert på din IP-adresse, enhet og posisjon. Se smartpod.no/personvern for informasjon og dine valg om deling av data.

El intrépido Criticón de La Cultureta Gran Reserva envía su pieza semanal desde la orilla del lago Bondhusvatnet, en Hardanger, Noruega. Hace un día precioso. Si mantiene el paso, en unos treinta minutos habrá llegado por fin a Folgefonna, uno de los 47 parques nacionales que esconde este país increíble. Está allí porque huyó en Semana Santa y ha decidido no volver, espantado frente la incesante avalancha de nuevos y refrescantes productos culturales, novelas, series, pelis, docus, teatros y teatritos, musicales o trascendentales, da igual, poemarios, ensayos, singles, copias, clásicos reeditados, castañas pilongas . Todo es igual ya para él, churros y porras, lanzamientos editoriales, esperadísimas premieres de obras en categoría streaming, modernísimo todo, torrijas, pestiños y huesitos de santo. Un empacho. Con todo y con eso, el prestigioso crítico nos deja reseñas bien interesantes sobre la exposición alrededor de Isabel Quintanilla en el Museo Thyssen, sobre la comedia cinematográfica argentina ‘Puan' y también sobre la serie ‘La gran exclusiva' recién estrenada en Netflix. Disfruten. 

El intrépido Criticón de La Cultureta Gran Reserva envía su pieza semanal desde la orilla del lago Bondhusvatnet, en Hardanger, Noruega. Hace un día precioso. Si mantiene el paso, en unos treinta minutos habrá llegado por fin a Folgefonna, uno de los 47 parques nacionales que esconde este país increíble. Está allí porque huyó en Semana Santa y ha decidido no volver, espantado frente la incesante avalancha de nuevos y refrescantes productos culturales, novelas, series, pelis, docus, teatros y teatritos, musicales o trascendentales, da igual, poemarios, ensayos, singles, copias, clásicos reeditados, castañas pilongas . Todo es igual ya para él, churros y porras, lanzamientos editoriales, esperadísimas premieres de obras en categoría streaming, modernísimo todo, torrijas, pestiños y huesitos de santo. Un empacho. Con todo y con eso, el prestigioso crítico nos deja reseñas bien interesantes sobre la exposición alrededor de Isabel Quintanilla en el Museo Thyssen, sobre la comedia cinematográfica argentina ‘Puan' y también sobre la serie ‘La gran exclusiva' recién estrenada en Netflix. Disfruten. 

El intrépido Criticón de La Cultureta Gran Reserva envía su pieza semanal desde la orilla del lago Bondhusvatnet, en Hardanger, Noruega. Hace un día precioso. Si mantiene el paso, en unos treinta minutos habrá llegado por fin a Folgefonna, uno de los 47 parques nacionales que esconde este país increíble. Está allí porque huyó en Semana Santa y ha decidido no volver, espantado frente la incesante avalancha de nuevos y refrescantes productos culturales, novelas, series, pelis, docus, teatros y teatritos, musicales o trascendentales, da igual, poemarios, ensayos, singles, copias, clásicos reeditados, castañas pilongas . Todo es igual ya para él, churros y porras, lanzamientos editoriales, esperadísimas premieres de obras en categoría streaming, modernísimo todo, torrijas, pestiños y huesitos de santo. Un empacho. Con todo y con eso, el prestigioso crítico nos deja reseñas bien interesantes sobre la exposición alrededor de Isabel Quintanilla en el Museo Thyssen, sobre la comedia cinematográfica argentina ‘Puan' y también sobre la serie ‘La gran exclusiva' recién estrenada en Netflix. Disfruten. 

