Coffee = waste?

Coffee can be said to be Norway's national drink. Only in Finland do they drink more coffee than we do. Over 80% of the adult population in Norway drink coffee regularly, and an average norwegian drink about about 5 cups a day. That's about 9 kilos of coffee a year!! In 1994 there were two coffee shops in Oslo, today it's over a hundred. No doubt coffee shops are popular, the very sign of an urban society. As Erling Dokk Holm, a professor and researcher at the Oslo School of Marketing says "coffee shops are the dynamics of the social life of the city" (ref). But enough with all these coffee facts! Lets get to my point of this photo: All these coffee shops offer cheaper coffee as take-away. I've never thought of all the garbage all those paper cups must make, until I saw this stuffed trash can!

Eye on Gandhi

Yesterday I went to the Nobel Peace Center at Aker Brygge, where they had the exhibition Eye on Gandhi. The exhibition tells the story of why Gandhi didn't win any Nobel Peace Prize, even though he was nominated for the prize four times, the fourth time just months before he was killed in 1948. The exhibition also show Gandhi's last days through the photos of famous documentary photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. Hurry! It's only on for another two weeks, check the Nobel Peace Center's webpage for opening hours.

Butterflies

On one of my walks this weekend, I passed by this apartment building in Karlstadgata, near Sofienbergparken. Around one of the windows on the second floor were many, small and large colorful butterflies attached the wall. What a nice way to decorate your house!

The kids are out!

After a few snowy days, with a tolerable temperature at only -3 celsius (instead of -18 as it has been lately), the kids are out, doing what they do best! Here's three, ready for action in Sofienbergparken!

Last chance

January's Christmas sales are soon over! Next week is your last chance! Have you bought anything on sale? Something you wished for Christmas but didn't get? This is from inside Bik Bok a women's clothing shop. You can find Bik Bok all over town, this on at Grünerløkka.

Australia Day

Today is the CDP's (City Daily Photo portal) very first National Day Theme, and it happens to be Australia Day! My photo for today is one from my Australia Day celebration in 2006. It's not the best photo I've taken, but it is (surprisingly) the only one I've got from this evening! It's taken in Kings Park, onlooking Perth CBD. The park is a popular spot for an authentic aussie barbie on Oz Day, waiting for the fireworks over Swan River. I wish I had found out about CDP four years earlier, it would have been so much fun to have had a Perth Daily Photo blog too!! Happy Australia Day!

Oslo

A beautiful view over Oslo. The photo is taken from east facing south west. On a clear day you can see the fjord and the two towers of Oslo City Hall in the horizon. The day I took this photo it was quite foggy and the sun was going down, giving the photo a beautiful pale, yellow light. 

Løkka

Grünerløkka, populary called Løkka, is a borough east in Oslo. Løkka is a vibrant and modern area, with lots of culture, shopping and nightlife. Today's photo is taken in one of Løkka's main streets, Thorvald Meyers Gate.

Jernbanetorget

Jernbanetorget (The Railway Square), seen through the window at the restaurant Egon, is a large square in Oslo City Centre, in front of Oslo Sentralstasjon (Oslo Central Station). It is the largest node for public transportation in Oslo and Norway with all the tram lines passing through, connecting all train- subway- and bus services.

The Barcode Project

Driving through Oslo city centre in rush hour the other day gave me a good opportunity to take a close look at the infamous Barcode. The Barcode is the name given to the high-rise buildings in Bjørvika, close to the Opera House. There has been lots of discussions about these buildings, their height, design and location, both from architects and citizens: The location are said to make the Barcode a barrier between the fjord and the city and the architecture are described as chaotic. I quite like the buildings, their design and location. What do you think? Check out this webpage for the architects drawings: The Opera Quarter and my blogpost from may 2010 with photo from the earlier contruction work.

Rosenhoff Voksenopplæring

Keen on moving to Norway? Want to learn the language? At Oslo Voksenopplæring Rosenhoff (Oslo Adult Education at Rosenhoff) they offer norwegian courses, both daytime- and evening classes. The classes are held in this building at Rosenhoff, an area east in Oslo. Rosenhoff Voksenopplæring have also another faculty in the centre of Oslo. Fore more information, check out their homepage.

Fem trær

Fem trær (five trees) in Torshovdalen. It's Sunday, the perfect day for a walk in the park. It is just me, or does my photo look a little similar to David Hockney's painting "Three Trees Near Thixendale, Winter 2007"?

Yummy Heaven

I walked past this candy store in Torggata, not far from Youngstorget yesterday. I thought to myself, hey, it's Friday, and stepped inside.. The store name and my heading says it all: Yummy Heaven!!

The tram

Todays photo is from inside one of Oslos old blue trams, taken not far from the tram stop in Hausmanns gate. Oslo got their first trams in 1875, with one tram line through the city centre. Today there are 6 tram lines and 99 tram stops in Oslo.

Holmenkollbakken by night

I have posted a photo of Holmenkollen Ski Jump earlier, but I had to post this one too. I can reveal that it is the view from the apartment where I live (with a little zooming, of course). What a cool construction and lightening! A little fun fact for today: The first record set in Holmenkollen were in 1892 at 21,5 meters (Arne Ustvedt). In 1992 the record were at 113,5 meters (Jon Inge Kjørum), and in 2011 it was at 141 meters (Andreas Kofler).

Singelblokka

Beautiful winter light reflected in the verandas of Singelblokka. Singelblokka, or "the Single Block" is the nick name the residents of this block have given their apartment building, and it is one of nine housing associations in Oslo run by the Singles Association (Ensliges landsforbund). The Singles Association is a volunteer organization that works to improve the living conditions for single people and people living alone, economically and socially.

Skating. Dreaming.

For those of you who have read my earlier blog posts know that I spent 6 weeks in Paris during the summer of 2010. Living in Paris, actual living in Paris, have always been a dream of mine. Another dream I have is to ice-skate in front of Hôtel de Ville. After reading Eric Tenin's post "Skating by the Eiffel Tower" my dream have a new location. Back in Oslo you can ice-skate at Spikersuppa, an area between the Parliament (Stortinget) and Nationaltheatret, the building you can see in the background.

I'm back!

I'm back blogging after a year's break. I've moved back to the capitol and I wish I could say that this was my house! As it's not, what I can say is that I love the colourful decoration with the lightbulbs they've got going on.