I cannot seem to leave Kristiansand. After all, I do have more time in Norway, and a Paris sojourn to share…but I’m dawdling. Must like it here.

There are a few more things to share now: experiences I want to share for the pleasure of reliving them almost in the moment, and to be able to revisit them in a future blog-book as well.

First the brand-new Kunstsilo Nordic art museum. While the focus is Nordic modernist art, with special attention paid to Southern Norway, it definitely has the feel of a world-class institution, and will welcome international representation as well. The building is a renovated grain elevator! Just think of the grand museums we could host throughout the Great Plains of the US!

I spent a lovely day, roaming about, while stopping to gaze out at the storm in the harbor now and again. I was nearly as fascinated by the drama of the rainstorm as the captivating art collection.

I studied history as an undergraduate and the majority of my reading is in history of one time, region, event or the other. But, given an atrocious memory, I rarely discuss it with anyone for fear of garbling my points and opinions (of which I do have an ample supply…).Somewhat scattered, but you’ll get the idea, on the following pages you’ll see descriptions of history classes classes being taught at the University of Agder where Tone is a senior advisor in Humanities. When I asked to see the catalogue, I expected a pretty routine breakdown of territorial studies (at least that’s the way things looked when I was studying). Instead, there is, what seems to me, to be a brilliant array of classes of the sort to make one understand why history is important. Before sharing the descriptions, I suppose I should acknowledge that US universities may be offering equally interesting subjects—schools that are still teaching history at least! I firmly believe that half the reason we’re saddled with the monstrosity that is Trump is because Americans know so little about history, geography, and literature. So there…!

Okay, well then it will be time to wrap this visit, I suppose. A visit to Tone and Simon’s ‘cabin’ by the sea, lovely meals, a drive or two around town, and maybe just another photo or two of Louie because who can resist.

And lastly. If I ever doubted I was Norwegian…When I was a kid, we lived at the end of a gravel road with neighbors that included the Nelsons, Gundersons, and Olsons. Here’s a parking area in Kristiansand.