12th July 2010
I adore Christmas, but when you're in Norway, you really appreciate Summer!! The evenings are light and long, the temperature is pleasant, and everyone spends time out of doors! BBQs are the thing. We've been invited to a few homes for dinner, and every one has been a barbecue: hamburgers, hot dogs (often served in little tortillas instead of buns), pork or kabobs. Most Norwegians have eating tables outside on their deck or yard, and use them frequently.
These pictures were taken at the home of Marcos and Carina Silva. Their home is small, but stylishly decorated, and with a HUGE wrap-around deck (furnished!) that they use for summer entertaining. Marcos loves to invite people for barbecues--he's Brazilian. (We've found that Norwegians are very nice, but more closed and private as a people.) Anyway, we arrived to find a crowd of friends, relatives, and even a family that Marcos had met at the grocery story that very day :) We all had a good time. I didn't understand much of the Norwegian and Portuguese conversations that were going on, but got to speak English with some.
Little FYI along the lines of BBQing: Grocery stores here sell something called an "Engangsgrill," which is a little one-time box grill with charcoals and a cooking surface. It's cool because you can take it anywhere--to the beach or on a picnic--and cook your food! Doesn't cost much, either.
