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It’s Winter! Escape to...Norway?
While some people are escaping the winter cold by heading south, why not try something
new and exciting this year? How about taking a cruise along Norway’s northern reaches,
where you’ll have the opportunity to dog-sled, get up close and personal with some
reindeer and take an excursion to the “Edge of the World.” Perhaps the chance to
see killer whales in action or spending the night snuggled up warmly in the Alta
Igloo Hotel, made entirely of ice, is your idea of a great vacation.
Whatever your idea of the perfect vacation, Hurtigruten- Norwegian Coastal Voyage, has several themed tours that are sure to fit the bill. If you missed out on taking a vacation this summer, do not worry; there are still voyages scheduled to set sail this year in November, December as well as January 2008. These cruises are designed for the traveler who wants to experience Norway’s unique culture and breathtaking environment. Brekke Tours can assist you with creating a vacation that you won’t soon forget, wherever your destination! 
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What’s new on the Website
You may have noticed some recent changes to our website. If you haven’t visited
our website lately, we invite you to go to
www.brekketours.com and explore our site! We’ve added two new sections
to our Brekke Store—“Nostalgic Norway” and the “Scandinavian Shop.”
If you are looking for something to brighten up a blank wall, look no further than “Nostalgic Norway.” Select from a variety of unique pictures. Bring a bit of Norway to your home or office! If your dilemma is trying to find something for the person who is hard to buy for, consider purchasing a gift from the “Scandinavian Shop.” Brekke Tours has teamed up with Amazon. com to bring you a wide variety of Scandinavian items— everything from books and music to model Viking Ships! 
Fun Fact:Did you know that the world’s most northerly town is in Norway?Hammerfest has 24 hours of daylight from the end of April to the middle of August. Travel Tales: Red River High School
After two years of dreaming and one year of planning, the Red River High School
music trip to Norway became a reality. We had been extended an invitation from our
sister city of Sarpsborg to come and be a part of their Syttende Mai celebrations.
On Syttende Mai we joined our host band, the Sarpsborg Jente og Gutte Korps for a busy day of marching and playing. The highlight for the band was the barnetog or children’s parade in the morning. Thousands of people lined the parade route and cheered loudly as we marched by. Everyone was in their national dress or finest suit. Norwegian flags were everywhere and all of our students had big smiles on their faces. After the barnetog the band played to a crowd of thousands in Kulas Park. The drumline also played for a very appreciative audience. A highlight for the choir students was performing at a church service with a Sarpsborg choir. The church was a beautiful and historic building and the choirs really felt a connection with each other and the congregation. Smiles and tears abounded throughout the service. The day was full of color and pagaentry and provided memories that will be with all of us for a lifetime. Wonderful people and stunning scenery left the students discussing how they were going to return to Norway some day. Moving 125 students, chaperones and dignitaries along with their luggage, their instruments and their uniforms across the ocean for an 8-day journey of mountains and waterfalls and frokoster was no small feat. The folks at Brekke Tours handled every detail large and small in a timely and professional manner. Written by Bruce Morlock of Red River High School Arne turns 80!
Arne Brekke, founder of Brekke Tours, was born in Flåm in Sogn, Norway on October
19, 1927. Arne recently celebrated his 80th birthday in Wisconsin with his children
and grandchildren around him. He has come a long way in miles and experiences.
He grew up in a small community along the beautiful Aurland Fjord, where he learned English at an early age. He picked up some German during the German occupation of Norway. Arne served in the Royal Norwegian Air Force from 1947-48 and came to the US to study in 1949. After attending several universities, including the University of Chicago where he earned his Ph.D., he began teaching at the University of North Dakota, where he taught Germanic Languages until his retirement in 1987. Arne’s career in the travel business began in 1956 when he guided tours of Europe to earn money for graduate school. Thus Brekke Tours was born and has since evolved into a thriving tour business. Arne remains very active in the business and in the lives of his children and grandchildren. He has a passion for what he does that reflects in those around him. From Norway to North Dakota
Brekke Tours was recently the lucky host of a tour group visiting from Norway. The
tour started in Iowa where the group visited the Vesterheim Museum.
Afterward, they traveled to Wisconsin for a dinner cruise on the mighty Mississippi. From there it was on to Minnesota for a sightseeing tour of Duluth. The North Dakota visit included dinner at the Sons of Norway lodge in Grand Forks, an excursion to rural America, the Høstfest in Minot and a visit to Bismarck and Fargo. Before departing from Minneapolis, the group spent some time shopping at the Mall of America. We trust our friends had a wonderful visit and hope to see them again soon! Traveling with a Purpose
Combining love of travel, children, and helping others, Brekke Tours staff member
Molly Wiesen is planning her fifth trip in February 2008 to the South American country
of Ecuador, where she joins surgeons and other health care professionals to treat
children in the city of Ambato, Ecuador. She works with the group called Medical
Mission Ecuador (MME), which coordinates the volunteer efforts of doctors, nurses,
anesthetists, therapists, and others in providing surgeries to children with conditions
such as cerebral palsy, cleft palates, burn scars, etc. Eighty to ninety volunteers
travel to Ecuador for one week in February each year to help children (and some
adults) who could not otherwise afford the cost of specialized medical treatment.
