Day 14-18: Sognsvann, Hovedøya island, Aker Brygge

For more pictures check out: http://picasaweb.google.com/roaring.tree/Day14To18SognsVannHovedYaIslandAkerBrygge

The weather has been unbelievably HOT these last few days, breaking records all over Norway. And, everyone has been taking advantage of the situation, sunbathing in public parks, boating out on the Oslo Fjord, and flocking to the nearby lakes and islands for a few hours of relief. Just now, a blanket of clouds rolled in and I can see lightening striking up in the hills, so perhaps the heat wave is over. Ahh, yes indeed. I can hear rain.

For days we've been seeking out the cool, shady spots and bathing beaches. We took the tram up to Sognsvann again, a mountain lake just outside of town. Just as we arrived a running race was finishing and people were cheering on the contenders. Shore around the lake was filled with people picnicing. The popular thing is to buy a disposable BBQs and roast up sausages. There are even special garbage disposal containers around for these "one-time grills," so they don't light the forest on fire. They look like rectangular, aluminum cooking pans (about 10 by 12 inches), filled with coals, and covered with a thin paper and a flimsy metal screen. They're super lightweight, so you can take them anywhere. Matt and I took turns swimming out to an island and it felt great.

Then on Saturday and Sunday we took a quick, 10-minute ferry ride to Hovedøya island. It cost the same as riding the city bus. Despite the proximity, the island feels worlds away. Around the island are sunbathing rocks, swimming areas, and docks for little sailboats. In the middle is a forest (with MORE raspberries!), large playing fields, a cute little farm, a cafe and the ruins of a monastery from the Middle Ages. On Sunday, we joined up with our co-worker, Mats and his friend who works at TGIF for a BBQ and a game of KUBE. We had to keep our shoes on as we entered the water. The shore is plastered with mussels and other shellfish that have razor sharp edges and Matt scraped open his toes the first time. The water was wonderful in late evening and we could see boats of all shapes. Oslo is so much more beautiful than I imagined.

Monday night we celebrated with the summer interns and some other co-workers down at the Aker Brygge area, on the west side of the main harbor. It's the trendy area where all the tourists go out to eat and drink, and I can see why. It has a wonderful view of the city.

San Francisco, turn Market Street into a pedestrian boulevard!

Even though we're in Oslo, we've been keeping up with the news back in the States and we were both delighted to see an article on the SFGate announcing Supervisor Daly's proposal to make Market Street a pedestrian boulevard. This is an excellent idea. San Francisco should take a cue from European cities like Oslo where pedestrian-friendly streets are the center of social and commerical activity. The main street of Oslo, Karl Johans Gate, is packed with foot traffic on warm evenings like tonight. Cafes spill out into the road with comfortable outdoor seating and people of all ages stroll along, checking out the lively scene. Market street can only improve from reduced traffic. When I first lived to San Francisco, I thought I could bike from the Haight District to the Financial, straight down Market Street because it was the most direct route. But, I quickly gave up the idea on account of the horrendous traffic, rude taxis, and lack of safe bike lanes. I learned my lesson and even avoided walking there, because of the noise and pollution, so I took the bus and exercised on the weekends. It's about time pedestrians took back the streets and created vibrant, liveable, outdoor spaces that encourage healthy habits and dynamic marketplaces. Market Street is a perfect place to start: 1)other, faster automobile routes exist one block away, 2)it's the geographic center of the city, 3)it has enough bike and public transit movement without cars and trucks, 4)it would help revive the lagushing tenderloin area along 6th street by increasing commerical activity on neighboring blocks, and 5)it would represent a bold and strategic move for Gavin Newsom and the City Planners, aligning the city with the green sustainable ideas that they so often talk about. Here is an actual plan to begin the ball rolling, transforming polluted cityscapes into beautiful common areas we can all enjoy. Take it from Oslo, pedestrian boulevards improve city living.

