Stavanger...
Trip Start
Mar 10, 2000
1
Trip End
Mar 14, 2000
Stavanger, Norway
Monday, March 13, 2000
I managed to spend a good 18 months over in Stavanger, working with Centrilift (part of Baker Hughes). It was a great experience, although I was pretty green when I went out there, and things really were up the creek without a paddle in pretty much every sense of the phrase.
I worked out there with Eddie Moore, Robert Brown, Monika Paulsen and Bjorg Larsen, all part of the Norwegian country team. Together we managed to turn business in the country around and along the way maanged to drink a fair amount of beer too!
Nights out in Stavanger generally started in wither the 'Irishman' or the Skagen Brygge where we were well known and accepted as locals (having bar tabs set up for us was pretty unusual to be honest!) - managing to survive a night without formaldehyde poisioning from the Norwegian beers (Tau & Rignes) and having enought money to get home via the 'super-kebab' shop were all pretty much a miracle!
I got myself playing with the local rugby team, although it seemed to be just a front for cheap beer rather than sport (clubs get tax breaks on beer and spirits!) although we did get some good games against Oslo, Bergen and visiting navy ship crews...
Having had such a great time out there, I was sure to go back every now and again to see the old haunts and catch up with as many of the lads as I could (the bar staff always seemed happy to see me back for some reason... Hmmm...)
While I was working out there my Dad had several trips out on business and we'd find ourselves enjoying a night in either the 'Newsman' pub or the 'Irishman' listening to live bands and watching sport on the tv's.
It's a great place to visit and to stay, even if it is a bit expensive to enjoy the city nightspots. The photo's on this blog are from a trip Dad and I had out there in early 2000. We both survived without major injury or incident - honest!
