Photo on Sunday 2014-5

It was difficult to find the photo of this week. Yes, I had so many nice photos, but I had already shown you several of them! But, I found this photo that I really liked. It was taken during the first walk to Visnes and from inside the copper melting barn. I can just imagine what that same view must be like in the height of summer with the sun setting! I hope I get to see it some time. And if I do, I will take my camera along!!

Olympics

The Olympics are happening again. This time from Sotchi in Russia, which is great time-wise, since they are only three hours ahead, which means no midnight hockey for me this year! There have been a great many comments about the games this year, mainly about Russian politics. A lot of people won't even be watching due to their stance on homosexuality, their shoddy payment to people who worked to build the place and probably a whole lot of other things. 

I am not one of those people. I mean I don't agree with their politics and such, but I don't agree with Chinese politics either and watched those games. I want to honour the athletes who trained hard for several years to get where they are now, by watching them perform their best. 

Of course I cannot watch it all. That would be impossible, unless I have three televisions. Which I don't. But I have watched the biathlon, some of the cross country, quite a bit of speed skating and now the figure skating. I have so far managed to not see the curling, since that tea kettle shoving is so addictive, I wouldn't get anything done! 

So far, Norway has done quite alright, gathering medals here, there and everywhere. But the Netherlands haven't done that bad either. Gathering medals left right and center at the speedskating. So far they've managed to get 4 golds, 2 silvers and 4 bronzes! Not bad for such a small country. And of course I hope it's not the end yet. 

But did I ever tell you I was present at the Olympics? I didn't? Well, I will soon tell all (once the photos are scanned)!

Avaldsnes

Avaldsnes Church

The main road on the island of Karmøy is called the 47. A poetic name I think. A name to ponder about. Anyway, when you come from the North, the second roundabout will give you four options. The first one is going back to where you came from. The second is going straight ahead towards Kopervik and Skudenes. Your third choice could be turning right towards Visnes (which we did on Monday and Tuesday) and your last choice is a left turn towards Avaldsnes.

The boathouse. Named thus because boats were built here!
I think. If I remember correctly...

Avaldsnes is actually the first royal seat of Norway, but to be honest, it doesn't really advertise the fact. You may have heard about Harald Fairhair (I posted about him here), and apparently he and his fellow Vikings set up home on the island of Bukkøy, just of the main island. It is situated in the middle of the Sound of Karm and it was a great spot to control all traffic coming through. 

Pithouses. A small house built over a pit. Used for home industry, not home living.

The walk I did yesterday was nowhere near as challenging. The path is gravel all the way, the Viking village was closed, although not too hard to enter since quite a lot of fencing was severely damaged during the storms in December and January. But, being a good girl, I stayed outside the fence. I am like that. I wouldn't want anybody to come into my house, just because the door wasn't locked!

View to Karmøy-bridge which connects the mainland with the island.
See the bus?

And there were still many fine photos to be taken, especially since the weather was even better than yesterday. The sun even made an appearance, although please don't read that aloud. It might get scared of and stay away for long! I think I will have to go back there many times though, since the path is just perfect to be training on: gravel and quite steep. The day I will manage to get up in one go and without losing my breath will be good.

As you may have guessed, this is pre-posted, since I will be working the rest of the week, all the way up to Sunday. So, there will not be too much chance to go walking again. Although, there is, but then there are the Olympics. And I want to see the Olympics as well!

Visnes 2

Going on hikes or walks in the area with somebody who actual knows the area is great. My friend was able to give me lots of information about the place. Which I like, because I am one of those people who like history. 

Visnes was at some point in history bigger than Haugesund. Three thousand people lived in Visnes, double as many as in Haugesund. That has since changed very much and today there is a small village only. But the reason it was so much bigger was the copper mine. The mine needed people to work in it, so the place grew. 

The mine is now closed, but there are quite a few reminders of the past. Yesterday I showed you the melting barn. A huge structure now in the process of being partially renovated. There is still a museum (open during the summer only) and you can still see some of the machines used and a pit. 

The people who worked there needed to have somewhere to spend their free time. So, the surrounding area was turned into gardens. There were horse riding trails and just basically a lovely area to spend your time. The miners and their families were only partly allowed to use it. Mostly it was used by the owners and their friends. 

You live over that way! See!!

Nowadays it's open to the public. I certainly felt a lot more important after having been there!

