Visit Norway – Oslo

The ice hotel? Well, I must say it was a great nights sleep. The sleeping bag issued is capable of taking much lower temperatures but what is surreal is how much the ice walls absorb sound. A total silence is all you hear. Well after that refreshing night we made our way back across to Oslo.

The sun came out on the snow covered streets and hills surrounding Oslo as we went to watch the World Snowboarding Trials. I had never been to watch such a sporting event, skiing and snowboarding being something very much confined to my television. Well, it turned out to be a great experience. From our vantage point half way up the hill we watched the final run of the mens competition. Little did I realise actually how high these guys jump nor how much drop the was on each slope!

In the end the competition was won by Chas Guldemond from USA. Down in the winners enclosure and podium we had the honour of meeting him and a quick chat.

Round the corner and into the tipi we went and as we sat we ended up speaking to Norwegian and Mr Snowboarding himself Terje Håkonsen.

Later in the day we went back to the city centre for a guided tour to soak up the history and sights of Oslo. There really is a rich and diverse history and saw such great buildings as the Royal Palace and the Opera House.

Where are we off next? Well I am sure I will explain more afterwards but will definitely involve putting skis on ourselves.