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Capture the “Spirit of Norway”May 15—24, 2008
The 2008 touring season is about to begin here at Brekke Tours and we can’t think
of a more exciting way to kick off the new season than with our “Spirit of Norway”
escorted tour.
Your journey begins when you depart the U.S. on May 15, 2008 and arrive to Oslo, where you’ll get the opportunity to attend the Children’s Parade which celebrates Norway’s Constitution Day—May 17. The Children’s Parade in Oslo includes 60,000 children from nearly 100 schools and is the longest in the country. Catch a glimpse of the royal family as they greet the parade from the balcony of the Royal Palace. Spend the next morning in Oslo visiting the Vigeland Sculpture Park and the Viking Ship Musuem before heading to Sarpsborg, where you’ll spend the next two nights in the Quality Hotel & Resort Sarpsborg. 
On the following day, you’ll get to tour the Fredriksten Fortress which was built in 1661 as protection against the Swedes. Although the fortress was attacked six times during its history, it was never conquered and has now become a monument to military history. After breakfast in Sarpsborg, you’re off again—this time to Morgedal. Along the way you’ll take a ferry across the Oslo Fjord, visit the largest stave church from the 12th century, and tour the Norwegian Ski Adventure Center. The next day brings you to the heart of Norway’s cherry, apple and pear orchards. You’ll definitely want to bring your camera along as you enjoy the splendor of springtime amidst the colorful and fragrant fruit blossoms. Your adventure continues after spending the night looking out over the Sør Fjord with a ferry ride across the Hardanger Fjord. Then drive the thrilling Stalheim Road where you’ll embark on a cruise along the Nærøy and Aurland Fjords. After you disembark, you’ll board the Flåm Railway, ranked as one of the top 20 train rides in the world. In Myrdal you’ll switch to the famous Oslo/Bergen Railway. Spend your last day in Norway touring the seaside city of Bergen starting with a visit to Troldhaugen, home of Norway composer Edvard Grieg and ending with a walk through Hanseatic Wharf. The afternoon is free to allow you time to explore the city any way you like. Bergen is the last stop on the tour and from here you will depart for home. The farewell dinner is bittersweet as you relive your newly created memories as well as say goodbye to the friends you have made on your “Spirit of Norway” adventure. 
Did you know?For over fifty years the City of Oslo has sent a Christmas tree to the UK which stands in Trafalgar Square in London. The tree commemorates the protection given by Britain to members of Norway's royal family during the Second World War.Christmas Savings at the Brekke Store!
If you are still searching for the perfect gift and are tired of fighting the crowds,
let Brekke Tours help!
The Brekke Store has a wide variety of items related to Scandinavia just waiting to be sent to your home or to the home of a loved one. Our newly expanded store has hundreds of unique gifts that are sure to be cherished for a lifetime. Rare books, Norwegian sweaters and beautiful works of art are just some of the items you can find in the Brekke Store. For those that want to give the gift of a memory that lasts forever, travel gift certificates are also available. For all your Christmas and travel needs, just visit our website at: www.brekketours.com. New Horizons: Ireland: Viking KingdomsSeptember 10—16, 2008 with Norway pre-tour option!
With a lush green countryside, medieval castles, and rocky-faced cliffs overlooking
the ocean, Ireland has been captivating the hearts and minds of all that visit for
centuries. If you have ever wanted to visit the Emerald Isle but had trouble finding
an escorted tour group to trust—look no further than Brekke Tours & Travel.
We offered our first excursion to Ireland in September of this year and we will be offering our clients the chance to visit the historic island from September 10-16, 2008. You will also have the opportunity to experience the best of Norway and Ireland when you combine the Spectacular Norway Tour D (September 2—11) with the Ireland: Viking Kingdoms. Some highlights of this year’s tour package include: a medieval banquet and entertainment in a 15th century Irish castle, a visit to Blarney and Kilkenny Castles and a tour of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Get to know the people and culture of Ireland as you enjoy an evening at Abbey Tavern where you’ll be treated to a traditional Irish dinner and entertainment. Take in the breathtaking scenery of grassy hills, mountains, and open sea as you travel by luxury motorcoach through the three major Viking Kindoms of Viking Chieftain Thorgisl: Dublin, Waterford and Limerick. We invite you to contact us to find out how you can make your dream of visiting Ireland a reality. Christmas Trivia!"Wassail" comes from the Old Norse "ves heill"--to be of good health. This evolved into the tradition of visiting neighbors on Christmas Eve and drinking to their health.Santa Claus in Norway is called “Julenissen” and looks very much like the Santas found elsewhere in the world. However, there exists another character whose name ends with “nisse” in the Norwegian folklore - a peculiar figure named the “Fjøsnisse” (the barn “nisse”). For a long time, when most Norwegians were farmers, this “Nisse” was believed to be a secret helper in the barn. If the family on the farm was nice to him and left him a bowl of porridge every Christmas eve, he would be kind to them and help them the next year. If they didn’t, they could expect accidents, sick animals and mysterious noises. In Sweden, a common Christmas decoration is the Julbock. Made from straw, it is a small figurine of a goat. A variety of straw decorations are a usual feature of Scandinavian Christmas festivities. Coming Soon: Brekke’s 2008 Scandinavia Brochure
If you are eagerly anticipating the arrival of your 2008 Brekke’s Scandinavia Travel
Brochure, your wait is almost over! Our 2008 brochures will be coming to a mailbox
near you just in time for Christmas! For those of you who can’t wait until Christmas
to start planning your Scandinavian adventure, we have good news for you! Our website
has now been updated with our 2008 escorted tour itineraries.
