Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category
Monday, July 7th, 2008
583The rain continued today so where better place to go than an aquarium? This one is down on the east side of Oslofjord at Drøbak and contains examples of many of its residents (the fjord that is, not Drøbak). It’s not all that large but it kept Emma amused for a while even if only climbing up and down the ramps and stairs! The building also lays claim to being the world’s only lutefisk (dried cod tenderized in lye) museum which mercifully seemed to be largely tongue-in-cheek. It wasn’t really the weather for heading out to Oscarsborg festning which guards the narrows of the fjord. Instead, we settling for a short walk around the town (undoubtedly more picturesque on a sunny day) including an obligatory stop at the Christmas tack shop (otherwise known as Julehuset) and a very nice lunch at the bakery.
Posted in Travel | 5 Comments »
Saturday, July 5th, 2008
580We headed east to Rømskog this morning for Christine to run in the Unionsmarathon. After watching her start, Emma and I played in the sunshine on the grassy start/finish area, watched the kids run their races in some smart looking numbered vests, and then drove off after the marathon runners. We managed to see Christine a couple of times before reaching the Swedish border across which the hire car wasn’t allowed to go. Emma and I therefore stopped for lunch and then had a wander around the lake shore (only disturbing the one "optionally clothed" local!) before heading back to the finish. Christine finished in a good (given the terrain/climb) time of 4.5 hours and as second lady. It sounds like it was a bit of a struggle to get round but she seems to be recovering well afterwards. Just a shame she didn’t finish 10 minutes earlier so that we didn’t have to watch from the car whilst sheltering from the thunder and lightening!
Posted in Running, Travel | 2 Comments »
Friday, July 4th, 2008
577A quiet week on this blog generally means a busy week in real life and that was certainly the case over the past seven days. My brother was over visiting last weekend. We left him to do most of the tourist attractions on his own (indeed, he did a few that we haven’t yet) but we joined him for a couple of trips out as Christine has already reported.
(more…)
Posted in Travel, Work | Comments Off on Busy week
Friday, June 27th, 2008
571With many Norwegians about to disappear on vacation for the next month it was time for Sommerfest at work. This involved a boat trip out on the fjord with a shrimp dinner. We stopped off on one of the islands for a few teams games. I think it’s fair to say that I did my part in ensuring that our team didn’t even make it in to the top half of the leader board! As we were heading back for shore there was a rumble of thunder overhead and the skies opened for what became a torrential downpour. Thankfully there was room for all undercover on the boat and as we pulled alongside the jetty the rain eased.
Posted in Travel, Work | Comments Off on Fun on the fjord
Monday, June 23rd, 2008
568We were taking Emma out for a post-dinner trip down to see the ducks at Holmendamen when we realised that we’d had a flyer about the Lions Club putting on an event there this evening for Sankthansaften (St. Hans Eve or Midsummer’s Eve to you and I). It was just getting started when we arrived but there was already a good crowd of families and children for the horse rides, fishing for presents (involves a rod with a large bulldog clip and some men hidden behind a screen with boxes of toys), raffles, and of course the ice cream, waffles and pølser compulsory at any Norwegian gathering. We didn’t stay to see the lighting of the bonfire as Emma was overdue some sleep.
Posted in Travel | 1 Comment »
Friday, June 20th, 2008
556It was a pleasant change when the trip I had anticipated to Stavanger this week was changed to Trondheim. I only had one night there and didn’t make it out the office until after eight but with almost round-the-clock sunlight there was no excuse not to have a nose around the city.
(more…)
Posted in Travel | Comments Off on Trondheim Toursim
Monday, May 26th, 2008
535Christine’s parents arrived at the end of the last week and this weekend we all decamped to a hytte that we hired on the coast not far from Fredrikstad. The accommodation was basic (no running water and a compost toilet) but still very comfortable. From what we could understand from the (Danish) owner in his broken English, it is probably hired out for less than a month each year and is used by himself for the rest of the time.
(more…)
Posted in Family, Travel | Comments Off on Cabin fever
Monday, May 19th, 2008
It was a shame to have to get up early this morning to catch a flight to Stavanger as it must be the first night in a week where we haven’t been woken by a passing russebusser. For the uninitiated, the russ are the Norwegian students about to leave school who for the three weeks or so leading up to National Day are given free reign to rampage across the city. Some of there are activities are benign (for example, the younger kids enjoy collecting the imaginative "calling cards" that the russ hand out) but, fuelled by their first real exposure to large amounts of alcohol, other aspects are less pleasant.
(more…)
Posted in Travel | Comments Off on Farewell russebusser
RSS - Posts