A Bus About Oslo

Today, I took a (free!) bus tour around Oslo with a gaggle of other international students. Although the morning was a rainy one, the enthusiasm was bright! 

I took a seat next to my Polish friend and we began the tour. Some of the destinations on the list I had already seen, but this time, I had a tour guide leading the way. We passed the first and only (known) sculpture that commemorated a prostitute. Who knew?! It even inspired the novel Albertine written by Christian Krohg, one of Edvard Munch's teachers.

The real highlight of the tour for me was the Viking Museum on the Bygdøy peninsula. These boats were incredible! 

Maybe it was the coxswain in me, but I could almost see the extended wooden oars from the ships. Imagine rowing this beast! In some cases, there would be 40 to 50 rowers! That is a lot of pair partners...

These ships were excavated from burial sites near Oslo. Wealthy citizens of the viking age were buried in them, along with horses, dogs, weapons, money, and relics. Some ships were well preserved, others not preserved at all, depending on the soil that they were buried in.

This ship was buried in an area of Oslo with clay soil. Although the weight of the clay broke the structure, the wood was preserved well, and the ship was able to be reconstructed with the original components.

The viking ships always had the steering oar on the right side of the boat. According to my guide, this is where the term "Starboard" came from!

It was a blast to get a glimpse into the Viking Age. It was impossible for me to wrap my brain around how OLD these vessels were. In the words of Eddie Izzard, this is "where the history comes from!" I was reminded of that many times today.

The Bygdøy peninsula is home to five museums, and the Viking Ship Museum was a great introduction. I'm sure I'll be back to explore the other four (especially the Kon-Tiki Museum! Keep your eyes open for the much anticipated "pilgrimage!"). 

For now, I'm sending a challenge to Humboldt Crew team- I think the most intimidating way to show up to Dad Vail 2011 is one of these beasts. You in?   

A walk along the Akerselva

 Sometimes just wandering leads you to the nicest places.

Holmenkollen

Today, I made the voyage up to Holmenkollen! The weather forcast was for sun, and I wanted to make the most of it. I had read that the admission to the Ski Museum also paid for a ride to the top of the infamous ski jump.

If you are interested in skiing, Norway is the place to be. The history of the sport dates back too far to remember, and the cultural support and involvement defines the nation. From the native people in the north to the King, skiing is part of Norwegian blood.

Replica of a ski-making shop

Speaking of Norwegian history, what the heck is Birkebeiner?

Birkebeiner was the name of a rebel party in Norway started in the late 1100's. "Birkebeiner" means "Birch legs." Some say that the party was so poor that their shoes were made from birch. Others claim that the name originated from the birch leggings they used as gaiters to protect from the snow.

The picture below depicts two Birkebeiners and the King's infant son in 1206. The event went down in history, painting the Birkebeiners as brave and honorable people. The young heir eventually ascended to the throne.

"There was a civil war in Norway at the time, and the best skiers amond the Birkebeiners, Torstein Skeivla and Skjervald Skrukka, carried the heir to the throne to safety from Lilehammer across the mountains to Osterdalen, and on to Trondheim."

Now, the Birkebeiner is best known as an annual ski marathon covering 54 km from Rena to Lillehammer. Participants must carry a backpack weighing at least 3.5 kg, simulating the weight of the royal baby.

Soldiers on skis were common in Norway's past. Before the country entered into the union with Sweden, many armed ski soldiers were posted on the border. They had the advantage since they were much more mobile than the Swedes on horses.

Sketches of a Norwegian soldier's ski drills. 

My mom taught me the same thing! You can ski anything as long as you know how to "STEP TURN and TRAVERSE!" 

Part of the museum was dedicated to the clothes and equipment of the sport, and how gear has evolved.

King Haakon's ski boots and knitted ski mittens

Rudimentary bindings

I think my parents may have this jacket! It's in a museum, guys.  

Baskets of these poles are made out of wood, bone, and antler

Things have changed a bit, huh?

An interesting tidbit about wax, courtesy of the Holmenkollen Ski Museum: 

"Tar, resin, pitch, or tallow was often applied at low heat. Sometimes the base was even greased with leaf fat, butter, cheese, or herrings. Parafin or stearine was used as a glide wax. Every skier concocted his own 'secret' mixture."

