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Kategori: Travel
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Back from Cyprus|Tilbake fra Kypros
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We’re home from two weeks in awesome Cyprus, we’ve grown quite fond of it and decided to go here this year as well. It was hotter this time but still two great weeks. We decided to go to Paramount Hotel near Protaras and Fig Tree Bay, a cozy hotel with great swimming pools. Though we spent most time on different beaches since our little one has problems with her ears.Cyprus has changed since last time though, it has become seriously expensive, I think the Euro has ruined a lot for tourists. Paying €10 for 4 cups of Cola at the hotel isn’t very attractive and I’m afraid we might look for other places to go next time. Theres something else as well, the politeness we were used to is fading away, is it due to the conflict with Turkey’s illegal occupying more and more of the country? When we enter a native Cypriot shop we see the politeness as we’re used too but when we enter a Turkish shop it is a whole different world. Oh well, the beaches are still nice and the public transport system is still much better than here in Norway and we still me a lot of great people who takes a stance for Cyprus and what it believes in.
The crew at Paramount was great too, especially Yannis who were a great sport and gentleman – he were always smiling and doing a great job.
Beside going to the beach we took The Pirate Ship trip, Camel Park, the big market near Larnaca, amusement park in Aya Napa, Waterworld and a few nights at the hotel with entertainment. Mimi is still awesome.
An example of how hot it was:
A typical Aya Napa bay:
The view from our hotel:
Somehow we often end up on the stage (me on the left):
They made me a birthday cake!
(which was very good)
From the Pirate trip, he looked a lot like Jack:
Heres is a shop I’ll never enter again, everyone is followed around in here and treated as a criminal: (Aphrodite Shop in Aya Napa)
From visiting the Camel park:
Awesome light/water-show in Protaras:
[/lang_en][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=»1_1″ background_position=»left top» background_color=»» border_size=»» border_color=»» border_style=»solid» spacing=»yes» background_image=»» background_repeat=»no-repeat» padding=»» margin_top=»0px» margin_bottom=»0px» class=»» id=»» animation_type=»» animation_speed=»0.3″ animation_direction=»left» hide_on_mobile=»no» center_content=»no» min_height=»none»][lang_nb-no]We’re home from two weeks in awesome Cyprus, we’ve grown quite fond of it and decided to go here this year as well. It was hotter this time but still two great weeks. We decided to go to Paramount Hotel near Protaras and Fig Tree Bay, a cozy hotel with great swimming pools. Though we spent most time on different beaches since our little one has problems with her ears.Cyprus has changed since last time though, it has become seriously expensive, I think the Euro has ruined a lot for tourists. Paying €10 for 4 cups of Cola at the hotel isn’t very attractive and I’m afraid we might look for other places to go next time. Theres something else as well, the politeness we were used to is fading away, is it due to the conflict with Turkey’s illegal occupying more and more of the country? When we enter a native Cypriot shop we see the politeness as we’re used too but when we enter a Turkish shop it is a whole different world. Oh well, the beaches are still nice and the public transport system is still much better than here in Norway and we still me a lot of great people who takes a stance for Cyprus and what it believes in.
The crew at Paramount was great too, especially Yannis who were a great sport and gentleman – he were always smiling and doing a great job.
Beside going to the beach we took The Pirate Ship trip, Camel Park, the big market near Larnaca, amusement park in Aya Napa, Waterworld and a few nights at the hotel with entertainment. Mimi is still awesome.
An example of how hot it was:
A typical Aya Napa bay:
The view from our hotel:
Somehow we often end up on the stage (me on the left):
They made me a birthday cake!
(which was very good)
From the Pirate trip, he looked a lot like Jack:
Heres is a shop I’ll never enter again, everyone is followed around in here and treated as a criminal: (Aphrodite Shop in Aya Napa)
From visiting the Camel park:
Awesome light/water-show in Protaras:
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Weekend trip with 29 kids|På tur med idrettsskolen
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=»yes» overflow=»visible»][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=»1_1″ background_position=»left top» background_color=»» border_size=»» border_color=»» border_style=»solid» spacing=»yes» background_image=»» background_repeat=»no-repeat» padding=»» margin_top=»0px» margin_bottom=»0px» class=»» id=»» animation_type=»» animation_speed=»0.3″ animation_direction=»left» hide_on_mobile=»no» center_content=»no» min_height=»none»][lang_en]I’ve had a great weekend. Once again we travelled with the sport school to Kvamskogen to ski. As usual the kids were looking forward to spend the night at the hut we use to rent. Lovely weather and ski conditions – a great weekend. 29 kids and 7 adults and everything went smoothly, except for a few cars that wouldn’t start. 🙂
Sunday morning, a lot of snow has fallen.
