The diary of David, a just-turned-30 Brit living in Norway
As I'm sure you've figured out from this blog, I travel a lot. I try to get back to the UK every few months and travel around Norway extensively. I should explain that I love flying and I love airports! For many a plane is a way to get from A to B and airports are nothing but an annoyance. For me, it's all part of the travel experience. As such, I absolutely love T5, the new(ish) British Airways only terminal at London Heathrow. The buzz of … [Read more...]
Back in October I took the Oslo to Bergen railway with my friends Chris and Graham. This weekend I repeated the trip with Nicola and Simarjeet, dear friends from my Oxjam Brum days. They were staying with me for a week so to mix it up a bit we chose to check out Bergen, partly for the railway trip and partly for the musical heritage of the city. I also wanted to give the place a second chance, as I wasn't too fond of it first time around. I … [Read more...]
I'm a music man. I don't play an instrument, I can't sing, but I listen. A lot. Spotify, Soundcloud and YouTube are as much a part of my daily routine as breakfast and there is rarely a quiet moment in my apartment. On this blog I've written a series of posts about Norwegian artists, such as Sondre Lerche, Erlend Øye and Datarock. Discovering new music (whether new to me or new to the world) has always been a passion, but sometimes it's good to … [Read more...]
Back in May I described the early stages of my Norwegian travel bug, including several places I'd like to visit. Since then, I've chalked up Bergen, Tromsø, Lillehammer, several visits to Trondheim and of course many of Oslo's nooks and crannies. But where next? I have several thoughts, but after successfully crowdsourcing ideas for my Tromsø trip on Twitter, I've decided to ask for your input! If there's somewhere you think I must go … [Read more...]
If I'm honest, the idea of visiting an open-air museum during a Norwegian winter didn't fill me with joy. It came recommended by many though and with nothing else on the agenda, it seemed wise to at least give it a shot. Following our visit to the Norwegian Olympic Museum, Gerry and I made our way through the white and cold of Lillehammer to Maihaugen, not really sure what to expect. It had been sold to me as a collection of old Norwegian … [Read more...]
This Saturday I packed my furry boots, thermos and countless layers of clothing for my first visit inland. My destination was the small town of Lillehammer, 170km due north of Oslo on the shores of Lake Mjøsa. The day began for me (and my travelling companion Gerry) with an early start on Dovrebanen, the train line which transports countless people the 553km between Oslo and Trondheim. It might not be as famous as the Oslo to Bergen railway, … [Read more...]
This is the third and final part of the series about my first visit to Tromsø. Check out my posts about my winter weekend and the music scene in Tromsø, if you haven't already - thanks! :) Aside from its beautiful natural setting, the most iconic image of Tromsø must surely be the Arctic Cathedral. The striking white triangular structure is visible from most of Tromsøya island thanks to its fantastic location right on the end of the bridge … [Read more...]
During my first weekend in Tromsø, I was determined to get under its skin. For a town of just 69,000 people it punches well above its weight in musical and cultural circles and I wanted to find out what makes it tick. Tromsø is a famous breeding ground for electronic music. Artists such as Röyksopp, Bel Canto and Mental Overdrive found their feet here and the city hosts the annual Insomnia techno festival. Check out this video for a little … [Read more...]
Part I of my series about the arctic city of Tromsø Ah the weekend. After a hectic few weeks at work, I chose to get away and continue my travels around this fine Kingdom of Norway. With several visits to Trondheim and a trip on the Oslo to Bergen railway already in the bank, I chose to head north. But not just north. Further north than I’ve ever been before, 69 degrees north and 350 km inside the arctic circle, to the city of … [Read more...]
Back in August I wrote about preparing for my first Scandinavian winter. Little did I know that come the 3rd of December, I would be sat in my Oslo apartment with the radiators off, gazing out of the window still waiting for the first snowfall. November 2011 has gone down in the records book as Norway's warmest ever, or at least since records began 111 years ago. This despite Hurricane Berit battering much of the country last week, doing … [Read more...]
He writes here about his new life in Norway: his observations and experiences, the language and culture, the people and places. [Read More …]
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