Norway 2012: Svelvik

Saturday 9th June

Today Odd and Bjørn took us for a walk through Svelvik. Toné, Anne Stina and Betty came with us. The church in Svelvik is the focal point of the town. I can remember seeing a photo of Mum pushing a pram with my older brother in it, knee deep in snow, near this church.

This is the old Christening Font. It would have been used for my brother's Christening. 

This model of Nelson's "Victory" hangs from the ceiling of the church. It was made by my father's uncle, Bjarne Syvertsen.

This is Svelvik from the church steeple.

We walked a little further around a couple of corners and down a few side streets and Odd stopped here. This was my father's house. It was very interesting standing in the driveway where Dad would have walked into and out of his family house for many years. This is where he spent his childhood.

Here is a photo of Dad (2nd from the right) with his two brothers and his father. Looking very cool. This was taken in front of the house (above).

We walked a few metres further, stopped in front of another house, and Odd said that one of my Dad's cousins lived here. Would I like to meet them? So we knocked at the door and the husband came out. Very fit and healthy for 93. We went inside and met his wife Gunvor, who was Dad's cousin. She was dozing in a recliner lounge seat and was woken up to meet her cousin's son from Australia. In that confusion when waking up, she must have thought that I was Dad, I look like him a bit now. Well, tears flowed, thanks were given and it became a very emotional 20 minutes or so. Robyn and the others came in and I have to say, there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Here's another photo of Mum and Dad, either in Norway, or somewhere en-route from Australia.

We walked a little further around a few more corners to meet cousins Jon, and his sister Åse. They had a marquee in their yard for a party the night before so we were invited in and out came the coffee and all the left over cakes. Yummo.