A break at the cafeteria, lunch and hot chocolate.
Our way home was snowy, we had to drive carefully.
[/lang_en][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=»1_1″ background_position=»left top» background_color=»» border_size=»» border_color=»» border_style=»solid» spacing=»yes» background_image=»» background_repeat=»no-repeat» padding=»» margin_top=»0px» margin_bottom=»0px» class=»» id=»» animation_type=»» animation_speed=»0.3″ animation_direction=»left» hide_on_mobile=»no» center_content=»no» min_height=»none»][lang_nb-no]Endelig var det dags for den årlige turen til hytten på Jonshøgdi med Idrettsskolen, 29 barn og 7 voksne. Denne gang ble det Eikedalen istedet for Furedalen. På lørdag var det perfekt føre og fin sikt, det var kaldt men ungene hadde godt med klær på seg så det gjorde ikke noe.Vel hjemme i hytten satte kjøkkengruppen i gang matlaging, Tacos smakte veldig godt etter en lang dag i trekket.
Ny dag, nye muligheter – her er et morgenbilde fra Jonshøgdi – det har snødd litt! Løypene i Eikedalen hadde godt av litt påfyll. 🙂
Litt pause i varmestuen gjør godt, der spiste vi nisten vår og drakk varm kakao.
Veien hjem gikk litt tregt, det var glatt og sikten var dårlig til tider – lurt å ta det litt rolig med bilen full av barn. 🙂
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Kickoff in Berlin|Kickoff i Berlin
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=»yes» overflow=»visible»][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=»1_1″ background_position=»left top» background_color=»» border_size=»» border_color=»» border_style=»solid» spacing=»yes» background_image=»» background_repeat=»no-repeat» padding=»» margin_top=»0px» margin_bottom=»0px» class=»» id=»» animation_type=»» animation_speed=»0.3″ animation_direction=»left» hide_on_mobile=»no» center_content=»no» min_height=»none»][lang_en]Once again we had a successful kickoff, this time in Berlin. It was a great experience and I learned a lot about the history – its a pity that they’ve cleaned out most of it but luckily some sensible persons stopped them so theres still some scars left for the next generations to see. I understand though that they wanted to get rid of it, they wanted to start with blank sheets and who are we to decide that they should be a gigantic museum.
Our hotel was located near Alexander Platz, a grim area with concrete and enormous roads but deeper into the city centre we found the cozy buildings, the ones that I imagine thinking of Germany.
We walked a lot, took the trams, trains, subs and buses – I think we were everywhere. I took a lot of pictures but I think this is my favourite. Hundreds of snowmen near the Dom:
Heres from an area where they haven’t removed all scars, the wall, the tower and the fusebox is still there. Lots of people tried to pass this area but failed.
Here is one of the Stasi buildings, this is were the new arrests were taken in and interrogated. An artist once asked people in Berlin what they would like to know about the building – the artist printed their questions onto these signs on the building.
We also visited the ghost stations, Checkpoint Charlie and all the other sites. We had a great guide who could tell us all the details. One of the things that surprised me was that so many of the citizens were members of Stasi, some says each 6th were on Stasi’s payroll – no wonder people got psyked out. They couldn’t trust their neighbor.
Else there were lots of great buildings to see, here is the Berlin Cathedral (Berlin Dom) seen from the DDR Museum, I stitched it together from many shots:
Have you seen a bigger gate than this? This is what the communist leaders would see when they came to Berlin for a visit:
They wanted to tear this down too but so many people live there now so they were denied.
Here is the known TV tower in Berlin, I tried to catch the «God’s Vengeance» but a bit difficult from this angle.
[/lang_en][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=»1_1″ background_position=»left top» background_color=»» border_size=»» border_color=»» border_style=»solid» spacing=»yes» background_image=»» background_repeat=»no-repeat» padding=»» margin_top=»0px» margin_bottom=»0px» class=»» id=»» animation_type=»» animation_speed=»0.3″ animation_direction=»left» hide_on_mobile=»no» center_content=»no» min_height=»none»][lang_nb-no]Nok et vellyket kickoff er over, denne gangen var vi i Berlin. Det var en fantastisk opplevelse og jeg lærte masse om byens historie. Det er synd at de har prøvd å renske bort alle spor, heldigvis har enkelte grupperinger klart å stoppe dem fra å fjerne alt. Men jeg forstår jo litt at de ønsker å heller se framover – for hvorfor skal vi bestemme at Berlin skal være et eneste gigantisk museum.Hotellet vårt lå i nærheten av Alexander Platz, en mindre koselig plass med masse betong og brede veier. Men innerst inne i hjertet av Berlin fant vi igjen de koselige små bygningene – de jeg forbinder med gamle tyske byer.
