Shortcuts
1985: Oslo, Liseberg, Gøteborg, Skara
1988 England: London, Durham, York
1988 Europe: Austria, Monaco, Luxembourg, Kassel, Cannes, Venice, Riviera, Bibione, Nice, Moselle valley
1989 Denmark: Legoland
1990 Denmark: Jesperhus
1991 Europe: Bordeux, Geneve, Paris, Cap d'age, Geneve
1993: Denmark
1993 Spain: Benidorm
1994 England: London
1994 Spain: Barcelona, Alicante, Peniscoda
1995 Spain: ?
1996 Greece: Crete, Georgiopoli
199? England: York, Aidensfield
1997 Europe: Le Mans, Normandie, Paris
1998 Europe: Nice, Monaco, Pisa, Disneyland, Picasso
1999 USA: LA, Bakersfield, Redwood
2000 America: Winnipeg, Plentywood
2000 Germany: Berlin, Rostock
2003 Belgium: Brussels
2004 Denmark: West coast
2004 USA: Orlando, Daytona
2008 Canada: Toronto, Winnipeg
2017 Sweden: Høljes
2023 France: Le Mans
2024 France: Le Mans
2025 France: Le Mans
19xx Sweden: Liseberg
19??: Sweden
Year: Unknown; late 1980ies or early 1990ies
Places / cities: Liseberg
It was in Liseberg that I was on a large roller coaster for the first time. I wasn't an old fellow and I can't understand how we persuaded my courage to let me try the course.
When I got back to ground level I was supposedly pale, but full of adrenaline. I was hooked!
1988: England
Places / cities: London, Durham, York
I don't remember much from this trip. But I remember puking over the railing on the ship across the North Sea...
1991: Europe
Country: Andorra, France, Nederlands
Places / cities: Bordeux, Geneve, Paris, Cap d'age
I THINK this is the trip where we sat close to the Eifel Tower and ate pizza. I had a piece with olives and I thought the olives had such a strong flavor. 30 years later, I dreamed of experiencing this once more!
This was perhaps also the trip where I threw up at the fairground just after driving a "bumper car". Earlier that day I had eaten spaghetti, and it was probably this that came back.
It was probably also on this trip that I noticed the advertising bulls that stood along the road. These were advertising posters that were shaped like bulls and these advertising posters stood along the main roads.
1993-5: Spain
Places / cities:
1993: Benidorm
1994: Barcelona, Alicante, Peniscoda
1995:
We were in Spain three years in a row: 1993, 1994 and 1995. Linda was with us in 1995. When you talk about Spain and the weather, it's usually sunshine and heat. On one of the trips, I think it was 1995 in Madrid, I experienced a rainstorm. There were big, heavy raindrops. It's rare that I experience SUCH heavy rain. Luckily we were in a car.
One of the memories I have was on one of the beaches we went to. I don't remember the year or place. Anyway: I loved swimming and I've always loved wildlife. As I waded around in the water, I noticed large schools of small fish swimming around at high speed. They were chased by some bigger fish. I wasn't sure, but the predatory fish looked almost like small sharks. This was exciting and I had thoughts in the back of my mind about danger. But I wasn't afraid. I saw that even the predatory fish avoided me and was clearly not a threat to me.
One of the hotels we stayed at had an indoor swimming pool in the basement. I was regularly, the bath nymph that I was. The pool was mostly empty, but one day there was also a man there. We got talking to each other, in English, of course. When I said I was from Norway and asked where he was from, he started talking strangely. I simply did not understand what he said. Suddenly it occurred to me that he spoke Norwegian! This is what happens when you are a little too focused on speaking English. By the way, the man was from the north.
1994: England
Places / cities: London
On this trip I got to experience Piccadilly circus, Trafalgar square and Madame Tussauds. I remember struggling to remember the name of the man who was statued at the top of the column in Trafalgar Square - Horatio Nelson. At Madame Tussauds, I dared to go to the horror section. I remember being very skeptical about going near a figure that was lying with its intestines out. I think the exhibit was added to Jack the Ripper's time. Otherwise, this trip was the first time I was aware of outliers and that they were part of the cityscape.
We were staying near Picadilly Circus. Around the corner from where we lived, there was a small shop selling simple food. There I was allowed to go alone to buy breakfast. It was some baguette-like stuff and chocolate milk. I got on well with the man who worked there, Malek.
1996: Greece
Places / cities: Crete, Georgiopoli
This was a holiday trip done as a celebration of my mother's 50th birthday. I remember mossaka and ouzo well. Among other things, we visited Knossos, ruins of a ceremonial and political center established in 7000 BC. We rented mopeds to get around Crete. These had a little too few horsepower for our taste. Oh, by the way; it was on this trip that I got extra sunburned!