Day 13: Bygdøy Peninsula and two museums

See the rest of the photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/roaring.tree/Day13BygdoyAndTwoMuseums

Well, this is a little out of order. I covered Monday in the last blog, and now we're going back to the weekend. On Saturday, we took a walk to the Bygdøy Peninsula that juts out from the city into the Oslo Fjord. One of the great things about Oslo is that you can escape so easily to beautiful, rural settings like Bygdøy. The peninsula feels like an island and contains farms, forests, docks, bathing beaches, rocky shores, and an impressive list of fine museums. We walked there from our apartment which took less than 45 minutes. But, a bus would have taken 20 minutes and a ferry would have been 10 minutes. The map that I had only showed half of the total area, so we spent a few hours wandering down trails and guessing where to go. After awhile we discovered a beautiful swimming area with a sandy beach and on the way home we acted like typical tourists and visited the Viking Museum. Matt couldn't get enough of the old ships and artifacts. But, people watching was equally entertaining for me. While we were there a few bus loads of American and Japanese tourists arrived from a cruise ship we saw earlier and they took over the museum in one wave after another.

The next day, I took another walk to Frogner Park, this time to visit the free Oslo City Museum, which turned out to be excellent. In comparison to the Viking Museum, it boasts about 10 times the number of artifacts and 3 times the exhibition space.

Day 12: Breaking into the Oslo social scene

Wow, that was fast. Whoever said Norwegians are anti-social, doesn't know where to look. After a few emails, phone calls, and web research, we're on a roll. And, our limited Norwegian skills haven't held us back so far.

On Sunday night, we went out with a co-worker, Mats, and his four friends to a local restaurant called Schroder. It's a neighborhood joint, frequented by the locals. Throughout the winter, they have a packed house, with two seatings a night and serve traditional Norwegian holiday food. Mats is Swedish and his friends spent a good deal of time explaining the oddities of Norwegian food. The food we ate was just fine and hit the spot. Like the development team, Mats' friends remind me of Californian dudes. American pop culture and media dominated the conversation. The new batman movies is due out this weekend and everyone want to see it. One guy was proudly wearing at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle T-shirt that he found at some obscure shop. I had to smile. I'm sure we'll see all the guys again, and we'll return to Schroder, to try the famed specials.

Tonight, we really hit the jackpot, an evening run with the local Hash House Harriers (HHH) running club. My friend Nash introduced me to "Hashing" just before we left San Francisco. THANK YOU NASH!!! I went on a few runs and wrote an earlier blog entry about it. As I mentioned before, hashing is peculiar sport that involves running around on wild goose chases, trying to follow a trail with circles and dots on the ground. Oh, and there's drinking invovled at the end, or somewhere along the way. In San Francisco, the runs the routes went through the city or the presidio with anywhere from 50-70 people. But, no matter the location, one thing can be sure. "Hashers" tend to be inclusive. They're always more than happy to have new comers, and as a group they're very informal, jovial, and unconventional. Just my type of folks.

Matt had never been to a hash run, so it was a real treat to bring him along and to watch his reaction as he was initiated into all the bizzare rules. We raced home from work to catch the 31 bus from the National Theater out to Lillomarka, about 30 minutes outside of town. Because of construction in the city center, the bus stop had been relocated and we had to sprit over another 4 blocks to catch it. It's always exciting taking public transit for the first time, not knowing for sure if you missed your stop or not. Following directions from the internet, we got off in a suburb, high above the city center and walked up a hill to a remote parking lot by a trail head, where the group was assembling. I corresponded with the group earlier, so they were expecting us. The Oslo Hashers are fun, motley bunch, a bit older than the San Francisco chapter, but man, can they run. They may not be sprinters, but they're sure-footed. At the sound of the bugle we were off, in the rain, running on rough trails, down steep rocky crevices, and jumping over roots. The scenery was spectacular, green forests and misty meadows, pastures with grazing ponies and funky short cuts behind backyards and apartment complexes. Then, as usual, there was the chaos of the game, back checks, dead ends, confusion and joking. I looked over at Matt who was soaking wet, wearing a big smile on his face.