Visnes 1

Since I only had to work until midday today, I thought it would be a good idea to say yes to the invitation of my friend to go for a walk in Visnes, which is quite close to where I live. Now, this is the same friend who invited me to Preikestolen last July, so I think I should have known some of what was probably about to come. I think I might be too optimistic at times!

The German occupation built lots of bunkers and other concrete thingies

Anyway, it started off fine: the rain stopped just as I was picking her up and we drove for about two kilometers to where we would start. The path was good (tarmac) and then even better (gravel). We saw lots of trees that had gone down in the storms we have had lately and the path was great. 

The copper melting barn. Now being partially restored

We then got off the path and went down a route with a lot of water and eventually rocks. And as you know: rocks are my favourite while walking!! Anyway, some great views, some great routes and yes, a great work-out! 

Of course, none of my hikes would be complete without a fall. Since the path was on occasion a pond, we had to skirt around a couple of times. Until there was a real pond (or stream, water anyway) and instead of skirting around, we had to use the bridge. Now, did I tell you already that wet paths can be slippery? So, as I tried to put my right foot on the bridge, my left foot went skidding underneath the bridge and I managed (just) to fling myself onto the bridge. And yes, I do now have a lovely bruise on my left leg. Ah well, that's life!

Testing testing...

8.30am sharp I was on the phone to the doctor's office. After explaining a little of my problems I got my appointment: 11.30am today. I made my way to the doctor's office and was there a little before 11.30am. Well, it certainly wasn't a Canadian gp I can tell you! By the time it was my turn it was about 12.50pm! Nearly an hour and a half wait! Just because the doctor wanted her lunch (I am guessing).

Anyway, we shook hands, she asked about her trainee doctor (did I mind her being present), I gave her my medical file. Which didn't do too much good, since it's in Dutch, so I explained a little about my medical history. When all that was out of the way, I told her about my problems. She asked, I answered and at the end I was given some medication for a problem I knew I had but wasn't bothered by. 

Plus, I was to pee in a cup. Which would be tested for something or other. They played vampire on me and took some blood. Also to be tested for something or other. And the third (and fourth, but they are basically the same) I still have to do. Stool sample. Now, how I am going to do that with those awful plunge toilets they have here is another matter. One sample has to be sent off somewhere and the other sample I will have to take with me for my next appointment. 

The doctor talked (to the trainee, but there is as yet nothing wrong with my ears) about which tests for what diseases. Most of them unknown, but I had heard of celiac disease. Something to do with trouble with gluten. Only found in bread and pasta and such. She told me that if they couldn't find anything wrong with any of the samples, there might be a further investigation. Like an endoscopy (camera into the bowels). 

It might have made me late for work, but at least she didn't fob me off with the line: well, if ibuprofen works, just continue with that, like my old gp did. So, testing and in two weeks I will know more. Hopefully!

An apple a day

Have you ever been to the doctor in a foreign (to you) country? Where you might not speak the lingo? I have. To several actually! The first one was my gp in England while I lived there. Lovely chap, told me to watch my weight when my weight was still okay-ish. He certainly had some foresight!

On a 12-day trip to Italy I developed a bout of urinary tract infection. A doctor was called and during the evening, the hotelier (a head smaller than me), the doctor (a head smaller than me) and me made our way up the stairs. The doctor asked where the driver was and was very very surprised to find out it was me. I was (and still am for that matter) a woman!! After he had examined me and asked me questions in Italian, since that was the only language he spoke, he prescribed an anti-biotic course. He then asked the question: how did you know that you had a urinary tract problem. My answer? Because my cat had it! I was glad I had the prescription in my hand already...

While on a 5-day trip to France I developed yet another bout of urinary tract infection. I made my way to a French doctor, who again only spoke his mother tongue, but I was a bit more fluent in French than in Italian, so not a problem. He prescribed me anti-biotics again. 

And whenever I had something wrong with me in the Netherlands, I would phone my gp and was usually able to get an appointment within a day or so. Although during my worst hour I was fobbed off on the phone by a stand-in!

I moved to Norway. Thought it was nice to try and slice my hand off. Decided it wasn't and needed stitches. So far, so good. But I have now lived in Norway for over a year. I have a gp I have yet to meet. And I have a problem. No, it's not urinary tract, although it is in the same area. It started a few weeks ago and there were days where I needed ibuprofen to work and sleep (not at the same time). I decided I wanted it checked out by my gp. But the pain lessened and I thought it wouldn't matter too much if it took a day longer. Or two. Then I wanted to phone and didn't have the phone number with me. When I finally called, they were closed. Or at least the telephones were. So, last night I made an appointment online. 

