After a quick farewell (it was somewhat sudden if you ask me, bags packed, oh look its time to go, run to the car and chase down the fast boat to Bodo (pronounced; Buda)) and a short stay in town we had an early flight to Oslo then after a day of walking around Oslo city at -8c another short flight to liverpool.
Liverpool, was, in a very conservative estimate, absolutely awesome! It was great to finally catch up with a fellow aussie, and considering his executive removal the last time i traipsed through liverpool it was great to actually hang out with Will in his now home town! We spent late nights talking and reminiscing of old time and old friends (i feel like i'm actually growing up being able to talk about the old time and stuff, quite strange really!). To be honest i think nick was quite lost for the first evening as Will and I rambled on with complete Aussie slang and terribly quick speech dropping names of old friends at regular intervals. It was ok though as nick cradled his first legal bevvy (being from America and all and only 19) in Liverpool quite content.
We took a road trip, our only venture into the brittish country side and founda nice castle in the small enclosed town of conwy somewhere in the north of wales. We explored the ruins of the castle and walked around the town on its old wall, found a pasty for lunch and an old lolly shop who's owner was an integral part in our quest for the best pasty in town.
Other days of wandering were spent by the local park, whos name i already forget, it was nice, i went for a run through a mist enveloped park with the sun shining through tree's and fog creating beams of light and dark. I got lost.
The rest of the time, I guess, was spent around food and drink, either eating or preparing it with Will and Joy and their local community from frontline church. a quick rundown as i dont want to draw this out too far includes, Curry at the white room with a massive coffee, it was brilliant (curry and coffee), pint at the pub catching up with Joy and getting to know luke while Will sung his heart out caroling for the locals, two actually joined in! Poker and snacks later at night with a larger group of friend back at wills place. An evening of corx and more food and drink the next night and the great gammon feast.
I should fill you in with a little more detail on the feast seeing as though it scored the title of this Blog. A feast is what it truely was. We cooked from 10:30am through till the finish of the festivities at 11pm. By we i mean Joy, and we helped. The center piece
of occasion was a large peice of Gammon, a salty piece of pig that is roasted and glased. Everything was flavored lovingly with a liberal spash of spirits (Grand monier, White Rum, Port). Garlic roast potatoes, roast chestnuts, christmas pudding, mulled wine (the best ever apparently, it was tasty but i dont really have any other reference point), stuffing balls (williams brilliant recipe, each one made with great love and care), roast parsnip, Red wine, White wine, Grand monier, Carlsburg, hand made chocolate truffles by nick and myself (they tasted awesome but didnt look to pretty, we ate all the pretty ones that Joy made the day before) chocolate coated macadamia nuts, much tea, brussel sprouts and carrots boiled in the pork and veggie stock.All this was cooked in a tiny brittish kitchen, in a tiny brittish home for 20 odd people. The night was formal dress and i managed to score a shirt from Luke, wills housy, all be it a little small. To say it was the best christmas feast I've had to date would probably be the truth with no exaggeration. The combination of the cooking, company and chilled out atmosphere contrasting the hecktic afternoon of preparation in the kitchen with everything coming together just in time was brilliant!
I'm now in denmark, after a sketchy flight from manchester airport with a plane that had a emergency exit door that wasnt quite sealed, loudest mroe horrendous flight i've been on so far, followed by a mad dash to make a connecting flight with 3 strangers we met while in the air. We're being looked after by Lines family and they are, to say the least, pretty much awesomeness. Taking in 7 strangers ontop of the other 7 people already in the home is outstanding. We are like one big family here, already accepted as one of the kids and we're having a ball wandering through the forests, looking for christmas tree's, eating more food and drinking some great italian wine! Lines dad is a big fan of buying wine and we are encouraged to drink up at dinner so as to clear some space in the "Cellar" (or bedroom) for the purchase of more wine. we dont complain.
Its now christmas eve, the day of celebrations here in denmark. we're heading off to church later today and then home for dinner, a few songs around the christmas tree and present opening! (christmas dinner #3)
Next stop is latvia, via stockholm, to hang out with Madara before he head back to oslo for a few days then off to Tibet. I hope you are all well and have a wonderful christmas and new years celebrations. I'm off to go hunt down a deer, maybe ill have some photos of it later.
Ha Det Bra (Norweigian farewell "have it good")
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