Norwegian Experience Day 10: Part 2

Well, Marcia has been home for a few days now getting rested up and shaking off the jet lag of a seven-hour time difference. Sons of Norway caught up with her to talk about her experiences on her last day in Norway as well as some final thoughts about the trip.

When we last checked in with Marcia and her group they were getting ready to head off to the Hadeland Glassworks. Marcia reported that she was amazed by the size of their facilities and the artisans working there. While there, she and her traveling companions were taken on a private tour of the factory and grounds. The highlight of which being the opportunity for Marcia to try her hand at glass blowing.

She had this to say: "It was so much fun! I got to make a small vase, which is now sitting on my mantle. The process that glass blowers go through is very interesting and it's not very easy either. When I was working on my piece I had to keep blowing and blowing until I ran out of air and had to take a breath. You can actually see where that happened in the final piece, which is ok because it makes my vase unique."

After that Marcia and her group watched the professional artisans and apprentices working on glass pieces that would eventually be sold to the public. They watched the Hadeland crew make some new plates and bowls, and then saw the process that adds color to all of the glass pieces made. "After seeing all that, and experiencing first-hand the creating of a Hadeland piece, it really makes you appreciate the work and effort that has to go into each piece. I'd never really thought about it until I saw the artisans at work."

After the tour Marcia and her group were treated to a sumptuous salmon luncheon and a trip to the Hadeland shop on the grounds of the Glassworks, where she used her NOK 1000 gift certificate that had been kindly provided by Hadeland for the Norwegian Experience winner. "It was a great shopping experience," said Marcia. "I loved everything I saw, but in the end I bought some gift ornaments for my great-grandchildren and a beautifully elegant glass vase for myself."

The rest of the day was spent in Oslo, where Marcia got some last minute shopping in. She picked up some very interesting books on rosemaling, like Rosemaling i Valdres, as well as a great cookbook. After that it was time for her to head back to her hotel and rest up for her journey home.

Final Thoughts
Check back tomorrow around mid-day for some final thoughts from Marcia, the 2007 Norwegian Experience winner!