Helg

Snow fun in Oslo

The winter refuses to yield here in Scandinavia, and we drove up to Oslo last weekend for a last chance to do some skiing.  We stayed with Luke in his apartment across from the US Ambassador's residence.  The ambassador to Norway?  Barry White.  Oh yeah.

Bea played with Lita when she woke up...

While Madeleine and Hans waited for the printer to make a custom funnel for the coffee filter holder and the thermos.  After a leisurely morning we headed out to ski:

On Sunday we had tickets to watch ski jumping at th famous Holmenkollen ski jump.  It was the final event of the World Cup series, and the place was packed with Norwegians and Poles.

"OSLO" is probably not spelled out in shards of broken wine bottles.  But it looked like it could be, and imagine if it was!

Sadly, there was an accident, and they needed to use the snowcat to pull the skier out of the pit.  We think she was OK.

Yes, ladies jump nowadays too, including some American girls.  One of them even won!

The view upon leaving was incredible, and they nailed the logistics of transporting all of us out by subway.

Building a truss

Bea and Hans are building a truss for the balcony dumbwaiter, so that it can swing out towards the courtyard.  First the truss was drawn up in a simple CAD program, then the tubes are coped in the little workshop.

Bea and her dad broke out the drafting tools and made a full-scale drawing to check the fit of the prepared tubes.  Next, they'll have to make an assembly jig and start brazing it all together!

First time out XC skiing

Madeleine and Bea both got new skis last weekend at the end-of-season sale, so we took them out this evening for a first trial run.  Bea did really well for it being her first time!

The trail is a prepared loop in the woods east of Varberg.  It's been pretty cold the past few weeks, but it hasn't snowed at all, so they make snow in the parking lot, spread it out with a tractor, and then lay down prepared ski tracks.

Bea & Settlers

Bea & Maya

Ice 2

Ice