Kreklingsus

/Krekling/ like a blueberry but not a blueberry for that is blåbær in Norwegian.  Google translate is saying 'crow berry'?  Is there such a thing?  Either way, this is krekling-

/sus/ something along the lines of wind

I've just arrived home from a weekend away at Hallingskeid for the BSI hiking group's opening weekend trip, Kreklingsus.  Kreklingsus is a hiking and music festival to kick off the semester and they asked me to play some music.  I was thrilled at the opportunity.  

We took the train out on Friday afternoon and had a mellow evening of grilling dinner and some evening music.  Yesterday, Saturday, was full with a day hike, afternoon games, dinner, evening games, music and 'nattspeil' (after-party).  It was neat to be back at Hallingskeid because it's the same cabin I went to for our Easter trip in April (see an April/May post to see the same place covered in snow).  It's pretty wild to feel familiarity in a place here in Norway.  I often feel like everything is new.  Every new destination is something unexplored.  All of a sudden, I'm becoming a local.

I borrowed these pictures from a lovely new friend from the trip, Marita Fløtre.  Apologies for the facebook business on the lower left hand corner. 

I believe there were about 50 people participating in Kreklingsus, mostly because the event is limited to the amount of people that can fit in the cabin for music at night.  Most were Norwegian with a handful of internationals.  While I spoke mostly English, my Norwegian is coming along and I continue to learn new phrases such as 'helt sykt!'  This most closely translates to 'crazy!' or 'insane!' or, our favorite word of the weekend, 'awesome!'.  My new Norwegian friends liked to point out how much we Americans use the word 'awesome'.  I am the worst, I use the word all the time.  I need to find a new go-to adjective.  I don't know if I will ever use awesome without thinking of Kreklingsus, we had some good laughs at my slip-ups.

There were some different activities planned on Saturday including multiple hiking options, a fishing trip or blueberry picking.  I opted for one of the more mellow hikes.  It was still a good 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) and a really nice group of students studying at all different universities around Bergen.

 

And, the music!  Playing music on Saturday evening was very special.  I got to play a mix of originals and covers by candlelight for one of my most attentive audiences ever.  No amplifiers...no electricity for that matter.... just a one room cabin in the middle of nowhere Norway with 50 people.  They sang with me when they knew songs and were engaged with my original material.  One of life's dear memories.

Ida is playing and I'm to the left

Now to prepare for the week ahead.

thankful for a wonderful first week back in Norway,

lisa liv