The Rev. Dr. John Toles
St. Olav Domkirke
It was on the way to where I was headed, so I returned to St. Olav’s. Several women were praying the Rosary together when I entered. I believe they were Korean, so although I recognized the pattern of their prayers, I did not understand the words. I began to pray silently, then another woman came and sat in front of me. She began to pray quietly in Norwegian. All these languages–a Pentecost of sorts–praising God.
A trip to The Top, which is the restaurant on the 33rd floor of the hotel.
To begin, I had a tasty glass of wine and the oysters. For those who know my palate, the jalapeño is not generally on it, but the seeds had been removed leaving only the flavor. Both were exquisite and the hostess assured me that the wine was an excellent pairing with the main course.
This was followed by the main course. FYI: if it is a foggy night, Christmas Eve Mass will be cancelled, because I ate Rudolph.
I have had some very tender meat in time, but this was ridiculous. When in Norway, do yourself a solid and have a little reindeer.
The side dish was a scalloped potato and amazing. Had I been in the restaurant alone, I would have picked up all the plates and licked them clean, which reminds me…
John visited his 90-year-old grandpa who lived way out in the country. On the first morning of the visit, John’s grandpa prepared a breakfast of bacon and eggs. John noticed a film-like substance on his plate, and asked, “Are these plates clean?”
His grandpa replied, “They’re as clean as cold water can get them. Just go ahead and finish your meal.”
For lunch, Grandpa made hamburgers. Again, John was concerned about the plates, as his appeared to have specks of dried egg on it. “Are you sure these plates are clean?” he asked.
Without looking up, Grandpa said, “I told you before, those dishes are as clean as cold water can get them!”
Later, as John was leaving, his grandpa’s dog started to growl and wouldn’t let him pass.
John said, “Grandpa, your dog won’t let me get by!”
Grandpa yelled to the dog, “Cold Water, go lie down!”
After Cold Water got the dishes cleaned, I made my way to desert.
Yeah, beneath the rabbit food is a dark and white chocolate bar. Yummy.
I finished the meal up with an Oban 14 (neat).
I’m not spoiled. I’m glad this was in Kronor because, otherwise, I would be sending out one of those text messages about being broke in a foreign country and needing some financial assistance!
As for the rest of the day… I spent it resting the foot (8 miles yesterday), which is doing really well. Only a little ache today. I also did some reading, writing, and napping. If you can spend a Tuesday doing the same, I highly recommend it! Tomorrow, I’m off to see naked people. Apparently, there are 212 of them. Keep you posted.
I know that I talk about this topic a lot, but it is a problem that I hope to solve. From my early morning thoughts…
If you hate someone, then you do not care what you do to them and you don’t care about what happens to them. If something good happens, you sneer about it and if something bad happens to them, then you say they are getting what they deserve. The same thing it’s true about hating and loving yourself. If you hate yourself, you don’t care what you do to yourself and all the bad that can happen you deserve. If you love yourself–and not in a conceited, self-absorbed way, but in a Godly way–then you will care about who you are, how you treat yourself, and are thankful in knowing when good things come your way.
I figure if you’ve read this far, you deserve more than a restaurant review.
St. Olav Domkirke
I was very disappointed when I arrived, because I couldn’t find a door that was open. Then I followed some people around who knew the way and found a backdoor where you were allowed entry.
The Roman Catholic community is very small in this primarily protestant country.
There was even a relic of Saint Olav.
Today, I attended Mass at the Oslo Domkirke (Cathedral), built between 1694-97, restored in 2010. As you approach from the front, you encounter the massive bronze doors depicting the Beatitudes. Across the top reads “Salice er,” “Blessed are….” Just to the right of the doors is “The Devil of Oslo,” a sculpture showing a man being consumed by evil, represented by a lion and a dragon. It was created in the 12th century and found in the ruins of St. Hallvard’s Cathedra.
Entering the sanctuary, I was bit surprised. I had anticipated it would be much more austere, and although not as ornate as many of the churches I’ve seen, it was still quite ornate and beautiful.
The service was in Norwegian, so I again did not understand a word of it; even so, it was very edifying, and I found myself feeling immensely blessed as I left. I took a minute to visit with the Pastor who was delighted to learn that I was a priest. He stated that much of their liturgy is based on the Anglican tradition. Even though I did not understand it all, I knew parts and definitely the rhythm. It was a well-ordered service and “polite”—that was the impression for me.
I intentionally arrived an hour early so that I could pray my Rosary. I did not expect there to be a statue of Mary, but…
This was by far the most meaningful of all the Rosaries I’ve prayed on this journey. I was finally able to experience His presence more deeply. Perhaps I’m finally feeling rested and at peace instead of being rushed and pushed.
Outside the cathedral is a memorial to the 77 people who were murdered on July 22, 2011, by a domestic terrorist. The marker reads,
On 22 July 2011, an act of terrorism ended the lives of 77 persons in Norway. In a spontaneous act of solidarity, thousands of people laid down roses in front of Oslo Cathedral. Inspired by this sea of roses, artists Tobbe Malm and Tone Karlsrud initiated a project in which smiths from all over the world, survivors and others affected by the attack were invited to forge roses from iron. Iron Roses is a memorial from the people, for the people.
Iron Roses created by
Tobbe Malm and MDH Arkitekter
2019
The city is quiet today, with the exception of many tourists pulling suitcases to the train station, so I plan to open the windows of my room, read a little and continue writing on the new novel. Did I mention I was working on a new project? It’ll be quite different than what I’ve done before. The first chapter is only three sentences long: “No one claimed responsibility, and the nuclear blast left no evidence. Those who died in the initial blast and from the fallout were the fortunate ones. Those who survived lived and died in great horror.” The working title is Triskelion.
Perhaps I also forgot to mention that I have a new book coming out early fall. It is not a Father Anthony, but maybe you’ll enjoy. I think I’ve got the cover about right…
Farvel for nå.
El Monasterio de Bargota
All that remains of this 12th century monastery are a few cut stones, and I had to walk an extra mile to get to it, but… it was as though I were surrounded by these monks from 900 years ago and we were praying as one. A beautiful place.
And the stained glass windows were lovely
Iglesia del Crucifijo de Puente la Reina
From the sign in front: The primitive temple of Santiago was Romanesque, exactly from the 12th century.
Church of San Ignacio Chapel of Perpetual Adoration. The Blessed Sacrament was on the altar, and so had a time of adoration as well. 
Basílica de la Trinidad de Arte. I actually stopped about an hour before I arrived at my final location. This church was built in the 12th century, although it has been renovated extensively since then. It’s quite small but beautiful. It was also about 20° cooler in there than it was outside.
The picture is not mine, but there is a bridge that crosses the river right there at the church.
The backyard. I did find the church, but it was closed. There was really nowhere nearby to pray, so I came back to my room and sat in the backyard. There’s worse things that could happen.
Candle in a Cave 