Påske er rundt hjørnet!

The weather is getting better, which means the snow is melting and there are more and more signs of life around Hamar. People are out and about, walking around, taking a beer or a coffee outside and trying to soak in all the rays they were deprived of this winter. On Saturday Lars and I joined the crowd and strolled around town, sipped on some coffee, window shopped etc. Most excitingly we spent a solid few hours on our balcony, reading and enjoying the weather. I am really looking forward to spending more time out here, especially as spring transitions into summer! The weather has been so nice lately (especially this weekend) that we even went so far as to buy some ice cream--and eat it outside! Spring is finally here!

Maybe you can see what I mean in this shot of Parkgata, the street we live on:

Early tomorrow morning Lars and I are headed up to Tynset to spend the Easter holiday, or Påske, with his family and friends. Påske is a lot different than the Easter celebration I am accustomed to as an American; here Easter egg hunts and frilly Easter dresses are replaced by ski trips and ski gear, and the holiday is a week long instead of just one day! I hear it is typical for Norwegians to take an entire week of work off and head up to a cabin. But in about a week I will be able to tell you how things go from my own experience instead of just relying on all this hearsay, haha. For now let's just say that even though I am so sad to miss out on my nieces and nephews' cute little mugs while they scour the backyard for surprise-filled eggs, I am really looking forward to experiencing a Norwegian Easter in the snow!