Flying visit to Norway
A good sunny visit to Oslo over last weekend to catch up with friends and their friends.
Branded popcorn anyone?
On Saturday morning, at the behest of the Bergen visitor, we went to an event at the Harley-D showroom in Oslo. A band played loudly on a truckbed while bikers milled around eating waffles, drinking soda or perhaps having a hotdog. I noticed less eye candy than I might have a few years ago. However, I found a couch upstairs which was comfy, quieter and the view better. The sun came out :)
https://foursquare.com/v/kulturpuben/4f4535f4e4b0b5bea53a1db6
Later in the afternoon we went to the Kultur pub in Lillestrøm to see another blues band called the Booze Brothers. Fine voice for Blues and an interesting brand (Somerby) of 'marketed' cider, called 'Press'. Not sure where it came from but it looked similar to Stowford Press.
Nearby these window troughs that I admire in Oslo, provide privacy and greenery at your finger tips, while reminding me of where G used to live in the hills
On Sunday lunchtime:
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/emanuel-vigeland-museum
Visited here again, 21 years later! Time flies. Sadly it is degrading in the Norwegian climate. Last time we had taken the light rail option to get there and then walked up the last bit through the posh streets. This time, with the 4 of us, we drove and parked right outside just after opening at noon.
From there we did a quick drive up to the replaced ski jump with the view over the Oslo fjord. Very nice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmenkollbakken
I like the curves of the new jump with its wind breaking side metal grills. During the summer they provide a good tourist activity with a flying fox/zip wire going down over the jump from the launch platform which you get to by going up the inclined lift. It was hard to photograph these jumpers as they were going so fast. There is also a simulator, I guess for ski jumping or similar snow sports.
http://mathallenoslo.no/en/peek-inside/
Now it was lunchtime so we went to the rejuvenated Mathallen/Vulkan area of Oslo where we could sit and eat outside in the sunshine. An old mill has been converted into an up market deli style covered market. Nice food and local cider. I had one with some hops in it, while G had a religious stout.
0% Alcohol, 100% God !
After sushi and cider, I went off for a little (Ingressing and photography) figure of 8 walk along the river. I was keen to check this out because the guys had been here a few years ago when it was in spate and there were loads of building works. It turns out they were building a fish ladder, now complete, but all the planting is not yet finished.
Silo's have been turned into student flats rather stylishly
Flew Norwegian from Gatwick. Was ok apart from being delayed over an hour on return on Sunday evening and making getting across and out of London a little stressful. But thankfully it all went ok and I got to bed at 1.30am. Got some good travelling stories along the way and had a good row of ppl on the plane to chat with thus making the flight seem shorter and putting the nervous flyer next to me, at her ease as best we could.
Recommended she listen to David Gunson's 'What Goes Up Must Come Down' :)
Branded popcorn anyone?
On Saturday morning, at the behest of the Bergen visitor, we went to an event at the Harley-D showroom in Oslo. A band played loudly on a truckbed while bikers milled around eating waffles, drinking soda or perhaps having a hotdog. I noticed less eye candy than I might have a few years ago. However, I found a couch upstairs which was comfy, quieter and the view better. The sun came out :)
https://foursquare.com/v/kulturpuben/4f4535f4e4b0b5bea53a1db6
Later in the afternoon we went to the Kultur pub in Lillestrøm to see another blues band called the Booze Brothers. Fine voice for Blues and an interesting brand (Somerby) of 'marketed' cider, called 'Press'. Not sure where it came from but it looked similar to Stowford Press.
Nearby these window troughs that I admire in Oslo, provide privacy and greenery at your finger tips, while reminding me of where G used to live in the hills
On Sunday lunchtime:
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/emanuel-vigeland-museum
Visited here again, 21 years later! Time flies. Sadly it is degrading in the Norwegian climate. Last time we had taken the light rail option to get there and then walked up the last bit through the posh streets. This time, with the 4 of us, we drove and parked right outside just after opening at noon.
From there we did a quick drive up to the replaced ski jump with the view over the Oslo fjord. Very nice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmenkollbakken
I like the curves of the new jump with its wind breaking side metal grills. During the summer they provide a good tourist activity with a flying fox/zip wire going down over the jump from the launch platform which you get to by going up the inclined lift. It was hard to photograph these jumpers as they were going so fast. There is also a simulator, I guess for ski jumping or similar snow sports.
http://mathallenoslo.no/en/peek-inside/
Now it was lunchtime so we went to the rejuvenated Mathallen/Vulkan area of Oslo where we could sit and eat outside in the sunshine. An old mill has been converted into an up market deli style covered market. Nice food and local cider. I had one with some hops in it, while G had a religious stout.
0% Alcohol, 100% God !
After sushi and cider, I went off for a little (Ingressing and photography) figure of 8 walk along the river. I was keen to check this out because the guys had been here a few years ago when it was in spate and there were loads of building works. It turns out they were building a fish ladder, now complete, but all the planting is not yet finished.
Silo's have been turned into student flats rather stylishly
Flew Norwegian from Gatwick. Was ok apart from being delayed over an hour on return on Sunday evening and making getting across and out of London a little stressful. But thankfully it all went ok and I got to bed at 1.30am. Got some good travelling stories along the way and had a good row of ppl on the plane to chat with thus making the flight seem shorter and putting the nervous flyer next to me, at her ease as best we could.
Recommended she listen to David Gunson's 'What Goes Up Must Come Down' :)