Birkebeiner Løppet and our First Visitors!

Erik ran the Birkebeinerløppet this weekend--the half marathon trail race that is part of the 3 Birkebeiner races. We got a big kick out of what was included in his pre-race shwag kit: men's lotion, diet shake, Floradix magnesium supplement, sardines and. . . . classic brown sauce!

What every runner wants: sardines and
brown sauce, with a little diet shake
to wash it all down.

Erik's parents are visiting Norway for what they declare is the "first of many visits". It's a nice way to think about it, because we don't feel the pressure of doing everything in just one visit. They stayed with us Thursday night through early Monday morning. We were able to visit Greta's barnehage and our local grocery store, see Erik finish a very muddy race and still smile at the end, buy some winter boots and slippers for a growing girl, do the requisite visit to Maihaugen, and eat reindeer and lamb (sorry vegetarian readers: it is slaughter season, and it was good). 

His parents left this morning to visit Voss, where they will stay with one of Erik's former teachers from the Folk School. They will then continue on to Bergen, where we hope it won't rain on them. Next weekend we will meet them in Oslo for some exploring.

With Oma (Cyn) and a muddy Erik at the
finish of the Birkebeinerløppet