Friday night - EM is happy here, to be with CP and to be in Bergen generally, as am I. Feels relaxed and friendly. We were about a dozen or so for the CS meetup... and wound up at a little outdoor patio down on the harbor at Hanse Bryggen (sp?) which is the ancient city front for trade with everyone, but mostly Germans. Lots of conversation. I was better prepared for this than the Oslo meeting, being in a good mood, and happy with the smaller crowd.
Thursday morning, sleep in, lazy breakfast at home and then into the city center to dawdle in shops, waiting out the rain, on our way to climb Floyen. We took time to savour the view at the top, and came down to treat ourselves to really lovely pizza and pastry at the Godt Brod bakery, a local/organic type of place. Shop for ingredients and home to make sushi. Cuddles and lazing after dinner.
Folks came around after the futbol game - success and cause for celebration - and we got ready to go out salsa dancing. First, a quick tour of a very funky church by CP's friend Mariet, with a jillion little pathways and rooms tucked away in its corners. Then to Club Pacific where I was glad that they played a bit of reggaeton, not because I love it, but because it is easier for me to dance to than salsa - all freestyle like. It was good to dance! CP was a good, kind, patient lead, taking em through a few salsa rounds, and obliging when I insisted on merengue. Then, randomly, found myself freestyling with a hip-hop sort of dancer, which went well. He said something to me in Norwegian, but it was too loud to bother with all the 'huh?', so I just assumed it was kind and went on with my evening.
We left as it began to get too crowded around 2am, and on the streets the pre-May Day celebrations were in full swing. There is a tradition here where the students graduating high school, called Russ, dress in specially decorated red overalls and congregate in unruly masses and on May Day begin performing stupid human tricks and this all goes on for about a month or so... it's quite a scene. The other day I saw one of the special buses all get-upped for the occasion, like a disco on wheels. It's entertaining. Anyway, last night was a big night for them, and everyone else, really, since today (Friday) is a national holiday.
Home, surprisingly contained mess from the party we left here when we went out, leftover pasta with pesto for an early morning snack before bed. So far today - CP and I have been monopolizing the net all morning while EM has a very good sleep-in. It has been good to catch up on some articles and news I am interested in - like Japan's stimulus plan including a program to return young folks to farming.
It is about time to go hiking... and May Day festivities later this afternoon. Tonight there will be juggling and a board game party. And probably 3 other things I am forgetting. First, brunch.
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