Day 8: Last day of the Cruise

Today we started our journey back. (Warning: Sarcasm ahead). It is nice to wake up to your boat been bumped into the fender of L/B Marie continuously, because of the waves made by a cruise ship. (Sarcasm ends here). Today we stopped at Middagsbukta for the day.
As a special morning workout session, instead of the typical music we listened to, Bjørn Sigurd played some Metallica at full volume. Him and I were the only ones who enjoyed the music. Maria and Rebekka were pissed!!!! (too say the least). But it's their fault that they don't enjoy Metallica.

Today was mostly a quiet day, we swam in the water, I went to one of the island for a walk since it's kind of difficult to take a walk in L/B Marie.

When I came back the adults (to not say elderly) left with Raskesara (without my permission!) so the "children" were in charge of the boats. During this time, a neighbour of Eline and Tore's from Killigen called Kjell came to visit us so we tied his boat to Marie. Now we had three boats tied together; a couple more and we could've made a bridge from on island to another. We chatted for a bit, but Kjell had to go back to Killigen.

This last night we were going to be all together and the last official day of the cruise and because of this Eline made a toast thanking us all for the wonderful time we had and then I also did a speech (not as good as Eline's) but she liked it.

And after dinner, as a farewell gift, Adrian and I played, in guitar and piano respectively, "High Hopes" by Pink Floyd. We did a pretty good job, if I do say so myself.

After our "concert" we listened to some Pink Floyd, appropriately, until everyone had to go to bed.

[PICTURES ARE IN ANOTHER COMPUTER AND I HAVE TO ASK ELINE TO SEND THEM TO ME]

Day 6: Cruise to Holmsbu

At 9 o'clock we boarded Leyla for a trip to Holmsbu, except Wenche and Bjørn Sigurd who went walking (4 hours and a half; just a little stroll). This meant that the girls had to be awake before noon (blasphemy!), but don't worry, they got to sleep on the way to the town, as shown below:

During the trip and after breakfast, the boat almost capsized, because of the wake a boat made while passing us. We were awake to say the least (except for, you guessed it, Rebekka and Maria). During the rocking of the boat, Eline lost one of her shoes and it was Adrian's and my job to go rescue it, that is of course if it hasn't sunk already. Fortunately, it did not and Adrian got to spot it easily.

After docking the boat in Holmsbu we had lunch in a restaurant called "Privaten Cafe" and then we went to the famous Billedgalleri (Picture/Painting Gallery). Some of us took September to get there, while others walked. Personally I didn't like it very much, but there where a couple of paintings that caught my eye. I must ask Eline for the pictures. This galleri had a big window showing the woods and some artists drew paintings of this view and one of these as a troll hidden in it.

We left Holmsbu on Leyla, everyone except Bjørn Sigurd who decided to walk again. Adrian worked on his computer project, Rebekka, Maria and Wenche chatted, Adrian, Tore and Eline also and I was enjoying the scenery.

When we came back we rested for a bit (rested from what? I do not know) and then went to take the trash out, collect the pant and shop for groceries.

[PICTURES ARE IN ANOTHER COMPUTER AND I HAVE TO ASK ELINE TO SEND THEM TO ME]

Day 4: Hiking through Håøya and visiting Oscarsborg

Today we split into two groups, Bjørn Sigurd, Adrian and I went to Håøya while the rest went to the famous fortress Oscarsborg and Drøbak. The only disclosable information in the meantime is the trip to Håøya.

The beginning of the walk as a zigzag uphill walk which probably was built that way for soldiers to carry cannons to and from the top of the island. On the way to the top we saw two bunker that we concluded were used by the Germans during WWII.

View of Oscarsborg from the top of Håøya.

Bjørn Sigurd and Adrian with the view of the fjord from Håøya.

The main road finishes after a lone cannon used to be and the road narrows through the forest as it goes down towards the other side of the island (which during the months of summer you cannot enter because it's hatching season for eagles); and when we reached the other end on the island we were met with a little beach where people were swimming and jumping off cliffs. So, we decided to join them for a while. Adrian and I tried the cliff jumping and it. Was. AWESOME!

Bjørn Sigurd discovered there was a family who makes goat cheese (to be exact, the woman who makes the cheese has a masters Degree in White Goat Cheese Making). Adrian and Bjørn Sigurd bought a block of cheese each and then we started are arduous walk back.



At night, a very good friend and neighbour of Eline and Tore came visit and stay for the night.

Day 5: Water Skiing in Sætre.

Still in Sætre and today Tone had breakfast with us, but then she left, however I guess we will see her again in this trip.

We were to water ski in the morning, but Tore had to fix Leyla, who had a leakage of water and diesel. And then there was a problem in the "Banjer'n" so we delayed the skiing to around 3 o'clock. During our wait, Maria, Adrian and I took a bath with soap and shampoo.

Maria, Adrian and I wanted to go water skiing and Tore took us on Raskesara (the racing boat) a couple of hundred meters away from Marie. Eline, Bjørn Sigurd and the others followed us on September to take pictures and watch us fail. As Maria and I never water skied Tore brought the "beginners" skis, which were too small for Adrian's and mine feet, therefore only Maria got to ski today. She did pretty good for her first time water skiing. 

