Dear Reader!
The rich, famous and beautiful flocked in Oslo, when Kristine and Kai gave their wedding vows. In front of the leading figures of European society, they were united for life in a moving ceremony.
This Issue of "HELLO!" brings you all you the romantic pictures and gossipy stories around the memorable event.
The sun shone onto Oslo the whole weekend. On Friday evening, a happy wedding party entered the proud sailing vessel "Christiana", moored in front of the twin-towered red brickstone town hall with its subtle flowing architecture. Some minor figures (e.g. the best man, Isi) were still missing due to being overly complicated in their travel arrangements by using air-lines instead of private jets. During the cruise down the Oslo fjord, great quantities of beer, bread and fresh prawns were consumed. The boat went half the way to Danemark in order to pick up Phillip Drees and wife who had gotten to this remote location due to an misunderstanding with the taxi-driver at Oslo airport. In consequence to the resulting fare, the taxi-driver has since bought himself a substantial property on Mallorca and Phillip is working there for him as a gardener. Despite flat seas, the ship seemed to behave more and more badly with the evening progressing and cases of motion sickness were witnessed. (The motion being that of raising your glass too often.)
Saturday, the great day- sun, 35 degress in the shade. Groups of the wedding party were seen walking through the city in their evening dresses during lunch time. The rest of the city was in a state of semi-nakedness due to the heat. Busses arrived, (very sensibly unequipped with air-conditioning, the main cause for flew in Europe) to bring the guests to the church. Everybody gathered in anticipation in front of the church, trying to find out which wedding party they belonged to. The wedding ceremony followed and everybody did everything right by the looks of it (only the Norwegians would know otherwise). One part of the audience listened politely with blank looks during all that was said in Norwegian, the other during what was said in German. But, alas! there was no escape and our couple left the church as husband and wife. Hurray!
The following hours are somehow blurred in the memory of the author. All he can remember is a heat-dazed vision of sand dunes, camels and Beduins, interrupted by low moans for "water!" and strange references to cross country skiing, the King of Norway and where Christina went to the Kindergarten. The next thing he does remember is the frightened look of the waitress holding a jug of water, when 150 wild-eyed men and women scrambled out of the bus in order to reach her first. In restrospect it is wondered if this whole episode was meant to serve as a metaphor on marriage for Kai? However, the wedding party found themselves within the boundaries of a very interesting open-air museum which illustrated nicely the advantages of being born into present rather than past times. It followed a lengthy stretch of great food, drink and merriment, ah, and the odd speech too. (14?) After midnight, when nothing was left to be said, everybody resorted to dancing to the live Dixiland Band. The later hours saw the attempeted change of career for Nick Steengracht, performing a cross-over between Spanish Canto, Brit-Pop dance music and something that has not been invented yet but generally reminded us of the sounds emitted by a dog when stepped on its tail.
Sunday: Brunch at Ringvolds. Yes, sun again. The agriculturally minded of the guests failed to behave and pass the ladder invitingly positioned next to the cherry tree at the garden's entrance. Only later we wondered if this was actually Ringvold's tree. Food and drink was generously spread over the whole garden and house and everybody enjoyed it greatly. There were no speeches, which caused great confusion with the Non-Norwegian visitors which had only just adjusted.
No- in all seriousness (which is extremely hard for me): we all had a wonderful time in Oslo- a big big Thank You! to the Ringvold family and everyone else involved in the proceedings. All the best to you for the future (which is just taking shape, hint-hint), Kristine and Kai!
It was an event as remarkable as the occasion and we all went home to were we had come from- enriched in our hearts and impoverished in our wallets.
Should you want to contribute any pictures or stories from this great moment in history, please mail them to the editor, christian@holms.de and he will add them to these pages.
