May 1998.  Gouda, Netherlands.  We were so taken by the ease of just pulling alongside the canal banks and tying up, that we looked forward to the opportunities that would provide.  In this picture, Bijou still has her mast up, but in order to move on in the canal system, we would have to take it down and secure it somehow on the boat. Not easy. We knew dismantling her like that was going to be traumatic, but we also knew it would open up more beautiful places to visit. We hoped that would make up for the trauma.

                                                                      May 1998.  Amsterdam

Spring of 1998.  We couldn't get enough of the barges of Vlieland and Horne, Netherlands. Their work is tourism now, not fish or goods as in the past. Endless hours of fascination and entertainment as they maneuvered in tight spaces. 

Spring 1998.  It was inevitable that the temps would rise and the flowers would bloom.  Once that started happening, we began to get anxious about leaving.  BUT we didn't want to go until after this special celebration.  National Day is the celebration of Norway's constitution which established Norway as an independent kingdom from Sweden.  It was very festive with lots of food and good times.  We were so glad we stayed.  

In the winter of 1997/98 we hiked around the village nearly every day. We never tired of the beauty and frequently pinched ourselves that we found such a magical place to spend the winter. The scenes were awe inspiring and unforgetable. Our support system while on the island involved many of the villagers who lived on Espevær. Most especially Odd and Malfrid, our landlords and restaurant owners, Grete and Sigmann, and Marit and Mark.  Marit was Norwegian and Mark was an expat from Britain.  It was a wonderful and idyllic situation that would have been difficult to duplicate.  

Winter 97/98 in Espevær, Norway.  We felt very privileged to get this opportunity.  One that was exciting to us and within our budget.  Our neighbors were great, and even spending an entire day on buses and ferries to get groceries was a hoot.  We walked nearly every day, and only when the weather was really bad did we stay snug and warm in our apartment.  The views were inspiring and we never got tired of sighing our good fortune.  

One fun thing about staying in a small village over the winter is that we were a novelty, and we were quickly adopted by a few residents.  We met Sigmann and his wife Grete early on, and we got together with them several times.  Lori and Sigmann met on the "lane" and stopped to have a chat.  A common thing.  

Back from our trip to Oslo, we settled in for the long winter in Espevær.  In all the years we cruised, we never tired of any scene that included Bijou.  We loved our Norway digs and felt so fortunate to have met the people we met who made this life experience happen.

November 1997.  We took a train from Bergen to Oslo.  This scene was above the tree line at the top of a mountain.  The settlement was called Finse.  Had to be hard living here, lots of snow and cold.  A word that comes to mind--windswept.  While on this route, we detoured to visit Oppheim, which is near Voss, and is where Lori's family originally comes from.  While walking in Oppheim, we asked around about a family home which is located in Oppheim.  The place is small enough that we did find a member of the family, a distant cousin or something, and he got us into the house.  It was an interesting experience.  We stayed on Oppheim a couple of days, saw the inside of the family home and also walked to the nearby village of Stallheim which is only "open" in summers.