Towards the end, the pace slowed down and I had a chance to start chatting with people. Matt and I were immediately invited to a series of upcoming events, outings, and trips including a running event above the arctic circle. Matt learned about local bike and running races, and, I got to chance to talk with mushroom enthusiasts, who happened to find tasty yellow chanterelles along the way. As with all hashes, the evening ended with drinking, singing, and a list of embarassments, poking fun at runners for humorous and completely insignificant reasons. The hash leader tried to make fun of Matt because he smelled funny (his perfumed suntan lotion) but no one could guess what it was. Both of us were intiated into the group with a shot of Aquavit, a Norwegian alcohol that tastes like licorish mouth wash. No, actually, it's not that bad. Rain or shine we'll be back next week.


But, that's not all. All of my emails to organizations in the Oslo area is starting to pay off. I received an email invitation to the local Stitch-and-Bitch club, a knitting and craft group for hip young women. And, I found out about a satsang on Sunday nights. We'll make friends in no time.

Day 5-8: Quiet summer days

For the rest of the photos and captions go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/roaring.tree/Day58/photo#5224026746877958962

The last few days have been quiet as we settle into our weekly rhythm. Matt’s friend Nils left for a two week vacation and my boss is on vacation too. In fact, most of the office and the city’s residents are out of town. A few of the development team members are still here, plugging away on some computer programs. But, besides them, the office has been empty. I looked up yoga classes and Irish dancing lessons which don’t start till August. July is Norway’s vacation month.

The few guys who are left in the office are just like California dudes, wearing T-shirts and jeans. They even have American accents when they speak English and they’ve seen the same TV shows and movies. In fact, when I asked about their favorite Norwegian movies, they laughed. Norway only has a few actors who appear in all of the movies. Most of the shows and movies on TV are American.

Work has been good. I'm collaborating with coworker down in the Brussels office some basic market materials that involve interesting research and some creative writing. One of my favorite parts is reading news about food, food safety, and the fishing industry. I’m finding fascinating articles about consumer trends and the future direction of farming. The New York Times had an article about vertical farms, farms in city skyscrapers (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/science/15farm.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin), and my friend Bronwyn Ximm posted an article about a new business idea, CSA’s based in urban backyards (http://www.walletmouth.com/).

The social lull has given us plenty of time to get situated and to explore the city. Each day we try a different route to work, weaving our through old neighborhoods, parks, and paths. After work on Tuesday we took a detour to the Botanical Garden in the east side of town, and bought vegetables at one of the immigrant produce shops and on Wednesday we strolled west to the Vigeland Sculpture Garden in Frogner Park after dinner. Other than that, learning Norwegian has been our main priority. It will open up so many more doors and opportunities when we can understand everyday casual conversations and read important legal paperwork without translation.

The weather has been warm and moody. It can’t decide if it wants to be sunny or cloudy, as though it is afraid of being boring. So, it’s bright one minute and dark the next. Sometimes it rains, light warm drops and then the sun pours down, hot and bright for hours.

Day 4 - In search of free entertainment

What to do?

The tourist center is absolutely the best spot for anyone who's new in town. I peaked in to get a city map and left with an earful of advice and an armload of free maps, brochures, and travel guides. Since we'll be here for so long, we'll have plenty of time to check out every museum and historical site in the region, that looks interesting. Speaking of the museums, Olso has a dozen FREE museums and attractions!!!!! The tourist information center gives away museum brochures, so you can read up on the exhibits and study the floor plans before your visit.






Library
National Library (www.nb.no/english)
Summer hours: Weekdays 9 am – 6pm, Saturdays except for July
Other seasons: Weekdays 9 am – 7pm, Saturdays 9 am – 2 pm

Other Fun Free Activities
Hiking (see earlier blog)
Swimming (in the ocean or a freshwater lake)
Berry picking (strawberries and blueberries)
Mushroom hunting (with friends who know what they’re doing!)
Biking/ RunningBird watching (http://birdwatch.brinkster.net/)


