Winter Break in Norway...Was it all a dream?

I find myself back in the U.S. after an amazing week and a half in Norway, but now I'm left wondering if it was all a dream. Tarjei and I tried to make the most of every moment that we had together. We skied, went sledding, celebrated Christmas, spent time playing games with his family, danced into 2011, watched fireworks, attended a delightful Norwegian play, and even went to our first movie in the theater. It was wonderful to just be together. Now, I find myself wandering around my house, half expecting him to magically appear around the corner. I wish he could!

Here are a few highlights:

As part of the Christmas Eve festivities, Norwegians dance and sing around the Christmas tree. Here's a video of his family enjoying this fun tradition.



Apparently, Santa knows just when to ring the doorbell and interrupt the tree dancing. This Santa was quite the "surprise"


To survive the cold in Norway, mittens are an essential. Notice how there are three mittens for four hands....



Did you know that Christmas tinsel hangs vertically in Norway? Well it does, and here's the proof. I couldn't resist trying to capture this darling moment of Tarjei's niece hanging something on the tree. Be sure to notice the little cone baskets hanging on the tree as well. Those get filled with candy throughout the season.



No Christmas is ever complete without lots of delicious food. Tarjei's mom says that Norwegian tradition states that at least seven varieties of "cake" be made for the season. She begins making these weeks ahead of time, and then everyone gets to enjoy them for days on end. She's a fantastic cook!



After the Christmas festivities were finished, we all headed out doors for lots of fun in the snow....







Check out this amazing sunset at 3:30 in the afternoon. I must say that the short days took some adjusting for me. It was especially hard when 8:00 a.m. feels and looks like 5:00 in the morning.



Then there's the Christmas lights in the streets of Oslo. We enjoyed these on our way to see a Norwegian Christmas play, "Reisen til Julestjernen" ("Journey to the Christmas Star"). It was absolutely delightful! I love the Norwegian culture, and I love how they love to display it!


For the New Year, Tarjei treated us to a three course meal at a nice restaurant in Oslo called the Mona Lisa. We enjoyed lobster soup, and yes, a fillet of reindeer. I must admit that it was quite good. Dessert afterward was a bowl of warm blackberries covered in cream. Yum!!! Did you know that Norwegians have an extra dessert stomach? I'm hoping that by marrying Tarjei, I'll get one too :)


After dinner, we followed the masses down the streets to see the fireworks display over the fjord. They were going off everywhere, and were quite exciting. In case you didn't get to see any, here is a video for you...



What can I say? It was wonderful! Thanks to Tarjei and his family, I will never forget my first Christmas in Norway. This picture of us together says it all....