Fluent Fiction - Norwegian: The Bunad Dress Party: A Celebration of Culture in Bergen Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/the-bunad-dress-party-a-celebration-of-culture-in-bergen Story Transcript:Nb: Det var fest i Bergen.En: There was a party in Bergen.Nb: Byen var full av glede og samhold.En: The city was full of joy and unity.Nb: Alle hadde dratt til bunadskjolefesten.En: Everyone had gathered for the bunad dress party.Nb: Blant gjestene var Lars, Ingrid og Håkon.En: Among the guests were Lars, Ingrid, and Håkon.Nb: Lars hadde på seg en Rennebu-bunad.En: Lars was wearing a Rennebu bunad.Nb: Ingrid hadde iført seg en Voss-bunad.En: Ingrid had put on a Voss bunad.Nb: Håkon hadde en Bergen-bunad.En: Håkon had a Bergen bunad.Nb: Alle tre var spente.En: All three were excited.Nb: De hadde sjelden anledning til å ikle seg finstasen.En: They rarely had the opportunity to dress up in their finest attire.Nb: Bunadskjolefesten var et populært arrangement i Bergen, takket være byens rike historie og kultur.En: The bunad dress party was a popular event in Bergen, thanks to the city's rich history and culture.Nb: Byen lå vakker og stolt mellom syv fjell, med en sjøsprøyt i håret og en støvel i sølepyttene på Bryggen.En: The city lay beautiful and proud between seven mountains, with sea spray in the air and a boot in the puddles of Bryggen.Nb: Gjestene begynte å strømme inn.En: The guests started to pour in.Nb: Det var en bølge av fargerike bunader.En: There was a wave of colorful bunads.Nb: Man kjente lukten av nystekte lefser og hørte lyden av hardingfeler.En: The smell of freshly made lefse was in the air, and the sound of Hardanger fiddles could be heard.Nb: Det var en gledefylt atmosfære.En: It was a joyful atmosphere.Nb: Lars, Ingrid og Håkon skålte med hverandre.En: Lars, Ingrid, and Håkon clinked glasses with each other.Nb: De lo og snakket sammen.En: They laughed and talked.Nb: De var glade for å være en del av denne feiringen.En: They were happy to be part of this celebration.Nb: Men det var noe som manglet.En: But something was missing.Nb: De ventet på konkurranseresultatene.En: They were waiting for the competition results.Nb: Alle tre hadde meldt seg på i konkurransen om "Festens fineste bunad".En: All three had entered the competition for "Best Bunad of the Party".Nb: Til slutt var det tid for kunngjøringen.En: Finally, it was time for the announcement.Nb: Alle spente blikk var rettet mot scenen.En: All eyes were fixed on the stage.Nb: Pulsen steg.En: The pulse quickened.Nb: Hvem ville vinne?En: Who would win?Nb: Mange håpet, mange ventet.En: Many hoped, many waited.Nb: Og så ble det ropt opp.En: And then, the winner was called out.Nb: Det var Lars.En: It was Lars.Nb: Han kunne ikke tro det.En: He couldn't believe it.Nb: Han hadde vunnet!En: He had won!Nb: Han så overrasket og glad ut.En: He looked surprised and happy.Nb: Han takket alle og gikk tilbake til Ingrid og Håkon.En: He thanked everyone and returned to Ingrid and Håkon.Nb: Det var en flott dag for alle.En: It was a great day for everyone.Nb: De hadde hatt det gøy.En: They had had fun.Nb: De hadde hatt en tradisjonell fest.En: They had celebrated tradition.Nb: Og de hadde en vinner blant dem.En: And they had a winner among them.Nb: Lars, Ingrid og Håkon var fornøyde.En: Lars, Ingrid, and Håkon were content.Nb: De hadde deltatt i en viktig tradisjon i Bergen, og de ville aldri glemme denne dagen.En: They had participated in an important tradition in Bergen, and they would never forget this day.Nb: Slik endte bunadskjolefesten.En: That's how the bunad dress party ended.Nb: Alle var glade og fornøyde.En: Everyone was happy and satisfied.Nb: De hadde hatt en hyggelig dag.En: They had a pleasant day.Nb: Og Bergen, den vakre byen, lå rolig og fornøyd mellom fjellene.En: And Bergen, the beautiful city, lay calm and content between the mountains.Nb: Med smil om munnen og håp i hjertet, dro de hjem.En: With smiles on their faces and hope in their hearts, they went home.Nb: De gledet seg allerede til neste års bunadskjolefest.En: They were already looking forward to next year's bunad dress party. Vocabulary Words:party: festBergen: Bergenjoy: gledeunity: samholdgathered: drattbunad dress: bunadskjoleLars: LarsIngrid: IngridHåkon: Håkonexcited: spenteopportunity: anledningfinest attire: finstasenpopular: populærtevent: arrangementcity: byenhistory: historieculture: kulturbeautiful: vakkermountains: fjellsea spray: sjøsprøytpuddles: sølepytteneguests: gjestenewave: bølgecolorful: fargerikelefse: lefserHardanger fiddles: hardingfeleratmosphere: atmosfærecompetition: konkurransenresults: resultatene

