Oslo With Paul!

After our fantastic holiday in London, Paul and I flew back to Oslo for our final week together. Our time in Oslo was a skiing, seeing the sights, and of course, chowin' on some good grub!

One Must-See spot for every visitor to Oslo is Vigelandsparken, the famous sculpture park. We headed there on our first full day in town, after finding some sweet scores at a local shop. (Who are we kidding? It was the thrift store. It wouldn’t be a K & P Adventure if we didn’t do a little thrift store shopping, right?)

The following day, we started the “Great Goose Chase of 2010”: trying to rent skis in Oslo. Goose chase, you ask? Shouldn’t it be easy to find a pair of rental cross-country skis in the capital of the nation that INVENTED the sport? Well, that’s what we thought too. Turns out that we were wrong. After hours of sports shops, T-bane rides and dead-ends; we ended up at a tiny one-man hut near the top of one of the hills that surround Oslo. It is the only place in the whole city that rents skis! We asked the man behind the counter why that was, and he was as baffled as we were. He said that it was ‘crazy’ that more places don’t rent, and we agreed. We spent the days before the hut trip warming up on some flat terrain behind the student village where I live. Paul caught on quickly and by the final day of his visit, he smoked me up the six-kilometer climb to Ullevålseter.

 

City Hall, New Year's Eve

For New Year’s Eve, Paul and I headed down to City Hall to watch the fireworks display put on by the city. It turns out that more than just the city puts on fireworks. The plaza in front of City Hall turns into a firecracker war-zone, with inexperienced pyro-technicians (aka whoever wants to buy a firework) setting them off left and right. We managed to avoid stray fireworks and the show overlooking the Oslofjord was pretty incredible. I was glad to ring in 2011 with Paul, and even more glad to have all of my limbs attached at the end of the night.

Earlier in the week, a friend of a friend had described their visit to the Norwegian Musuem of Science and Technology, and it sounded right up our alley. I think what really hooked us was when he said “It is great for kids, but we had fun anyway.” We made a day of it, and were not disappointed. The upper floors had information about the progression of music players through the ages, modes of transportation, computers, Norway’s role in oil extraction in the North Sea, and advancements medicine. On the bottom floor was the hands-on portion, complete with a thermal camera, mega-Tanagrams, and an entire display on alternative energy sources.

The second museum that we visited was the Norwegian Folk Museum. It is a collection of buildings from around Norway from all periods of time, and visitors are able to stroll through the open-air museum and be part of the time period in which the building are from. The central attraction of the museum is the Stave Church, an incredible piece of architecture that was brought to Oslo in 1884. It has a long history, and it took 3 years to even get it to Oslo from Northern Norway because of snow conditions! 

Eating out in Oslo is an expensive proposition, but thanks to many generous Christmas donations from friends and family, I took Paul out to a charming restaurant Tullins Café. The atmosphere was almost as cool as the tables, which were inlayed with old lockets, jewelry and photos. The food was fantastic as well! 

It was more than hard to say goodbye to Paul. Just as I was getting used to life together again, my apartment turned from messy and loud to clean, quiet, and more than a little lonely. Since my return to the States in the summer is still open, we don’t know when we will see each other next. He has given me a huge gift by supporting my decision to move away for an entire year. Thank you, Paul! You are incredible.

It was the greatest Christmas present I have ever received to have Paul with me for three weeks. I want to THANK both sets of parents for helping make all legs of our vacation possible!

Christmas Time In The City

I spent my Christmas holiday in London, England! My boyfriend's sister, Erica, lives in London with her wife, Alex, and they graciously hosted me and Paul for ten days in December. We were so lucky to have a beautiful home to stay in, knowledgeable guides, and fellow foodies that kept us well fed and happy.

For our first full day together in England, the four of us headed into the heart of the city, armed with Oyster Cards, cameras, and healthy appetites. We landed in Trafalger Square, an iconic London destination, happy to be exploring and happy to be together. After strolling through some classic art at the National Gallery (Picasso, Monet, van Gogh, no big deal), we sat down to a delicious Mexican meal at Wahaca (very much recommended).

Trafalger Square

After a whirlwind trip to Brighton, we returned to London to celebrate Erica's birthday. To continue a long-standing birthday tradition, Paul, Erica and I hit the ice at the Somerset House, one of the fanciest ice rinks in the city. Despite not having been on ice skates since middle school, I fared pretty well and had a blast.

In brainstorming about places we would like to see, Paul had the idea of visiting the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, home of the Prime Meridian. I quickly concluded that the idea was brilliant, and we made a "pilgrimage" to see the real deal. (Nerd Alert!)

