• Røros

    An Afternoon in Røros

    Even though the copper mines have closed, there’s no mistaking the heritage of Røros

  • Ice Hockey at Jordal Amfi in Oslo

    My First Ice Hockey Experience

    Inside the ramshackle building was a surprisingly roomy arena

  • Polar night in Tromsø

    Polar Nights in Tromsø

    My winter weekend in the arctic

  • ski8

    My first skiing experience

    Joining Norway's cross-country lovers

In 2011 I left the UK for Scandinavia. This is my blog of my experiences and my travels around Northern Europe.

A Weekend at Wembley

Cobblers fans at Wembley

Oh the perils of being an expat football fan.

When your team makes a Wembley final, do you go, or not?

Like there was ever any doubt!

Being a Northampton Town fan, you soon learn to savour the big occasions, as they don’t come along that often. In the club’s 116-year history this was just the third time they would walk out at the national stadium. Despite the huge cost (thousands of kroner for flights back to England) at a time when I’m slashing spending to kick-off my freelance career, it was a no-brainer. I would be at the League Two Play-Off Final!

Alan Carr Northampton tweetThe build-up was different to the previous Wembley games, for me at least. It was more about the novelty of international travel to see a football match, an unexpected family reunion, and a weekend away in London. It was only when I read Alan Carr’s tweet (his Dad used to be Northampton Town manager) that I began to remember there was a football match on – and I was nervous as hell!

Those nerves doubled – but so did the excitement – when leaving Wembley Park tube station. To any football fan, young or old, the sight of Wembley as you emerge from the station is indescribable. Whatever your age, you become a little kid again – for that split-second!

Walking along Wembley Way remains one of those things that only fellow football fans can appreciate – it just has to be done. The sights, the sounds, the friendly banter with the opposition fans, the sheer anticipation is wonderful.

Wembley Stadium from Wembley Park

Wembley Way

Wembley Way excitement

Random Bradford fan, my brother, and me!

The excitement didn’t last long, as we conceded three goals within the first 28 minutes. Game over. Bradford City dominated the game from start to finish and thoroughly deserved the win – and promotion. No complaints from me.

I stayed behind to applaud the team, after all, it’s not like I’m good enough to ever play at Wembley. It was the culmination of a remarkable season, considering last year we were battling to stay in the Football League. Having lived in Norway for the past two years I haven’t seen a Cobblers game for ages – so my applause was for the season.

Northampton v Bradford Play-Off Final

Bradford City fans at Wembley

Sure I was gutted about the result, but I couldn’t be too upset. I haven’t seen a game in years, and I enjoyed the weekend in London regardless. My thanks to Chris, Ben and Alex for putting me up for the weekend – and cheering me up after the game. Most importantly of all, I got to catch up with family – my dad, two brothers, one brother’s girlfriend, an uncle and a cousin – and some old friends from my home village who I haven’t seen in years.

Despite the money and the greed – football still has the power to bring people together :)

My Facebook status after the game sums up my feelings:

“It took two flights to get here and hundreds of pounds, all to watch a gutless performance on the big stage. But you know what, I’d do it all again tomorrow. Because this is why we love football. UTC. FTP.”

An Introduction to Trondheim

Moving to Trondheim

It’s been over a week since I packed my bags and left Oslo, so how am I settling into life in Trondheim? Pretty well, thanks! It’s not like Trondheim has been a massive surprise as I made six or seven trips here over the past two years. Despite having a good feel for the city, [...]

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Two Years in Oslo – In Pictures

Oslo logo

Wow, thanks so much for all the kind comments, tweets, and personal emails after I announced that I quit my job and left Oslo. It means a lot As the comments flooded in, I began to reflect on my two years in the capital. So many memories! Many captured on camera. Here are just some [...]

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Goodbye Job and Goodbye Oslo!

Sunset over Aker Brygge Oslo

Today marks an important anniversary for me. Two years ago I left the UK to start a new adventure. I wanted to experience living and working abroad, so I accepted a contract in Oslo from a few opportunities. During the first year I enjoyed living in Norway so much that I took a permanent job. [...]

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Norwegian Russ – Silly Season is Here

Norwegian Russ

Those new to Norway will notice some bizarre sights between now and 17th May: Teenagers lounging around the place wearing coloured (usually red) overalls Party buses cruising the roads playing bass-heavy music Fountains full of washing-up liquid It’s all part of Norway’s annual celebration for high school graduates – Russefeiring. Rather than me as an [...]

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Interview with Kristian Nesser – Life in Small-Town Norway

Grong, Nord-Trøndelag

As regular readers will have noticed, I recently spent some time in the Grong region of central Norway. It’s a region famous for its salmon rivers but largely ignored by travellers. I spent a night in a mountain cabin on the spectacular Geitfjellet mountains, my first experience of mountain life in rural Norway. In these [...]

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Lost in the Mountains

Sun setting over Geitfjellet

Okay so the title is a little white lie, I wasn’t literally lost in the mountains. It refers to the feeling of isolation on my recent trip to Rundtjønnhytta, the tiny cabin in the middle of the Geitfjellet mountain range. I talked about the cosiness of staying in a mountain cabin, but this can only [...]

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A Day and Night in a Mountain Cabin

hytta

“I’ve read your blog and you write about the cities really well, but you’re about to see real Norwegian life” So said my guide Kristian, as we jumped on a snowmobile for an 8km tour of Geitfjellet, the mountains that tower over Grong in Nord-Trøndelag. I say tour, but it was more of a one-way [...]

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The Salmon Rivers of Trøndelag

Namsen Salmon Aquarium

It covers 16,000 square miles of central Norway, but Trøndelag is a region many tourists miss. This despite hosting an award-winning World Heritage town, one of Norway’s best ski resorts, and the country’s capital during the Viking age. That’s Røros, Oppdal and Trondheim, if you were wondering But the area has a growing reputation for niche tourism, [...]

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Interview with Trevor Morley

Trevor Morley on Norwegian TV

As a six year-old, I sat on the barrier at the front of the Hotel End, watching a 23-year-old Trevor Morley captain Northampton Town FC to the 4th division title with a stonking 99 points. It’s one of my earliest memories in football. He went on to have a successful career with Manchester City, West Ham [...]

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