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The weather has been unbelievably HOT these last few days, breaking records all over Norway. And, everyone has been taking advantage of the situation, sunbathing in public parks, boating out on the Oslo Fjord, and flocking to the nearby lakes and islands for a few hours of relief. Just now, a blanket of clouds rolled in and I can see lightening striking up in the hills, so perhaps the heat wave is over. Ahh, yes indeed. I can hear rain.
For days we've been seeking out the cool, shady spots and bathing beaches. We took the tram up to Sognsvann again, a mountain lake just outside of town. Just as we arrived a running race was finishing and people were cheering on the contenders. Shore around the lake was filled with people picnicing. The popular thing is to buy a disposable BBQs and roast up sausages. There are even special garbage disposal containers around for these "one-time grills," so they don't light the forest on fire. They look like rectangular, aluminum cooking pans (about 10 by 12 inches), filled with coals, and covered with a thin paper and a flimsy metal screen. They're super lightweight, so you can take them anywhere. Matt and I took turns swimming out to an island and it felt great.
Then on Saturday and Sunday we took a quick, 10-minute ferry ride to Hovedøya island. It cost the same as riding the city bus. Despite the proximity, the island feels worlds away. Around the island are sunbathing rocks, swimming areas, and docks for little sailboats. In the middle is a forest (with MORE raspberries!), large playing fields, a cute little farm, a cafe and the ruins of a monastery from the Middle Ages. On Sunday, we joined up with our co-worker, Mats and his friend who works at TGIF for a BBQ and a game of KUBE. We had to keep our shoes on as we entered the water. The shore is plastered with mussels and other shellfish that have razor sharp edges and Matt scraped open his toes the first time. The water was wonderful in late evening and we could see boats of all shapes. Oslo is so much more beautiful than I imagined.
Monday night we celebrated with the summer interns and some other co-workers down at the Aker Brygge area, on the west side of the main harbor. It's the trendy area where all the tourists go out to eat and drink, and I can see why. It has a wonderful view of the city.
The weather has been unbelievably HOT these last few days, breaking records all over Norway. And, everyone has been taking advantage of the situation, sunbathing in public parks, boating out on the Oslo Fjord, and flocking to the nearby lakes and islands for a few hours of relief. Just now, a blanket of clouds rolled in and I can see lightening striking up in the hills, so perhaps the heat wave is over. Ahh, yes indeed. I can hear rain.
For days we've been seeking out the cool, shady spots and bathing beaches. We took the tram up to Sognsvann again, a mountain lake just outside of town. Just as we arrived a running race was finishing and people were cheering on the contenders. Shore around the lake was filled with people picnicing. The popular thing is to buy a disposable BBQs and roast up sausages. There are even special garbage disposal containers around for these "one-time grills," so they don't light the forest on fire. They look like rectangular, aluminum cooking pans (about 10 by 12 inches), filled with coals, and covered with a thin paper and a flimsy metal screen. They're super lightweight, so you can take them anywhere. Matt and I took turns swimming out to an island and it felt great.
Then on Saturday and Sunday we took a quick, 10-minute ferry ride to Hovedøya island. It cost the same as riding the city bus. Despite the proximity, the island feels worlds away. Around the island are sunbathing rocks, swimming areas, and docks for little sailboats. In the middle is a forest (with MORE raspberries!), large playing fields, a cute little farm, a cafe and the ruins of a monastery from the Middle Ages. On Sunday, we joined up with our co-worker, Mats and his friend who works at TGIF for a BBQ and a game of KUBE. We had to keep our shoes on as we entered the water. The shore is plastered with mussels and other shellfish that have razor sharp edges and Matt scraped open his toes the first time. The water was wonderful in late evening and we could see boats of all shapes. Oslo is so much more beautiful than I imagined.
Monday night we celebrated with the summer interns and some other co-workers down at the Aker Brygge area, on the west side of the main harbor. It's the trendy area where all the tourists go out to eat and drink, and I can see why. It has a wonderful view of the city.
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