While I’m not a shopper, the curses are not related to shopping. I’ve been reading at home today, mostly in the book Cursed are You!: The Phenomenology of Cursing in Cuneiform and Hebrew Texts by Anne Marie Kitz.
I now have a clear distinction between a vow and an oath (the oath is a conditional curse; a vow is a negotiation with God).
Unfortunately, there are no references to generational curses or my passages that I’m working on. (The one reference was a typo, the second I found, but in 528 pages, it is an amazing amount of research).
I did take a break and go to the mall with Anya. She needed new shoelaces and wanted more yarn. We got both, and a few other things. My PJ bottoms had developed a hole, so I’ve been looking for something acceptable and affordable. I found something that was under 100 kroner (less than $13) with not too much bulk for travels to Tanzania.
Anya has been very diligent with her online English course. She does not enjoy it, so my investing in knitting yarn is to help her find a way to make the most of it.
At the yarn store, the clerk started a conversation when she heard my English. “Are you from the United States?” noting the accent. I replied with affirmation. She then asked from what part. I replied the Seattle area. Then we had a short chat about her visit to the East Coast, to New York, with her mom. I asked if she had seen any plays or musicals. She replied that no she hadn’t, but she did see a hockey game.
Now this conversation with this clerk was simple and rather delightful with her warmth and smile. But it is actually quite rare. There is only one other clerk that I’ve experienced as warm and friendly beyond the perfunctory check out, and that is the clerk at my favorite tourist shop, which I continue to visit and bring Anya or friends. It is a bit unfortunate how people seem to have become extensions of the machines they attend. So, I’m starting a little a subtle rebellion. I’m greeting the bus driver with a smile or a “Hei, hei,” and when I depart out the front door, I say, “Takk” (thanks). If (when?) I have more Norsk, I’ll be able to find other ways to seek to be a little blessing.
So, to finish this slow day, here’s the last day of our trip to Bergen.
We had a nice breakfast buffet at our hotel, which was at least twice what I expected for being a pretty basic hotel. It was very well done, and I told that to the staff. We knew the shops wouldn’t be open yet–the few tourist shops that were not closed on Maunday Thursday, so we planned to go to the Fløiban or funicular or vertical train up to the top of one of the 7 mountains surrounding the Bergen harbor.
We arrived, bought our tickets, and decided to hit Starbucks while we waited for the next train.
However, I recall that Starbucks wasn’t open yet, so we meandered up the block back to the funicular and got on. We were right that it was good to go early, as it got very busy with a load of cruise ship passengers.
The view from the top is amazing!
We visited the most amazing looking Starbucks I’ve ever been to.
Anya was thrilled to have Starbucks after 2.5 months. We also spent some time writing postcards we bought at the tourist shop on the top of the mountain.
We then shopped (or looked about–for Anya and me). This is on Anya’s wish list.
The Marius pattern is the rage right now!
We saw the old cathedral from AD 1181.
And the New Cathedral. New means AD 1633!!!
These were just the highlights of our time in Bergen. We had a nice–and safe–drive back to Stavanger with two ferry rides and the 4 or 5 tunnels that go under the water.
I was a bit anxious about driving in Norway with some very different traffic rules. I’m glad that Karen and Erin encouraged the venture. Karen was navigator and watcher of cars from the right, as most often, they have the right of way. We made it and had a grand time scratching the surface of Bergen.
If Eric was along, we would have had to to to the Hanseatic museum. The Hanseatic league was a commercial and defense confederation in the Baltic and North Seas from the 13th to 17th century. Because Bergen was one of the major centers, a lot of money was located in Bergen. My beginning theory is that is why Bergen is such a beautiful city with stunning classic architecture.
Back to reading about curses.
With blessings (not curses),
Beth