The end of Oslo :)

Monday!

Museums seem like a necessary part of every vacation, something I never appreciated as a child, so museums were Monday. Karianne, Heidi and I went to the Viking Ship Museum first. There were 3 huge Viking Ships that were dug up over a hundred years ago, more impressively that they were built 800 AD.

We then went to the Kon-Tiki Museum. I’d never heard of it, but the night before one of the trailers was for the new movie so I knew a tinyyy bit about the Norwegian adventurous. Watch the movie ;) When you do I can tell you I’ve seen the real ‘boat’ that they were on. Cool Story Bro. 

Heidi’s Mum made a lovely meal for dinner. After we ate we played another round of President, where I went from being ‘Bumps’ (Bum/Homeless) to being the Vice President. Jan’s tactic of talking a lot of his success and commentating on every move made me laugh. We then ended the night watching the swimming in the Olympics, and the Norwegians playing handball. Shocker I’ve started rooting the Norwegians on.

Today we said goodbye to Heidi’s parents as they’re going to meet some friends in their Mountain cabin. Then Heidi and I met with one of her friends, Johanna. We went to the Opera House. It was GORGEOUS. Four out of five of the days I’ve been here have been sunny. The view was spectacular, and that we could lay back and enjoy it on the roof was glorious. (The only kind of iceberg that I ever would like the pleasure to be on top of, thank you very much).

Heidi and I finished the day by going to Wayne’s Coffee, a place we went again four out of five of the days.

Tomorrow I shall endeavour to help Heidi pack, we’ll be out of the house by 1 and meeting Rhys at the airport by 3!

Love,
Abi J

 Ronja and I are ready to conquer the mountains.

I lose my balance easily.

I'm exhausted, but she will still protect me.

Olalaaaa

The Egelands! In front of their house :) Minus Ane, who left for The Netherlands 2 days ago.

Barefoot at last. On top of the Opera House.

Necessary.

Day 3, Hiking& Royalty

Saturday night was great J we ate the Thai soup, bread and played a card game called President. Simple to understand and very entertaining to play. I have made a personal mission to make sure my family sits down and plays cards next time I’m home. We don’t do it enough.

As Jan put it Sunday was a 16-hour Heidi camp day.

Heidi woke me up at 8; we were out the house by 9 in full hiking gear. Though I won’t be able to say (or remember) any of the places that we went, it was just over a 3 hour hike, with Ronya (their adorable Jack Russell). Beautifullllll. It was the first time I’ve ever used an outhouse. We also stopped at a cabin-café all the way up at the top, which was closed since so many Norwegians are at their cabins in July. Even so there was a little room where the family had left fresh cinnamon and vanilla buns, and a cooler full of different sorts of drinks. As with the trains, it’s trust-based. They hope you’ll leave the correct amount of money for what you’ve taken. I was amazed. Never had I seen anything like it before.

Karianne, one of Heidi’s friends is staying for the next two nights. After being picked up by Jan from hiking, and boasting of my epic ‘Hikers’ blister we went home to prepare for royalty. Well not the family. But the building at least. We had an hour-long guided tour (in English thankfully) of 16 rooms of the Royal Palace. The funniest thing I thought was a hole in the ceiling of the Birdroom. This is because the building was one of the first to get electricity in 1899, so a few years later they auctioned off all of their chandelier’s since they thought they weren’t necessary any longer. Some have been found and restored, but no one knows where this particular one is. Another room had replicas of the chandeliers that were once there (the Danish own them now), and for the first time they were being cleaned. Thankfully the replicas crystals can be put in the dishwasher now! I am now much more knowledgeable about the Norwegian royalty. Grandma will be proud.

From there we went to have dinner with Heidi’s parents at what is supposedly a ‘guide book recommended’ restaurant. Delicious Asian cuisine. Lots of sushi. Lots of laughing. Sadly we had to miss the dessert that Heidi’s mum insisted on us getting or we’d be late to the Dark Knight.

What a movie! We in this ‘THK’ sound movie theatre, with a massive dome ceiling and curved screen. One of the biggest in Europe apparently. On another note Oslo is the only place in the world that I have now been handed a free coco-cola can (in the street) and free Pepsi bottles in the movie theatre for no reason other than advertisement. I thought it was great!

Skrik

Last night was… wait for it, lovely.

