Travel

Norway

Filled with Olympic moments, I organized a three day weekend trip that took us to seven events including three hockey games. Nine people had the joy of traveling through snow and freezing temperatures with only me as their so-called guide. The one evening we spent in Elverud was the most unbelievable.

Finishing up our celebrations the first night in Lilly, we looked for the midnight bus to our hotel in Elverud, a mere 40 minutes away. The bus was nowhere to be found and we were told to go to Hamer and switch buses there. We reluctantly got on the Hamer bus at about 1 am. The bus winded its way through small streets, picking up locals after a nighth of revelling. I had the pleasure of sitting next to one such local who had perhaps a bit too much to celebrate. The stench unbearable, we moved to the very front of the bus to escape until finally the driver helped his passengers unload and stumble home. Two thirty in the morning, we were deposed in Hamer, at the bus station. As you would have it, it was outside.

The wind whipped up like you wouldn't believe. Even as a Canadian I knew it was rough. At least in Canada, there would be some underground shelter to escape to. In Hamer, there was nothing except for a small walkway to cross the tracks. Eleven degrees warmer," my friend Bill said. He was right. Frozen but better off than before we waited for the next bus. We arrived finally at 4ish in Elverud. Our innkeeper had not only stayed up but he had left us with some fresh mackerel to nibble on. Fresh, and uncooked and heavily pickled mackerel. Exhausted, I wanted nothing more than my bed. Sharing a room with Francis and Bill, we all had a nice cumfy bed. Just about to turn out the light, I heard Bill say, "Olympic moment," as he pulled out some top-notch French champagne (obviously chilled) from his bag.

We had our moment and the next morning, Bill and Francis (wisely) skipped on seven am bobsleigh leaving me to watch the world's worst spectator sport with the better-rested others in -31 degree heat. My only consolation, CBS caught my misery. My only regret, I never saw Dave's Mom.