Free Museums/Galleries
(see http://www.visitoslo.com/en/free-attractions-and-activities.85955.en.html)
Akershus Fortress (outdoor areas)
Armed Forces MuseumAstrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art Botanical GardenHistorical Museum 10:00 am – 5:00 pm daily
International Culture Centre & Museum IKMMunch Museum (free 1 October - 31 March)
Museum of Architecture (opens January 2008)
Museum of Decorative Arts and Design
National GalleryNational Museum of Contemporary Art
Norwegian Customs Museum
Norwegian Museum of Magic
Oslo City Museum
Stenersen Museum (free 1 October - 31 March)
Vigeland Museum (free 1 October - 31 March)
Vigeland Sculpture Park















Free Annual Events in Oslo

August Mela Multicultural Festival
August The Akershus Concert
August Oslomarkedet Arts & Crafts Fair
August/Sept Oslo Fjord & Coast Culture Festival
September Kongene på Haugen Music Festival
September Granittrock
September Oslo Culture Night
September Akerselva: River Walk by Torchlight
October Books in the CentreNov./Dec. Lighting of Christmas trees and streets in the centre (1st weekend of Advent)
December Nobel Peace Prize (participate in the torch parade honouring the laureate – from Karl Johan to the Grand Hotel)February/March Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic Not in 2009! (join the thousands of people gathering in the woods - remember to bring something hot to drink and warm clothes)
May + September Ekeberg veteran cars/bric-a-brac market
May National Day: Children's parade, Russetoget and 17 May for all
June National Music Day Oslo
June Oslo Environmental Festival
June VG Top 20 live

Day 4 - Food Shopping

Food Shopping

Food shopping has been a little perplexing on account of the high prices. It's hard to understand how a jar of jam could possibly cost $10. So, we started comparison shopping and hit the web for other ideas. It all depends on where you shop and the little grocery store across the street from our apartment actually has fairly decent prices. But, everything is relative.

Here are two useful sites and some tips we learned:
http://use-it.unginfo.oslo.no/sider/hungerbusting.php
http://www.bugeurope.com/oslo/eatdrink.html

Water
Instead of bottled water, stick to tap water which is higher quality and better for you.

Produce
Shop for food at the immigrant stores on the East side of the city in neighborhoods like Brugata, Storgata, Grünerløkka and Grønland. Evidently they have a wide variety of high quality vegetables, fruits, roots, and spices at low prices. Stores: Izmir Import, Torggata 21and Sultan Market, Helgesens gate 18 (at Grünerløkka).

Fish
Fishing is one of the major industries in Norway and seafood is abundant and nutritious. A few recommended fishmongers include:

LaksenMaridalsveien 188
This one is located a bit out of the city center, but stocks all different kind of fish and meat, even hot. Here you can get crocodile, bear and other extraordinary things to eat. Despite this, they got quite affordable prices. You should go there as a part of a trip up Akerselva, as Laksen is found above Sagene.

Erling Moe A/SYoungstorget 2 by Operapasasjen, Youngstorget. Sells smoked salomon and warm fishcakes.

Fjelberg Fisk & Vilt Bygdøy allé 56

Johnsen Storm B Fisk og Vilt Cecilie Thoresens vei 17
FlyvefiskenLilletorvet 1

Tip!Buy some prawns at the harbour in front of Town Hall, next to Aker Brygge. Fresh boiled prawns on a piece of white bread, topped with mayonnaise and lemon, accompanied by a cold beer or a glass of white wine is a instant hit. In case the conversation dries up, try a prawn peeling competition.

Day 2 and 3 in Norway

On Friday, July 11 we had our first full day of work at the office, which turned out to be fairly mellow. Almost everyone is away on vacation for a few weeks.Then, after work I got to meet Matt's good friend Nils who took us around the city to check out cool restaurants and bars. The next day, the three of us took the subway out of the city to go on a long, 6.5 mile hike . In only 20- 3o minutes we can escape to stunning forests and mountain lakes, without getting in a car!! The main, flat trails were crowded with other walkers and bikers, but the side trails were quiet and serene.

Matt and Nils harvest wild blueberries along a trail.

More photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/roaring.tree/Day2And3InNorway

First Day in Norway

Day 1

We arrived in Oslo at 10:43 am on Thursday, July 10th after an overnight flight with two layovers in Chicago and Stockholm. My new boss kindly met us at the airport and drove us around to the apartment and various administrative offices to take care of our work and residency permits before a quick check-in at the office to meet a few folks. Then we had the afternoon and evening to ourselves to catch up on sleep and explore the city by foot.

When Matt was out here in April, he found a comprable apartment to our old one in San Francisco, with approximately the same square footage. Like our old one, we get to climb four flights of stairs each day, but this one also has a heated balcony, a dishwasher, a washer, and two, tiny bedrooms instead of one big one. Oh, and we can say goodbye to the sweet rent control we enjoyed in the states. Thank god we're earning the local currency.

I had sticker shock just looking at the prices in stores, so I'm glad that we brought most of the things we need. For example, a meal at Burger King is about $8. Shoes and electronics are about double price and clothing on sale at low-end stores costs the same as full price items at Macy's in San Francisco. I'm sure that we'll figure out how to find good deals in no time.

It’s amazing to see how close everything is. Work is only 25 minutes away by foot and there's a food store directly across the street from our apartment building with a friendly cashier who seems happy to practice his English with us. He finds it amusing when we try to use Norwegian phrases. The royal palace and public parks are only a few blocks to the south and there are cool cafes, bookstores, and sights in every direction. On a quick evening stroll we passed the palace, royal theater, history museum, parliment building, castle, docks with old wooden boats, shopping areas, fountains, opera house, train station, subway station, city hall, and much more. Oslo is an extremely walkable city and large pedestrian promenades run through the center of town.

You can see cyclists and skateboarders everywhere. There are tons of people out and about, enjoying the scenery, well into the night. It never really gets dark here in the summer. Twilight hit at about 11 pm last night and the sun pops up again by 4 am. But even in the dead of the night you can see around just fine.

Besides that, the people in Oslo are more diverse than I imagined; they dress like Californians and everyone speaks some English. Even the bookstores have plenty of English publications. In the last 5-10 years, the city has been flooded by immigrants from Africa and the Middle East, so it's not uncommon to see people of every color, shape, and size, even muslim women with full birkas, despite the warm weather.

See more photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/roaring.tree/FirstDayInNorway02

Flight to Norway

Flying over Mt. Saint Helens





At the crack of dawn on Wesdesday, July 9th, Matt's brother Dan drove us all the way to the Portland Airport, bless his heart. As we were taking off, the pilot announced a short scenic detour and circled the plane for a few minutes over Mount St. Helens, a volcano that erupted in 1980. Since I was in a window seat, I could see the inside of the exploded crater with snow dripping off the sides. The unexpected view was far more impressive than our trips to see volcanoes in Hawaii and Costa Rica and everyone in the plane oohed and aahed.



The End of Westward Expansion


Flying over the great expanses of the Midwest I couldn’t help thinking of my great-great-great grandfather Patrick Gass, one of the first explorers to cross the continent on the Lewis and Clark expedition between 1804 and 1806 (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_and_Clark_Expedition). What once took a year now takes only a few hours by plane. For generations after his voyage, both sides of my family have been moving progressively in the westward direction seeking economic opportunities, advanced academic degrees, and better weather. So, it’s ironic that my siblings and I are moving north and east of California and the Bay Area, to Seattle, Minnesota, and now Norway. Meanwhile, half of Matt’s family is migrating up from the Bay Area to Oregon. As the population of the Bay Area swells, we're moving out, some in search of open space and cheaper housing, others in search of adventure and new opportunities.

To some extent, the history of America has been based on a romantic view of the Wild West, a land of infinite wealth and resources. And, after 200 hundred years, the West has been won. San Francisco, once the ruthless Barbary Coast, has been tamed. The great wild beasts like the grizzly have been vanquished. The Ohlone and Muwekmua tribes now live in suburbs and watch TV. The wide, open plains have been claimed. The gold and sliver in the Sierras have been mined. Burgeoning cities and suburbs strain freshwater supplies and infrastructure systems, like any other major metropolis area.