Tower Bridge

One of the coolest parts of the visit to the Royal Observatory was taking the "Thames Clipper" river taxi! We cruised right through London on the infamous river, floating right under Tower Bridge. We got back on land at the London Eye, looking across the river to this gorgeous sight:

British Parliament at night 

We even did some obligatory sight-seeing:

Big Ben

One place that goes on the "MUST SEE" list for anyone visiting London: Borough Market. The place is awesome. It is the ultimate foodie paradise. Whether you are looking for artesian cheeses, fresh seafood, or a freshly brewed cup of chai, Borough Market has it all. You can check it out here, but you'll never get an idea of how rad it is until you visit in person. 

There is always time for a little fun too, right?

Weighing the turkey on the bathroom scale

 Then the big day came. Listen up, folks: The English know how to do a proper Christmas. We are talking food upon more food, a flavorful, hearty, traditional, scrumptious meal. Which took a lot of prep. Yes, that turkey is wrapped in bacon.

Prep for sausage rolls

The final product was more than worth it.

Photo courtesy of E. Gillingham

This was my first ever Christmas away from Wyoming, but my adopted family made me feel right at home. I am so fortunate to have shared the holiday with such incredible hosts and second family. Thank you, thank you!

Edinburgh Adventure

Edinburgh Castle

After my semester came to a close in early December, I had some time to burn before my Christmas trip to London. I decided to extend my time in the UK by tacking on a visit to Edinburgh, Scotland in mid-December. I'm so glad I did! I was able to fit a lot in during the three days that I had there.

The Royal Mile, High Street

I spent my first day exploring High Street, the main street through the oldest part of the city. Edinburgh Castle sits at the top of the mile long road, and the Scottish Parliament building is located at the base of the street. The meetings of Parliament are open to the public, and I was really interested in the climate discussions happening later that day, but after sitting through an hour of banter about how the government handled the latest weather catastrophe, I decided to escape when I had the chance. I spent the rest of the afternoon checking out neat graveyards, public parks, and free musuems.

Edinburgh was a culinary adventure for me, too. Restaurants were considerably cheaper than Norway, and I jumped at the opportunity to dine on some regional delights. When in Scotland, one must eat haggis, right? I went for it, and was not disappointed:

Haggis "Stack"

Fish and Chips

Hearty Scottish Stew, with a pot of tea, of course

I spent my last full day walking through Hollyrood Park, and made it to the summit of Arthur's Seat. At a 823 meter elevation, the vantage point was great for seeing all of Edinburgh, and across the Firth of Forth, an arm of the North Sea. There are three lochs within the royal park, one of which rests in the shadow of St. Anthony's Chapel, built in the 15th century and now a ruin.

Edinburgh calls itself "Athens of the North." Accompanied by my trip to Stockholm, I feel like I'm creating a theme. Maybe I'll just visit the northern versions of the most famous European cities! If there a "Rome of the North," it will be my next destination...

There is a lot that I still don't know about Scotland, and it is a place I would like to return to. Edinburgh was a fun city, but I know the country has much more in store. I was very much "on the beaten path" for this visit, which was fine given my limited time, but I'm looking forward to seeing the rural parts of the country.

There is no better way to travel than by train. The train from Edinburgh to London took less than five hours and from the perspective of a Wyoming girl, that's nothin'! I had an amazing view of the ocean along the East coast, complimented by rolling Scottish hillside and, of course, sheep. Lots of sheep.

I was greeted at the station in London by Paul's sister, Erica, and whisked off to her lovely flat to start what would be a wonderful Christmas holiday. 

Stockholm- Venice of the North!

Last week, I traveled to Stockholm for five fantastic days of sightseeing and exploration. I had heard so much about the "Crown Jewel of Scandinavia" and I had to check it out myself! I decided to purchase a 3-day Stockholm Card for middle section of my visit. With the Stockholm Card, I had unlimited access to all public transportation, including buses, trams, and the underground. The card covers the entrance fee to more than 80 museums and notable sights, and although I didn't visit all of them, I did get my money's worth!

My hostel in Stockholm

On Thursday evening, I arrived in Stockholm, picked up some information at the Tourist Office downtown, and walked from the bus station to my hostel. After checking in, I hit the streets again to find some grub, and I stumbled upon this awesome Malaysian restaurant. I bunked with some fellow American students from Middlebury who are studying in Germany.

Skansen was the highlight of my first full day in Stockholm. Covering 75 acres, it is "Sweden in Miniature!" Artur Hazelius founded the museum in 1891, and traditional buildings from across Sweden have been brought to or built on the current site. It is the oldest open-air museum in the world, and home to traditional farmsteads and native Scandinavian animals, like Brown bears, Wolves, Reindeer, Wolverines, and Lynx.

