Visit to Oslo – Mega the Norsk

I am back in Bergen after a 5+ day visit to Oslo. As I sketched out my 3+ month visit to Norway, I figured there would be a few long weekend visits and Oslo was at the top of that list. Oslo is where I have spent most of my time on my previous trips to Norway. I also knew it would be good for me to meet up with a number of people in Oslo. The exact plans for the visit ebbed and flowed as I tried to select the best weekend. My initial plans had me thinking that a four-day visit would be sufficient. After some thought, I felt it was best to err on the side of the being too long rather than too short. The final trip turned into six days including the travel. I took the train to/from Oslo, as opposed to flying. The train provided me more flexibility as I figured out my plans and the train also allowed me to enjoy the views in traveling across Norway.

The train ride going past Finse, Norway. Finse is at an elevation of 4,009 feet and it is still very much winter there. Norwegians will continue to travel to Finse for awhile to get the last of their cross country skiing in for the year.

*The Akerhus Fortress, a medieval castle, at night on the banks for the Oslofjord.*

The quick summary of my time in Oslo is that it was a bit of everything. The activities on the first day were centered at the University of Oslo. In summer 2024, we had a visiting graduate student, from the University of Leipzig (Germany), working with us at CU-Boulder. That graduate student, Lukas, is now a PhD student at the University of Oslo. I emailed Lukas on getting together in Oslo. Lukas suggested that I give a seminar presentation at the University of Oslo. I became quickly convinced of the suggestion and worked out the details. On Friday afternoon, I gave a presentation on my recent Arctic and Antarctic meteorology research, and the work that I am doing while at the University of Bergen. The presentation went well. There were also two Fulbright grantees that came to the presentation. (I had met them in February at the Winter Seminar and Ski Weekend.) The three of us were able to hangout after the presentation and catch up on our experiences from the last month. The day ended with me having dinner with the members of Lukas’ research group at the University of Oslo. It was a fun “work-day” to start my Oslo visit.

*My seminar presentation at the University of Oslo, and a photo with the two Fulbright grantees who attended the presentation.*

I met up with a high school friend, Leif, on Saturday for lunch. Leif was a foreign exchange student when I was a freshman in high school. For the most part, we have not been in contact since then. We had been loosely connected through Facebook for a number of years. I reached out to Leif as I was preparing for my visit to Norway. He lives outside of Oslo, which made it an obvious visit during my long weekend in Oslo. Leif met up with me in Oslo Centrum, and we were able to have a three-hour lunch catching up on all that has been happening in our lives since high school, as well as sharing updates of high school friends. After the lunch with Leif, I switched to being a tourist around Oslo. The Bjørvika neighborhood has been essentially built up from nothing since my last visit to Norway in 2010. Bjørvika now has the Opera House, the Munch museum, the Oslo city library, and numerous residential buildings. The Opera House is one of the primary sights to see in Oslo. It opened in 2008 but I do not recall seeing it on my last visit to Oslo.

From top to bottom: Oslo residents enjoying a sunny and warm spring day in Aker Brygge, which is where I had lunch with Leif. The Munch Museum in Bjørvika. Norwegians enjoying floating saunas and a quick jump into the Oslofjord. The Oslo Opera House in Bjørvika. You are able to walk to the top of the Opera House, using the inclines on either side, to have views of Oslo and the Oslofjord.

One of the pivotal plans that came together for this visit was when Lukas (the graduate student) told me about the Biathlon World Cup season finale being held in Oslo. Lukas strongly encouraged me to attend, as it would be a “classic Norwegian thing to do”. I didn’t hesitate. As soon as he mentioned “biathlon” I knew that it would be a central part of my weekend. Lukas, Ben (Fulbright student grantee), and I attended the Sunday afternoon competitions, which had the Women’s 12.5 km Mass Start and the Men’s 15 km Mass Start competitions. In preparation for my biathlon spectating experience, I re-watched both Mass Start races from the Winter Olympics to familiarize myself with the logistics of the race and to learn the key competitors in the races. The biathlon races were amazing. I am truly happy that I was able to include them in my collection of Norwegian experiences. Lukas had attended the races a year and recommended that we setup on the grounds of the course, in a spot that overlooked, from a distance, the grandstand area and shooting range. Large-screen TVs were setup throughout the grounds to allow spectators to track the race and the shooting when the biathletes were not nearby. It was two great races as they both came down to the final shooting and a sprint at the finish. So much fun!

From top to bottom of the Women’s Mass Start: The lead pack shortly after the start of the race. The shooting range is in the upper-left corner. If an athlete misses one of the targets they have to ski an additional penalty lap (the loop on the left side). Once clear from the shooting and/or penalty loop, the athletes start the next lap. Watching the standing shooting on one of the giant TVs setup around the grounds of Holmenkollen. The Haugen part of the Holmenkollen biathlon grounds with some spectators warming up by a fire.

From top to bottom of the Men’s Mass Start: The 30 Mass Start biathletes shortly after the start of the race. The race leaders going up the hill at the start of another lap after finishing the shooting. The finish for the two top biathletes of the Men’s Mass start. Lukas and I from our position on the Haugen overlooking the biathlon course.

I returned to being a tourist on Monday, although I was not a very good tourist as two of the museums that I wanted to see were closed for the day. It was good to get out and around Oslo and seeing more sights. Some of what I saw brought back memories from my previous visits and some of it was all new since I had last been in Oslo. I spent about an hour walking around the Deichman Bjørvika, which is the Olso City Library in the Bjørvika neighborhood. The library is also new since my last visit to Norway. Two of this year’s Fulbright Norway grantees, Ryan and Jenna, are a couple that are living on the edge of Oslo with their daughter. I went out to their home for dinner on Monday evening and had a great time visiting with them and hearing more about their experiences from the year.

From top to bottom: The Deichman Bjørvika, which is the main branch of the Oslo city library. Inside the Deichman Bjørvika and looking down between floors. A small beach area that is a part of the residential area of Tjuvholmen near Aker Brygge.

My visit to Oslo ended with having lunch with the Fulbright Norway staff at their offices in Oslo Centrum, a few blocks away from the palace. I was given a bag of Fulbright Norway schwag that I missed out on from the August orientation (I arrived in February). It was good to spend time visiting with the Fulbright Norway staff again after our time together with the Winter Seminar and Ski Weekend. After lunch, I walked to the Oslo S train station, with Ben, who was also at the lunch, and I boarded my train for the seven-hour trip back to Bergen.