Vi gikk en masse, tok trikken, tog, undergrunnsbaner og busser – jeg tror vi til slutt var over alt. Jeg tok mange bilder men her er min favoritt. Hundrevis av snømann nær katedralen:
Her er fra et lite område hvor mye av mur, tårn og infrastruktur er intakt. Tilogmed sikringsboksen som røk i sin tid står igjen. Her har mange prøvd å komme seg over, uten hell.
Vi besøkte en av Stasi-bygningene også, her ble folk som var blitt arrestert tatt inn og avhørt. En kunstner spurte folk i Berlin om hva de ønsket å vite om dette bygget. Spørsmålene deres har blitt trykket opp på skilt rundt bygget, som feks «Hvem hørte skrikene fra dette huset?», «Hvem var skyggene i vinduene?», «Når begynte sulten deres?».
Vi besøkte også spøkelse-stasjonene, Checkpoint Charlie etc, mye spennende å se men jeg synes det var dumt at vi gikk glipp av bunkerne og undergrunns-systemet. Guiden vi hadde en dag var veldig flink, han hadde mye bra å fortelle. Jeg var ikke klar over at så mange var på Stasis lønningsliste, tenk at så mange som hver 6. innbygger utførte oppgaver for Stasi. Ikke rart man var mistenksom på hverandre. Stakkars mennesker.
Ellers var det mye fine bygninger å se, her er katedralen i Berlin (Berlin Dom) sett fra DDR Museumet, jeg har sydd sammen en del bilder til ett:
Har du sett større byinngang enn dette? Dette er det som skulle ønske kommunistledere velkommen når de kom på besøk til Berlin:
Det har vært et ønske i Berlin om å rive dette også, men siden det er så mange som bor der så har de fått avslag.
Her er det kjente tv-tårnet i Berlin, jeg prøvde å ta bilde av «Guds hevn», korset som dukker opp når solen skinner på tårnet. Kommunistene håpet jo på at tårnet skulle bli et maktsymbol, uten korset men den gang ei. De prøvde desperat forskjellige malingtyper men de klarte ikke å forhindre refleksen.
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A daytrip to Myrkdalen|En dagstur til Myrkdalen
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=»yes» overflow=»visible»][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=»1_1″ background_position=»left top» background_color=»» border_size=»» border_color=»» border_style=»solid» spacing=»yes» background_image=»» background_repeat=»no-repeat» padding=»» margin_top=»0px» margin_bottom=»0px» class=»» id=»» animation_type=»» animation_speed=»0.3″ animation_direction=»left» hide_on_mobile=»no» center_content=»no» min_height=»none»][lang_en]Last week Joakim and i visited Myrkdalen, a two hour drive up in the mountains, a great ski resort which its guarantied to have snow during winters. This was January 23.. I am way behind schedule posting to my blog.. sorry.
Heres on our way up, I love the drive.
