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During the past week, I had
the opportunity to visit with Suzan Erens and see/hear
her sing at the Kulturverkstedet on Sjogata Street in
the historic section of Mosjoen, Norway. This was
advertised as a "Luncheon with Opera" or perhaps an
"opera with your coffee". Anyway, I decided that it
was time to see Suzan and learn about her new home.....
So where exactly is Mosjoen, Norway and how do you get
there ??
For me, the easiest solution is to plug
some numbers/data into my Garmin GPS planning page and
look at a "proceed direct" solution. From Dallas, USA
to Mosjoen, Norway, the shortest route would be a route
over Canada, Greenland, thru the Arctic Circle, north of
Iceland, across the Norwegian Sea and arrive at Mosjoen. Distance covered would be 4082 nautical miles or 7560
kilometers. And yes, Suzan is closer to us (USA) now
compared to when she lived in the Sittard. |
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The next discovery regarding Mosjoen is the small
regional airport that is just 5 kilometers south of the
city and is near the Vefsna River.
The Mosjoen (MJF) Airport is served by SAS-Wilderoe
with the Dehavilland DHC-8 twin turboprop airplane which
carries about 40 passengers. The airport has high
terrain on all sides, so the steep approach required is
similar to the approach flown into Aspen or Vail,
Colorado.
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Similarly, the departures flown
from MJF require a terrain avoidance
route around the Oyfjellet Mountain which stands at 2670
feet elevation, just west of the town.
On this
beautiful day in Mosjoen, I photographed a Wilderoe
airplane departing MJF and flying past the snow-capped
Oyfjellet Mountain. |
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But
driving from the Mosjoen Airport, I stopped on
the road near the departure end of Runway 34 and
took a photo of the Vefsna River with town
visible in the background. The picturesque
setting reminded me of some small Colorado
mountain towns and beyond Mosjoen, part of the
"Sju Sostre" (Seven Sisters) snowy peaks were
visible. |
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Once in Mosjoen, it was very easy to find my way around
the city of 10,000 inhabitants in the midst of the
Vefsnfjord. I found the Helgeland Bank building and
the bell-shaped weather camera on the third story of the
bank building. From the weather camera perch, it is
possible to monitor the adjacent pedestrian mall via the
web-cam.
Looking past the bank in the photo below you
may note the historic wooden structures (Sjogata Street)
and the imposing snow-capped Oyfjellet Mountain
beyond. From here, the Kulturverkstedet was just
around the corner where Suzan was singing ! |
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About this same time, I also
became aware of the Norwegian trains that pass
thru Mosjoen enroute to points south. As an alternative in
very poor weather, it is possible to ride the train from Mosjoen directly to the Trondheim (TRD) Airport or to
the Oslo (OSL) Airport. From either of these two
airports, you may catch jet flights to other parts of
Europe or North America. |
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Walking down Sjogata Street, I found my way into the
Kulturverkstedet or Cultural Workshop. Once inside, I
located a program "Operalugsj med Suzan Erens" and
began reviewing the highlights. As I was early, I
could hear Suzan still rehearsing and running checks,
etc. in the next room.
I decided to go into the
auditorium part and take a seat quietly while she was
still busy with the Vefsn Ensemble group. But she saw
me, waved and came over to give me a hug. Then, she
bounced back to the stage to finish last minute items.
I was glad that I came early because the place began to
fill-up. It wasn't long before the Overture and Suzan
began to sing the first selections from "Didos and
Aeneas" by English Composer Henry Purcell. |
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Working with the Vefsn Ensemble and Franziska Wika on
piano, Suzan sang selections from "Dido and Aeneas" including "Ah, Belinda" and "Dido's Lament". |
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Next, Suzan sang "Voi Che Sapete" from "The Marriage of
Figaro" by Mozart. |
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After an instrumental number,
Suzan came back on stage and sang "Memory" from
Andrew Lloyd Webber. |
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To complete the Lunch Menu, Suzan sang one of her
favorites "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". |
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At the conclusion, the Vefsn Ensemble
posed with Suzan for a group photo.
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Following the Opera-Luncheon, Suzan and I
had coffee while talking about this small community on
the Norwegian Coast. She likes her new home in an area
that reminds one of small towns in the Colorado Rocky
Mountains but with the added advantage of the ocean
nearby.
Who knows where this will lead but for now,
she is happy and healthy in her Norwegian retreat with
an outlet for her singing. Life doesn't get any
better. |
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It was really
great to see and hear her again ... LIVE. Can't wait
for the next time, wherever and whenever that may
be..... |
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One of the nice things that
Suzan enjoys in Mosjoen is taking her
dog, Bobbie, with her everywhere.
Bobbie patiently
waits for Suzan and is a very friendly dog with
everyone ..... But when he hears that distinctive Voice
speaking Dutch, Bobbie runs straight to Suzan. |
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