Have you ever been so overwhelmed by your surroundings that you shed a tear? Something so awe-inspiring you just had to let go of your emotions? Introducing the highlight of my summer vacation, the boat trip from Flåm to Gudvangen on the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord: Several boats a day make the 2-hour journey between Flåm [...]
Interview with Startup Norway
Following the success of my first Life in Norway interview with Tim Wendelboe, I had no choice but to get straight back out there for another! This week I visited Oslo’s co-working space MESH to meet the folks behind Startup Norway, an organisation set up to promote tech startups and entrepreneurship throughout the country. I [...]
Interview with Tim Wendelboe
I’m proud to welcome the former World Champion Barista and all-round Oslo coffee hero Tim Wendelboe into the Life in Norway hotseat, for our first ever interview! Tim runs his own popular espresso bar in Grünerløkka alongside a roastery, import company and a consultancy – phew! Tim took time out of a recent research trip to [...]
My First Impressions of Stavanger
I started my new job on Monday. My first task was to fly to Stavanger for a three-day training course. Having never visited one of Norway’s most important cities, I was pleased to be going, despite the 5am wake-up call! Here’s what I knew about Stavanger before going: – It’s Norway’s oil capital – The [...]
26 Things I Learned From a Year in Norway
A whole year has passed since I packed my bags and headed north to Scandinavian lands. Some days I can’t believe it’s gone so quickly, other days it feels like I’ve been here a lifetime. But rewinding one year, I knew very little about Norway. The experiences I’ve had since then, many of which I’ve [...]
My First Ice Hockey Experience
Like in much of Europe, most Norwegian football teams are part of a wider sports club. The Vålerenga IF sports club consists primarily of football, handball and ice hockey, alongside other sports such as basketball and even American Football. Soon after my arrival in Oslo I was given the Vålerenga injection to ensure my blood [...]
The Norwegian Phenomenon of Brown Cheese
Norway’s national diet harks back to its days as a poor country, with a focus on preserving fish and meats in salt, lots of potatoes and simple sauces. This heritage still dominates today with delicacies such as lutefisk eaten through choice rather than necessity. One of Norway’s best loved culinary treats is also one of [...]
The Norwegian Obsession With English Football
As I write this I’m sitting in my Oslo apartment watching a popular Norwegian TV channel, TV2 Zebra, sort of the Channel 4 of Norway. Any guesses as to what I’m watching? A two-hour English football special, featuring five pundits live in a studio talking about transfer deadline day. Back in December I stumbled into [...]
A Mexican View on Norway
As much as I love sharing my thoughts and observations on Norway and Norwegians, you’ve heard plenty from me lately. So here I present Life in Norway’s second guest post, this time from Gerry. He works at NTNU (Norwegian University of Science & Technology) and moved from Mexico to Norway in April 2010… Through the [...]
The Winter Olympic Town of Lillehammer
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 [...]
