Gold

This will be the last photo from my excursion in our Parliament Building, I promise. This is a photo of the roof in the White Hall, pretty nice!

Russeknute

When I came across these leavers in Karl Johan this afternoon, I just had to take a photo of them for today's post. This is just another example of the (stupid) things they have to do. Walking on all four from Oslo central train station (Oslo S) to the Royal Castle (about 1.5 km) gives you, not only lots of bruises, but also a shoelace to tie in your cap's tassel

Domus Media

The yellow buildings you can see on today's photo are two of the three old university buildings surrounding the University Square. The three buildings, named Domus Bibliotheca (on the left), Domus Media (in the middle) and Domus Academica (on the right outside the photo), are all a part of the University of Oslo. They were designed by Christian Heinrich Grosch and was completed in 1852. This make them the oldest university buildings in Norway. Today it is the University of Oslo's Faculty of Law and its students that houses these buildings.
The statue in the forground of today's photo is a statue of Ludvig Holberg, a famous Norwegian writer. It may look like the statue is a part of the University Square, although it is not. Between the statue and the university buildings and square, goes Karl Johan, Oslo's main street. The statue of Ludvig Holberg is actually erected next to the building that is Nationalteathret, the National Theatre, which is what I had my back against when I took this photo

Foam party!

As spring arrives, and the month of April passes by, more and more young people can be spotted in red baggy pants running around town blowing whistles. This phenomenon is the Norwegian "Russefeiring" (the high school leavers party), which basically is three weeks worth of partying all day and all night long. It starts in the end of April and lasts until the 17th of May, on our national day. Along with the red pants, a type of hat or cap belongs to the leavers "uniform." The hat/cap has a very long tassel where you can tie stuff to it. The things you tie on the tassel represents different (stupid) tasks you have done, like drinking 24 beers in 12 hours or eaten a big mac in 30 seconds. After a quick search online I found the leavers official website with an overwiev of all the tasks. I couldn't find "Pour dishwashing liquid into a fountain" but this fountain outside the Nationaltheatret (the National Theatre) has got the leavers 2010 written all over it.
These are the tasks www.russ.no

Svartemarja

My favourite museum to visit when I was a child was the Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology. It was the only museum that managed to catch my attention for more than a few minutes at the time. I remember I loved running around looking at and playing with all the cool stuff they had on display. A few months back and for the first time since I was a child, I visited this museum again. Most of it was as I remembered, althought some things had changed. The section that had old bikes, cars, locomotives and airplanes on display were just the same. Today's photo is of one of the cars, one of Oslo's first police cars. In 1922 the Oslo police department bought their first three cars. They were nicknamed "Svartemarja" or "Black Mary" by the people in Oslo.
Check out www.tekniskmuseum.no

Tussilago Farfara

Just a quick post today, with a photo of one of the first flowers you can spot in spring time, the Tussilago farfara. In Norwegian its called Hestehov and in English Coltsfoot

Sky

If you walk up along Akerselva, a little river that runs through Oslo, you will at some point come across this house. I call it the cloud house (skyhuset), its "residents" calls it the skyskraper. The skyskraper houses several cooperating media, commercial and entertainment companies. This is their homepage www.skyskraper.no

Ibsen Sitat

The very famous Norwegian playwriter and poet, Henrik Ibsen, lived his last years in Arbins gate, here in Oslo. In 2006, the hundred year anniversary of his death was celebrated in Norway. Amongst a lot of things happening, one of the more permanent celebrations was the art project Ibsen Sitat (Ibsen Quote) by the Ibsen Foundation, www.ibsen-foundation.org This project took to engrave quotes from Ibsen’s plays and poetry into the pavement, all the way from Ibsen’s old flat in Arbins gate, along his daily route to the Grand Café in Karl Johan. As a way to involve people in this project, Ibsen Foundation opened up for everyone to choose their favourite quote and tell why they like it. Then the they would pick out the quotes that would be engraved. Today’s photo is of one of the quotes I really like: ”Sagen er den, ser I, at den stærkeste mand i verden, det er han som står mest alene” Translated, this would be something like: ”The fact is, as I see it, that the strongest man in the world, is he who stands most alone” This quote is from ”En Folkefiende,” one of Ibsen’s plays, and was sent in by by Marthe Abrahamsen. Here is her story behind the quote. Read more about the project at www.ibsen-foundation.org and www.ibsensitat.no

