Larry and I played tennis today at an indoor facility an hour’s walk from our apartment. There is an outdoor tennis facility but we can’t seem to locate it and the nets are probably down by now. Playing tennis after an almost two month absence was fun – and tiring. Not sure what the surface is – Larry thought cement but my knees didn’t hurt after an hour, so I’m not sure. And tennis here is just about the same price as in Ithaca – so relatively speaking a bargain.

Last night we played bridge with 6 others. This time there were 4 Norwegians (3 of whom spent time in the US when they were teens or early 20’s) and the 4th, an adoptee from Korea when she was 6 years old. Not sure whether French or English was the pre-dominant language spoken. Bridge was at a Norwegian’s – recently retired from Total (French oil company) elegantly furnished and beautifully attired apartment. She had worked in New York City for a Norwegian shipping company after high school. Larry’s improving rapidly – and enjoying it more. With bridge playing he doesn’t fall asleep – and we play until one in the morning.

Last weekend we toured south of Stavanger with Willy and Tuelburg – through the plains of Jaeren that seem to transition without notice to barren mountain rocks. In 1817 the Swede, E. Folch wrote that I “came upon the most unpleasant mountains I have yet traversed.” The mountains are the rock type, “Anortosite”, which weathers badly in today’s cold and damp climate. In a few places it reminded me of Ireland’s Burrens. Before heading back to Stavanger we passed Egersund and then a lovely small isolated fishing village. In early 1940, the German were transporting 800 British prisoners and sought sanctuary in Jossingfjord, when a British destroyer came in and captured them, killing some Germans. (The Germans had lied to Norway about who was on their vessel.) The Germans used this incident as a pretext for invading Norway - evidence that the Norwegians couldn’t control their neutrality.