As I'm unable to upload more than 2 pictures at a time, I'm becoming Dickensian in this post. Today's pics are still from our tour on Saturday, September 30.

This past week Larry gave the first of a series of lectures – this one at the Research Instit ute where he is working and the next few at the University of Stavanger. And Mary Helen taught an ESL class – substituting for a PWC’er (Petroleum Women’s Club) who has gone to Portugal for a 60th birthday party and vacation. This week is school break in Stavanger and many expats are away. The locals all seemed to be at the mall yesterday.

So what’s different here for Mary Helen – I play bridge, walk more and food shop more than at home. I read, watch terrible tv (though good old movies on TCM) s a week. I read the NYTimes and Ithaca Journal on-line almost daily, but miss the Wall Street Journal. I’m connected to my computer even more than at home. Today (10/10) I bought my first unnecessary item – a soft, fleece top. What’s different is not much tennis nor volunteer work, transportation primarily by bus and foot – I took an 8k taxi ride last week and it cost about $20 (I couldn’t tell exactly where I was going on any of the maps online.)
What I love here are the spectacular vistas and the ocean views on clear, sunny days. I’ve decided today that everyday the weather is clear I’m going to walk to the top of the hill behind us to look at the North Sea (maybe at a distance of 20 km.) Many of you may remember that I had negative experiences in Paris 10 years ago (unable to get money from ATM’s and needing financial rescue from Alison’s friend, April, things taken from my suitcase at the small inn where we stayed, not getting any help from the French when I was lost late one evening, and standing in the wrong line at the airport almost missing my plane home.) I’ve met a number of French here – and enjoy all of them tremendously – so I’m looking forward to my next trip to France.