1997: England
Places / cities: York, Aidensfield
From this school trip, I am left with surprisingly few concrete memories of the trip itself. We saw a castle, we were where the TV series Heartbeat was filmed and we learned that there had been Vikings in York. Me and Thomas learned that if you run across a road, the drivers who saw us would accelerate towards us and honk like hell.
Thomas and I found a small gambling den on which we spent half our weekly salary. I bought two souvenirs for myself; an English game magazine and the CD single "Everything's gonna be ok". Along with the game magazine came a CD with game demos, including Need for Speed 3: Hot pursuit and Carmageddon 2: Carpocalypse now!, two games that would help shape my interests.
1997/8: Europe
Time of year: Summer
Countries: France, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland, Pisa, Monaco
Places / cities: Le Mans, Normandy, Pisa
I mix these two trips together. For me, this was a trip with moods more than experiences, although there were many experiences as well. It was on these trips that I felt I got a relationship with both Germany and France.
I remember getting a good overview of one of the beaches in Normandy. We visited a "zoo" with dinosaur models. We drove on parts of the Le Mans circuit. We drove on parts of the F1 track in Monaco. By the way, the then Prince Albert of Monaco drove past us the day we were standing by his castle. We visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa and took the traditional photo where you "support" the tower.
On this trip I listened a lot to the album "Billy idol" from Billy Idol. I bought the albums "History in the mix" by Michael Jackson and "Use your illusions II" by Guns n Roses. By the way, I also bought a German edition of Les Miserables for my cousin, Talette. By the way, it was on these trips that I got the taste for Cherry Coke.
1999: USA
Time of year: Summer
Places / cities: Los Angeles
On this trip we were three families traveling together; My parents and me, and my sisters and their families. Nataniel, my nephew, was no old fellow. Margrethe, my eldest niece, was so restless on the plane and screamed a lot. Poor...
What I remember best from this trip was the trip to Six flags, the amusement park that has several famous roller coasters. One of them was the one-year-old The Riddler's Revenge. When it opened, it was the world's tallest, fastest and longest stand-in roller coaster. The length is approx. 1.3 km.. Another experience was Superman: Escape from Krypton (1997). This was the first roller coaster that was over 120 meters high. The concept of this track is that you accelerate to around 167 km/h straight ahead before going into a curve that goes over a vertical rise of the aforementioned 120 metres. When you reach the top, you are "weightless" before you fall backwards down the same path. This was probably the only time I was terrified on a roller coaster.
By the way, it was on this trip that I tried banana split for the first time. In one restaurant we went to, there was a staffed ice counter. Now I have to be careful with my wording. The lady behind the counter was from a different cultural background than me. She had a radiance and character that both showed a positive stereotype and that she was not the lady to mess with. I liked her!
We visited the Hollywood sign.
I also experienced how much salty seawater can irritate the eyes. I experienced this on Santa Monica beach, the beach where, among other things, Baywatch and Pacific blue were filmed.
And we visited Universal Studios! Here I got to see, among other things, how the effects in the fillm "Backdraft" were carried out. And then we watched the show T2-3D: Battle Across Time. I liked Universal Studios.
2000: Canada, USA
Time of year: Sommer
Places / cities: Winnipeg, Plentywood
My parents and I were invited to our relatives in Canada and the USA. And off we went.
We first went to Winnipeg in Canada. Here we stayed with Wally and Ruth. My parents had visited them the year before, so we were extra well received. We also got to meet Arnie and Lucille, Mike, Laura and Ashley, Don and Kathy, Andrew and Chris.
It turned out that being in Plentywood was a culinary experience. I got to experience iced cappuccino and fell in love with it. The American pancakes with maple syrup became a regular fixture at the breakfast table. Every time we tried something new that my mother liked, she would ask for the recipe. It went so far that after every meal, someone - usually Wally - would laughingly call out "Who wants the recipie!?"
I got in good contact with Laura, daughter of Wally and Ruth. Laura had good taste in cars and music. And she liked Coke more than she liked Pepsi. When we talk about music; I bought the CD "Use your illusions 1" on this trip. Early one morning I was the first to wake up. I snuck into the living room, found the CD player and put the CD on. It was a magical experience to eavesdrop on the record. It was almost how I imagined it was to listen to Radio Luxemburg.
One of the days we all went to one of the beaches. Kathy and Don, daughter and son-in-law of Arnie and Lucille, were also there, along with their young sons. Don had a boat lying nearby. This led me to try water skiing. It was a bit difficult to get up, but otherwise it went well. I also got to try being dragged in a "tube" after the boat. A "tube" is thus one of these large plastic rings that is filled with air. Don tried to drive wild enough that I lost my grip on the tube, but couldn't.