Later, Adrian and I went for a walk through the metropolis of Sætre. In the mean time, everyone else had a little snack called "rømmegrøt". When we returned, Bjørn Sigurd and Wenche went for a walk and Ann Iren, Maria and Rebekka went shopping for tonight's dinner, sushi. And we helped them carry the bags. half an hour later Ann Iren, Eline and Tore left to go pick up Bjørn Sigurd and Wenche and then all of them went for a little cruise on September through some islands nearby. Maria, Adrian and I fished for a bit, but didn't catch anything (unless a patch of algae counts as "something"; if so, I caught "something"). While waiting for the adults to return we played some card games (Monopoly and Fantasi).

And we had an awesome dessert after dinner, brownies with chocolate fudge!

The "kids" playing the board game Fantasi.

Rebakka taking everyone to see Maria water ski.

Maria, being a beginner at water ski, is doing pretty good!

Day 3: Adventures to and in Sætre.

We depart at 7 o'clock from Middagsbukta headed for Sætre. At around 9 Adrian and I got the idea to go fishing, so we took September and went ahead of Marie, stopped the engine and started fishing. But around 9 am there aren't many fishes swimming about and therefore we didn't catch any fish :( Oh, and we were fishing in a "No fishing zone".

During the trip to Sætre, Ann Iren went ahead with Leyla while L/B Marie was cruising calmly, waving at strangers admiring her.

Again, at around noon we arrive at our destination, Sætre. And again we have brunch at that time and then a workout, but this time instead of only the men doing the exercises, we were seven people.

Sætre is the town were Morten Harket (singer of Norwegian band A-ha) has a house and Wenche is a fan of him so she was very exited for docking here.

Rebekka, Maria, Adrian and I are in charge of buying the food and drink supplies. In Sætre there is a Kiwi so we went there. I'm in charge also for the "Pant" (when you recycle a can or plastic bottle you get 1-2.5 kr back). Today the total Pant was 163 kr, which means about 100+ cans of beer drank in three days. With everything we bought, the Pant worked as a little discount.

Maria enjoying a swim with an inflatable turtle she brought.

Bjørn Sigurd and Rebekka playing dice while waiting for the dessert to cook.

After dinner I started writing this til everyone went to bed.

Day 2: We set sail!

Let the super amazing cruise with the best boat in the world begin!

At 8 o'clock we raised the anchor and dropped the ropes and set sail. By this time everyone was awake except Maria and Rebekka. Ann Iren and Adrian left first on board their ship, Leyla. 

With a top speed of 4 knots and two hulls, L/B Marie's ride is very smooth and the engine doesn't make much noise. About half an hour in the cruise Eline asked me to take a picture of Marie from a distance. So I boarded the little boat September and rode it in front of Marie and took pictures of it from the front and the side. I then did the same with Leyla:

We sailed for about 2 hours and we stopped to fuel the four boat (in order of amazingness: Marie, Layla, Raskesara and September). Here Adrian joined us in L/B Marie, leaving his mother alone to sail Leyla. (By the way, the two girls were still asleep; they slept until 11:30 or so).

For the next two hours until we arrived to the first stopping place of the cruise, Middagsbukta (we arrived around noon) I chatted with Adrian and waved at any boat we past. Everyone in those boats took pictures of L/B Marie, because, well, do I need to repeat myself? It's the best boat in the world!

After Tore dropped the anchor and tied Leyla to Marie we finally had breakfast outside and after that, Bjørn Sigurd, Adrian and I had a short (but intense) workout immediately followed by a swim in the fjord. 

As Adrian is in charge of "entertainment" he decided to get his piano so he and I could play, while the adults were chatting. Later, Bjørn Sigurd, Marie, Rebekka, Adrian and I played a weird game of dice that I think Bjørn Sigurd just came up with it 2 minutes earlier.

Then we went to Sandvika on Leyla for a little cruise and walked around the city. Here I realized that by car it would take about 20 from Bygdøy to here and it took us 4 hours plus whatever it was on this small cruise to get here. But it doesn't matter, because the idea of this trip is to relax and have a good time.

When we returned to Marie we had dinner and then a little jam session by Adrian on his guitar.  And then it was time for bed.

Unnofficially the first day of the cruise

Today Eline, Tore and I made the last clean up to Levebåten Marie before all the guests would arrive. That meant that I had to move from the lower deck to Raskesara, which meant I had to pack all my things and take them to Raskesara. I thought I had to be finished before 3 o'clock, the (alleged) time Bjørn Sigurd, Wenche, Maria and Rebekka were to arrive.

---5 hours later---

The family arrived! But this wasn't before Adrian, Ann Iren's son, came to join us in the cruise. Anyway, the nine of us had a big dinner and Eline gave us the chores we are supposed to carry through this trip. As you can guess, mine is to write a blog telling you, the reader (who might be a family member or someone on the cruise judging me), about our adventures on the best boat ever, Levebåten Marie.