"In 1902, Th. Hansen started to mass produce a tar wax called Record. Strange ingredents such as bicyle inner tubes, vinyl records and various wax products were mixed together in a big cauldron to produce this original ski wax."

Well, it isn't Cera F, but it worked for them!

The wax bench through the decades

I am here confirm the beliefs of JH nordies: Yes, blue extra is the world's best selling ski wax. I heard it from the source!

The ski jump is an integral part of Holmenkollen and has helped make this quiet hamlet famous. Norwegians started the sport of ski jumping in the early 1800's, dominated early on, and continue to hold (and break) records and win competitions, even as the sport grows in popularity.

A replica of the ski jump from centuries past

After a long wait in line (I'm getting used to long "queues," it's a European custom apparently) I headed up to the top! Taking the elevator up made me think of how nervous I would be if I had to jump the thing, not just look off the top of it.

Imagine this as your starting gate...

Oh, and did I mention that the view was pretty good, too?

I had a blast at Holmenkollen today. Only one thing would have made it better- SNOW. All in good time...

Welcome to my new home!

I have moved into the apartment I will be living in for this year, and I'm here to tell you- I will survive!

Wahoo! I'm home!

As you may have noticed, they even got the colors right! Blue and red- how did they know??

I'm living in a student village that is a short T-bane (subway) ride from the University. I'm on the third (of four) floors of my building, which provides for a nice view of the courtyard below us.

The view from my bedroom window, looking south

The view from my bedroom window, looking west

 

There are tons of runners and bikers around here- I can tell it is an active place- I even saw 2 girls on roller skis today! There are about 2 dozen buildings in this village, but it doesn’t feel uncomfortably large.

Sognsvann Lake is just a short walk from my building,  and there are walking paths, hiking trails, and bike trails that circle the lake.

Sognsvann Lake

I took two laps of the lake on two different trails, and had a blast exploring what will be my ski trails in a few months! I better get to know them well now, because this doesn't help me much:

Maybe at somepoint I'll be able to decipher this...

One major highlight of the day: I was reading on this article on Fasterskier.com about Petter Northug. Out of pure curiosity, I searched for the location of the Olympic Facility in Oslo, and discovered that it is 10 minutes from my apartment! Maybe, if I'm really lucky, I'll be riding the T-bane with Norwegian skiing stars! I'll keep my eyes peeled and keep you updated, nordies...

I have arrived!

I've officially landed on European soil! It is amazing to be here in the thick of it all. I was able to get a bed in a hostel in central Oslo for my first two nights and have spent the days wandering and taking photos and trying to soak it all in! Here is a recap of my first couple days in the city:

I set out on foot from the hostel, ready to "see the sights!" I stashed my guidebook away and resolved to walk whichever way sparked my interest. It seemed to work.

The Grand Hotel

The Royal Palace

After a nice amount of aimless wandering, I decided to make the trek to Frognerparken and Vigeland Park, which is a fair distance from the hostel. I thoroughly enjoyed the truly “European” feel- small streets, small cars, lots of bikes and walkers, plazas, green space, street side cafes, street musicians, churches, foreign languages, etc. It felt like a fairytale land. 

Frognerparken

The park was pretty incredible. Lots of people were lounging in the grass, picnicking with families, and teaching little kiddos how to ride bikes on the dirt paths. The sculptures themselves were beautiful. Gustav Vigeland asked the city to build him a home and studio. In return he promised the city every sculpture he made. It was a great trade for both sides! His home/studio is in Vigeland park and is now a museum. 

The bodies that he sculpted aren’t “chiseled” figures: all have soft lines without much muscle definition. I wasn’t expecting that- I thought he would capitalize on the muscle to speak for itself in some sculptures, defining the piece as demanding and a physically powerful presence. Instead, he used body language and facial expressions so well that you could understand beautifully the emotion that he was trying to portray, even with a round-ish figure.

I spent my evening in Akershus Fortress, overlooking Oslofjord. Since islands dot the fjord (which isn’t actually a true fjord, as it turns out…) it pretty much looks like a (really beautiful) lake. 

The view of Aker Brygge from Akershus Fortress

The central part of Oslo is stunning, and there is still much to be explored. For now, on to the next adventure!