Wiesen is semi-retired from her lifelong profession of physical therapy and has found the Republic of Ecuador to be a fascinating land of seashore, jungle, mountaintops, and friendly people. For adventurous travelers, the Galapagos Islands, off the shore of Ecuador, provide the unique animal and bird environment studied by Charles Darwin. As its name would indicate, Ecuador sits on the equator, on the Pacific Ocean, with Colombia to the north and Peru to the south. Quito is the country’s capital. Wiesen has worked with the local rehabilitation center to gather used foot and leg splints that are needed after a child has orthopedic (bone and muscle) surgery. Donations from private individuals have supported purchase of walkers, medications, and splinting (brace) materials that are provided to children who have cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities. Wiesen has worked with the local rehabilitation center to gather used foot and leg splints that are needed after a child has orthopedic (bone and muscle) surgery. Donations from private individuals have supported purchase of walkers, medications, and splinting (brace) materials that are provided to children who have cerebral palsy and oth developmental disabilities. During her trip in 2007, Wiesen also volunteered her time to a private-run orphanage in the town of Shell, Ecuador, which sits on the edge of the Amazon Jungle. Thirty-plus children in the age range of 0 to 9 years are cared for in a multi-room rented building. Some of them attend school locally during the day. Several of the children have some type of physical disability in addition to either being orphaned, abandoned, or given up by their parents. The sweet faces and big brown eyes rarely reveal the full story of the tough times in their short lives. A dream of the orphanage founder is in the initial stage of fulfillment with the ground breaking of a plot of land outside Shell that will eventually house a complex of small homes having 4-6 children in each. Wiesen knows that she is like many other travelers who have been able to visit other parts of the world and see the big disparity in living standards between Americans and people in third world countries. She believes that with that knowledge comes responsibility to share her time, abilities, and assets to improve the lives of others. Each year, she has encouraged people she meets to consider sponsorship of a child through a reliable benevolent organization. She is personally committed to sharing the needs of the Shell orphanage “Case de Fe” (meaning House of Faith in Spanish) with others who might be interested in donations through their umbrella organization, Cornerstone International (www.cornerstoneinternational.org). Children and their stories can be accessed at www.lacasadefe.org or www.lacasadefe.blogspot.com. She also invites others to help in sponsoring the costs of equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, and crutches for children that she will see during the 2008 Medical Mission Ecuador. For more information on the above, please contact Molly through her email molly@brekketours.com or by calling 1-800-437-5302. Let’s Speak Norwegian...Ever wonder how to say a few helpful phrases in Norwegian? Well wonder no more! Here’s a brief list to help you in your travels abroad:
Send us your Travel Tales
We at Brekke Tours would like to hear from you! If you have been on one of our tours
or if we have assisted you in your travel plans, please write to us and tell your
tale. Whether its highlights, funny moments, or stories of reconnecting with your
family’s roots we’d like to share your experiences with others.
If your story is used in a newsletter, we’ll send you a complimentary set of Brekke coasters. These coasters are not only functional, but they also contain lovely pictures of our home state, North Dakota! To submit your story, please email us at tours@brekketours.com or mail us a letter at: Brekke Tours & Travel 802 North 43rd Street Grand Forks, ND 58203 We look forward to hearing from you and reading about your adventures in Scandinavia! Coming Soon - 2008 Tours 2007 is winding down and soon 2008 will be
upon us! Now is the time to start planning your vacation for next year! Let the
experts at Brekke Tours help you in selecting travel arrangements to suit your needs.
GENERAL INTEREST TOURS Experience breathtaking sights of natural beauty, learn about the people and their customs as well as the historical and cultural aspects of Scandinavia! NORWEGIAN HERITAGE TOURS Explore your Norwegian roots with the help of our genealogical experts! CUSTOMIZED GROUP TOURS Let us design a tour to suit the needs of your family, group or organization! THEME TOURS Exciting itineraries offering an indepth study and an array of activities and lectures on special interest topics. INDEPENDENT TRAVEL If you prefer to travel independently, Brekke Tours can create a customized itinerary specifically for you! Brekke Tours...giving you Scandinavia and the world! In addition to providing independent travelers to Scandinavia with numerous travel options, Brekke Tours also offers a variety of escorted tour packages. Brekke Tours is currently serving as a tour operator and destination specialist to Scandinavia. After designing our own itineraries, we package and market our product on a national basis. The diverse tour itineraries encompassing Norway include visits to areas which are not always presented in other tour programs. Brekke Tours also specializes in heritage tours and through our extensive Nordic heritage network, we have developed a unique ability to locate ancestral farms and present family in Norway. Based on the company's close ties to Norway, we are pleased to combine our love of travel, our enthusiasm for Scandinavia and the Midwest, with our work. We truly enjoy sharing the information, experience and wisdom we have gathered through the years as a tour operator. We would be happy to assist with travel arrangements here at home in the Midwest or to our favorite corner of the world - Scandinavia. |
| © 2007 Brekke Tours and Travel | Phone: 1 (800) 437-5302 |