[/lang_en][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=»1_1″ background_position=»left top» background_color=»» border_size=»» border_color=»» border_style=»solid» spacing=»yes» background_image=»» background_repeat=»no-repeat» padding=»» margin_top=»0px» margin_bottom=»0px» class=»» id=»» animation_type=»» animation_speed=»0.3″ animation_direction=»left» hide_on_mobile=»no» center_content=»no» min_height=»none»][lang_nb-no]Forrige uke tok Joakim og jeg en dagstur til Myrkdalen, et herlig sted å stå på ski bare 2 timer unna. Veien var litt tøff på slutten men det gikk greit. Dette var 23. januar så jeg henger litt etter i blogpostingen min…Her er på vei opp:
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Norwegian newspaper tests abroad passport controls|VG tester passkontroller i utlandet
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=»yes» overflow=»visible»][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=»1_1″ background_position=»left top» background_color=»» border_size=»» border_color=»» border_style=»solid» spacing=»yes» background_image=»» background_repeat=»no-repeat» padding=»» margin_top=»0px» margin_bottom=»0px» class=»» id=»» animation_type=»» animation_speed=»0.3″ animation_direction=»left» hide_on_mobile=»no» center_content=»no» min_height=»none»][lang_en]VG, one of Norway’s largest newspapers published a test the other day – what they think of different abroad passport controls. How was their first impression of a country. I found it very amusing and couldn’t resist trying to translate it and share it with you. Sorry about my English and grammar and I think this was supposed to be read with a pinch of humor. Heres what they wrote (with points from 1 (bad) to 6 (very good)) :
Donald Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay – Jamaica
Points: 6
Swift and friendly, neat information in the passport control area. A real sunshine reggae! «We pass in 10 minutes despite that 3 fully loaded planes were let in at the same time». Beautiful posters with information fills the area. Large windows with fantastic view of warm Caribbean paradise. «Welcome to Jamaica – home of Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser – it should be : «Welcome to Jamaica – home to the most effective and pleasant border guards». Forgotten is the crowded plane that took us here, forgotten is the sour wind and loud experience in pass control in USA. MMS Photo: Rune Thomas EgeHeathrow (Terminal 3), London – Great Britain
Points: 3
You have to walk far and further than far. Else not that bad – if you have the correct color on your passport. The difference on how you are being treated is huge – depending if you’re from EU/EEA or if you’re going through the more intesive control into the old empire. The border guards has no appearent interest studying Norwegian id-papers, even a fully loaded SAS-plane is let through in a hurry in the carpet filled hallway and into baggage claim and train. Those who, on the other hand, have to fill out arrivalcards and talk to an inspector should bring food and water. Those lines get incredible long in the worn down terminal 3, where they don’t use all the desks. The walk from the plane to the passport control also decrease it’s score. Its long, less tidy and the interior is everything else than beautiful. PS! British Airways is now using terminal 5, a far more comfortable environment there than this. Photo: ReutersBorispol International Airport, Kiev – Ukraina
Points: 3
«The one who makes you smile» is J-Lo singing on the large monitor, but its not affecting the border guards. The scene is absurd; a slightly undressed Jennifer Lopez wiggles on the large ceiling monitor, serious guards with large gold-covered shoulders and both legs safely planted on the floor. «The way you smile … it drives me wild …».. No smiles are detected in the dust gray faces, the faces that welcome tourists to Kiev. No spasiba, no welcome, nothing. Non existent knowledge of English and armed members of the Ukrainian army also contribute to a sad Borispol-airport experience. But if you ignore the sad faces the system is surprisingly alike the soviet bureaucracy. The lines shortens swiftly, even in the middle of the night, only two arrivals the last 30 minutes probably should be credited for that. Even if you don’t need visa a «prefilled» immigration form is a must. We experienced that the field’s content wasn’t very important as long as they were filled. The worst? Its more scary to be offered a taxi outside Borispol than getting drug-offers in Oslo in the middle of the night. Photo: Rune Thomas EgeNewark Liberty Airport, New York – USA
Points: 2
Is USA getting safer by having angry border guards? If you fly in towards New York on a clear weather day you can’t avoid noticing that theres still a few buildings missing on the city’s skyline. Its a fair reminder of why USA have so many strict security measures that, for us, seem a bit odd. On the Newark-airport at least 10 «trainhost-uniforms» had a dedicated job guiding us to the desk with the shortest line. They executed their job in such eager that most of the passengers were confused and walked into the wrong line. When it was our turn the man in the desk went to eat lunch. The angry «trainhosts» immediately stepped up and chased us to a different line, in the back of it. At this desk a lady sat barfing «next!» to each passenger. No trace of «please» here, as we learned about in our English lessons. The lady stamped here and there, captured portrait photo and fingerprints and asked the questions she is instructed to do (without listening to the answers). Puh! We passed the test! Photo: US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTIONThey are adding to this test as they go, if you like I’ll update this post as well.
Link to the Norwegian article : VG.
[/lang_en][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=»1_1″ background_position=»left top» background_color=»» border_size=»» border_color=»» border_style=»solid» spacing=»yes» background_image=»» background_repeat=»no-repeat» padding=»» margin_top=»0px» margin_bottom=»0px» class=»» id=»» animation_type=»» animation_speed=»0.3″ animation_direction=»left» hide_on_mobile=»no» center_content=»no» min_height=»none»][lang_nb-no]Denne testen var så morsom at jeg var nødt til å dele dem med mine utenlandske lesere, det var morsomt lesestoff! Jeg blemmer meg sikkert mange steder med bergensk-engelsken min men det får helle våge seg. Jeg er spesielt interessert i hvordan mine amerikanske venner opplever testen, den er jo ganske subjektiv selv om jeg har en mistanke om at både Rune Thomas og Øyvind opptrådte som gode norske diplomater.Jeg gleder meg til å følge med videre i denne testen, flere slike VG!
