"Nesnalobber". Old-fashioned Norwegian winter shoes. Brings back childhood memories. I used to have a red pair back then. I went for the grey ones when I suddenly re-discovered these last winter. In a scary SIZE FORTY-FIVE! I guess we can draw the conclusion that any people from this place I guess is called "Nesna" have really, really tiny feet. Perhaps they are tiny trolls or fairies, I don't know. You may think that these shoes are ugly-as-hell. You may be right about that, but - frankly - I do not care. They are part of our cultural heritage. I would much rather wear these than those unpractical and EVEN UGLIER Uggs. And - you know what? If Kate Moss was one day spotted wearing a pair of these, I would perhaps finally be outed as the closet fashion genius that I really am. Hah.
My lovely husband booked us a surprise skiing trip this weekend. To get up to the mountain in question, we had to take the train. Four hours = two bottles of red wine. Quiche. Jambon noir (French version of Pata Negra, with less lard on it). Smelly cheeses. All-in-all, the perfect start to any weekend. It looks like train picnics are getting quite popular, as we were surrounded with lots of other passengers drinking wine and enjoying cheese, sushi and other delicacies normally not available aboard such means of transportation. Since we are in the high season of winter, we had the pleasure of riding one of the really good-old trains. This sure does make me proud of being Norwegian. Being one of the richest countries in the world - where we practically pump money straight out of the North Sea oil fields - it is good to see that our government invests so wisely in environmentally sustainable infrastructure these days. Orient-Express, anyone?
One of my favorite travel programs is "Swiss Railway Journeys", on the Travel Channel. This may sound weird, but we actually record this series on our PVR (like a Tivo). When I am having a "difficult" Sunday, as I sometimes do, watching this program brings me such inner peace. Watching the green scenery pass by, I get this sense of tranquility (well, that might actually be the Alka-Seltzer). Anyway. Norway is also well-known for its scenic railway journeys. Including the one between Oslo and Bergen. You would not believe some of these amazing/picturesque places you get to see along the way.
Somehow, seeing some of these places makes me want to cry.
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