Valentine's Day

Even though Valentine's Day is no where near as big of a deal in Norway as it is in the States, Lars and I took some time on the 14th to celebrate anyway. Sleeping in was the first wonderful step of the day and we continued with a lazy morning watching skiing on TV and reading the news. Then we ventured out into the streets of Hamar; the weather was incredible. Neither of us had to wear our winter jackets, and the sun was shining!



We walked around town, stopping into whichever shops struck our fancy. On our way back home we stopped by Poesi and got some delicious (and reduced price!) coffee, waffles and cakes. We relaxed there for quite awhile. Lars humored me as I read every single set of trivia questions we could find in the Norwegian magazines and newspapers that were lying around. As we said goodbye to my coworkers, we realized it was almost three o'clock and that we really had to get a move on if we wanted to make it to the Vinmonopolet (aka liquor store) before it closed! Lars wanted to get some red wine for the dinner he had planned to make me (grocery stores can't sell wine in Norway).

Luckily we just made it, and we had the wine for the delicious dinner that Lars thought up! He made an awesome elk steak which would have made my Dad so jealous, accompanied by some steamed broccoli, grilled onions and mushrooms and some delicious sauce to top it all off. I made some scalloped potatoes which were also pretty tasty if I do say so myself! It was really fun to see the way Lars displayed his meal--I have never seen him so conscious of the way dinner looked! He really made it special for me!

I thought the dinner, and the thought behind it, was a wonderful Valentine's Day present. Sure beats what I lightheartedly gave him: a Donald Duck comic book, some sweethearts and a cactus. I told Lars he had to name him since I named our other plant (ridiculous, I know) but I don't think he was that into it. He jokingly said he chose My Valentine as a name for the prickly little fella. I really meant that he had to choose, so I guess that's his official name. We'll call him Val for short.