Claus with his new beer dispenser. The beer was good!
Saturday, September 8, 2007
August 21 in Remscheid
Claus with his new beer dispenser. The beer was good!
Billerbeck and Munster on August 20
Mickey, Annette (August's sister) and Maria in Munster. The Munster Cathedral is in the background. This is the Catholic part of Germany and most of the churches are Catholic. If you look closely (double click on the picture), below the steeple and above the clock are some cages. Apparently a few hundred years ago, some church dissidents were causing trouble, so they were killed and their bodies placed in cages high up on the church for the birds to eat. This was to serve as a warning to anyone else who wanted to cause trouble. My brother in law Steve says the cages were for the Lutherans, but I'll have to research this story a little more carefully. August, Annette and Maria toured us around Billerbeck, visiting the family church and magnificent Billerbeck Cathedral. We then drove into Munster for a wonderful lunch and tour of two other beautiful churches including the cathedral shown on the left. After lunch we drove back to the farm for more food! - waffles and fruit. We said our goodbyes and headed back to Remscheid that evening. The Grevings treated us to wonderful hospitality, great food and it was a lot of fun for Mickey to explore her German roots!
August 20 in Billerbeck and Munster
Paula and August Greving
August and Paula live in a beautiful brick home surrounded by pasture, hay and corn fields. Their son Friederich, wife Anya and two children Filip 3 and newborn Jacob have an apartment upstairs. The house has 14 foot ceilings. A large area of the house now serving as the garage used to house the pigs.
The Pig Farm
The fish! Paula, August's wife, had a fabulous meal for us when we arrived on Sunday. Later on that evening, all of August's siblings Maria, Annette, Elisabeth and Rudolf, arrived for the evening meal featuring their home grown Rainbow Trout! They had been soaked in brine for several hours and then smoked for several hours and were delicious!
The pigs!
Billerbeck August 19 and 20
On Sunday morning August 19 we drove about one hour north of Remscheid to Billerbeck (near Munster) to visit Mickey's relatives. After all Ken's Norway relatives, it was finally her turn. Ruby stayed in Remscheid to spend more time with Claus, Heidi, Britta and Juan. Here is Mickey with August Greving and 4 of his 5 children - Katharina, Arndt, Johannes and Maria. The family lives on a farm outside of Billerbeck. They raise pigs and rainbow trout. Mickey's great grandfather Henry Greving was a brother of August's grandfather Max Greving. Henry Greving emigrated to America in 1879 to avoid being drafted into the Kaiser's army. He established himself as a farmer in Kansas and went back to Germany in 1883 to take a German bride (Pauline Osterholt). They lived in Hanover, Kansas for a few years where Mickey's grandmother was born. In 1892 they moved west to Keuterville, Idaho (near Cottonwood) and eventually to Stites, Idaho where the Greving store supplied the miners taking part in the Thunder Mountain gold rush.
Off to Germany August 17 and 18
Remscheid is north of Cologne (between Cologne and Dortmund) and east of Dusseldorf in the beautiful Bergisches Land area of Germany. It is hilly and forested. Munster (and Billerbeck) is northwest of Dortmund. The towns and cities are surrounded by beautiful farmland.
Thanks to Per Olav for driving us to the Oslo airport Friday morning (about 1 hour north of Oslo). We flew into Frankfurt, picked up our car and drove about 2 1/2 hours north to Remscheid to the beautiful home of Claus and Heidi Moeller. Claus and Heidi's two children, Jorn and Britta were exchange students who each lived with Connie and Bill for one year. Claus and Heidi have visited Spokane twice. We visited them in 1998, Steph spent Christmas with them in 1997 when she was teaching in Poland and Andy also visited in spring of 1998. And Connie, Bill and Amanda were there in 2001. But this was Ruby's first trip to Germany so it was a really nice to see them again and bring Mom. Britta and her boyfriend Juan flew over from London to join us which was a special treat. Heidi and Claus served us a fabulous meal Friday night to welcome us to Germany!
