This Is Norway

They showed this video to the new international students when they arrived in January. The guy speaking in it has one of the strongest Norwegian accents I've ever heard (at least while speaking English). Watch and have a giggle :)

Slithering through Sør-Trøndelag

This weekend we had a reading week, so I took the opportunity to go and have a look at Trondheim. I read some stuff when I got back though, I promise!

View over Trondheim, with Nidarosdomen and Nidelva

To my dismay, I got off the bus in the city centre to discover that Trondheim is in fact one large skating rink. Not an ounce of grit to be seen anywhere. It's strange really, considering the trønders seemed to be having as much difficulty staying upright as I was, with the exception of one teenage boy who strode past me playing a gameboy (show off).

After I managed to windmill my way up the hill to the youth hostel (consider the flailing arm movement employed by many when trying to stay upright walking on ice), I had to leave again straight away because I had a ticket to see Et Dukkehjem (A Doll's House) by Henrik Ibsen. That's right, I am THAT obsessed with the theatre. However, I've never had the chance to see an Ibsen play performed before, so it was quite special. And it was REALLY good. I especially loved the woman who played Nora - it was like the part was written for her.

Next day was Sunday, which in Norway means everything's closed, and it being March meant that there were no touristy things on offer either (this has become my new argument for revisiting places in the summer - you can actually do things!). However, Trondheim being home to the most famous cathedral in Scandinavia, Nidaros, I decided to go to mass.

Nidaros Cathedral

It was all very grand and... echo-y, because there were only about 60 of us in a church the size of... something very large, but it was a nice mass with some baptisms thrown in. I was quite glad when it was over as well though. It was a bit too much like being back at primary school sometimes, especially when they all trudged up to get their wafers and I just got to sit there and wave at them.

Me being arty-farty :)

I have to admit that I've left it a tad too long to write this, because I've forgotten a lot of the details. I know I ended up back at the youth hostel for a couple hours that afternoon, then I decided to go and see The King's Speech. There was a good crowd at the cinema that day. They all laughed a lot and made it a really nice evening. Good film too ;)

Next day I went for a walk around the city. My original plan was to climb up to Kristiansten Fortress to get a better view over the city etc, but all the paths were solid ice. Instead, I slithered down the hill and then up round towards the university.

Nidaroselven

Houses/restaurants on stilts, view from Gamle Bybru

Gamle Bybru

NTNU, Trondheim's university

'The Last Viking' - I thought he was quite cool. Very solemn.

Later I found a road that went up round the back of the fortress that wasn't quite as icy, so I jogged up that, flinging myself into the bushes at the side of the road whenever a car came along, which I think just bemused most of the drivers because they're so used to people walking on the roads when the pavements are so iced up. Anyhoo, finally I made it. It was totally deserted, and it looked like they were in the middle of renovating it a bit, but it offered the view I'd been searching for.

Obligatory photo of a canon, with more of Trondheim rising up in the background

That evening I went to the theatre again, as I do. I saw a really cute little production about people misinterpreting one another. It was very funny, and my seat got upgraded because there were so few people in - win!

________________________________________________________________________________________

Me slobbing around the youth hostel

Arches of Gamle Bybru at night

'No to the sale of Norway - No to the EU and EEA'