Vacation is over and we’re back home in Norway. Everyone – well meant – says: Welcome back, how was your summer? I always oppose and say ‘hey, the vacation might be over, but the summer isn’t – even in Norway!’. We had a great vacation (just you scroll down and read the last four or five posts!), but the weather statistics in Scandinavia – at least in the south part – has been strange and kind of extreme weather. I always like to give some facts and information to my readers , so let me give some from the southern parts of Norway and Sweden – and to make it short: this year we’ve had three times the average precipitation and 4 degrees lower than normal for July In Oslo: median temperature of 16C (60F) while last year it was 20C (68F) and 185mm (7.3in) of precipitation, as opposed to the normal 80mm (3.14in).
So Tuesday it was like winning the lottery when we had full day of sunshine, and a good colleague invited us for a cook out. The Valdmanis family lives in the neighborhoods so we walked down and I was wearing only shorts and a summer shirt, an unusual occurrence this summer. Mr. Edgar Valdmanis is Marketing Director at The Norwegian Computer Society and a network evangelist just like me. Click to check his LinkedIn profile (more than 1500 contacts all over the world and always welcome more:-).
Invited to the terrace behind the house we had a Martguerita as an aperitif. Then we sat down to a lovely BBQ of home made hamburgers and well marinaded and grilled pork chops along with roasted potatoes and a great salad mixture. They have had two weeks vacation in California and ours was in Sweden, so we had more to talk about than the weather too. Here you see us around the table in a picture which really emphasizes the rays of sunshine (taken with my Nokia mobile phone):
Their son was chef of the evening, and he did an excellent job as the burgers and pork chops were very tasty!!!
For dessert we had a long danish cake filled with vanilla cream and coffee (espresso) avec. Mrs. and Mrs. Valdmanis always serve with style, so of course, since I was the guest, the type of cognac was the one you see in the picture below (do at least my regular readers take the hint? LoL):
It was a perfect summer evening together with good friends enjoying our company and sharing our vacation adventures. The sun went down around 9 and we walked home around 10:30PM, even then in dusk. Another quality time to remember in the long winter when the sun goes down around 3PM!
Hurray – we have forgotten the green winter – as you have
We have had a blast of a Vacation – U know from my blog….
— and your’s as well from yours –
Good to see a common friend having so much pleasure with you and D
hugs from Anna and Tor
RennyBA
Green winter or not, we really know how to enjoy vacation in Scandinavia – relaxing, doing something different and enjoying ourself; just like we’ve done this summer buddies! -Thanks for your lovely reports too and also for visiting us in our vacation home in Sweden!
Yea: you know Edgar well too:-)
Diane and Renny hugging back:-)
hello, bloghopping from tutubipatrol. =) glad to know that you’re having a nice vacation. Norway is a very beautiful place and i hope to go there someday.
RennyBA
Welcome: always good to see new visitors! Welcome to Norway any time and meanwhile you’ll always have a taste while reading my blog.
good weather, good food, good company…..what more can you ask! sounds like a perfectly lovely evening.
RennyBA
I couldn’t said it better myself Lime!
The food and the company sound lovely, Renny.
We’ve had an unusually hot and dry summer here, while other areas just to our West are experiencing record breaking flooding and cooler than average temps. Weird weather worldwide this year it seems.
Love and hugs,
Diane
RennyBA
Thanks for the updates from your part of the world and it confirm the extremity’s which is a bit scary I think.
glad seeing you renny that u had fun with your friends :)
RennyBA
So maybe you’ll join us next time :)
You know we are sitting in the same boat ! In Belgium it’s the same since to months we have rain and cold weather. It’s really depressing. The Belgians have a tradition to take their holidays in July and a lot of them are going here to the sea. For those who rented for a months it was really bad because it wasn’t better at the coast.
RennyBA
Yea I know most of Northern Europe have had it and maybe England the worst. One thing is when your vacation is spoiled, worse is it when homes are disturbed:-( But then again we are experts in taking good care of every drop up sunshine:-)
Sounds like a lovely Summer evening, sharing a delicious meal with neighbor friends…As always your post is informative and fun, too! I liked seeing the son cooking…lol!
RennyBA
It really was a nice to share it with you too. Thanks for your compliment – I like to give my readers some substantial facts too you know.
Looks like a very nice summer dinner. It is really nice having dinner in company in friends. In my case, it makes me forget all of my problems!
RennyBA
Company with friends double the fun and the delicious dinner of course. Hope you’ll have sorted out most of your problems soon!
I think we here in New England, USA are having the hot, and dry summer. Upper 80’s (F) and lots of sunshine. The lake water is 72 degrees (F) and the beach below us is filled each day with children and their happy parents.
