Back in Norway, back in town, back to work: The summer vacation is over (thanks for all the visits and nice comment on my posts from Sweden!), but the summer season is still on. That means long summer nights (sun set a bit after 9PM) and time for gatherings with friends. This one was planned in June when I had a ‘Happy Summer’ mail from a friend and we decided to get together in August. Since he is a good, old colleague from The Norwegian Computer Society, I also invited our mutual friend and blogger TorAa. We decided to find some of Oslo’s old taverns with outdoor service (click pics to enlarge):
Left: Old Parliament Tavern (Stortingets Gjæstgiveri). Right: The Old Town Hall (Gamle Rådhus).
These two pics are taken by TorAa. Click to see more from these buildings and the surroundings as well as our evening at his blog.
These gatherings are priceless to me. It was actually a few years since I last saw my friend Gunnar, but you know: It was like we had just seen each other yesterday. He is a funny guy, very colourful and creative with a lot of guts. He is much into computers and built his own ‘Home Theatre PC’. Even more: He was 2008 Nordic Champion in Body Building, Veteran class +60 years!
We had of course a lot to catch up on. Gunnar is talkative and my faithful readers know about Tor and me. So with some beers at the first place, adding a couple of bottles of wine in the next, we had a jolly good time. Even talks about food and especially carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and of course dietary supplements can be very interesting between men, as long as its scientific – and as long as you can brag about it – boys will always be boys you know :lol:
Soon we were hungry and ordered matching servings:
Fish soup with finely chopped vegetables, mussels, pickled fennel and croutons – with pieces of catfish and salmon.
In addition, we had Italian bread and a bottle of olive oil to spread on – very healthy of course :-) . Thanks Gunnar and Tor for a priceless evening. I hope my visitors enjoy reading about it as much as we did experience it! Anyone want to join us next time?
Oh I am just cooking my dinner (chicken, nothing so grand) and your meal looks wonderful! I am drooling! Tomorrow I must cook something special for Hubby. Perhaps I will make him a clam chowder. Who knows.
RennyBA
Chicken would have been approved by Gunnar ;-)
Clams chowder – I just love it! Have a nice evening and a great day tomorrow!
Oh now that looks like an incredible time! And of course friends are the most stable and important part of one’s life! It’s not that way here and while Pflight has been in town, it’s been so great to have a true friend with me…
And well you always manage to capture a photo or two. I think next stop for me is email via the internet coffee shops and a camera to go with it… blackerry.. We shall see.
RennyBA
Incredible, that’s the word ET – and what friends are for – glad you have one visiting too…
Pictures says more than a word you know – looking forward to yours too!
Welcome home! Looks like you guys are still having fun :)
RennyBA
Thanks Teena – we had :)
Wow! You are having way too much summer vacation and outings with friends galore! Here we just usually get 2 or 3 weeks. We’ve had the rainiest summer in a long time. We are going to the cabins tomorrow for just a week.
Well, stretch out those sunsets for as long as you can! Pretty soon you’ll be saying you had frost!
RennyBA
One can never have enough of that Ruth :)
We’ve had a couple of rainy weeks too, but its sunny today.
Have a great trip to the cabins – you know that’s my kind of vacation likes too!
We are pretty good in stretching I think and hope there is a couple of more month before frost!
It sure looks like you had a wonderful time. The pictures are just wonderful I really enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing this.
Love and Blessings,
AngelBaby
RennyBA
Glad you enjoyed it as much as we did then ;-)
RennyBA . TORday evening was a blast. Good “old” friend meeting during such wonderful and special surroundings . hi man we could talk and talk and talk.
Who sais men can’t talk and hive hugs?
At least the 3 of us can. It was a fantastic meeting.
I’m so happy you, as well, shared these excellent moments of friendship among your blog-friends.
RennyBA
I do agree TOR and thanks for your share of doing it unforgettable! Thanks for sharing the same adventure too!
hi Renny :)
looks like you had a great meal with your friends…
how lovely to have the sunlight til 9pm….
it’s dark over here at 6pm …
RennyBA
Hi Kim :)
A great evening in the land of the midnight sun you know….
HA! YES, I would love to join you next time, Renny. :) If only I could.
RennyBA
I know and the time will come, I’m sure!
Hah, a boys’ night out…I know the ones. Sounds like you had a great time. It’s wonderful catching up with close friends that one hasn’t seen for some time. And as well as all the science talk, I hope you put the world to rights, too.
Have a good weekend.
RennyBA
Boys wanna have fun to you know and of course we put the world to rights – trust us :-)
Have a great one too!
Thanks Renny for a memorable evening and for your ability to transform this into a funny readable blogpost.