Hardangerfjorden og hardingene inntok en særlig rolle i konstruksjonen av «det norske» gjennom siste del av 1800-tallet. Man hva betyr Hardanger for «det vestlandske»? Tenker hardingene på seg selv som vestlendinger, og i så fall i hvilken forstand? Hva betyr resten av Vestlandet for hardingene? Og hva med Hardanger selv – finnes det én harding-identitet? Dette er blant spørsmålene vi skal forfølge i det tredje møtet i serien «Jakten på vestlendingen». Til å hjelpe oss får vi besøk av Frode Grytten og Herborg Kråkevik. De trenger neppe ytterligere presentasjon i seg selv, men et ytterligere poeng denne kvelden er deres opphav i henholdsvis industribyen Odda og det utpreget rurale Jondal. Slik kan vi kanskje få grep om det mangesidige Hardanger. At samtaleleder Morten Hammerborg har feriebolig i Jondal vil neppe påvirke utfallet.

Lars Jostein Rørvik har hatt meir enn 300 spelejobbar i Sunnhordland og Hardanger. Han er litt over snittet interessert i historie og har gitt ut fleire bøker. I denne episoden får du høyre om interessa for fotball, kvifor han heier på Leicester, om å spela opp til dans og mykje meir. Me pratar om bøkene: Jens i Dalen Det illegale Sunnhordland: - motstand og etterretning 1940-1945 Rock- og popband i Kvinnherad gjennom 60 år Og ein ny bok som er på gang. Sponsor: Gaa Paa Episoden er sponsa av kulturprodusenten Gaa Paa. Gaa Paa arbeidar gjennom sine prosjekt for den levande, ekte og lokale scenekulturen i Kvinnherad. Den 24. februar kjem Gaa Paa til Stord kulturhus og presenterer gigantprosjektet «Pink Floyd Prosjekt 3» som er ein fullskala Pink Floyd-konsert, framført av 20 av dei beste artistane frå Kvinnherad. Frå ein enorm scene, som nett så vidt får plass i kulturhuset, skal publikum bli dratt med inn i Pink Floyd sitt univers gjennom storkonserten, som er bada i godlyd, lys og effektar! Her blir musikk frå ulike album og epokar – låtar me veit Pink Floyd-fans vil setja pris på! Billettar får ein kjøpt hos Stord Kulturhus, på nett og i billettluka. Konserten startar kl. 20:00 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sunnhordlandpodden/message

Hanne har vært i kontakt med politiet. Marianne har ikke kvinnetanker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kjell-Gabriel avslutter 2023 med norsk drikke. Det er ekte vare fra Hardanger denne gangen, nemlig sprudlende sider fra Alde som gir han brudeferd i Hardanger.Alde Sider Rose / kr. 179,90 / Varenummer 15933001