Toilet Scribbles

It is interesting how much stuff being written inside the cubicles at public toilets. At university there is plenty of people, which means there will be plenty of thoughts and meanings scribbled down. I am no big fan of Twilight, the movies, but seeing this the other day made me chuckle. "Because of Edward Cullen I will never find a man who will make me happy" I especially enjoyed what someone have added in red, "Pathetic"

Eidsvollsgalleriet

Another photo from inside the Parliament Building. People on the excurtion with me must have thought I was over the average interested!! This photo is taken in a room called Eidsvollsgalleriet (Eidsvoll's Gallery). The room has 22 paintings on display, all of them portraying important representatives that was chosen to take part in the founding of Norway's constitution on the 17th of May 1814 in Eidsvoll. Hence, the name of the room

Untuned Bell

On the tram the other day I noticed a long wooden poster-wall at Tullinløkka, a little square in Oslo. It was covered with lots of colorful posters, and I decided to walk back past it to see if I could get a cool photo for the blog. When I got there I quickly found out that the poster-wall is part of an art project by KORO (art in the public sphere) and the artist A K Dolven. You can read more about the project here
Quickly explained, Dolven has taken the 1,5 tonnes bell that once was removed from Oslo City Hall because it was out of tune with the other 48 bells, and installed in the air at Tullinløkka. If you step on the pedal on the ground underneath it, it will sound again. I have to admit, I neither stepped on the pedal nor tilt my head back to look at the bell, due to a bright shiny sun and a slight headache, but I took my time to study the poster-wall. Since Tullinløkka used to be a central meeting place in Olso, used for public gatherings and manifestations, the project of Untuned Bell wants to reclaim the area’s history. On the poster-wall people are given the chance to air their opinions and draw attention to matters they find imporant. As you can see, it is covered with children’s drawings and notes, political posters and exclamations, old news paper articles, even graffiti. ”Untuned Bell calls each individual to make a sound for the untuned, and to voice their opinion about the general attitude towards deviation from norms that exist in our world.” You have until the 31st of May! Read more about KORO on their web pages www.koro.no

Flower market

Today's photo is of the flower market at Stortorvet, a little square in the centre of Oslo. In the background you can see the spire of Oslo Dome Church. The church is in fact re-opening today after three years of repair and restoration

Skiføre

There is this shop I sometimes find myself in, not because of the clothes they sell, but because of all the little trinkets they have for sale in the room furtherst in. The other day I suddenly was in this shop again, standing amongst pieces of lavender and mint soap, bath salt, ceramics for the kitchen and other design pieces. Then I noticed something I haven't seen there before; Even further into the shop, they've opened up a set of doors leading to another huge room, which serves as a gallery. I walked in and got mesmerized by the paintings there, almost all of them depicting Norwegian winter landscape and for a second I found myself starting to miss winter.. I especially liked the painting I'm posting today. I haven't managed to find any decent web pages that says anything about the artist, I only have a phamplet from the shop. But, he must be mentioned, his name is Kjetil Haaland

Friday equals beer??

