day9 shopping Aksdal & Haugesund, N.Askeland

We again go down the hill to Einar's mother's home - this time for a pleasant breakfast. This view of the attractive table setting also shows a traditional holiday window.

Peg, Rotraud and Einar prepare to start building their individual selections for breakfast as the low morning sun shines in the window.

Einar's mother, Laura,
proudly displays the Nisse
dolls she recently made. We
saw these colorful traditional
holiday dolls in most of the
homes we visited. Laura was
very clever to make such attractive dolls.

Taking a walk after breakfast, Keith gets Einar to pause by these interesting trees like the ones we in California often try to use for landscaping.

Our first stop this day was the Aksdal shopping center (or "senter"). With ice on the parking lot, the rock mountain "Alvanuten" shows in the background.

Entering the covered Aksdal Senter we are protected from the cold and greeted with holiday shoppers.

In the center of this pleasant small shopping mall is this area for the children.

Keith notices this young fellow who skied up to the Senter's door, left his skis outside and entered to do his shopping. The Tysvær Cultural Center shows in the background.

Driving on to Haugesund, we park by the waterfront as one of the express boats pull in. We will need to meet daughter Ellen here later - she is coming down from Bergen on one of these great boats.

We don't know the history of this interesting looking building, but Keith couldn't resist taking this shot.

A few blocks up from the quay, we are on the main shopping street of Haugesund, sans car traffic.

Rotraud quickly guides Peg to this interesting shop, "Anna Hen Eide A/S." Reportedly in business since 1936, we will shop for more sweaters here.

After finding 2 perfect gift sweaters here, Keith asks the helpful shop folks if they wouldn't mind being on our web site. They go along with him.

Back on the street, Keith finds a Norwegian Santa talking with this young person.

Another street scene on this busy Saturday before Christmas.

Mr. & Mrs. Santa give these
fjord horses a break and
some feed. Apparently they
were giving holiday rides.

After a Chinese lunch, picking
up Ellen and returning to
Slogvik, Ellen wastes no time
starting on the tree trimming.

First the white candle lights
go on as the Slogvik tree
trimming begins.

We are dinner guests this
evening in the North
Askeland home of Keith's
cousin Jostein, his wife Nina and their family.
From left: Rotraud, Peg, Einar, Mikal, Nina, Frederick and Jostein.

Such an attractive holiday
table deserves a close-up.
Nina holds her homemade
rolls and Jostein looks on
while Frederick pours
sparkling juice.

Jostein shows us the beautiful
hand crafted rocking chair he
won in a drawing held by the
Tysvær Kommune Handicraft
Cooperative. This is the very
chair that Keith admired (&
bought a chance on) when we
visited the Coop on our last
visit. We are happy to see it in the family!

Before we leave, Keith
requests one more photo of
Nina and Jostein, this one by
their Christmas tree.

Arriving back at Slogvik, we
find that the tree trimming is
also completed here. Ellen
relaxes. (Are all of those postcards on the side of the bookcase from California ??)

Day 9 - Breakfast at Laura's - Shopping at Aksdal & Haugesund - Ellen home - Askeland Cousins - Sat., Dec. 22, 2001