Norske stuff

I've just tried a nice drink, I think called hylleblom, made from elderberries. The taste reminded me of lychees. These Norskes have some cool stuff.
Just after I'd returned from a run in the botanic gardens, I got a call from Nick and Ellen asking if I'd like to meet them for a coffee/beer in Grunerlokka (trendy West Endish suburb near my home). Actually none of us had either coffee or beer, instead tea, smoothie and crazy Norske flower drink.
Who are Nick and Ellen? They are the only people I know in Oslo who are not in my uni class. Nick is the brother of my very good friend Kate, and is currently living in Oslo with Ellen, his lovely Norske girlfriend.

The Norskes have some other good/interesting stuff too:

• Brown cheese - a bit like condensed milk, with a touch of goat's cheese. Great on crackers and very addictive. Warning to Aussies - don't attempt to cut it with a knife, instead use that great (Norske) invention - the cheese slicer.
• Fish mush in a toothpaste tube - also good on crackers. There are other types of mush available in tubes, including bacon, but I'm still a bit wary of them.
• Salmon - I know we have it in Australia, but here it is very cheap, especially in comparison with red meat or chicken, so I've been hopping into it.
• Pickled herring - part of the buffet breakfast at the hostel in Bergen where I stayed last weekend. Can't say I'm a fan, but maybe it's better at lunchtime - way too fishy for breakfast.
• Lomper - potato flatbread, mostly used by Norskes to hold a polse (hotdog) but I've also tried them with salad, brown cheese and fish mush and all taste good.

I have to work out how to type the Norwegian vowels on this blog because I don't like misspelling the Norwegian words for which there isn't a good translation.