Lenker : VG[/lang_nb-no][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
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Glacier walking – Folgefonna|En tur på Folgefonna
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It was time for a trip with the sports school again, 31 kids and 8 adults. Before walking the glacier we spent the night near Jondal, the kids loved camping as usual and had a great Saturday evening. No TV, just play and having fun – and some Saturday-candy ofcourse which we allowed them to bring with them. Most of the kids used lots of their dry clothes which were meant for the glacier walk but we had access to a dryroom so we didn’t panic. We heard it was raining cats and dogs up there plus windy and only 5 degrees celcius so if any of the kids didn’t have proper clothing they couldn’t tag along. Thankfully that wasn’t the case for me. I came ready, I even brought my lucky alpaca socks, so I was fine and warm.Everything went fine, the kids got a crash course in glacier walking and were equipped with helmet, climbing harness, ice axe and crampons (spikes). Keeping them warm while equipping 31 kids were not any problem, the kids jumped around and hacked anywhere with their ice axe. 🙂It was a great experience, but the weather was insane, after the walk the guides said that the kids were extremely though, there were lots of adults who turned around earlier that day when they saw the weather. While having fun the kids learned a lot on how important it is to work in groups while walking on glaciers, holding a tight rope between them didn’t mean much at first but when a friend stumbled and fell downwards they learned quickly how to work together.
I think all the adults enjoyed themselves too despite the weather, a new experience richer. I’ve taken dosens of photos of the glacier from above when I’ve been flying and I’ve always wanted to be down there walking on it – a dream came through. 🙂 Folgefonna is a collective term for three glaciers, northern which covers 26 km², central – 9 km² and southern which covers 168 km². Its the third largest mainland glacier in Norway. The ice is up to 500 meter thick and the highest point is at about 1600 meters above the ocean. While walking we were about 1300 meter, it was too windy up there for us. This glacier isn’t from the ice age, it was formed about 5000 years ago during a period of temperature drop and lots of snow. Still it is very exciting to walk on that old ice, especially to look down the deep cracks and ponder how many years we can see back in time down there.I hope to return some day, hopefully when the weather is a bit better, its a great resource for skiing and walking during the summer – skateboard enthusiasts loves it. Maybe without kids next time, not to be selvfish but… 🙂 If you’re in Norway visiting the western parts of Norway I recommend checking up on Folgefonna and visit it, the staff up there is awesome and can adapt or create a fitting walk for you. They are great with kids as well, they proved that yesterday – equipping 31 kids in a flash was impressive, and talking to them and explaining while doing it kept the kids curiousity awake. Kudos to them.
[/lang_en][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=»1_1″ background_position=»left top» background_color=»» border_size=»» border_color=»» border_style=»solid» spacing=»yes» background_image=»» background_repeat=»no-repeat» padding=»» margin_top=»0px» margin_bottom=»0px» class=»» id=»» animation_type=»» animation_speed=»0.3″ animation_direction=»left» hide_on_mobile=»no» center_content=»no» min_height=»none»][lang_nb-no]Endelig var det dags for tur på Folgefonna med Idrettsskolen, 31 barn og 8 voksne. Før turen overnattet vi på Espeland hvor vi hadde satt opp noen lavoer og telt. Ungene hadde det kjempeartig som vanlig, lørdag uten TV er ikke noe problem – de lekte og fant på gøye ting. Utpå kvelden koste de seg i lavoene med lørdagssnop som de hadde fått lov til å ta med seg. De fleste barna måtte bytte klær litt vel ofte så vi var litt bekymret for at de ikke hadde nok til isbre-turen men det gikk veldig greit siden vi hadde tilgang til et tørkerop. Vi var egentlig utrolig uheldig med været, det regnet i strømmer men alikevel fikk vi grillet pølser og hamburgere til alle sammen.5 grader og regnvær, alikevel gikk alt bra. Ungene ble utstyrt med hjelm, isøks, stegjern og seler. Å få 31 barn til å holde seg varm mens førerne utstyrte dem var ikke noe problem, de løp rundt og hakket med isøksene sine. 🙂Det var en flott opplevelse, men været var ikke helt med oss. Etter turen bad førerne oss om å gi barna skryt, det var ikke ofte de hadde opplevd så tøffe barn. Det var mange voksne tidligere på dagen som hadde snudd der oppe siden været var så dårlig – de møtte vi da vi var på vei oppover. Førerne var flinke til å fortelle og hadde kjempefin kustus på barna når de skulle gjennom sikkerhetsreglene, de klarte å få all oppmerksomhet – det er godt jobbet. På turen fikk ungene oppleve hvor viktig det var å samarbeide, i begynnelsen var noen litt slappe med å ikke ha for mye slakk i tauet mellom dem men når noen snublet i nedoverterreng så oppdaget de raskt hvor viktig det var med stramme tau.