After a few days in Plentywood, the trip continued to Plentywood, Montana. Here my parents and I lived with some other relatives of ours, Genevive and Henry. They were well past retirement age and had a grown son named Bill. Bill had both a farm and a bar and had horses as a hobby.
Genevive's house had an entrance at the front of the house. This entrance went straight into the living room. The house also had a kitchen entrance at the back of the house which – naturally – went straight into the kitchen. The kitchen and living room were wall-to-wall and had an open solution with a half-height dividing wall.
While my parents and I were sitting in the living room talking to our American relatives, including Bill, a girl came into the kitchen entrance and helped herself to something to drink. A sweet girl. While I was wondering in my quiet mind who this girl was, I had obviously started yawning. I met Bill's eyes and with a wry smile he said "she's too young for you". I was a little embarrassed. It turned out that this sweet girl was Melissa, his daughter.
At the dinner table it was common for there to be table prayer, which I was not used to. When I was asked during the first dinner to say the table prayer, I was put off a bit. Obviously my father noticed this and interjected that this was a custom we were not used to. "Well, that's fine. Let's eat" was the reply from Genevive.
Bill was good with party tricks, so I got to experience some of them. But eventually Bill found out that he and I were going out to hunt ground rats; gophers. It was off to the farm by car. I got to try shooting the little critters, me who had barely held a firearm. Unfortunately, many of them were wounded that day. The ones we found we took home to the cat. During this trip, Bill noticed that I always put on my seat belt when we got into the car. With a grunt asked him if I didn't trust him. I was honest to say I did it out of habit.
Another day he took me out to see his horses. Melissa and two little boys were also there. We drove out to one of Bill's fields and found the horses. We youngsters sat in the car while Bill went out to feed the horses. The horses obviously knew what was about to happen, as they flocked around the car. This reminded me a bit of the scene in Jurassic Park where the T-Rex walked around the cars at the enclosure... but without the danger element.
But one thing I thought was a little creepy. One of the last evenings there was a storm on the horizon. In the dark clouds we saw irregular flashes of lightning. Seeing lightning go between cloud and ground I had seen many times, but lightning between clouds was something I had never seen before. It looked apocalyptic.
It was probably earlier that day that we had had a family gathering behind Henriy and Genevive's house. Family from near and far turned up. We youngsters played baseball. During that afternoon, Melissa and I talked about animals. I mentioned my sister's Sheltie and tried to describe the dog by drawing it.
After the visit to Plentywood we went back to Winnipeg. On the journey back to Norway we stopped in Indianapolis. There I bought an English edition of the book Les Miserables.
2000: Germany
Time of year:
Places / cities: Berlin, Rostock
On this trip, a number of things happened that might be perceived as a bit... "politically incorrect". We were young and stupid and times have probably changed a bit in a quarter of a century. You are hereby warned.
In the second year of high school, I and some others from Sotra High School went to Germany. This was an exchange trip organized by the school. Two or three teachers and around 20 beer-thirsty boys traveled down and were looking forward to meeting their hosts. The boys were told in advance that each host family had at least one girl the same age as the Norwegian pupils. But there was ONE exception. One host family was girlless. The "unlucky" Norwegian student often received joking comments along the lines of "the only thing you get under the covers is butt sex".
The journey first went to Berlin where we stayed in a small boarding house. One of the evenings, a group of the boys had found a place where an adult activity was taking place. One of the boys had received "oral pleasures" and was so captivated by the donor that he went back the next evening to experience the same activity. Unfortunately, no one knew the woman he had met, so he left without satisfaction.
Gradually the boys arrived in Rostock. During their stay, the boys were to visit a real German brewery called Der Rostocker. Admittedly, this was for the sake of culture, so everyone would get a "little taste". The tasting turned out to be STOOOOOR! The tasting went down smoothly in high gear. The German girl sitting next to me didn't like the lager, so she gave it to me. The glass was almost full and was quickly emptied. I dared to ask an employee for another taste of the good drink. The host was happy and a little flattered. "Über natürlich" was the reply. The third glass was emptied - and then I suddenly had to go to the bathroom. On the way to the toilet, I found out that he was a little winded. But the trip went well without lasting problems.
The next item on the program was a city walk. Among them, a shopping center was to be visited. I, needing to piss as I was, visited the toilets more often than the shops in the area. The washerwoman almost got rich that day. But the funniest thing was that I was well in the breeze before 12:00.
It didn't take long before I found out that I was popular with the German girls. The reason was not the amount of German beer I could drink, but the simple fact that I was the only one of the boys who socialized with the Germans. The other boys were more concerned with each other. They probably had hidden desires for cuddling, just like him who lived with a male host.