By moving to Europe, we're completing a circle that spanned 2-6 generations. Going back far enough, both of our families can be traced to Northern Europe. While I have no obvious links to Norwegian stock, Scottland and Ireland are relatively nearby. Until we open our mouths, we could probably pass as natives.


In a historical sense, the end of the Wild West represents a pivitol shift in perspective. Since land and resources on the planet are limited, this is an incredible opportunity for innovation. Instead of constantly exploiting untouched landscapes, we get to work creatively and cooperatively to cultivate a heathly and sustainable way of life that enhances biodiversity and decreases pollution. Europe is already ahead of America in this arena, because they have been dealing with limited land and resources for hundreds of years. So, I can't wait to see sustainable and ecological solutions at work in the Scandinavian cities.

In Route to Norway

Sunny Hill

Just outside of Palo Alto, we stopped for one last visit at my Grandmother’s house in Woodside, affectionately called “Sunny Hill.” My great-grandfather bought this two-acre property back during the depression, when land was dirt cheap and it stood as an empty hilltop, surrounded by oak woodlands. When my mother was growing up in Redwood City, the family came up to picnic and garden, away from the bustle of the city. Today, the pines Great-grandfather planted tower over 60 feet high and luxury mansions fill the neighborhood. Grandma’s house stands out as a beautiful anomaly, built by my grandfather and my uncle John as the first passive solar house in the region, before the advent of fancy solar panels. Four levels, with decks all around, look out over Redwood City to the East and the Santa Cruz mountains to the West. The entire West side is a two-story greenhouse where bananas, passion fruit, and mangos once grew. On the west deck, we used to bake bread in Grandma’s solar oven. Her artwork adorns the interior, a large open area filled with music when Tevye practices piano, Uncle Michael and Aunt Edie play jazz flute and guitar, or Grandma sings. Grandpa’s favorite pastime was playing piano and so the house has always been filled with music and good memories.

Grandma served a fruit tart left over from our going away party. We all enjoyed an afternoon tea with Tevye and Auntie Katie as the sun arced through the greenhouse glass. Tevye’s leaving for college in another year and we did our best to convince him to apply for exchange programs in the Oslo area. I’m sure the University of Oslo must have some amazing summer music classes. Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/roaring.tree/SunnyHill

The Depot Hotel, Sonoma

Back on the road again, we drove up the Peninsula past the Crystal Springs reservoirs, through San Francisco, past our old neighborhood in the Haight, and across the Golden Gate. It felt great to be on the road at last and to have the packing behind us. It was a beautiful day on the bay. Sailboats and windsurfers and zipped past.

In Sonoma, we stopped for dinner at the Depot Hotel (www.depothotel.com), an Italian Restaurant owned by Aunt Gia and Uncle Michael. They also produce their own wine at the vineyard in Lake county, run a cooking school, offer culinary trips around the world, and produce a fun newsletter with recipes and tips. Tony, their youngest son is taking over the kitchen these days and his older sister Gianna was there with her husband and our new neice, Sienna, an absolute angel.

Ashland, Oregon

Later that night we hit the road again, this time heading up highway five to Ashland, a liberal, artistic enclave tucked in the mountains of Southern Oregon, famous for their year-round Shakespeare Festival (http://www.orshakes.org/). Half of Matt’s family is in the middle of moving to Ashland and we had the pleasure of staying with his sister Karen, a spunky acupuncturist with a flair for swing dancing. She’s starting a new practice in Ashland and just bought a beautiful house across the street from her sister Lisa, Lisa’s family, and a vast network of hiking trails. We got to feed her neighbor’s chickens, and taste fresh eggs. Over the course of a week, most of Matt’s family descended into the town for reunion that included fourth of July celebrations, movies, picnics, fireworks, Shakespeare plays, wedding anniversaries, a surprise birthday party, and two concerts at the Britt festival in Jackson (http://www.brittfest.org/).