As we pass the winter solstice and begin the end of the year holidays, the sounds of the season take on a celebratory and spiritual air. In the far northern country of Norway, it's always a white Christmas, and the music strikes a balance between the somber isolation of the long Arctic nights, and the cheerful lights and rituals of the holiday season. Northern European folk and classical music covers a wide range of emotion. In Norway, it's often plaintive and austere, yet full of intense feeling; a fusion of darkness and light — from joyful hymns and lovely wedding marches, to melancholy songs and solitary prayers. The resonant bite of the Hardanger fiddle, the rich cushion of the organ, the soft tones of the harp, and the extraordinary vocals — create a musical experience that's been refined and deepened for hundreds of years. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a Nordic holiday journey from our longtime guest producer ELLEN HOLMES of ADAGIO RECORDINGS, on a program called STARLIGHT NORTH. Music is by an all-star group of great Norwegian musicians, including fiddlers SUSANNE LUNDENG and ANNBJORG LIEN, IVER KLEIVE, the choir SKRUK and others, and singers ANNE-LISE BERNTSEN, VIDIA WESENLUND and SOLVEIG SLETTAHJELL. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

AK Gluck Teigland har vokst opp ved Hardangerfjorden med fjellene mellom fjorden og Voss som lekegrind. Gradvis har han utvidet horisonten, blant annet gjennom en skitur over Hardangervidda for å hilse på Dronningen. I 2022 gikk han til Sydpolen sammen med kompisen Kjartan Bergsvåg i en ekspedisjon som også ville ta med Nansen til kontinentet han aldri nådde. Vi prater mye om denne turen, men også om heimfjell, rått lamakjøtt, seilerstøvler, rypejakt, gleden over å slite og hvorfor han har tenkt å feire akkurat 47-årsdagen sin. Nå har AK dessuten begynt å planlegge ny tur sørover. For i 2024 går han for hastighetsrekorden til Sydpolen.Bestill billett til episode 198 av Podkasten UtelivLive på Revir i Oslo 24. januar med Bengt Rotmo som gjestBli med i turlaget på PatreonBesøk min kommersielle samarbeidspartner Barents Outdoor AS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I dagens episode har vi tatt turen til Hotel Ullensvang og der vi har fått med oss Julia Dobbe fra Trolltunga Active. Julia jobber som turguide og forteller om hennes reise, fine turer i Hardanger området og mye mer. Sjekk ut Trolltunga Active og Julia her: https://www.trolltunga-active.com https://no.linkedin.com/in/julia-dobbe-5405a9266 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hva gjør vi når vi skal flytte fra hagen? Hvordan kan vi ta med oss planter til en ny hage og samtidig gjøre det attraktivt for potensielle kjøpere i den gamle? Når bør vi starte prosessen med å forberede planter for flytting, og hvordan løser vi det hele rent praktisk?Mette Ekern er gjest i denne podkast-episoden. Hun flyttet i sommer fra en innholdsrik og opparbeidet hage på Hønefoss, og over fjellet til Hardanger. Planen er at Mette og samboeren skal skape en hage i fellesskap på hans hjemsted. Men først må huset i orden - og hva gjør man med plantene da?Du finner Hagespiren her:https://hagespiren.no/Mail:hagespiren@outlook.comFølg gjerne Hagespiren Podcast på Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/hagespirenpodcast/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/groups/hagespirenYouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBHDkK1G9iu3Ytv_pgLCOjgTusen takk for at du lytter til Hagespiren Podcast!Del gjerne podkasten med andre som du tenker vil ha glede av den. Episoden kan inneholde målrettet reklame, basert på din IP-adresse, enhet og posisjon. Se smartpod.no/personvern for informasjon og dine valg om deling av data.

I denne episoden av Uillustrert Vitenskap snakker vi om frukt! Vi har ringt Eplepappa fra Hardanger og har blitt litt klokere på hvordan man definerer frukt. Hvor mange sorter epler finnest det? Er det mye proteiner i dessertfrukten physalis? Og er konferansepære en lyspære eller en frukt? Dette får du kanskje svaret på i dagens episode av Uillustrert Vitenskap!