Booking your dream tour has never been easier. In fact, five steps are all it takes to begin the process: 1) Visit our website at www.brekketours.com. 2) Find the tour of your dreams. 3) Download the Tour Application form and the Terms & Conditions. 4) Mail the completed Tour Application form along with your deposit to Brekke Tours. 5) Celebrate because you are now done with the hard stuff! Not only does traveling with Brekke Tours make planning your vacation effortless, we can also make arrangements for you and your family to arrive early or extend your stay if you wish to experience even more of the breathtaking scenery of Scandinavia. What’s in a Name?You may know him as Santa Claus, Kris Kringle, or St. Nicholas, but did you know that he has acquired many names in his travels around the world?
In Norway, Julenissen visits your home.In Sweden, Jultomten comes on the 24th. In China, he is called Shengdan Laoren. In England, Father Christmas gives gifts. In France he goes by Pere Noel. In Morocco he is known as Black Peter. In the Netherlands, he is called Kerstman. In Finland he is Joulupukki. In Dutch, Sinter Klaas rides a white horse. In Russia, Grandfather Frost is his name. Whatever you choose to call him, the jolly old elf has become an icon of Christmas for children all around the world. He serves to remind us each year during the holiday season that giving of ourselves is the true meaning of Christmas. Brekke Tours & Travel wishes you and your family a very Happy Holiday. We hope that you will find Santa Claus and the Christmas spirit in your heart all year round. A very Norwegian Christmas
For many of us, Christmas holds a very special place in our heart. It is a time
of peace, a time of visiting your family, and a time filled with traditions passed
down from generation to generation. Here in the U.S. those traditions could include
decorating the Christmas Tree, opening presents from Santa on Christmas Day, or
driving over the hills and through the woods to grandma’s house.
Norwegians have their own traditions as well and to get an idea of how their traditions differ from ours, we asked Sarah, our resident Norwegian, to tell us what some of her family’s traditions are. “Every Sunday in December a purple candle is lit which represents Advent and it is how we count down time until Christmas Eve. Throughout December general preparation is done, including baking 7 different types of Christmas cookies and cleaning the house from top to bottom. On the 23rd of December the tree is brought in and decorating begins. On the 24th, the day starts out with watching all of your favorite Christmas programs on TV while you help prepare the main meal. In my family we also have a noon lunch where we soak flatbrød (flatbread) in buljong made from cooked meat. After it has soaked, it’s sticky and we eat it warm with droplets of grease, salt, and pepper on it. This meal is called Mølje. Christmas Eve dinner consists of ribbe, potatoes, mustard, brown sauce, julepølse (Christmas hotdog), surkål (similar to sour kraut but sweeter), rødkål (red cabbage), lefse, and medister kake (a type of farse used to make meatballs). Other families might eat pinnekjøtt, which is cuts of salted lamb rib steamed on birch sticks in the oven. After dinner (and a brief rest) we eat dessert and open presents. The desserts are usually the Christmas cookies, riskrem (rice porridge mixed with whipped cream and red fruit sauce) or homemade caramel pudding. After all the excitement and eating on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day is a quiet day spent with family and friends.” No matter where you live or where you came from, your family’s Christmas traditions color the way you celebrate the holidays. The traditions may be different, but the customs of giving to others and sharing time with family during the Holiday Season are the same wherever you travel. However you choose to celebrate this Christmas, Brekke Tours wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Send in Your Travel Tales
The experiences of meeting new cultures in the countries you journey to not only
become wonderful lifelong memories, they also transform into exciting stories to
tell others. Some stories are heartwarming or moving, others can be humorous, but
they are all ways to connect with others and to enrich the lives of those around
you.
Whether your tale is about reconnecting with your family’s roots, having a once in alifetime experience while traveling or just having your car worked on by a local sheep, we invite you to you share your memory with us and our Enewsletter readers. To send your story to Brekke Tours, please email us at: tours@brekketours.com. You can also write to us at: Brekke Tours 802 North 43rd Street Grand Forks, ND 58203 |
| © 2007 Brekke Tours and Travel | Phone: 1 (800) 437-5302 |