De voksne koste seg også tross været, en ny opplevelse rikere. Jeg har tatt mange bilder av isbreen fra luften når jeg har flydd over og har alltid hatt lyst til å gå på den. Endelig fikk jeg sjansen. Folgefonna er et samlenavn for tre isbreer, nordre som dekker 26 km², midtre – 9 km² og søndre som dekker 168 km². Det er den tredje største isbreen på fastlands Norge. Isen er opp til 500 meter tykk og høyeste punkt er rundt 1600 meter over havet. Jeg tror vi var på rundt 1300 meter, å gå lengre opp hadde ikke vært forsvarlig i tykk tåke, høljregn og kraftig vind. Jeg trodde lenge at isbreen er rester fra istiden men det er den ikke. Den oppsto for rundt 5000 år siden i en periode med temperaturfall og masse nedbør, men likevel var det kjempespennende å gå på den, se ned sprekker og lure på hvor mange år tilbake man kunne se der nede. 🙂En gang i fremtiden må jeg bare tilbake, en gang det er bedre vær, og kanskje uten barn? 🙂 Mulig det er litt egoistisk men.. Ok, to ganger til, en gang uten barn og en gang med. Det må være herlig å gå der oppe om sommeren når været er bra, jeg har inntrykk av at det er et populært sted for skateboardere, har sett litt bilder hvor de tar helt av og krysser små innsjøer av is og vann i full fart. Førerne der oppe var utrolig flinke, å utstyre 31 barn så kjapt var imponerende og de var kjempeflink til å holde oppmerksomheten oppe når de hadde viktige ting å fortelle. Kudos til dem.[/lang_nb-no][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container] -
A viking market on our way|Gudvangen Viking marked
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=»yes» overflow=»visible»][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=»1_1″ background_position=»left top» background_color=»» border_size=»» border_color=»» border_style=»solid» spacing=»yes» background_image=»» background_repeat=»no-repeat» padding=»» margin_top=»0px» margin_bottom=»0px» class=»» id=»» animation_type=»» animation_speed=»0.3″ animation_direction=»left» hide_on_mobile=»no» center_content=»no» min_height=»none»][lang_en]On our way home we passed a huge viking market, a lot of people look forward to this event every year. In 2014 they are going to start building a permanent viking village here.
Here is a link to the building plans : http://www.arkikon.no/gudvangen
[/lang_en][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=»1_1″ background_position=»left top» background_color=»» border_size=»» border_color=»» border_style=»solid» spacing=»yes» background_image=»» background_repeat=»no-repeat» padding=»» margin_top=»0px» margin_bottom=»0px» class=»» id=»» animation_type=»» animation_speed=»0.3″ animation_direction=»left» hide_on_mobile=»no» center_content=»no» min_height=»none»][lang_nb-no]På veien hjem tok vi oss en pause ved vikingmarkedet på Gudvangen, hjelpe meg så stort området var! Jeg forstår godt at entusiaster gleder seg til dette. Jeg ble litt nysgjerrig og søkte litt, fant ut at det er planlagt en permanent vikingby på området, det ser kjempespennende ut.Her er en link til byggeplanene : http://www.arkikon.no/gudvangen[/lang_nb-no][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
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Visiting Vassfaret Bear park|En tur innom Vassfaret bjørnepark
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A few days ago we visited Vassfaret Bear Park near Flå. The park covers 95 acres (380 decares) of land. Approximately 13 acres (50 decares) are alotted to the large animals, the elk and the bear. You may easily pass most of the day here in the open nature, walking, and being close to the animals, enjoying the peace and quiet and the beautiful nature. When the park is open, homely fare is available at Bertestugu, or, if preferred, fastfood from Bamsebua. If you bring your own food, you may prepare it over the open fire in the lavvo (laplanders’ tent), or use the gas barbecue.I have to admit that it felt a bit weird seeing these animals within fences, it didn’t feel right.