Kjell-Gabriel er popstjerne i Hardanger sammen med Dr. Alban, og der kom han over fantastisk drikke. Lokale varer som virkelig leverer på høyt nivå. * Kvestad 1808 Sider / kr. 181,90 / Varenummer 12207901 * Alde Issider 2019 / kr. 374,90 / Varenummer 12395202 * Spilde sider tørr og halvtørr / Lokal vare

Det suverent største gravfeltet på Vestlandet ligg i Eidfjord i Haranger. Kvifor akkurat der? Kva tykte folk var så spesielt med den staden? Svaret må liggja i landskap og geografi - resonnerer vi oss fram til, basert på landskapet rundt, ferdslevegane i området, landskapet ikring andre store gravfelt, opplysningar i dei norrøne tekstane, og samiske offerstader. - Innspela på Hæreid 22. april 2023.

Kjell-Gabriel har fått øynene opp for kortreist drikke, og vi snakker om sider fra Hardanger. Bør man forby prosecco i Vestland når de produserer så gode saker? * Heldre Sider Tausakjeldo / kr. 199,70 / Varenummer 15072901

Come with me on a pilgrimage to the tiny mountain village of Vågå – together with 800 other people. They have been drawn there by one passion, one hunger. To hear the music of the Hardanger fiddle. Delicate and decorative – muscular and feisty. With this podcast, I am doing penance for past sins, having previously believed the Hardanger fiddle to be near-obsolete, a museum piece. And its music unsophisticated. How wrong I was! Hearing the instrument at its mysterious and magnificent best – as played by virtuoso Ottar Kåsa – opened a gateway for me to deep Norwegian culture. It achieves a modern miracle: to be vigorously and unsentimentally alive, while maintaining a musical inheritance. And it also connected up with the deep culture of my own background, on the west coast of Ireland. EPISODE PHOTODetail of Hardanger fiddle made in 1911–12 by Olav Eivindsen Bakkene, Telemark i 1911-12. The instrument belongs to Telemark Museum. From: digitalmuseum.noPhoto: Bård LøkenLicence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0CONTACTTwitter: (a)northbynorwayEmail: northbynorway(a)gmail(.)comMORE INFOandrewjboyle(.)comTHANKSto Ottar Kåsa for permission to use his recording of Høgsetbenken (springar after Myllarguten) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn Norwegian with professional teacher at Norwegian Community: https://learn.norwegiancommunity.com/link/rNSsCh Norwegian Community B1 level: https://learn.norwegiancommunity.com/link/rNSsCh?url=https%3A%2F%2Flearn.norwegiancommunity.com%2Fcourse%3Fcourseid%3Db1-komplett-kurs Norwegian courses: https://skapago.teachable.com/?affcode=26285_sxv09qeu Norwegian Textbook (Mysteriet om Nils): https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Nils-Part-Norwegian-Beginners/dp/3945174007 Email: Laernorsknaa@gmail.com Transcript: https://laernorsknaa.com/6-6-norwegian-folk-music/ Website: https://laernorsknaa.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/laernorsknaa Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariusStangela1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdRJ5lW2QlUNRfff-ZoE-A Alle kulturer har sin folkemusikk. Folkemusikk er tradisjonell musikk fra et sted. I Norge er folkemusikk først dokumentert i litterære kilder fra norrøn tid. Det vil si at de første norske folkevisene som vi vet har eksistert er over 1000 år gamle. Den eldste norske folkevisa som har overlevd og som blei nedtegna kommer fra 1695. Den er altså over 300 år gammel. Likevel var det ikke før på 1800-tallet at sangene og folkevisene blei systematisk samlet og nedskrevet. Det finnes mange forskjellige former for folkemusikk. Det er altså ikke bare en sjanger av folkemusikk, men mange sjangre. For eksempel finnes det religiøse folkeviser, dansefolkeviser og bondeviser. Felles for alle sjangrene er at de tradisjonelt kommer fra norsk bondeliv. Norsk folkemusikk kommer altså fra norske bønder og det folk sang der i bondesamfunn. De vanligste instrumentene i norsk folkemusikk er hardingfele, altså en norsk variant av fiolin. Den eldste hardingfela som har overlevd kommer fra Hardanger på Vestlandet på 1600-tallet. Instrumentet ligner veldig på en fiolin, men har i tillegg til fire overstrenger, fire til fem underliggenderesonansstrenger. En streng er en tråd som man spiller på. Gitar er et annet instrument som også har strenger. På grunn av de ekstra strengene til hardingfela, så lager hardingfela litt annerledes lyd enn en fiolin. I tillegg til fela, så brukte man gjerne instrumentene langeleik, munnharpe og durspill.

