Oslo: The "Big" City

I just got back from Oslo last night!  The city was really nice and much smaller than I expected - only about twice the size of Madison.  We also lucked out and had great weather for almost our entire stay, a rarity according to my friend from the area.

A view from the opera house roof toward the Oslo fjord

We drove up to Oslo on Thursday after class and got there around 5pm, just in time for dinner.  We had reservations at Peppe's Pizza, near the center of town, and stopped there after getting our metro passes.  The combination of great food and a long day led to our group eating ten (large) pizzas between the 13 of us.

In front of the palace with one of the guards

After dinner, we broke up into smaller groups, and mine walked down Karl Johans Gate.  This is the street with the Storting (Parliament, or literally "Big Thing"), palace, and other shops, etc.  We also stopped by the Oslo opera house which has a roof that slants down to the water and can be walked on.  The one year anniversary of the attacks in Oslo is today, July 22nd, and it looked like they were setting up for a memorial concert when we were there.

Looking at the palace down Karl Johans Gate.  I'm standing near
the Storting in this photo.

The next morning, we left the hostel in the morning for a walking tour of downtown Oslo.  We had seen many of the sights the day before, but the tour guide's stories about the buildings and places were pretty cool to hear.  We started near the Storting on Karl Johan's Gate.  Norway as an independent country is actually fairly young, and did not write a constitution until May 17th, 1814.  Their celebration, Syttende Mai, is parallel to our independence day and is a huge celebration in Oslo.  Karl Johan's Gate is full of people dressed up in their traditional clothes called "bunad", and the royal family come out on the palace balcony and wave as everyone walks by.

The building where the Storting is housed.

The Grand Café where the Nobel Peace Prize banquet is hosted is on this street, about a third of the way down.  The winner usually eats there and then comes out and gives a talk on the 2nd floor balcony.  It was also a favorite eating place of Henrik Ibsen when he lived in Oslo, and they still have a small table reserved for him as tradition.

The Grand Café.  The balcony that I mentioned
is on the 2nd story under the center tower.

We continued up the street to the old university building and national theater.  Unfortunately the entire face of the university was covered by construction, but we stopped and looked at the national theater just as storms started to move in.

Clouds roll in as we stop at the
national theater.

Another look at the Storting.

We continued on to the Oslo city hall and got inside just as it started raining.  The inside of the city hall is where the Nobel Peace Prize winner gives their main lecture, and was, coincidentally where the Norwegian studies professor with our group was married.  We also saw a glass vase that the mayor of Madison, WI had sent as a gift to Oslo from when the two were sister cities.



Thankfully, it cleared up just as we were leaving the city hall, and we headed to the metro to Bygdøy, a peninsula on the outskirts of Oslo's downtown that houses several museums.  The main attraction was the Viking ship museum, holding three ships used as burial vessels by the Vikings.  The main ship, the Oseberg (named after the location it was found) was in amazing condition.  According to our guide, it showed signs of wear that indicate it had been sailed by Vikings for a while before being buried.  There were a host of interesting things they found inside of the ships, including carts and sleds that were preserved as well, if not better than the ships themselves.

The Oseberg from the side

A cart found inside the ship- incredibly well preserved!

Looking down at the Oseberg

The rest of the day was spent exploring more of the museums on Bygdøy and other Oslo sights. We stopped at Akershus castle on the harbor and was the sight of German executions of prisoners during Norway's occupation in World War II.

Looking out from Akershus.

My favorite sight during our time in Oslo was the Holmenkollen ski jumping area.  There were great views of the city from the top, and it was amazing to see what ski jumpers see at the top of the run.  Inside the base of the jump there was a museum dedicated to Nordic combined skiing (cross country and jumping), and they had a pair of skis from Bjorn Dæhlie, one of the most famous cross country skiers ever.  We also stopped at a cathedral at the bottom that was a reconstruction of a traditional 1903 cathedral in the same spot that was burned down in the 1990's.

Myself in front of the ski jump

This is the reconstruction of the 1903 church.

A view from Akershus looking at the town and ski jump

Looking down from the top of the ski jump... scary

After a busy day on the town, we returned to the center of the city for dinner.  I had my first fresh salmon in Norway, and it was well worth the Norwegian price tag.

For our last day, we took it much easier, and walking through the Vigeland sculpture park was the only real event for the day.  The park is on the outskirts of Oslo and contains sculptures by the artist Gustav Vigeland.  The park is filled with bronze and stone statues of people that all center around themes regarding the cycle of life.  Interestingly, our guide said that he chose not to cloth any of the statues to avoid dating the park with a certain choice of clothing.

In Vigeland park

The Angry Boy

I forgot, also I saw "The Scream"

The group in Vigeland Park

I had a great time in Oslo, and the weather thankfully held out for us for the most part while we were there!  Next weekend, I'll be heading to Edinburgh, Scotland for a few days of sightseeing (where the weather will likely not be quite as nice).  I'm really excited and will be staying at Castle Rock hostel, right at the foot of the royal castle.

