Lutefisk, a delicacy from the far north

Lutefisk served traditionally with bacon garnish

I think it is safe to say that the thought of eating gelled fish lacks appeal for most. Perhaps all the more so when one learns it achieves that gelatin-like state after soaking for months in a lye bath. Yet a life in Norway would not be complete without tasting the notorious Lutefisk. As our friend and co-initiant John aptly described, our experience was, "A surprisingly delicious introduction to one of Norway's more esoteric delicacies, courtesy of Leif and Hanne."

Lutefisk is primarily eaten by people living inland where fresh fish is not available in the winter. The cod is dried on racks where it is caught on the west coast, soaked in lye for a few months, and then rinsed before it is prepared by baking or boiling. The smell is slightly off-putting, but the taste is delicate and subtle and the fish quite literally melts in your mouth. Hanne and Leif served it with bacon garnish and mustard, accompanied by cooked peas, boiled potatoes, and lefse (potato flat bread) with  sufficient quantities of aquavit and beer. Delicious!

Lutefisk, peas, potatoes, and lefse dinner

Views from the Neighborhood

We live in the Skøyen neighborhood of west Oslo. For a bit of history: This area used to be farmland (part of the name means meadow or pasture), with two manors that marked the South and North Skøyen farms. The first division of the farmland occurred in 1617. It was later divided in the 1800s into four farms, portions of which were farmed by tenant farmers. It later became an industrial area, and more recently a modern part of the city with apartments (what we'd call condominiums) and commercial office buildings. Of course, the old homes are still present as are the beautiful manor parks. Here are some scenes from modern Skøyen:

Path from the marina to the grocery store and bakery.

Norwegian Electric Car

Commercial and Residential street (our post office is down on the left)

Sculpture in the midst of a roundabout

As the autumn came, many boats were pulled out of the water at our marina and stored on land for the winter. The boats that remain in the water are at docks that have bubblers that agitate the water to prevent ice from forming around the boats. Whether on land or in the water, covers are put over the boats to protect them from the snow. You can see the sea of land bound boats in the boatyard next to our marina.

Sophia is still in the water, now all covered up with a clear tarp (so we get some light), and ready for winter. Sadly our camera has since broken (and sent off to the U.S. for repair), so we don't have any photos yet of her all wrapped up. 

We get around using the great public transportation system here in Oslo. There are busses (buss), trolleys (trikk), light rail (t-bane), and trains (tog), all of which service our neighborhood. We rarely have to wait more than a few minutes, which is very nice as the temperatures drop (-12 C or 10 F daytime temps today. BRRRRR!). Here's what it is like to ride the bus:

Very clean and new busses. You use the  device on the right to swipe your bus pass. Interestingly, public transportation is done mostly on the honor system. You are supposed to have a valid ticket/pass, but it is not regularly checked. Rather, they have periodic and random checks and if you're caught without a ticket you have a pay a fine (about $150). 

They have bendy busses like we do in Seattle. Also, there's a screen that indicates the next several stops.

A bus and streetcar (trikk) passing in front of the U.S. Embassy (the only embassy in Norway with fortification). Recently it was outed that U.S. agents were spying from over this area from covert locations. Karl said he felt like he was being watched when he took this picture.

So, there you have it, some scenes from our neighborhood.