Med Iron Maiden-skjerf og Slayer-maske nådde Arne Kristian Glück-Teigland fra Hardanger polpunktet i Antarktis i starten av januar. Sammen med Kjartan Bergsvåg fra Voss gikk han 40 dagar og 1115 km på ski. Hele historien får du i denne spesial-episoden der AK forteller om polferden og oppveksten i Øystese sammen med søster og tidligere Gammal Maiden-gjest Ingunn Teigland. Hvorfor ble det med et Virtual XI-skjerf på turen? Hvorfor Blood Brothers? Vi må også innom Alice Cooper, Kjetil Stokkan (!), Judas Priest, Leonard Cohen, Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son og Sloggi-strømpebukser mot lårgnissing på polferd. Spenn på skia og bli med sørover i konstant motvind: We shall never surrender!

I dag har vi tatt turen til Hardanger og Hotel Ullensvang for å snakke med markedssjef Christine Remøy. Christine har mye erfaring fra hotel og salgsbransjen. Sjekk ut Hotel Ullensvang: www.hotelullensvang.no Sjekk ut Christine Remøy: @christineremøy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To unge menn snik seg om bord i eit bulkskip i Elfenbenskysten og gøymer seg. Dei har neppe aning om kor skipet skal. Tjue dagar seinare går blindpassasjerane i land i ein vestlandsfjord. Journalist: Kjersti Mjør Produsent: Anna Ofstad

When the daughter of a trailblazing feminist moves to small town NSW, the only women's organisation she can join is the Country Women's Association. How will she fit in?

Pandemien traff oss alle hardt, og lærere har vært mye utsatt for smitte. Ingerid Oppedal Dowerdock fikk korona på jobb, og sliter i dag - 1.5 år senere - fortsatt med senvirkninger etter korona. Hva er egentlig long covid, og kan man bli frisk? Ingerid deler om sin erfaring med å få korona og om senvirkningene. Vi snakker om det å stå i jobb når man lider av fatigue og amnesi, om det å være aktør i eget liv og om det å "ta en Nansen".  Ting som snakkes om i episoden: Helse i Hardanger: https://www.helseihardanger.no/ Kontakt: @kinemaniac og @ogsapasient på Instagram eller ogsapasient@gmail.com Vil du støtte mitt arbeid med en "kaffe"? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ogsapasient Cover art: @anettews

Today we continue our Hardanger fiddling marathon with Norwegian music titan Knut Buen. Join the mailing list at theamericanskald.com for early access to next Monday's interview with Ale Carr of Dreamers' Circus!Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/theamericanskald)

To kick off our two week Hardanger fiddle marathon, we're going to be looking at a captivating up-and-coming Hardanger fiddlers Johanne Flottorp with her newest album "Hitterdal" and take a peak at the latest Northern Belle single Chicago - the Norwegian/Americana fusion band she fiddles for. Very cool stuff!Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/theamericanskald)

Rohan 2/5: Riders of Rohan. Welcome to the 2nd of our Rohan themes! Today we have an excellent reading from Lacy Golden, an interview with Hardanger fiddler Rachel Nesvig and an exploration of this cavalry theme! NEW PATREON: Patreon.com/podcastimmersed https://www.facebook.com/groups/195416976115638 New Facebook Group! Rachel Nesvig's Website: https://rachelnesvig.com/ Patreon.com/PodcastImmersed Check out my other shows! Books Immersed: https://tinyurl.com/2398w8cj Middle-Earth: Sound Design https://tinyurl.com/2p9bxrzs Music of Middle-Earth https://tinyurl.com/2s4yv6hc