On Saturday August 18 we drove down to Cochem on the Mosel river. This is famous wine growing country and vineyards are everywhere on the steep hillsides. The picture above shows Ruby, Heidi, Britta, Mickey, Claus and Juan. Juan is from Argentina and a very nice guy! Above us is the famous Cochem castle we visited. The town itself is very quaint and beautiful as it is situated on the Mosel river. That evening Claus and Heidi treated us to a wonderful dinner in Koln (Cologne) at the brewery near the magnificent Koln cathedral along the Rhine River.
Oslo August 15, 16 and 17
Per Olav took a day off work to take us to Oslo to see the Holmenkollen ski jump used for the 1952 Oslo Winter Olympics. The pool is drained in the winter. We also saw a fun parade in downtown Oslo for the Oslo Jazz Festival and enjoyed a beautiful day in downtown Oslo!
Per Olav peeling spuds - Lisbeth and Ruby supervising! Thanks again to Per Olav, Lisbeth and Ingrid for putting us up for 7 nights, Lisbeth's fabulous food, chauffeur service, tour guide service and all the great fun!
On to Oslo August 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17
A previous post described our wonderful day with Ola and Thorbjorg on August 13 in Eidsvoll checking out the Orbeck and Aasgaard side of the family. We then drove south about 2 hours to Langhus to reunite with Per Olav, Lisbeth and Ingrid. Ingrid started her first job out of college (in Spring 2007 she received her Masters Degree in Food Production from a university in Mysore, India) on August 13 and Per Olav and Lisbeth were back to work as well. Per Olav is a sound engineer for NRK (Norwegian public radio), Lisbeth works as the secretary for the local elementary school and Ingrid is starting her job developing new products for Bakers, a large commercial bakery. So Ruby, Ken and Mickey took the train into downtown Oslo and then the bus out to the Norwegian Folk Museum. It is well worth a visit and a lot of fun. We got to participate in some traditional dances. See Ruby and Mickey in the back, center left.Romedal Kirke
Romedal Kirke south of Stange where Ruby's grandfather Anton was baptized in 1858. It is surrounded by beautiful wheat fields and pasture. Actually this church was rebuilt in 1887 after the original church burned down.
More churches
Furnes Kirke (just north of Hamar) dating from 1706 where Peder and Pernille were married in 1844. Peder and Pernille are buried in Pigeon Falls, WI. Cousin Doug knows where the graves are, but Ruby, Ken, Connie and Ruth couldn't find the correct cemetary in 2005.Hamar church tour continued
Here is a little better picture of Ringsaker Kirke. No one was around on this Sunday afternoon, but 5 years ago we took a tour and listened to an organ rehersal. It is well worth a visit.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Hamar church tour August 12 -
Ringsaker church from 1200 where Pernille was baptised in 1813. Ringsaker is located 15 miles north of Hamar. It is pouring rain (and flooding) which is why the picture is so dark and why you can't see beautiful Lake Mjosa in the distance.
Stange church dating from 1600. Stange is about 5K south of the Sinnerudstranden farm. Peder Pedersen was baptized in this church in 1816.Hamar area August 12
Sinnerud ovre (upper farm) located up the hill just above Sinnerudstranden. Stranden means along the river.To Hamar August 11 and 12
Ruby and Laef (current owner) of Sinnerudstranden farm where Ruby's grandfather Anton and great grandparents Peder and Pernille Pedersen emigrated to America from in 1866. That's where the Sinrud name comes from. The farm is located just south of Hamar in Ottestad (perhaps a 5 minute drive from the Viking Ship ice arena used in the 1994 Olympics) and very close to the Norwegian Emigrant Museum. The museum illustrates the life led by Norwegian emigrants to the Amerian Midwest during the 1880's and also contains emigrant lists, Letters from America and photgraphs. It is worth a visit.