Der Borte - Over There

Hello again!  I'm heading to Oslo this afternoon, to return on Saturday.  We're planning to see the Viking Ship Museum, the Vigeland Sculpture Park, and some other museums and shopping areas.  Oslo is the largest city in Norway as well as its capital, and hosts their royal palace and the Storting, their parliament.

More hiking around Grimstad

 

 

This is the same bay that the downtown is on (it's to the
right in this photo)

I've also finally travel made plans for my last weekend in Europe!  I'll give you a hint, I'm staying in a hostel at the foot of a 12th century castle but have access to "unspoilt beaches"...  I'll leave that as a mystery until I get back on Saturday.  Have a good weekend!

There and Back Again...

The Palacio Real in downtown Madrid

Hello again!  I got back from visiting my friend Rebecca in Madrid yesterday afternoon (check out here blog here for another perspective and more pictures).  I had a great time but was too exhausted to post before bed.  I saw a lot and heard lots of new names, so grab some snacks, and I'll try not to make too many mistakes.

I flew out from Kristiansand airport on Thursday afternoon and landed around midnight in Madrid.  My plane to Amsterdam was actually late to leave, but luckily I was able to power-walk my way through Schiphol and make the connection.  After a month abroad and a long day of traveling, it was a definite relief to see Rebe at the airport, and I crashed soon after arriving at her apartment.

After waking Friday morning, I quickly realized that I had packed for Norway weather, which is about twenty to thirty degrees Fahrenheit colder than Madrid (and had forgotten to pack all but one of my short sleeve shirts, anyway).  Pulling on my single available shirt and a pair of jeans, we headed out for a long but jam-packed day in Madrid.

The Almudena cathedral next to the palace
only completed in 1993!

Madrid has a great Metro system, so after buying a ticket we were able to get anywhere we wanted within a few blocks.  We started our day at the Ópera metro station and went to the royal palace.  The palace is from the mid 18th century and is actually no longer lived in by the royal family.  We didn't stop for a tour, but could peak through the fence to see most of the exterior and courtyard.  Immediately next to the palace was the Almudena cathedral, so we stopped in to check it out.  I only had my little camera, so I didn't take many pictures, but it was a really interesting mixture of old and new styles of art and architecture.

The interior of Almudena cathedral

Walking the streets of Madrid

I had to take a picture, I felt so at home!

We walked the streets and after walking through the Plaza Mayor and passing the oldest restaurant in the world, Sobrino de Botin, we stopped at a Museo del Jamón (literally, "ham museum").  Despite their name, these were small walk in restaurants scattered around Madrid's streets filled with delicious ham.  I had the Spanish version of prosciutto and was astounded at how cheap the prices were - at least compared to what I would pay in Norway.

The main statue and pond in Retiro Park

The last major stop of the day was in Retiro Park, a huge park right in the center of town with lots of trees and water features.  The park includes a few large ponds and an art museum filled with exhibits that went far over my head.  At this point it had been quite the long, hot day, so after seeing the major sites in the park, we stopped in the shade until heading back.

Puerta de Alcalá on one of the major roads of Madrid

That night, we went to get tapas at a bar near Rebecca's apartment with her roommate.  While discovering how much of the Spanish language I had really forgotten, I had what they declared the best tapas in all of Madrid.  With an order of a beer each, we got five plates of appetizers (her blog has pictures), and before we finished one, another would be put out!  By the time we had finished our second beer, we were all full to bursting with excellent food and (I was) ready for bed.

The Plaza de Toros had the Hapsburg
seal on its outside...  History dorks,
be impressed

On Saturday, we woke up later and embarked on a slightly less ambitious day.  We started by walking around the bull fighting ring, Plaza de Toros, and then continued to Plaza España.  The plaza had a huge pillar and statue of Don Quixote and Sancho.  While admiring the fountain and statue, we listened in on an American high school teacher using the story of Don Quixote as a pretty interesting allegory how the world is so dependent on your perspective.

The entire statue/column in Plaza
España.  I'm told the building
behind is actually abandoned

Don Quixote and Sancho

Later, we visited the Temple of Debod, an ancient Egyptian temple donated and moved to Madrid in the late 60's.  We also walked past the Real Madrid stadium and looked awesome posing in front of the Puerta Europa.  We had some more delicious (and cheap!) Spanish cuisine, and went down to the river walk to end the day.

Rebecca single handedly stops
Spain's banks from collapsing

I'm definitely not sweating like crazy
in the Spanish heat

Puerta Europa

I had a great time and want to thank Rebecca again for hosting me and taking me through Madrid's many sights (which I'm sure are all old hat to her by now).

Hasta luega, Madrid!

Inside the Temple of Debod.  Actual ancient Egyptian engravings!

Looking out from the river walk

Puerta de Toledo at the end of Saturday

Pre-Spain Update

Hello again!  The students had their fluid mechanics midterm yesterday, so I was preparing them for that and then grading most of last night.  They did pretty well, but a few were bummed out by their scores.  Overall, they performed about where we expected, and I gained a new respect for the amount of thought and effort that goes into grading!  I only had to grade thirteen exams, which took about 5 hours, but I was exhausted afterward!