This week it's ‘Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers', and in honour of Gandalf the White the Team have straightened our hair and are about 65% less interesting than we were in the previous instalment. Join us as we discuss nostalgia, Gollum's unused look, Sean Bean scaling a mountain and what goes on top of a Hardanger fiddle (not to go all buzzfeed here but the answers will actually shock you). Enjoy! ---- Spotted a Wilhelm in a film, TV show or game? Drop us an email at thewilhelmteam@yahoo.com You can also rate us if you want and we'll love you for it: https://ratethispodcast.com/wilhelm Whilst you're here, why not follow us on social media - we hear it will be big some day! Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewilhelmteam Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewilhelmteam Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWilhelmTeamPod

Ottar Kåsa is renowned Hardanger fiddle player and violinmaker, praised for making first class instruments. After attending the prestigious Ole Bull Academy in Voss, he established his own workshop, continuing nurturing the expertise of craftmanship of Hardanger fiddle making and playing.The oldest found Hardanger fiddle dates back to a year 1651, belonging to Ole Jonsen Jaastad (1621 – 1694), who lived in the village of Ullensvang in Hardanger. Frequently referred also as “the instrument of the Devil”. Hardanger fiddle throughout the centuries remained an important part of Norwegian social and cultural heritage.In modern designs, Hardanger fiddle is very similar to violin, though with either 8 or 9 strings (rather than four as on a standard violin) and thinner wood. Four of the strings are strung and played like a violin, while the rest, aptly named understrings or sympathetic strings resonate under the influence of the other four.The instrument is often highly decorated, with a carved animal (usually with a dragon or Lion of Norway), extensive inlay with the mother of pearl on tailpiece and fingerboard as well as the black ink decorations called “rosing” on the body of the instrument.More information about Ottar Kåsa and the heritage of Hardanger fiddle on the following link.

Lasse Enersen is a Finnish composer who studied composing in the Sibelius-Academy 2001-2004. He has also assisted film composers (Alexandre Desplat, Abel Korzeniowski, Heitor Pereira). Enersen started his film composer career working on numerous international documentary feature films, but his first fiction feature film credit came with Tuntematon Sotilas/ Unknown Soldier by Aku Louhimies, which became the biggest box office hit in Finland in 60 years. TUNTEMATON SOTILAS/ UNKNOWN SOLDIER is the story of an infantry unit's tour of duty that lasts for more than three years during the Finnish Continuation War. The film is based on the classic novel by VÄINÖ LINNA. The film is the story of four young Finnish soldiers, and their brothers-in-arms and shows how friendship, humour, and the will to live unite these men on their way to and back from war. This telling of the story demonstrates how the war changed the lives of each of the soldiers, of those on the home front, and ultimately their entire nation.In this episode, Lasse Enersen shares several behind-the-scenes stories about his composing and the recording of his original score. He talks about how his unique approach to this score was influenced by an Irish hardanger d'amore player and Finnish lullabies. He also discusses how he sought to ironically capture beauty in a story about war and how the most popular piece of his score was one he wrote in just 15 minutes. Lastly, Lasse Enersen shares the story of how he ended up having three, custom decca mics created for the recording of this score.ANNOTATED SEGMENTS - Suite from Tuntematon Sotilas02:20 - Hardanger, Nature and Lullabies06:01 - Scoring a movie of war and of men09:54 - Great beauty12:27 - A Finnish Orchestra and Decca Mics16:04 - Catharsis and FreedomSOUNDTRACKThe original soundtrack to Tuntematon Sotilas was released in October of 2017. You can find it on Amazon.com, iTunes, Spotify and Apple Music.MORE ABOUT THE COMPOSERYou can find out more about and hear more music by Lasse Enersen at his official site http://lasseenersen.com or follow him on Twitter @lassenersenABOUT THE ANNOTATORProduced by Christopher Coleman (@ccoleman) and you can Find more episodes at THEANNOTATOR.NET or you can subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher Radio or wherever you find quality podcasts.FOLLOW USTwitter @audioannotatorFacebook @TheAnnotatorEmail theannotatorpodcast@gmail.comSUBSCRIBEiTunesSpotifyStitcher RadioRadioPublicGoogle Play PodcastsRSS Feed