I was told repeatedly that at the *sign* of summer (not start, since that may never officially happen), Norwegians will grill. Everything. So that is what we did. I found it funny how they ate their hotdogs, on what looked like tortilla rolls instead of buns. Probably healthier though.
Ane’s friends were all very interesting, kindly conversing in fluent English for me to keep up. One of the guys, Knut, had just spent a year living in Jerusalem and told some great stories, in an American accent no less. Another friend was so enthusiastic about everything; she’s an amazing cello player and was ecstatic about the idea of me living in a place like ‘the Pirates of the Caribbean movie!!’

We tried to make our own cotton candy and epically failed. So instead watched the end of the Opening Ceremony performance, which besides from J K Rowling and Mr. Bean I was perplexed over the extravagance and how it related to the ideals behind the Olympics. Watched the countries come in with their flags up to (you guessed it) Cayman Islands!

Today has rained. Heidi and I ventured out though. Experiencing it all right? We went to what at first I thought was a ‘monk’ museum, but in actual fact it was the Munch Museum, a particular art summer art exhibition of the painting Puberty.  Even got to The Scream (Skrik), the only painting which if I’m honest I recognised. Some of it was really exquisite, so many colours and interesting stories. Others I didn’t think Edvard would have even managed to pass the Higher Level Art in the IB with. But then, what do I know?

Home again, where Heidi’s parents have arrived. After hearing some intense mountain-man stories of Jan chopping wood from 40 metre trees (a strange hobby), and comparing tan lines (he wins),Heidi and I are getting to work on some Thai soup she’s excited to make.

Lots of Love,
Mye Kjærlighet

Abi

 Vigeland Statue

 If I lived 100 years ago, I would have obviously been his model.

 Heidi gets artsy.

 Royal Palace, under construction

 Made me smile :)

 Rhysssssss.

 Opera House

 Henrik Ibsen statue, writer of the Dollhouse, in front of the National Theatre.

Heidi! :D

Norway, Day 1- Fjords

Flying went smoothly; I got to sit next to a girl that I knew somewhat from the year below me at my old school, instead of a complete stranger which was comforting.

Eleven hour flight, than six in Heathrow. I always thought the people who fell asleep in airports were insane. But there I was, in the middle of the chaos, with my sleeping mask secured, holding my handbag as a teddy bear and my legs resting on my suitcase fast asleep for a good two hours. Classy.

On the two hour flight to Oslo I made friends with an Indian-Norwegian. She was lovely J

Heidi met me at the airport, we took a bus for an hour into the centre of Oslo where her older sister, Ane and her 6”6 boyfriend (made my day feeling so petite hugging him, not gunna lie) picked us up from there. Asleep when it got dark, so… 11. NBD.

Twelve hours of asleep. Heidi woke me up after doing a morning jog of 14k (again, NBD). We took a train to the centre of Oslo where we walked all around. It was just so beautiful. Through a park that had only statues of naked people called the Vigeland Sculpture Park. To the Prime Ministers house. Past the Royal Palace. Strolling along the rode we bumped into Rhys! So funny, one moment where you’re thinking ‘hmm that looks like someone I know,..WAIT- that IS someone I know!’

Heidi and I then took a two hour boat ride through the Fjords, passing the Opera House and lots of tiny islands with summer homes. The sun was out, which I was so thankful for. It really was a beautiful day.

Now we’re back at Heidi’s home. Her sister leaves to the Netherlands on Sunday for half a year for something to do with her Law degree, so she’s having friends over tonight. Heidi’s parents come back tomorrow (they were in their Southern cabin for the last week).

So it begins again...

Summer in Cayman was as expected. Beautiful. Warm. Relaxing. Loving. How nine weeks went so fast is incredible. I managed to do nearly everything on my To-Do list! Success. I’m even leaving, dare I say it, tan. I hate saying good-bye though. To friends, the concept of all the adventures, stories that we won’t share together is sad. For my family, well it goes deeper. The word 'miss' doesn't portray the momentum of the feeling.

I still have two weeks until I’m back to St Donats.

But travelling starts now! I’m in the departure lounge in Grand Cayman, waiting for good ole British Airways to transport me back across the Atlantic. Just under 5,000 miles, no big deal.

Five hours of two-days-before-the-Olympics-craziness in Heathrow and then two more hours of flying- than… OSLO! Six full days in Oslo with Heidi. <3
From there we meet with my second year, Rhys, in Oslo airport and travel down to Nice where we’ll spend another six full days with Chloe [with an accent] and her family.

Hopefully I’ll have time to keep everyone updated with what happens!

Kaibo (North-East) Side of home <3