Wall-e

One highlight of the trip was watching and discussing the new Pixar-Disney movie with all the nieces and nephews. I saw the movie earlier, in South Bay with my Dad, and it left a lasting impression on me. I don’t generally watch new Disney movies, or Hollywood blockbusters. But this film is something entirely different and somewhat shocking considering how many risks Pixar must have made in creating it. Over 700 years in the future, humankind has escaped from the Earth, leaving behind a toxic wasteland where one, lone trash-compacting robot remains. Off safely in gigantic luxury starships, humans have evolved into large, lazy, gelatinous creatures, like babies, carried aloft on floating chairs and surviving on a diet of liquid food, such as “cupcakes in a cup.” They live entire surreal lives, communicating through screens to each other. A probe robot is sent back to earth and retrieves the first living plant specimen, allowing humans to start re-colonizing their long lost home. Sounds fairly dark for light and fluffy children’s entertainment? Miraculously, Pixar and Disney have managed to pull the whole thing off with captivating artistry and taste. Incredible animation, and, more importantly, a strong story line, darling character personalities make it worth while. The entire first half of the film is without dialogue and doesn’t even need it because the physical comedy is so compelling. If you haven’t had a chance to see it, I highly recommend it. Beyond the grim circumstances it leaves behind a hopeful picture of the future implying that humans are capable of waking up from their destructive behaviors, to rebuild a green, cleaner planet with the help of benevolent technology.

Yamhill, Oregon

After a week in Ashland, we drove up to Matt’s brother’s farmhouse out in Yamhill, Oregon. Dan and his family moved up to this spot three years ago from the Bay Area and they couldn’t have found a more enchanting location. As you crest a hill from the East, you can see a scenic valley with grazing fields and wildflowers nestled between small wooded mountains. The house, build in the 1940’s looks like it’s out of storybook and sits back at the end of a dirt road next to a creek. Dan’s family LOVES animals and they own 5 dogs, 4 cats, 2 horses, 1 songbird, 5 rabbits and 6 chickens, give or take a few.

Chickens look like the most practical and useful pets and I really hope to have someday, when we move outside of Oslo proper. They eat kitchen waste, produce fresh eggs, and reduce the need for pesticides in home gardens. Imagine that. And, if you don’t get too attached to them, well, there’s always Christmas dinner! :) I digress. Matt’s other brother Jer came up with his kids and we all toured the Tillamook factory one day. Then, Matt’s aunt, uncle and cousins dropped in for a visit with kids in tow and we shared a magical evening exploring the creek, having dinner, and sharing.

Leaving San Francisco

There has been so much going on in the last month, what with three weddings, a backpacking trip through the Sierras, the birth of my nephew William Jon Szfranski, a string of farewell parties, and all the preparations for our move to Norway. I've hardly had a moment to sit down, let alone write. But, at least we now have thunder thighs after moving all those boxes down four flights of stairs without an elevator. Oy vais! At last it’s all behind us and we can relax for a week with Matt’s folks in Oregon.

New Contact Information

Mailing address:
Laura and Matt Gray
Sofies Gate 6 D
0170 Oslo
Norway

Skype: Laura.Gray08

Best of San Francisco

A week before leaving town, Matt and I spent an evening at our favorite Thai food restaurant and movie theater, reminiscing about our last three years in the City by the sea. We came up with a list of some our favorite haunts and events. I’m sure that if we spent more time on it we could fill pages and pages. What would you add?

Entertainment

Best Movie Theater: The Red Vic

Best Place to Sing: Martuni’s Bar

Best Game Store: Gamescape

Best Cheap Date: Musee Mechanique

Second Best Cheap Date: Green Apple Bookstore and the Aquarium on Clement

Best Neighborhood Museum: The Randal Museum

Best Music Festival: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass


Food

Best Thai Food: Ploy II

Best Ice Cream: Mitchell’s

Best Raw Food: Café Gratitude

Best Bakery: Arizmendi Bakery


Recreation

Best Bike Ride: The Full Sunset Loop
(Start at the Pan Handle and go through Golden Gate Park to Arugello, then through the Presidio, past the Legion of Honor, around by the Cliff House and come back through Golden Gate Park.)

Best Run: Crissy Field to Baker Beach

Best Weekly Dance Event: Lindy in the Park

Best Race: Bay to Breakers