Bragehall

Sami Camp

The Bakery at Skansen

The Furniture Shop at Skansen

The afternoon brought a visit to Junibacken, a museum/tribute to Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Her best known work is Pippi Longstocking, but her list of work is extensive and includes screenplays, novels, and short essays. I took a ride on the Story Train, a theme ride through Lindgren's novels.

Next stop was the Vasa Museum. Vasa was a war ship made in the 1600s in Stockholm under the rule of King Gustav II Adolf. Sweden was at war with Russia, Poland, and Denmark for parts of his 21 years as ruler, and he used Vasa as a symbol of power to show the other nations how tough the Swedes were. Not only was the vessel exquisitely decorated, displaying signs of power in the sculptures and carvings, the King insisted that more and heavier cannons be added. This was to be a ship to rule them all! Unfortunately, things didn't quite go as planned. After setting out for the maiden voyage, Vasa was overtaken by leeward winds, from side to side, then began to sink as water flooded through the gunports! That was the end of Vasa, until more than 300 years later, when the wreck was located, salvaged, and restored to its current condition, which is 95% original. Today, Vasa is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Europe.

The next day brought sun and I hit the streets early. First stop: City Hall. Stockholm City Hall is the host of the dinner following the Nobel Prize Ceremony every year in December. It is an incredible building, with numerous styles and influences. A guided tour was included with the Stockholm Card, and I was sure to take advantage of the guide's knowledge!

This is the "Blue Room" of City Hall. As you can see, its not blue. After 12 years of construction, the architect, Ragner Östberg, decided that the he wanted to keep the bricks red. The room was designed like an Italian piazza and the ceiling was intended to stay open, but the Swedish climate didn't agree with the building design...  A pipe organ with over 10,000 pipes is situated above the terrace in the Blue Room and plays the national song as honored guests enter the hall for the Nobel Dinner. Östberg knew how important the building would be for the city, and he anticipated that the Blue Room would host many significant events. The staircase was an integral component to the space, and he wanted something that was comfortable and elegant. To pick the best design, he had his wife walk down staircases of every dimension in a ball gown and heels to find the right fit. 

The "Golden Room" has gold tiles that total over seven kilos! The artist asked for six years to complete the project and was given less than two. How's that for a deadline?!

The ceiling in the main chamber of the city hall was exquisite. Originally, it was to be a flat ceiling, but the Östberg changed his mind during construction (again) and wanted to keep the beams visible. Many Swedes believe that it looks like the underside of an overturned Viking ship. Vikings would bring their vessels on land and turn them upside down for shelters. Meetings were held under their protection, so the idea that major governmental decisions are still made under the protection of a ship carries some significance.

In the afternoon, I took a (long) journey to Södertälje, a township west of Stockholm. I was headed to Tom Tit's Experiment, a children's science museum that was included with the Stockholm card. It was quite the trip out there, but worth it! I'm a sucker for cool experiments, and despite the entire museum being in Swedish, and not having an experiment partner, I kept myself entertained!

An auditorium with the layout of the periodic table. How cool!

On Sunday, I managed to visit eight (8!) museums, a full day to say the least. I'll try to keep it brief:
I started off with a visit to the largest spherical building in the world, the "Globen." I got some nice views at the top, but not much more than that. Next, I visited the Post Museum which I really enjoyed!

The Royal Palace offered three museums, and with that handy little Stockholm card, I made my way to all three. The Royal Apartments were a step back into Swedish royal history, with ornate furniture, silver cabinets and carpeted walls. I was reminded time and again that the decisions that these kings were imposing on the citizens of their countries were what immigrants to the USA were trying to escape from. Now, people from around the world come to admire the finery of royal life in the 1500 and 1600s. No doubt it was exquisite, but it was important for me to take a step back to examine the lives of regular folks during the time period.

I hopped a bus over to Tekniska, the Musuem of Technology, followed by a visit to the Natural History Musuem.

I watched the sunset from Kaknastornet, the TV and radio broadcasting tower on the edge of Stockholm. At the end of Day Four, my instinct was to sit down on the escalator, so I knew I had seen enough.

I spent my final day wandering through the Ekoparken, the National Urban Park that streches six miles through the city. You can find more about the Ekoparken and Stockholm's role as 2010 European Green Capital here. I also spent a few hours in Gamla Stan, the oldest district of Stockholm.

You know what they say, "When in Sweden, eat Swedish meatballs!"

It was an excellent visit and I am sure that I will be back in Stockholm sometime in the future. With that said, when I landed back in Oslo, it really felt like home.