The summer of 2016 was my first summer back home in Norway since 2012. The Rolling Stones were on tour in North America and UK in 2013, Europe 2014 and North America 2015. Add travels to Asia, two times to Australia and New Zealand, and the great Latin America tour, including Cuba, it has been four great years with around one hundred Stones shows, rehearsals, meeting friends on all continents, but still one important part missing in my life. Summer in Norway!
Summer in Norway is what five million people in Norway are waiting for all year. In fact, as soon as summer is over, we start the countdown for the next summer. The summer is technically defined through the three months of June, July, August, but we might add May and September if we live in the south of Norway, near Oslo, like I do.
Without the golf stream, there would not be living people in Norway. Thanks to the coastal stream, which is heating up our waters from freezing point up to something between 16-22 degrees C in the summer (60-70 F), Norway can get as hot as the south of Europe at times during summer. The snow in the mountains is melting, and we may access the areas above 1,000 meters above sea level, which are covered by snow 8-12 months of the year. Our highest mountains in the range of 1,500-2469 meters (5,000 ft – 8,000 ft) above sea level may be climbed and hiked for a short period of six weeks during mid July to late August.
What I missed the most during the past four years outside Norway during summer time was our strawberries, the flowers, the sea, 17. mai, the great mountain races, and of course my family. The pictures are telling about the parts that I love most about my home country Norway. And just to make it clear – I love all our fours seasons. During summer the sun is up 18-20 hours per day in the south, and 24 hours in the north. The bird sing all day and all night. There is no night. During winter it is dark 18 hours per day in the south, and 24 hours dark for months in the north. We have lots of snow all over so I can do cross country skiing for months. During the fall we have great colours on the trees, and during spring all trees and flowers, which have been covered by snow, are coming into new life. I could not think of one place to live in the world except for Norway. That is as long as The Rolling Stones are NOT on tour…
I am writing this as I am in Las Vegas, NV, USA, Friday Oct 21, waiting for The Rolling Stones Las Vegas show to happen tomorrow. When I look through the pictures from home, especially the mountains, I get tears in my eyes. Homesick… It is so sad to be away from home, and I miss my mountains and my family, but my “other” family is here, right here in Las Vegas. Tomorrow there is a show, and tonight there are so many friends and and fans I will meet up with and celebrate the next Rolling Stones show. Life is mysterious…
I will try to add my memories from this short tour of the California Desert and Las Vegas now. Thanks for your patience, and feel free to send comments to my e-mail address : [email protected]