RennyBA
Thanks for keeping us posted – sounds like New England would have been the right place to go for a Norwegian this year:-)
Nice picture of the sun’s rays! I am impressed by your camera: it is a camera phone yet it has good quality. I also am wondering who took the photo. Because it seems that the person who took the photo has a rather large bite: notice how the hamburger in the plate is bitten? And finally, I envy you there, with the cool summers. Here it is scorching us with 34 C weather.
RennyBA
Yea, I’m quite happy with my Nokia mobile cam:-)
It was their son, the chef who took the picture and he loves his own burgers!
Send some of your C over then!
I’m so glad you and Diane had a nice vacation, Renny!
I wish so much I could send some of our extreme heat your way. :p
That cookout looks lovely. I’m jealous! :)
RennyBA
Thanks Ladybug!
It seams like you wishing comes true this coming weekend anyway – thanks for the worm thoughts!
No need to be jealous – your welcome over any time :)
So glad you got your sun…and that you’re continuing your “holiday” spirit at home! :)
RennyBA
Thanks – still summer even if the vacation is over you know!
Nice to see summer begin now by you and now you can continue the festivities in Oslo! Hummm a beautiful BBQ!
RennyBA
And you know what: the weather forecast for the coming days sounds like ‘summer’ too!
Looks like a really nice BBQ indeed. We’ve had decent weather here in Sweden now too, some degrees warmer than earlier. Or maybe it’s because we’re not on an island anymore….
I’ve never tasted that Cognac and now you made me very curious of how it tastes… *bummer*
…and you mad me hungry, so now I’m going on a kitchen raid in our still empty kitchen after the vacation. No time to do some major grocery shopping yet!
Hearing my stomach screaming…? *giggles*
*VROOOOOOOOAR*
RennyBA
At Färö or not; Carpe Diem while the summer is here (and the weather forecast is prosperous too!).
So you took the hint of the Cognac – Your should try the Bache kind!
… your welcome to have some cyber burgers!
So fun! Keep up the good times and the photos so we can all join in! BTW more photos of Norway up.
RennyBA
Thanks – I won’t stop!
I’m on my way to see new photos from your visit in Norway on your blog!
There is no way I’d be wearing shorts and summer clothes in 16 degrees C. Too cold. We’ve had 27 for the last two days, really warm for winter. But it will be back down to about 23 again tomorrow.
That barbecue sounds absolutely delicious. I’m sure I could smell it cooking while I was reading your post…drool.
You’ve had just as much fun as Tor and Anna, too.
RennyBA
Living and getting used to the climate Down Under I don’t blame you, but we are Vikings you know:-)
Glad you could even smell the food …droll
Good to know your visiting Tor’s blog too as they share great stories too:-)
Renny, thanks for the postcard!!
RennyBA
Your welcome Missy – I wanted to return your favor of course :D
No wonder you finished your post smiling. Seems like you smiled all day.
RennyBA
Hi Pearl – good to see you – :D
Oh yeah! I can understand your elation when you see mr. sun..I’m the same!!
To celebrate a perfect sunny weather with friends is just the best!! As my little family has been invited tonight for a BBQ because the sun is also shining on our part….you must have sent me that! :D
happy weekend, Renny!
RennyBA
We haven’t seen Mr. (or is it maybe Mrs.) Sun that often this summer you know and I can tell you’ve had the same experience in Netherlands.
Hope you’ll have a good one too – please keep us dated!
I think it’s great that summer weather can be fully enjoyed whenever it happens.
RennyBA
I do agree Sam – it’s important to stay in the present and enjoy life as it is!
Your sun sets at about the same time as here now. What time does it rise? Ours rises at about 6:00 a.m. Our summer is still going so strong it’s hard to believe how hot and dry it’s been. We had to get a window air con just to survive! Are most people there done with holidays? Will no one take their vacation in August? And, when does school start for kids? We are taking our time off from Aug. 16th – 25th because there are fewer bugs! Do you have any mosquitoes? Sorry for all the questions but I find it interesting!
AND….that Danish cake, if it was home made, ..could we please have the recipe??! It looks fabulous! Maybe Chase would have one for something similar?
RennyBA
The sun rise around 4 at this time of the year.
The most popular vacation time is the last three weeks of July, but some takes it as late as until the school starts again around 15th of August.
We have some mosquitoes, but it is not that big of a problem. It might be later on in August or September though as it has been so much rain.
Sorry, no recipe as it was bought in a bakery:-)
You and the fabulous Nokia are already there! :)
RennyBA
It has become kind of a trade mark yea – very handy you know:)
nice pics,good blog…congratulations!good luck!
RennyBA
Good to see new readers! Thanks for your compliments, for faming me at BtF and good luck to you too!
Glad you had a wonderful vacation. I’ll scroll down and take a peek. Sounds like you’re having global cooling. Thanks for stopping by and commenting from time to time.
RennyBA
Thanks for stopping by! Yea, it has been a wet and cold summer so far, but starts to get better no – there is always hope.
Thanks for sharing