Blue sky awaited me this morning after a bad dream about a friend. After so many days of rain and dark clouds, the sun was shining and it was warm out. Monica made Norwegian waffles this morning. Unlike their Belgian counterparts, they have a soft texture and are often eaten with sour cream and raspberry jam. They came out delicious! Norwegians don't seem to be big on breakfast; usually they just have coffee and a pastry. Unlike Germans and the Irish, Norwegians are not overly outgoing and social. It often takes them a while to warm up to outsiders but once they do, they're gracious and welcoming. Monica explained she was a bit reluctant to have me stay at first but that it's worked out well. Norwegians are also, in my opinion, the world's finest Christmas decorators. Allow me to introduce Monica. She is a lovely lady who picked me up hitchhiking during the polar night as I was travelling from Tromsø to Narvik to photograph the aurora. At the time it was dark at 3:30 PM, snowing, and about -5 out. That was in '18, and since then she's married her husband, Joakim and they have a daughter, Ane. They live in Hakvik, which is very close to Narvik. Monica holds the distinction as the first person I've met both during the polar night and the midnight sun, and I timed it perfectly to be here for summer solstice.
In another surprise, Monica had tickets for the gondola and there couldn't have been a better day for a glass of wine and a fabulous photo above the fjords.
Norwegian cuisine is perceived as bland to the rest of the world. Whilst it's true that it may not stand out like Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, or Ethiopian, or be inundated with spices and flavour, Norwegian food is far from bland. Indeed it's more about being filling than spicy. Before arriving the other night I had kjøttkaker fra lundal, which is meatballs with carrots, potatoes, mashed peas, and lingonberry sauce.
For dinner this evening (at my request, thank you so much), Monica made fiskeboller (fish balls). Fiskeboller is fish mashed into balls with a creamy sauce made from flour, milk, and fish broth to go with boiled potatoes, shredded carrots, and bits of bacon as topping.
It came out absolutely delicious. Last night I made zucchini bread for Monica and family which, as always, was a smash hit. They're the most northerly friends or hosts I've made it for as well as the first time I've baked it north of the Arctic Circle.
Monica, Joakim, and I would discuss various things regarding life in Norway. Norwegians are thick-skinned, hardy souls who are used to all types of daylight, darkness, temperatures, and weather. When Ane has her midday nap she has it in her pram outside, even in the middle of the polar night. After a day of feasting Norwegian style I would take full advantage of the midnight sun. Geocaching and flying Juliett (and getting bitten up by mosquitoes) are what I did close to midnight.
A long walk whilst finding about a dozen geocaches would round out this sunny day; if only there were more sunny days in Norway. One of these days I would love to try reindeer steak but for now I can rave about Norwegian cuisine and try to make it famous the world over.