On a bus trip where Norwegian and German students and teachers were together, I wanted to make an even better impression with my largely non-existent German skills. At this point in time, Hans Magne had a braid. I found out that the German word for braid was "Zopf". In addition, I had learned from German teacher Nesbø a word that in German was "popular". With this knowledge, everything was ready to impress German girls with the German translation that "I have a braid and I'm popular". Loud and clear I declared that "Ich habe einen Zopf und bin geil". The line was said so loudly that all the teachers and even the bus driver performed a facepalm. All the girls laughed and all the boys wondered what the hell was said. The translation of the German line was is; "I have a braid and I'm horny". No wonder I became popular…
On the last evening in Rostock, a party was arranged. Many were intoxicated and looked it. The following morning we were to start our journey home with a bus trip. Fortunately, most people showed up. Unfortunately, there was one guy, Kenneth, who didn't turn up. We tried calling both him and the host family. No answer. In the end we just had to leave without Kenneth. Scary thoughts arose. What if he had been unlucky the night before and ended up in some bushes with his trousers on his knees.
Fortunately - an hour after we had started the drive - we received a call from Kenneth; He had just overslept.
When I got home and met German teacher Nesbø again, I had to tell about my unfortunate statement on the bus. His reaction was delightful; he shook his head and grinned before leaving, without saying a word. That's when it dawned on me; "Hot" was not a word that meant "popular", but was a word that was popular to use.
2003: Belgium
Places / cities: Brussels
Fattern was going to a conference in Brussels, and I got to join the trip. We stayed overnight with a couple we knew. This couple became our neighbors a few years later.
This trip was special, primarily because of a relationship I was in at the time. The woman and I exchanged many intimate text messages while I was on this trip. When I was out to experience people's life, I liked to sit in a cafe and eat a croissant while I was busy with intimate text messages.
During the trip I found out that my friend had sent me something special by email. Of course I went into the nearest internet cafe to check. Yes, in 2003 internet cafes were still a thing. And what I got to see in the email was one of the most special things I've ever seen. I blushed for hours afterwards. The friend REALLY knew how to turn an 18 year old on!
Otherwise, I got to experience a cartoon museum with the car of Gaston Lagaffe (or "Viggo" as we know him by in Norway). I also saw a statue of the same character on the way to the museum,
2004: Denmark
Time of year:
Places / cities: West coast
The summer of 2004 was the last summer before I became a student, so there was a family trip to Denmark. We stayed mostly on the west coast. But we had a trip to Legoland. Near the entrance was a shop selling LEGO. In the window I saw a car that I recognized. In the 1990s there was a LEGO car I had seen on the front of a LEGO catalogue. I wanted this one. I dreamed about it. And now I saw it in the shop window, but in an enlarged version. I got a lump in my throat.
Before we left for Denmark, I had applied for a dormitory at the student association in Volda. I had not received an answer from them when we left for Denmark. Then we agreed with our neighbor that she would take care of our mail while we were in Volda, and then she would send us an SMS if I received a letter from Volda.
In the last few days, the start of studies in Denmark was approaching. It began to be urgent to get a response from the student association. I still hadn't received any answers. Then I took the trouble to call the student association and explained my errand. No, they hadn't even received my application. Panic. They had no more dormitories available. More panic. But the lady on the phone was going to check a little more closely to see if she could find a dormitory for me. We agreed that she would call me during the day.
Ten minutes before closing time, she calls. She had found me a dormitory. I was naturally relieved. But then she said in a stern voice that there was one thing I should be aware of; I got to share the kitchen and living room with three ladies. Perfect for me as long as I got my head around it.
When I saw which dormitory I had been given, it occurred to me that it was the same type of dormitory I had selected as first choice in my application.
On our way home, we experienced Cutty Sark tall ships race. I noticed a little ship called "Tordenskjold", the same name as the building I worked at during my year in the navy. During my time as a student, I lived with the daugther of the owner of that very ship. What a small world
2004: USA
Places / cities: Orlando, Daytona
Fattern was going to a seminar in Orlando, and I got to join as ballast. We stayed at the Gaylord resort, a name I chuckled to myself, apolitically correct as I often am. But it was a great place.
I promised myself that if I got into a conversation with Americans, I would NOT talk about politics or religion. What do you think happened? Yes, I had no less than TWO conversations about BOTH topics; once on the plane to Orlando and once at Universal Studios. And both conversations were actually pleasant conversations.
But the most memorable experience was when we visited the Daytona speedway. We drove in the car park outside the arena and we realized that the arena was closed to the public. But then we noticed a gate that was open. At the gate strolled a caretaker. We parked and almost tripped over to the caretaker to ask if we could come in and see what the track was like. We were allowed to do that.
I expected us to end up in the stands. But, no. We ended up in the middle of the asphalt! Although NASCAR is not "my" motorsport, this was so big that I had to put my hand on the asphalt. The warden was not as impressed; he knew that new asphalt was regularly laid on the track.
