Blueberry trip

Blueberries are why we Norwegians make our annual picking trip. Picking blueberries is sort of a tradition in Norway. Every autumn Norwegians walk around in the woods to eat and collect berries. It's completely free.

Earlier people battled for the best blueberry spots, but now there are fewer who take the trip into the woods and it is therefore more than enough for everyone. Today, there are also lots of blueberries that are not being picked, but my grandmother told me that the forest during WW2 was empty for blueberries, because nearly everyone wanted these small berries full of vitamins.
Fact: Blueberries are chock-full of flavonoids, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by preventing blood clots.

Today one can of course just go in the freezer counter at the supermarket to buy blueberries. I still recommend you to take a blueberry trip. It is a wonderful and fun experience.

Pride parade Oslo 2015

Today Oslo and Norway celebrates that all people are of equal worth, regardless of sexual orientation. I vas very touched by the parade. Seeing the joy, unity and pride among participants vas great. Happy Pride! #Prideparade #Prideparade2015 #Oslo

Oslo Botanic Garden

The Botanical garden is located near the city centre, about 15 minutes' walk from Oslo Central Station. This is a lovely place to have a walk. The garden is small compared to those in other countries, but still worth visiting. Among other things, there is a special Viking-section in the garden. Here you can see which plants Vikings cultivated. To get to the garden you need to go in the direction of Tøyen.

Tips! Use the benches if you want to sit. You'll be chased away if you decide to settle on the lawn. :)
Here are a few spring pictures from the botanical garden.

Visit Oslo - Old-town and the Ekeberg hill

Oslo has much to offer. If you ever visit the city you should take a trip to the old town and the Ekeberg hill. Oslo has throughout history both changed name and location. After a fire in 1624, king Christian IV determined that the old Oslo should not be rebuilt. The new town was placed close to the Akershus Castle, and was named Christiania. In 1925 the city got its old name Oslo back. From Ekeberg restaurant there is a breathtaking view of Oslo from the east side

50 km fun, the second best Norway has to offer, only surpassed by May 17th.

Norway is usually associated with snow and cold weather in the winter months, but it doesn't mean that Norwegians stay at home when the World Cup comes to town. The World Cup ski event offers a festival at Holmenkollen. People visit during the dat or sleep in tents out in the woods all weekend to take part in the experience. When I was there on Saturday the forest was full of people in sporty clothes and Norwegian flags. Organizers were lucky with the weather this year, as last year, and the sun drew even more people away from the TV and out to see "50 km men", live.

It is wonderful to experience the unity and commitment among the public when the skiers rush past, at a total of six times. If you want to experience Norwegians at their best, but don't have the opportunity to visit Norway on the national day (17th of May), the World Cup in Holmenkollen is a good number two.

          

You can either buy tickets to enter the actual arena (Holmenkollen), or go out in the woods from Frognerseter and stand along the ski piste. I prefer the latter. Just remember to be out in good time. The subway (line 1, Frognerseteren) takes about 30 minutes from Oslo Central Station and is packed full of people. When I took the subway back home on Saturday we were actually standing in a km long queue. And had to wait before we got room in one of the many subway wagons standing ready to accommodate the crowd, something very unusual in Norway. This is one of my favorite events in Oslo, and I think only May 17th is better. Join me next year!

Visit Sri Lanka

In 2013 I visited Sri Lanka for 3 weeks. It´s like a secret paradise on earth. The conflict between tamils and sinhalese has made Sri Lanka a dangerous place for turism, bur now that it´s over the country is a tempting place to visit. When I was there I lived near Colombo the first week, after that I traveled to the inland. Many associate Sri Lanka with white beaches and warm weather, but the mountains in the center of the island is very beautiful and should be a part of your trip! The last week consisted of beaches, sun and swimming. The photo is from a mountaintop near Candy. If you want to experience the cultural Candy has a festival every august with elephants and colorful parades.

Visit Riga

In December I viseted Riga with my brothers and mother. It was very cold, but felt like a fairytale. I've heard that Riga is beautiful in the summer, but I´ve only been there in the winter season. Anyway I would recommend taking a trip around Christmas. History says that the world's first Christmas tree was set up in Riga's Old Town in 1510. And every December is marked by an exhibition of Christmas trees placed around various locations in the city. At the tourist office you can get a map of all the Christmas tree art, and use several days to visit all the Christmas trees. It is absolutely amazing. Riga is the place to be if your Christmas spirit is lacking.

I was only in town for three days, but did manage to see a lot. You might have heard about all medieval restaurants in the old town. I visited one of them, and so should you!! It was as cool as I had imagined. Live music, employees in medieval clothes and facilities that makes you feel like you've travelled back in time.

I thus had a nice trip, but there were also some negative things. Firstly it was very cold, and the hotel rooms we stayed in was COLD. But the worst experience was during the departure at the airport outside Riga. You have to "buy" yourself through security. We were told to pay € 7 each to get a "safety approval card". To leave Latvia, it's not about what you have in your luggage, but if you can pay or not. All in all Riga is fantastic, but be aware of some extra expenses.