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[/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=»1_1″ background_position=»left top» background_color=»» border_size=»» border_color=»» border_style=»solid» spacing=»yes» background_image=»» background_repeat=»no-repeat» padding=»» margin_top=»0px» margin_bottom=»0px» class=»» id=»» animation_type=»» animation_speed=»0.3″ animation_direction=»left» hide_on_mobile=»no» center_content=»no» min_height=»none»][lang_nb-no]For et par dager siden besøkte vi Vassfaret Bjørnepark nær Flå, det var rundt 40 minutter å kjøre fra hotellet vårt på Gol. De har oppgradert, pusset opp og bygget ut noe voldtsomt i det siste – det har blitt et veldig flott anlegg. Selv om jeg ikke liker helt å se slike dyr i fangeskap så synes jeg det var veldig fascinerende å få se disse dyrene på nært hold. Både bjørn og Elg hadde store innheng de kunne bevege seg i, parken omfatter 380 mål hvorav elg og bjørn har tilsammen 50 mål. Vi fikk med oss matingen av bjørnene som begynte kl 13, da fikk de en masse epler. Det mest populære for minsten var egentlig de små kaninene, vi fikk gå oppi til dem og hilse på – det likte hun veldig godt.[/lang_nb-no][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container] -
Visiting Stockholm|Stockholm i full fart
[lang_en]I visited Stockholm in Sweden yesterday to do some work, I also hoped to snap some photos of the beautiful city. But I guess many of you will recognize the selection of photos I managed to take, I had an intensive program at work so I didn’t get the chance to see much.
Do you remember a comment from a passenger on the bus in Speed the movie? «I’ve already seen the airport» – I felt like him. hehe
I hope I get the chance to visit Stockholm again soon when I have better time, I share my photos anyway – its what I saw of Stockholm. 🙂
[/lang_en][lang_nb-no]Jeg besøkte Stockholm i går for å få unna litt arbeid, jeg håpet også på å få tatt noen bilder av den nydelige byen. Men den gang ei, jeg vil tippe at mange av dere gjenkjenner seleksjonen av bilder jeg tok, et typisk jobbreise-utvalg. Jeg hadde et ganske intenst program.
Husker du passasjeren på bussen i filmen Speed? Han som sa; «Jeg har allerede sett flyplassen» – jeg opplevde i går det han følte. 🙂
Jeg håper jeg får sjansen til å besøke byen igjen snart og at jeg har litt bedre tid, men jeg deler bildene uansett – dette er hva jeg så av Stockholm. 🙂
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Kickoff in Sweden|Kickoff i Sverige
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We stayed in Sälen, Sweden this weekend where I attended my first Kickoff with our new owners, over 90 new colleagues to say hello to, which I enjoyed a lot. They were fantastic!Sälen is a beautiful spot offering lots of outdoor activities, like snow-scooter, dog sledding, go-cart, skiing etc. And they had some awesome mini-snow-scooters for children, they were awesome and must be a dream to try for a kid. Skilodge, the hotel we stayed at were a great mountain-hotel, they’ve done a great job developing it. It felt like being in a typical American ski-hotel, though I haven’t been in one before, only seen it in movies.
On Thursday we ate lamb, one of the best prepared meals I’ve ever tasted, they really knew how to cook. Check out the photo, doesn’t it look good? If you’ve seen too many scary movies like Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street and Chainsaw Massacre I guess you imagine something else when you see this dish, well it tasted good anyway. I don’t remember what we ate on Friday, it was a bit chaotic because we drew table-numbers to find where to sit. Then we ate the pre-dish and drew a new number, moved to the new table, ate and then drew again to finally sit down to the new table for dessert. It was quite fun though.
On Saturday we ate something we call Plank Steak, its steak cooked on oak planks. Check out the photo, it tasted like a dream. It had mashed potatoes around it which were put on the plate the last minutes of cooking, it became crisp, which were awsome. Lets just say that I didn’t have room for any dessert that evening. The restaurants even the ones owned by Jimmy John’s Owner around the place (in walking distant) were awesome, they had a nice atmosphere and they certainly knew their things when cooking. Smiling personnel and nice entertainment after dinner. My Swede colleagues were great fun as well, they really knew how to have a good time – it was a pleasure getting to know them.
In the package we could choose one outdoor activity for free, from skiing, go-carting, bowling, dog-sled and snow-scooter driving – I chose dog sled which I don’t regret. I’ve never tried that before. We visited Peter Karlsson and Anna Mönch at Peakpoint Sled Dog adventure. Peter is the founder of the company and he is also a competitor. Their passion for the dogs and what they were doing was heartwarming, if you’re there once I recommend talking to them and go for a ride. The ride lasted about 40 minutes, I wish it lasted longer, it was great fun and I admired both the scenery and watching the eager dogs work. Here is a small clip I recorded with my cellphone from the ride :
One of the lifts, the whole area was filled with lifts and hills, for all ages.