Juvasshytta August 11
Lunch at Juvasshytta - ski area in background is open from May to October since impossible to drive up here in the wintertime. Swedish ski racing team was practicing when we were there. If you ski out of bounds either ski into a crevasse or into the lake!
Galdhopiggen August 11
Galdhopiggen is the highest mountain in Norway at about 8100 feet. It has extensive glaciers. Note in this picture the climbers roped together in the center heading for the ridge on the left which is the route. Note also in the lower left the reindeer hanging out on the glacier to cool off and escape from the mosquitoes. We drove from Boverdalen to the Juvasshytta hut (valley to moutaintop). Cousins Ingrid and Heidi climbed Galdhopiggen earlier this year.
Above Geiranger August 9
View from the bathroom!
Our hotel (with the red roof)
Our hotel (with the red roof)
Heidi and Maria (Julie Andrews) making friends
Geiranger August 9 and 10
Yippie!
Ken, it would be a better picture if you were a few feet to your right!
On the road to Geiranger August 8
This is the famous Trollstigen or road of the Trolls. Unfortunately, we ended up driving into the fog bank and arrived in beautiful Geiranger in the fog.August 6, 7 and 8
Frithjof and Ase delivered us to cousin Turid's house in Jakobsli east of Trondheim where we stayed August 5, 6 and 7. This is breakfast in her beautiful backyard. The front yard overlooks Trondheim fjord so she has a great view! On August 6, Turid drove us out to a beautiful island north of Trondheim to see the nunnery and ruins of an ancient monastery dating back over 1000 years. Thanks Turid for your wonderful hospitality, great food and fun!
The chapel at the nunnery on the island of Tautra north of Trondheim. The view past the alter is to the Trondheimsfjorden. We crossed to the island on a bridge with an automatic gate to keep the foxes out. There are bird refuges on the island.
A previous entry describes our day on August 7 with Frithjof and Ase as we tracked down the roots of the Sorlie side of the family. On August 8 we said goodbye to Trondheim and started driving south and west hoping to reach Geiranger that night.
As you Sinrud's know, Ruby's grandfather Ole Sorlie married Ingeborg Lien. So here is Ruby at the Storen home of Jacob Lien, Ruby's great grandfather and Ingeborg's father. Storen is about 30 miles south of Trondheim. A better picture of the home before it was painted red is in Ruby's dining room in Silverton.
We left Storen and blasted (at 80kph) south on the E6 to Dombas, where we turned west up a beautiful river valley with waterfalls pouring down from each side. We encountered more wild reindeer along the road. Mickey - he won't hurt you! Just pet him. (or her)
August 5 in Hell
Exit for Hell - all services provided. There even is an airport!
Arrival in Trondheim August 4 and 5
Had a rainy August 4 with Frithjof and Ase in Trondheim. Attended the last day of the King Olav festival and had a great dinner at their flat. August 5 was beautiful so drove out to Frithjof's hometown of Hommelvik on Trondheim fjord, had waffles and coffee at a neat seaside cafe, went to Hell and survived (there really is a town called Hell), had a great dinner at a restaurant high overlooking Trondheim and Trondheim fjord and toured beautiful downtown Trondheim along the river. Thanks, Frithjof and Ase for the wonderful food and for being terrific hosts, tour guides, taxi service and a lot of fun!
Trondheim
Our ship - Mickey (in black) waving from upper deck below windows.
August 2 heading south
Small fishing outpost - many are set up to allow tourists to rent out the old fishing shacks.
Dried cod. Many of the buildings in the Lofoten Islands are painted red. The red paint used to be made with fish blood and cod oil.
Drying racks for cod are everywhere in the Lofoten Islands. They catch the cod in February and dry them during the winter months. When dried, the cod can be used as a weapon!
Henningsvaer in the Lofoten Islands. We took a bus tour out the fishing village of Hennigsvaer, then rejoined our ship at Stamsund before the long passage east to Bodo and the mainland while we slept. Actually while we tried to sleep as the waves pounded the ship.
Fireweed is everywhere!
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