RennyBA
Thanks for the compliments Gunnar – after all, it was a memorable evening and therefore very inspiring you know.
You guys had big fun, I can see that! :-)
Thanks for sharing it with us.
RennyBA
I just love to share quality time you know :-)
I would be glad to join you next time, but I’m guessing no girls are allowed :)
I can’t believe we will be just missing each other in Milan! You’ll have to do a post and tell me all the things to see.
Enjoy the rest of your lovely summer!
RennyBA
We can always make an exception for a girl like you Hexe :)
I’ll do the best I can to report from my trip to Milan in September too.
Wish you a great end of summer too!
What fun!
And I see that Norwegians love their salmons and fish! :D
RennyBA
Yea we doooo :D
I am such a bad host and I mean to visit TorAa and never get there because I keep finding something on your blog! Thanks for visiting and I want you to know that my husband is SO excited about the Alaskan King Crab event, that he is inviting his brother and a sister and their spouses to come along! This may be a fabulous trip next year!
ps…yeah, RIGHT about men and carbs…if you had cellulite, THEN you would worry! :)
RennyBA
Don’t worry – I can always tell Tor :lol:
Glad my posts from Kirkenes in June inspired you so much. What a great family gathering you will have up there in the land of the midnight sun – keep us posted! Btw: Its not Alaskan, more like Russian.
ps: You got me there, but we have love handles you know ;-)
I am so happy you have these good friends to share your life. How wonderful that you can go out and have a good time with the boys, and now you can come home to me. It wasn’t always that way, but now it has been so for almost 10 years. Have fun and be free like a bird.
RennyBA
Thanks my dear and with you in my life, I always feel free like a bird ;-)
Glad you had such a wonderful time.
Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.
RennyBA
We had – hope a good one for you too.
Oh, the foood…. as usual, drooling on your plates :lol:
RennyBA
I know you love seafood too.
I like these programmed moments with friends. We should very soon have one between my teacher friends before the start of schollyear. Nice to discover your friend! You should show us his biceps!!! *giggles*
RennyBA
I do too and glad you’ll soon will have one too – keep us posted!
You can see Gunnar’s biceps and even more by clicking here!
With the bunch of you there is always big smiles and great times. Not to mention all the wonderful food and great wine. You do indeed know how to live. I’m so happy for all of you. Big hug to you and Diane. :)
it looks like everyone had a great time. thanks for sharing it with us. :)
It sounds like another great “outing” with the wonderful Tor and your friend Gunner….What is better than the comraderie of old friends–Something to drink and some Great Food! That is The Best!
Me! Me! I want to join you! What a wonderful time catching up with friends! I love that.
And it is my dream to fly to Norway to meet you and Diane, TorAa and Anna! And then maybe pop over to meet the good Captain Lifecruiser. And maybe Mar too.
hmmm…. I shall plan for a Meet the European Bloggers’ trip! hehe….
When’s a good time to visit?
It looks like a wonderful time was had by all. Good food, good drink and good conversation. :)
Dropping by.
It’s real heartwarming to read about old friends catching up over a nice meal. I guess it’s harder now that work has gotten busier at my side on top of family commitments. cheers.
I would LOVE to meet you one day =) It nice to have friends that last for a long time. Makes me ponder if I would have friends that keep contact till I’m old.
It seems like a wonderful meet up!! great company, great food and drinks. Excellent.
Me too, I’d love to join the party!!!!
I know boys will be boys and same, I love a girls out too but…hehehe…always BUT Renny :) What I want to say is …. but I think I’ll still bring along a bottle of wine, some chips and maybe some nice bbq chicken wings to join you all for a chat.
No worries Renny, I can yak anything under the sun :)
Like ya’ll, I’ve been way too busy eating and drinking and having fun in the summertime! I can’t seem to get around to blogging much these days. Sending big HUGS over to ya boys! Chin-chin!
I love catching up with old friends over a long meal. Sometimes you need to spend all night talking about everything like you 18 again and nothing more to worry about then school. Plus tha soup looks divine!
That soup looks fabulous, creamy but a thin broth, and the mussels add a nice touch. I’d pair such a dish with a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. But that’s just me!
As I noted before, the conversation is still the beat part of a fine meal…
hi rennyBA , ii hope your old friends will buy our boracay condotel , if really find it hard to market this project. is there a way you can help me out ?
Hi evryone, I’m a youg man, from French nationality (but ethnic Indian), i would like to make frindship with anyone of Oslo (Norway), and for that i shall be GAY, life partner for a man or woman (age not required). Because, i wish to live in Oslo and i know none there.
So, i thank in advance you that you help me about this and would reply me to : doctor.limon@yahoo.com
Bye, see you soon.
Mr LIMON