This morning I got the confirmation. Yes, they listened to me wanting an appointment after 1pm. In two weeks. TWO WEEKS! I phoned them up while the phones were manned and finally got through to somebody. They are fully booked and I cannot make an earlier appointment. Unless it's urgent. Like life and dead urgent. Or feet falling off urgent. Because they have spots for those. 

Is it urgent? No. But a two-week wait is a whole other matter. Anyway, tomorrow morning at 8.30 I will be on the phone to try and get an 'urgent' appointment. Because guess what: the pain is coming back!

Give me some credit!

Money? Just get a sugarfamily: works a treat!

When I first wanted to move abroad, the main obstacle in my path was my debt. I had quite a big debt and had to get rid of it before being able to do anything. So, I stopped the holidays, most of the dvd's, the car and a lot of other things that cost money. And I paid back the debt at double speed. But not having any debt wasn't enough, I needed money as well. I continued without the holidays and the car and a lot of other things that cost money. Until I had saved up enough to visit the country of my desire. And then the other country of my desire. 

When I moved from the Netherlands to Norway, I came without debt and with money. I had a letter from the Dutch credit rating company saying I was without debt and had been for some time. I needn't have bothered with that letter. The Norwegian bank told me basically: you start from scratch. Not just because they didn't trust me, but because they had had huge problems in the past with people applying for loans and credit cards, taking out the maximum and then disappearing and not repaying. 

Over the past year I have paid every bill I got. Most of them are paid automatically so I can't forget. I have bought things online and paid those as well. I have not been below the black line. I have saved a bit. And after the year I had to wait, I made my way to the bank yesterday. And applied for a credit card with the lady who had told me I had to wait for a year. 

The application was denied! DENIED!! Well, the lady remembered me and immediately got on the phone and demanded to know what was going on! She has a steady job, she told the person on the other side. Full time as well. No debts. Little savings. She is Icelandic! (Dutch actually) She is Dutch!

I will soon have a credit card. My first step on the road to Norwegian credit rating. 

PS: I think everybody knows you need good credit rating to get loans and mortgages. Either that or a bucket load of cash. Since I don't have the latter, the former will have to do. And in order to get that, I will need a credit card and next year perhaps a car loan. Moving up on the rating's ladder so to say!

Photo on Sunday 2014-4

Of course you were wondering about my new shoes weren't you? I just know you were. So, here's a photo of them. Not too shabby I think!

Good girl

3 sweaters, leggings and jeans, overcoat, hat, scarf and gloves, socks and shoes.
Ready for my walk!

I haven't been feeling too well this week. Stomach pains and such. But, I didn't let it spoil the job and went to work every day, while taking some pain relief to get through it. I am planning on visiting my gp on Monday however, since nearly two weeks with stomach/intestinal pains is not normal. 

On Friday night there was the annual staff club meeting. I always find Norwegian meetings so funny. They are so official. Don't try to speak out of turn: you will be reprimanded. And don't go back on a topic already closed: you will be told it's closed. The good thing about this year's meeting was that I was able to understand so much more than I did last year. Last year I was just hanging on. Trying to make sense of all these new things to me. 

On Thursday I had taken my walking boots to a local outdoor shop and asked them what if and how. Well, basically the boots are good. But... they don't fit properly since the back of the boot (the part I have trouble with) is too wide. I got myself a new pair of boots! Plus some pieces of advice: walk in the rain and walk through puddles.

Today I was up reasonably early and decided to go for a walk. As soon as the laundry was done. Then the mail arrived and I received my official BBC dvd of Doctor Who, containing all episodes of the last two series. The big question then of course was: walk or the Doctor? Well, I am glad to say: I walked. Into the storm, because yet again, there are stormwinds out there. I went a bit further and I must say: the lady in the shop had been right. The new shoes don't perform as nicely on the road. So, I walked in the grass, which was a lot better. 

I didn't find any puddles though. Some small streams, but they were either frozen over, or I couldn't see how deep they were and I don't think she meant standing knee-high in water! The good thing though: no blisters. My left foot was completely comfy and it was only the fourth toe on my right foot that was not too happy. I will soon knock him into shape. In the end, about 6 km (4miles). So, good training!