Anyway, I'm just posting a quick update before I fly to Madrid this evening.  If I can, I'll post some pictures as I take them this weekend.  Otherwise, I'll post an update when I get back on Sunday (July 15).

Ha det bra!
Jake

The 4th and My First Lesson

Looking along the beach toward town

Hello again and happy (belated) 4th of July!  We had great weather here for the 4th, and took full advantage - grilling, boating, and enjoying nature.  After class, we went down to the beach to grill out with some of the Norwegians!  After we'd grilled more pølse (hot dogs) and brats than we could eat, we headed off to a public island via a boat owned by one of the students.

[Update:  I'm going to preemptively apologize for the insane formatting of this post. Blogger really doesn't let you arrange multiple pictures well.]

A view looking south on the island

One of the fields on the island.

The island was about 400 meters long and 150 wide of forest with a beach that we landed on (I'm pretty sure it was Herøya).
Most of the students hung out on the beach and grilled some more, but Garrett and I walked to the south end and ran into some sheep!  I beat up one of my feet a bit getting across the island because the island didn't have any official trails, but I'm pretty sure I just got a bad bruise.  It very worth it though - a mother and baby came up and sniffed my hand before getting scared off.  The island was a lot of fun to explore - it reminded me of some of the hiking I did in the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota.

Walking through the island, I ran across
a makeshift path (that lead right to a swamp)

The sheep flee when I ask the black sheep for some wool.
I guess he didn't have 3 bags full.

The sheep from further off

This is the mother and baby (to the right) who
came up and said hi!

Having a good time fishing last night.  We caught 6 good
sized fish! (From left: Chris, Jack, Garrett)

 A few of the other students have taken up fishing a lot and have been catching quite a bit of mackerel and cod (which I've been able to steal on occasion).  I've gone down to hang out with them on the docks, but I haven't made the step to buying my own pole and lures, etc yet.


A last note, I taught my first section of class today.  Professor Martin had me prepare and present several example problems for the class.  I really liked the opportunity to get more involved in the course, as right now I've just been providing homework assistance to students outside of class.  We're introducing conservation of momentum for fluids and then conservation of energy soon.  It looks like I'll continue to work example problems for the class, so hopefully I'm doing a good job!  I have received positive feedback from the students which was really great to hear.

Walking across the island.

A nice picture of the rocks on the south end of the island.

The sun sets on another week in Norway.

Stavanger

We got back from our weekend trip to Kristiansand and Stavanger yesterday, and, as a side note, I figured out what the story was with the two men in rowboats on the solstice celebration.  They had rowed to Denmark, but were too tired to row back.  They were doing it for the 150th anniversary of his famous Ibsen poem, Terje Vigen, which is set around Grimstad.

On the first day, we took a van from Grimstad to Kristiansand to visit Aker Solutions, and oil drilling machinery company.  The van driver took almost half an hour to load our bags into the van (there are 13 of us), so we were really late to arrive at the plant.  Still, the tour was great, because we got a chance to look at the hardware and really get a scale for how big these things are.  They have a hydraulic power unit that goes on drilling platforms and had 8 pumps, each putting out something like 30 MW (40,000 horsepower)!

The sun sets on our first night in Stavanger.

After the site visit, we continued on to Stavanger - about a 3 hour drive from Kristiansand.  We got in pretty late but took the chance to walk around the sentrum (downtown) of Stavanger before retiring to the hostel.  Our hostel was attached to a hospital, so we enjoyed the sounds of helicopters flying in throughout the night.

In the morning, we got free breakfast from the hostel and discovered a delicious Norwegian breakfast food.  We took a small, buttermilk pancake, buttered it, put on a piece of geistost, and then spread some jordbær (strawberry) jam on top... delicious.

A man suspiciously reminiscent of Churchill
overlooks the bay in Stavanger.

 In the morning, we visited National Oilwell Varco, another large oil drilling machinery company.  They are actually based in Houston, but much of their controls design is done at the Stavanger site in Norway.  This tour was really cool, especially because they brought in one of their engineers who gave a great presentation on how they control what's going on at the location of the drill bit.  We also got to use the simulator that they train drillers on before they go out onto the rigs.  The simulator had a screen that wrapped around, so you could actually look around to see what was going on.  Later, we went to the oil museum, but there wasn't much to talk about from that.

We actually experienced the main takeaway from the oil museum in person!  Stavanger is a very important oil city, and as such, has become one of the wealthiest cities in Norway, therefore becoming one of the most expensive cities in the world!  I had hoped to get some kind of souvenir, but I don't think I saw anything that cost less than twice what it should.  We still enjoyed walking around the city and having some food and a (70 NOK) beer at a pub on the bay.

On our last day, we took a boat tour of the Lysefjord.  Lysefjord is one of the most famous fjords in Norway because of its picturesque beauty.  I didn't stay the extra night to climb Preikestolen, but I got to see it from +600m below.  Enjoy the rest of the pictures!

Someone surprised that sign maker.

During the boat tour, we pulled
up to this waterfall and took some
water to drink!

A view of Preikestolen from the bottom.

A closer look at Preikestolen.  If you take a look, there's
a guy standing at the top looking over the edge.

A pretty typical picture of the views during the boat ride.