What a great weekend!

This is the weekend that Bergen starts the Christmas season. The length is only the length of Advent, 4 weeks, so the streets and shops don't really glitter until the last weekend of November - right now! Friday night, they lighted the big tree in Torgallmenningen, in the rain. They had a small band and some speeches, and then - poof! - the lights came on. I love that moment, don't you? Then the stars over the street were lit. All the stores stayed open till midnight, and the high school kids sold waffles and cakes, and the streets were busy and cheery. There was a tent to the side of the pedestrian street by our place with a guitarist and an accordion player. They were playing jazz, smiling and laughing, and they were awesome!

Every year, they have a gingerbread city here, with the city made by the kids of the area. This year, some people went in the night that it was set up and destroyed the whole thing! It was unthinkable. But the whole town rallied, bakers, businesses, and regular folks, and made lots of gingerbread houses. The newspaper had recipes and instructions. Then the families poured in to decorate them. Actually, there was a certain amount of trepidation - what if there were too many houses? There was a reward by businesses for apprehension of the vandals, and they have caught the ringleader and some others. He was a 20-something husband and father, who got drunk. He says he has no excuse or reason for it.

Saturday morning a whole regatta of kids sailed from the pier by our apartment to the Bryggen, old harbor. The rain stopped, thank heavens!

Saturday afternoon is the Festival of Lights around the town lake, with singing, fireworks and torches. Bergensers have a great respect for fire, so only over-15-year-olds were allowed torches. They lighted the Christmas tree in the middle of the lake, and all the trees around the lake. There was a brass band, the Nordic Tenors, and thousands of people to sing carols. The whole lake was ringed by torchlight - and then the fireworks! They filled the sky!

Before and After!

We have put out our two decorations - the Norwegian elf couple on a swing, and the prune people from Nuremberg's 2008 Christmas market. So we're in the spirit! Hope you are, too.