My Norwegian Family

Today I am meeting my Norwegian family. I met Liv, Thorbjørn, and Ole Jan. Liv and Ole Jan are cousins, and are also my cousins. They drove me to Undrumsdal and we went to the church and saw the graves of my ancestors. Apparently it was Undrumsdal and not in Skien where my family was originally from. We went to a farm there that belonged to Otto's family (Otto was my great grandfather), and the barn he was born in. I also learned that my grandmother grew up on a street in Tønsberg called Bull's Gate (St. Olav's Gate is the cross street). All of this family history today and meeting new family has been a tad overwhelming but so wonderful and exciting.

The barn Otto was born and raised in.

By Sarah Zuckerman

Also, needless to say, I found Bulls Gate.

By Sarah Zuckerman

Viking Festival

Today was an amazing day! I woke up, had breakfast with Holly, met up with Thomas by the Viking Ship, walked up to the castle hill and to the top of Slottsfjellet. Then we drove to Borre (Mittgard) for a Viking Festival. I threw axes and shot arrows. Walked around with Thomas and Esben, saw a "Viking Fight" where they fought and showed all the viking weaponry. Then there was a "play", where there were at least ten acts that took place all over the field area of Mittgard. We followed the play as it went, literally on foot. It was in Norwegian, English, and I believe a kind of made up language. It was about the some of the Norse gods and the trouble they would get into. The acting troop was so into it you couldn't help but be completely pulled in. Even though I didn't always know what they were saying I was totally enraptured by the acts. It was one of the most extraordinary performances I have ever seen.

By Sarah Zuckerman

Skien and Rjukan

I went to Skien today, to get to Gjerpen (or where a town named Gjerpen used to be) and where my family would have been from. I think it is wonderful I am going to a place my family took their name from.
The hills of Vestfold are sloping and covered in grasses, yellow fields, and hazel wheat. Fields span kilometers, with one small house within it. The nature and scenery are not so drastic as Lofoten. I have not seen Fjords or peaks so prominent as the ones in the North.

By Sarah Zuckerman

~

Today Thomas and I are also going to Rjukan, a plateau about 2 hours or so from here.  We saw a couple getting married in a Viking Church on the way. It was cloudy but still stunning! There were little cotton ball like puffs all over the place. We took photographs and walked around.

By Sarah Zuckerman