Chicken, Shrimp and Swans

Stavanger is the fourth largest town in Norway, with a population of approximately 180,000 people in the general area, and about 115,000 in the town itself.

That means that the population of the general area of Stavanger is similar to the population of the greater area of my hometown, Gainesville, Georgia.

And population is not all they have in common.

Right off the square in Gainesville, is a tall obelisk. Perched on the top is a (relatively) small chicken.



This is because Gainesville, Georgia is the Chicken Capital of the World. For reals.

Years ago, there was a gentleman named Jesse Jewell who made up ways to preserve and pack poultry on an assembly line, forever negating the need to go out back and behead the evening meal. (You're welcome.)

About once a year, some enterprising pack of teens steals the chicken. Mayhem ensues, at least until it's recovered.

And as one can imagine, before Norway tapped into its the mother lode of oil, the sea provided the basis for much of the economy.

Now, Stavanger is called "The Petroleum Capital of Norway," but once it was all about the ocean.

Hence, the giant statue of the shrimp in the harbor, which I think is more proportional to its base than the chicken.



The giant shrimp statue is situated at the most inland point of the harbor in the center of town, which serves not just as the geographical center, but also the social center of Stavanger. On sunny days, the cafes lining one side become packed with people soaking up the rays with a pint of beer. On weekdays, Husband goes to his office on the far side of the water. And the "downtown" is built around it.

Yesterday, Lillie and I went on a walk around the harbor. Though she grew up in Atlanta, she really was a homebody. But now that we don't have a backyard, she has to take her breaks on walks.

So, I am trying to acclimate her to city life and all that entails, for instance people, cars and swans.

Fish and Guests

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Whenever I tell people that we live in a renovated sardine factory, they inevitably ask "Does it smell like fish?"

And the answer is "No. No more than a renovated factory loft in SoHo smells like sewing needles or the sweat of exploited workers."

Norway is so far north in the world that over the course of the year, the amount of sunlight varies radically depending on the time of year....In the winter, there is very little sunlight, often just four or so hours. And those hours can look like twilight when the sun doesn't get very high over the horizon.

In the summer, there can be as many as 18 or more hours of sunlight...

Also, it rains. Alot.

So, having dark sleeping quarters is just as important as having ample windows. So you can both soak up as much sun as possible, while still having enough darkness to sleep.

Which are only part of the reasons why I love our house. It's on a hill, so the downstairs, which is storage, sleeping and bathrooms is pretty dark. Then upstairs is an open layout with high ceilings and windows 3/4 of the way around.


(No, all that furniture is not ours. Neither is the dog. His name is Rufus and belongs to our landlord's girlfriend. Lille and Milo will be here soon...)

Plus, it has a red and blue door. And you're welcome anytime.