Hove, Norway
(pronounced: Hoe-Va)
Entry Date: 6/23/08

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We finally arrived in Norway. Oslo has quite the airport, looking more like the centerfold of Dwell magazine with it’s tall wooden ceilings and Danish modern chairs. The drive to Hove is very green, the air cold and clean, and there are birds and deer everywhere. There is a caution sign for moose , but we have yet to see one. One farmer had a fake Hawk scarecrow kite on a long wire to keep the rodents away.

Our house is a brand new 2 story cabin over looking the sea. There are small islands and pine trees out the kitchen window. Our host, Tomeric, is 39 years old and has four kids. His wife took three of the kids on a vacation. He is staying in his cabin while we are living in his house, which is very plush.

The first night we arrived we were starving and there are no markets or restaurants anywhere. We ordered two pizzas to be delivered. It cost us $105 dollars. Things cost a lot over here in Norway. A gallon of gas is $11. It is crazy with the dollar as weak as it is.

Tonight we played the Hove festival. Our set felt pretty good and we got to check out Vampire Weekend who took the stage right after us. Afterwards we hung out in the artist’s lounge and drank some beers with the members of Panic in the Disco. They are nice guys from Las Vegas but are thinking of relocating to Topanga Canyon, California where I grew up.

Dengue Fever - Lost in Laos (Hove Set)

In the morning Tomeric took us on a boat ride into town. His boat is from 1946 and is 22′ long. The saltwater was clear with schools of jellyfish all over the place.

We tied up the boat and visited the town center. While walking around we bumped into Beck and his wife and kids Cosmo and Tuesday. Tuesday was barely one years old and taking three steps into her mom’s arms. Beck was grabbing dinner before his set at the festival. Later that night, it stays light here until midnight, we recorded vocal tracks for our version of "I Feel Love" in our cabin.

We awoke in the afternoon and took a hike through the forest with the dogs. We reached a lake with blooming lotus flowers. If you stood still for too long though the large mosquitoes would attempt to pierce your skin.

After the hike we jumped on some mountain bikes and rode through the hills with Tomeric. It has been a great first leg of our European tour. At 4 am we are being picked up and flying to Prague. From there we will fly to England and play Glastonbury.

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www.denguefevermusic.com