Oslo Norway - Oct 30-Nov 5

When we first planned this trip we were going to stay in Germany this week. Then My Heritage announced they were having a Genealogy Conference in Oslo this coming weekend. We changed our plans and the following is the result. Special warning for Roger: Much use of the “G” word and attendant photos will be found in this post. Caution as to reading on your part advised as high levels of exposure may result in your wanting to pursue the “G” hobby.

Linda is about to forget her favorite Riesling. Not only does she write out the note, she also takes a photo of it.

Easy to tell were not to stand at the Bingen Stadt train station. Or put another way, easy to tell where the pigeons perch.

Traveling by train is so easy in Germany, the trip from Bingen to Frankfurt Airport was only 8.50 euros and the station is right at the airport. Up the escalator, a short walk and you are in the departure hall.

Scene from the train. An art photo.

Why we like going through Frankfurt when we travel. What a difference from DFW.

Coming in for our landing at Oslo, Linda was a happy girl. Snow and a red barn, two of her Norway pleasures.

You can’t control the weather, but you can control your attitude towards it.

Not a motel 6, that’s for sure. We are staying at the same hotel the conference is being held at, just 18 floors above the conference center.

With the rain we only went a short distance from the hotel. How can you go wrong at a place called Den Glade Gris ("The Happy Pig").

How was our meal? The smile says it all. And the rain stopped while we were inside.

How to make a fish hook from a bone, ca. 8000 – 7000 B.C.

I look at the beautiful case. She looks for the mummy innards.

The moment she realized she was standing in a vault surrounded by gold coins.

Linda photo, of course.

The way to top off a museum day.

Sign in our hotel elevator. We are loving the food here in Norway.

Linda’s idea of the tonic needed to top off a museum day. Bad Bob.

Smoked salmon, pickled herring and pate. My idea of the perfect breakfast.

The Fram.

Roberta Estes and Thomas McEntee. It’s always great to meet your heroes. They are two of the best in the area of genealogy.

Even heroes have heroes. Roberta taking a photo of Gilad Japhet, founder and CEO of My Heritage. Or could it be she was taking a photo of me and just happened to be in the photo. Big Headed Bob.

We found ourselves together quite often. I began to get the idea that I know a lot more about DNA than I think I do. Roberta is one of the foremost DNA experts there is.

What an awesome speaker. A genealogist who runs a genealogy company. By contrast, the COE of Ancestry was the former COE of Mattel, Inc. and Ancestry is owned by a hedge fund.

The slide says it all.

the next big thing in genealogy, and all because Gilad received a suitcase full of things from his grandfather and he wondered why extracting DNA from things like them isn’t commonplace. Genealogy tools for genealogists by a genealogist.

Lunch was provided.

Diahan Southard. Her presentations were beyond awesome.

Party time on Saturday evening. My Heritage knows how to do a conference, that’s for sure.

The discount we got for extending our My Heritage subscription more than paid of what the charge us to attend the conference.

There is an entire summer Retama Genealogy Get Together meeting in this one slide. Actually, maybe several.

You never know who is going to sit next to you.