This page was last updated on oktober 15, 1998
This page was last updated on oktober 15, 1998
We are living in Norway, in Akershus county - at a place called Kolbotn. Kolbotn is 18 kilometers south of Oslo, and is the center of the township/county council Oppegård.
We means Erling - the owner of this site, Tone - his mother and Morten - his father and "webmaster".
Tone is a nurse specialised in intensive care working at Rikshospitalet - The Norwegian National Hospital. Morten is a project manager working at Posten SDS, Norwegian Post Computer Centre.
Our place is located in an area dominated by detached and undetached houses. As all adjoining houses are arranged around a country courtyard with no through traffic, it's a safe place for Erling, and a lot of children at his age in the neighbourhood helps keeping him as busy as a six year old should be.
This autumn Erling started school, where he seems to be very happy. Norway recently lowered school entry age from seven to six, thus we now have ten years compulsory combined primary and secondary school. This first year is not aimed at particular subjects, it's more a "school training" year and might be seen as a structured extension to kindergarten. One of the reasons that brought us to Pauline Hallsvei (vei=road) was that this place is within comfortable walking distance from school even for a first grade, nevertheless they will often easily need 30+ minutes walking the 450 meters ! But, - investigating literally everything is a proof of this age…
Our spare time is most often spent outdoors. Literally at our back door starts a short path through the woods leading to a lake (Gjersøen) where Erling use to fish perch, and - if the mosquitoes aren't to active - he will take a bath. During the winter Erling and Morten skates at the ice, if the weather permits. When we need a brake we will maybe lit a fire and cook frankfurters for lunch.
When we are setting out for longer day-trips we will drive twenty minutes east into the "real" woodlands where we can hike quite undisturbed. Or - we will make a short drive to one of the neighbouring woods for a spell of orienteering. The local sports club each year arranges family orienteering that lasts all summer, and where the challenge is to find as many as possible out of 70-80 controls that are distributed across 4-5 areas / maps.
During the summer - not this summer because there was none - we use to go to any local seaside for a combination of bathing, relaxation and maybe fishing . Or we drives into the mountains for the weekend, often bringing our bicycles for use on cattle tracks leading to old mountain farms. As you might know, in Norway we enjoys "allemannsretten" or the opportunity to go - protected by law - literally anywhere in the nature as long as we keeps off fields and meadows in the growing season and keeps a respectful distance from any home.
The Norwegian winter is long, some winters even meets in July, consequently we have taken a brake abroad for last few years. Going to the Canary islands in November / December works as an effective recharging of the batteries. Last winter we visited Fuerteventura , a very nice place that Erling enjoyed very much. This year we might be struggling through all winter long without break, because Tone has been suffering from a back condition for quite a time, which is not easily compatible with a 5,5hrs+ flight. We gave it a try this spring as we spent a fortnight in Phoenix Arizona, but long cramped flights takes its toll even on healthy backs. Arizona is by the way a very fascinating place, we use to think "nature equals Norway" - but places like Sedona, the Canyon, the Superstitions and the deserts are not far behind the "Norwegian experience".
This is our beginning. I must quit now and prepare an upload to our uninhabited homepage before the landlord cancels our reservation.
We don't know exactly what this will end up with. Our sincere hope is that Erling will receive enough feedback to encourage him to follow up with reports from his everyday life - and more drawings. Anyone is invited to drop a few lines - maybe giving a glimpse of a foreign culture or a far away place.
so long.
