Weekend Wanderings

Saturday morning, having fought and won the dreaded Battle of the Shower* against the boys, we made our way to Oslo for a change of scenery. After parking our little Golf near Aker Brygge, we grabbed our coats and walked up towards Karl Johan Gate. It was a chilly morning, but we didn't feel cold thanks to the sunshine and brisk walking.

Karl Johan (so named after King Karl Johan) is the main thoroughfare in Oslo, connecting the Central Railway Station in one end with the Royal Palace in the other, passing Stortinget (Parliament) and the National Theatre on the way. The lower part of the street is a cobble stoned pedestrian only walkway, and this is where you'll find all the upmarket boutiques that Oslo has to offer. The upper part of the street is a wide boulevard with a park and the National Theatre on one side, the University of Oslo's Faculty of Law on the other, and, at the very end, the Royal Palace.



During the summer, Karl Johan is bustling with people shopping or enjoying a drink or meal at one of the numerous cafes and restaurants lining either side. In the wintertime, the park between the National Theatre and Stortinget is turned into a skating rink, to the amusement of children young and old. The street is truly the heart of the capital, and it is my favourite place to visit in Oslo.



Our boys are particularly fond of playing in the Royal Gardens, but this time around, we decided to walk down towards the Central Railway Station. The street artists scattered along the way provided the necessary amusement to keep the boys going, despite my occasional pit stops into various clothing stores.

Next to the railway station are a couple of newer shopping centres, where we managed to pick up a new pair of indoor running shoes for Christopher. I was shocked to find that he now has bigger feet than me. My feet are on the small side, but having your child outgrow you in anything is nevertheless a milestone. And yet another sign that they are growing up much too quickly.

After a gourmet lunch at McDonald's for our nugget-deprived boys, we leisurely strolled back to the car along the Oslo fjord, passing the infamous City Hall on our way.

As we left Oslo, we happened to see the Color Line cruise ship that we are scheduled to go to Kiel on in a fortnight. The boys were extremely impressed with the sheer size of the ship, and are now looking forward to our mini-getaway.

Sunday morning was yet another crisp but beautifully sunny day, allowing us to meet up with my sister and her boys for a good 7 km trek on forest trails. Christopher has been a good walker for some time, but I am noticing a big change in Benjamin, who now keeps up with his brother and cousins, and does not complain when walking for several hours. I'd forgotten just how pleasant these walks can be without continuous whining and whinging about feeling tired, having sore feet, being cold, hungry or thirsty.



Today's walk took us from Landfalltjernen to Tverken cottage, where we stopped and purchased freshly made waffles from the city-run cottage. And truly, there's nothing like eating waffles and drinking home-made hot chocolate on a lovely fall day.

Compared to last weekend, when I was ready to give my boys away for free, getting out and moving around did wonders for us this weekend. I am still noticing signs of teenageritis in Christopher, but I'm happy to report that the fresh air improved his symptoms somewhat.

I'll sign off with this final piece of happy news. Remember my plans to sneak off with this Object of Absolute Cuteness?



Well, as luck would have it, I no longer need to: Ann and Per have graciously asked Mike and I to be Godparents for baby nephew Emil. We are both honoured and extremely excited! I also believe this grants me rights to access at all times, which will come in handy whenever my children are acting, you know, like 7 and 10 year olds.

*To be addressed at a later date, as I currently do not have the energy required to describe - in sufficient and necessary detail - the amount of persuasion, coaxing, threatening and bribing required to get my children to SHOWER.

Aker Brygge and Akershus Fortress

We spent Sunday afternoon in Oslo, exploring the downtown area. I had hoped to take the Yims there during their visit to Norway, but we ran out of time the one day we spent in Oslo. Or more to the point, the kids ran out of steam.

Seeing as Sunday was another lovely day, weather-wise, we decided to take advantage of a free afternoon and show the kids around. During the weekday rush-hour, you can get to London, England faster than Oslo from where we are. On Sunday mornings, however, downtown is a mere 40 minutes away.

There is a lot of new development going on in the centre of town, with swanky new condos popping up all over the place. Thus, as we arrived, things looked quite different from what Mike and I remembered from some years ago. But after parking in what we eventually realized was a still unfinished parking garage (and Mike lamenting that we shouldn't have bothered paying the $ 10.00 parking fee, as no one was going to think of checking a garage that isn't even done yet), we made it to Aker Brygge in no time.



Over the last decade or so, Aker Brygge has become the most well-known shopping and dining area in Oslo, with its superb location down by the waterfront of the Oslo fjord. When the sun is smiling, the wide boardwalk is a great place to stroll around and people watch. Both locals and tourists abound, and there's always a street artist or two to keep you entertained. You might prefer to hang out on one of any number of benches conveniently located everywhere, and you'll see boats return to harbour with their fresh catch of seafood and fish. You can even pick up dinner here, if you are so inclined. Those of us not feeling up to the task of cooking may pick and choose between all kinds of different restaurants, provided you are prepared to pay the rather hefty bill attached to eating out anywhere in Norway.

As we strolled along the seafront with our ice creams, we passed the fairly controversial Oslo City Hall that Mike loves making fun of. He thinks it is up there as one of the ugliest building in the world, certainly the most hideous City Hall. While I'll admit it isn't a beautiful building in the traditional sense, I quite like its unique look. It definitely stands out. What do you think?



Incidentally, you might be interested to know that Oslo City Hall is where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded each December. Does that make it more attractive? :) When we were walking past the building, the boys caught sight of a bunch of teenagers who were skateboarding up and down the wheelchair ramp. To our boys, that was infinitely more exciting than any talk of a peace prize, and we spent a few minutes admiring their skills.

If you keep walking past City Hall, you get to Akershus Festning, which is a fortress that dates back to the 13th century. For many centuries, it was of huge strategic importance due to its location at the mouth of the Oslo fjord. Those in control of Akershus Fortress were in control of Oslo, and therefore of Norway.



Thus, the fortress was added on to and expanded several times, and today it is quite a large and impressive place. The Norwegian military still keeps a base here, but the fortress is open to the public during the day.



Of course, Benjamin cared nothing about the history lessons we were trying to impart. And why would he? Not when there were cannons everywhere. No matter where we turned, we saw cannons, some very old and some newer, that were just begging to be climbed on. For boys, Akershus fortress must seem like one giant playground. Even Christopher got a bit carried away as he imagined how battles may have taken place in the past.



After an afternoon of envisioning battles of yesteryears and glorious victories of brave kings, we finally decided to head back to Aker Brygge and a much anticipated dinner out.

As we turned around, we saw what arguably amounts to the latest attack on Oslo:



...the Germans are back!!

Visitors from Canada - days 1 and 2

Canadian tourists on the way to see the king and his castle...














New best friend. Samantha and Christopher are practicing their parenting skills...




A little restful break after a long hike up the mountain. No, wait, we drove...oh...ok...just a cute picture, then.











Four-leaf clover....three of them!




View of the valley of Drammen. Accessible by a spiral tunnel up through the mountain. Canadian tourists very impressed!