Sälen by night, outside the hotel. At the coldest we had about -16 degrees celcius.
I’m glad I didn’t have to drive to the airport, the weather wasn’t very good on the way back. My boss got us safely to the airport.
A fun car we met on our way home.
Our appartment, a very cozy one.[/lang_en][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=»1_1″ background_position=»left top» background_color=»» border_size=»» border_color=»» border_style=»solid» spacing=»yes» background_image=»» background_repeat=»no-repeat» padding=»» margin_top=»0px» margin_bottom=»0px» class=»» id=»» animation_type=»» animation_speed=»0.3″ animation_direction=»left» hide_on_mobile=»no» center_content=»no» min_height=»none»][lang_nb-no]Vi hadde kickoff på Sälen i Sverige denne helgen hvor jeg var med på mitt første kickoff med nye eiere, over 90 nye kolleger å bli kjent med, de var fantastisk greie. Vi storkoste oss.Sälen er en utrolig fin plass som tilbyr en mengde utendørs aktiviteter, som snøscooter, hundespann, go-cart, slalom etc. Og så hadde de noen utrolig gøye mini snø-scootere for barn, de var knalltøff og må ha vært en drøm for barna å prøve. Vi bodde på Skilodge, et herlig fjellhotell som de har vært utrolig flink med å utvikle. Jeg følte at jeg bodde på et typisk Amerikansk fjellhotell, selv om jeg aldri har vært på et, bare sett på film.
På torsdagen spiste vi lam, noe av det beste jeg har smakt, de var utrolig flink med maten. Sjekk ut bilde, ser det ikke godt ut? Om du har sett for mange skumle filmer som Fredag den 13., Nightmare on Elm Street og Motorsagmassakren så flyr assosiasjonene sikkert litt men godt smakte det! Jeg husker ikke helt hva vi spiste på fredagen, det var litt hektisk fordi vi trakk bord-numre for å finne ut hvor vi skulle sitte. Spiste forretten og så trakk vi et nytt nummer og flyttet på oss. Så spiste vi hovedretten, trakk på nytt og gjentok prosessen og spiste dessert. Det var en artig måte å gjøre det på, jeg ble kjent med mange mange på denne måten.På lørdagen spiste vi Planke Steik, stekt på eikeplanker. Sjekk ut bildet, det smakte som en drøm. Den hadde en masse potetstappe som de hadde lagt på på slutten av stekingen slik at potetstappen ble litt sprø på toppen, det var genialt. Det var en gedigen posjon så ingen av oss klarte noe dessert etterpå. Restaurantene rundtom (maks 10 minutter gange) vare utrolig bra – koselig atmosfære og alle var kjempeflink med maten. Hyggelige ansatte og artig underholdning etter maten. Mine svenske kolleger var helt utrolig, de var sprudlende og veldig engasjerte. Det var ikke vanskelig å komme i prat med dem – de kunne virkelig lage stemning.I kickoff pakken kunne vi velge en gratisk utendørs aktivitet, fra slalom/snowboard, go-cart på is, bowling, hundespann og snø-scooter, jeg valgte hundespann – noe jeg ikke angrer på. Jeg har aldri prøvd dette før. Vi besøkte Peter Karlsson og Anna Mönch på Peakpoints Sled Dog Adventure, Peter er grunnleggeren av firmaet og driver også med konkurranse, Anna er en av guidene – hun var utrolig flink. Kjærligheten til yrket deres lyste gjennom alt de gjorde og fortalte, det var utrolig inspirerende å være med dem. Om du er i Sälen området en gang så anbefaler jeg av hele mitt hjerte å besøke dem. Turen varte i rundt 40 minutter, jeg skulle ønske det var lenger, det var en utrlig artig opplevelse og jeg beundret både naturen og hundenes iver. Her er et lite filmklipp jeg laget med mobilen min :
En av bakkene, hele område var full av dem og passet alle aldre.
Sälen på kvelden utenfor hotellet. På det kaldeste hadde vi -16 grader.
Jeg har glad jeg slapp å kjøre til flyplassen, være var ikke særlig bra på vei hjem. Sjefen kjørte oss trygt til flyplassen.
En artig bil vi så på vei hjem.
Vår leilighet, utrolig koselig.[/lang_nb-no][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container] -
Lifeblog-post
I think I love mountains
Submitted with Lifeblog and N82.