Finally its Friday, and as my fellow students and I recieved our monthly student loan a few days ago, this particular Friday equals beer! So I thought this photo was a suitable one for today. Ringnes is Norway’s largest brewery and has a 130 year long history. The brewery was established by the brothers Amund and Ellef Ringnes in 1876. Today’s photo is of the entrance of what used to be Ringnes’ brewery. The beer production was moved from this building to a new and more modern brewery outside of Oslo in 2001. Today, this is the site of Ringnes' main office. Read more about beer and Ringnes on www.ringnes.no

R&R

Surrounding the Royal Castle, Slottsparken is one of Oslo's many green lungs. It connects Oslo's main street, Karl Johan, with the western suburbs. Today's photo shows the north-western end of the park, where the street Hegdehaugsveien starts, only to continue into Bogstadveien further west, which is one of Oslo's major fashion shopping street. Take the metro to Majorstua, work your way down towards the city centre along Bogstadveien, shop till you drop, and Slottsparken is the perfect spot for some r&r aftwards

White Hall

This is the red White Hall inside the Norwegian Parliament Building. This is where the 169 representatives/members meet for discussions. The Parliament Building was designed by the architect Emil Victor Langlet, and inaugurated March 5th 1866. As well as the building itself, Langlet also designed the White Hall. He was inspired by Norwegian nature, the pillars are made from Norwegian oak, and he used motifs from Norwegian Stave Churches/Medieval Wooden Churches

"SKRIK"

This is the view of Oslo from the road to Ekebergsletta. This view was the inspiration behind the landscape in what probably is the norwegian painter Edvard Munch's most famous painting "Skrik," painted in Berlin in 1893

Hokus Pokus

In Oslo's old town, Gamlebyen, there is a skate park with a legal graffiti wall surrounding it. Its not just the flowers that comes out in spring, yesterday a girl was there painting the walls with graffiti and a numerous of skaters enjoying a nice day out

Spring is here!

After a little rainy period, the sun is out and so are the flowers! This is a sure sign of spring and I have celebrated with an ice cream out in the sunny weather!

A different world

I have been very lucky to have travelled a lot and experienced not only many different countries and cultures, but also fantastic views of mountains, lakes, beaches, waterfalls, forests etc. At some point through my travelling I realized that if I don't stop, in the middle of hiking the Inka Trail in Peru for example, and take a moment to look back to where I came from every now and then, I would not only miss out on views that could be even more fantastic than the views I had right in front of me, but I would also miss out on experiencing my surroundings and travelling in a different way than I else would. Now, wherever I am, I always take time to stop and turn around to see how the world looks like behind me. So I did the other day during the excursion to the Parliament Building. Whilst in Stortingssalen (the White Hall) when everyone was looking towards the front, I stopped, turned around and peeked out the windows. It was very interesting to get this view over the main street in Oslo, Karl Johan's gate. I don't think I've ever seen it from another angle than street level. The yellow building you can see in the far back is the norwegian castle, Slottet, and the little round square in the front is Eidsvolls Plass

Pink moss

An old wall covered in moss and pink graffiti close to the Medieval Ruin Park. I like the colours and contrast between the pink and green

Frihetens søstre

Today I attended an excursion to the Norwegian Parliament Building, Stortinget. It occured to me that the building is hosting lots and lots of artwork either paintings, weavings or mosaics. Today's photo is taken in the hall right inside the main entrance. It's called "Frihetens søstre" (Sisters of freedom), and it's painted by Arne Ekeland. It took three versions of this painting, painted in 1938, 1958 and 1964, before it was "approved" by Stortinget and put up on the wall in 1991. The reason for this, our guide told us, was because Ekeland was a communist, and it's not until after his death his art is appreciated

Bysykkel

On my way to a friend of mine this afternoon, I noticed that they were putting the city bikes out for the season. I thought that could be something to blog, as it is a really good way for Oslo citizens to get in shape and to treat our environment a little better. It only costs 80 kroner for the season, starting today. If you are a tourist, they tell you on their web page where to go for more information. www.oslobysykkel.no

Something to do!

This tip might come four public holidays too late or a few months too early, but if you need something to do on a day when everything is closed, try the Natural History Museum and botanical garden at Tøyen. This is the museums homepage, www.nhm.uio.no Today's photo is from the entrance in Jens Bjelkes gate