
Being that Easter is big in Ireland, school was out for two weeks. So, we I gladly made some extravagant plans to fill up the majority of the break. One of these lofty plans included a trip to Norway to visit my friend Adrian, who had lived with my family while studying for a year in the United States. I figured that I was so close to Norway that the flights would have to be cheap enough for me to make a trip, and they were! I contacted Adrian, made arrangements, and spent an entire week in Norway with his family.
I arrived on Good Friday, just before Easter. Adrian, his girlfriend Lisa, and his grandparents met me at a bus stop in Oslo, the capital city of Norway. It was wonderful seeing familiar faces and friends. We scooped up my luggage and made our way to the apartment where we would be staying for the night. Adrian and his family had planned an adventure for me in Oslo the next day. I was shown my room in the apartment, and there sitting on the bed was an easter egg filled with Norwegian chocolates! I was thrilled, because if you didn't know, Norwegian chocolate is probably the most delicious chocolate ever!! After spending some time catching up with one another, we called it a night early so that we could enjoy the day in the capital city.
That next day, I was greeted with a delicious breakfast before setting out on a tour of Oslo. The meal consisted of bread and rolls, butter, a strawberry spread, and a display of meats and cheeses. Norway is known for their variety in cheeses. I had never seen a brown cheese until I met Adrian. It is quite tasty when topped with a piece of ham or salami. But when we finished up, we walked up the street to catch a bus back into the main city.
Oslo is not a very large city, and it has a different feel than Dublin or even Raleigh for that matter. The buildings were taller in Oslo than in Dublin, but there were fewer people roaming the streets. We stepped out onto the main road in Oslo that eventually leads to the King and Queen's Castle. The street was filled with a variety of shops, many of them selling Norway's trademark souvenirs. A giant troll sat outside one of the shops. Trolls are quite popular in Norway. They are supposed to be mythical creatures that resemble giants or ogres. Adrian was not exactly sure how the whole troll thing came to be in Norway, but they can be found almost anywhere in the country.

We continued strolling the main streets in Oslo. Adrian's grandparents pointed out different buildings for Adrian to describe to me. I have not mentioned that Adrian's grandparents do not speak English. So Adrian served as a translator between us. That was probably the greatest challenge coming into a country that does not speak English. Thankfully I had Adrian to translate everything for me, but it became very difficult when I wanted to communicate on my own with other people. But anyways, Adrian's grandmother pointed out a statue of the founder of Oslo, Christiano. Many of the people of Norway want to rename the city after the founder, but the debate continues as Oslo remains the capital name.


I also walked past the Parliament Building, where a small protest was taking place. There is a large Islamic population centered in Oslo, and the majority comes from Sri Lanka. They were protesting to the government for more aid. Oslo has a diverse culture that is unlike most of the country, as Adrian had explained to me. I will admit that I was surprised to see so many different cultures in Oslo, to the point where Adrian and his family looked to be the minority. I thought this was fascinating.


We passed by the University building in Oslo and finally made it to the Castle of the King and Queen of Norway. I don't know if i would have used "castle" to describe this building initially because I am used to the standard Irish castle, but it is a castle nonetheless. A small group of guards watched over the building. The guard reminded me of the United States Guard in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington. All the soldiers moved at the same time and did exactly the same things. They even had a changing of the guard, which I got to see right before we left the castle grounds. It was very neat.

We took a walk out to the fjord in Oslo, which looked like a large harbor. When we got there the people started to file in. This was where the town hall was located. And along the far side of the fjord was a large military fortress. We first walked along the pier area, doing a bit of exploring in the shops. We then went over to the fortress to do some exploring and to get a better view of the fjord and the city. It was a beautiful day to explore the city.



Afterwards, we continued walking through the city until we reached the new Opera House. This is a major attraction because of the interesting architecture used in designing this building. I think the Opera House was my favorite building in Oslo. It was immaculate! We climbed up the side of the building to the roof. The sun was almost blinding up at the top from the reflection off the building. We then went inside the structure and found more interesting architecture. The ramp to get up into the opera house was built in a spiral design. All the walls had a new and different design to showcase. It was very modern and extremely beautiful.


As our adventure in Oslo came to a close, a new adventure in Dokka was just beginning. Adrian lives in the mountains a good distance from the capital city. This was more of the Norway I was expecting to see. We followed a long fjord on some winding and fairly narrow roads out to Dokka. It was beautiful. The fjord was flanked with some of the most majestic snow covered mountains, and the fjord itself was frozen over. I knew that it was going to be an exciting trip!

I arrived at Adrian's home where I was welcomed graciously by every single family member that lived nearby. A good portion of Adrian's family lives on the same road. In fact, his grandparents live just across the street. Hanging on the flagpole underneath the Norwegian flag was an American flag in honor of my visit! I can not describe the beauty of Dokka and the surrounding area in words, and my pictures truly can not do it justice. It was simply peaceful and beautiful.
I spent my days enjoying the company of Adrian's family. I basically met every individual in his family. We chatted about the culture and history of Norway. I was shown the traditional dress of Norway that is typically worn on May 17th, their National Day. I was fed traditional meals. I even learned a few small phrases to use while in the country. I tried a few new things and lived like a true Norwegian during my stay.

One of my favorite trips was out to Lillehammer, where the 1994 Winter Olympics took place. I rode up a gondola to the top of the ski mountain, so that I could get a better view of the mountains. It was spectacular. I watched people ski down the giant slopes, amazed at their bravery and strength to manipulate their way to the bottom. I enjoyed the crisp spring air, and even got a little sun! It was incredible!


Adrian's Uncle wanted to show me a little more of the history of Norway by taking me to a colonial park. We walked through the small village taking a look at an example of an old farm, an old church, and an old shopping center. Some of the buildings even dated back to the 1400's. I, of course, was most intrigued by the traditional school house, which was a one room log cabin. Very neat!

But my absolute favorite experience was skiing for the first time! Adrian's grandparents arranged for a small trip into the mountains. When Adrian told me we were going into the mountains I was a bit shocked...I thought I was already there! But we drove up higher into the slopes to where the peaks were capped with heavy snow. The cabin house was even buried in the snow!! We went out to some cross country skiing trails not far from the house and I clipped into skis for the very first time. Adrian and his grandmother showed me how to glide through the snow and how to stop. I had a blast, and the scenery was quite fantastic. I will admit that I did manage to fall one time. I got a little too brave and ended up plummeting into the snow with tangled skis. It was an incredible experience, and I will definitely try it again in the future.

Adrian's youngest brother, Tobias, traveled with us for much of the week. He was very interested in helping me to learn the language. He would tell me little phrases to try and repeat. But on the last day, Tobias had the opportunity to showcase his after-school job at the farm. In the afternoons he travels to a neighbors farm to help feed the animals. Adrian's mother, Hilde, provided me with some extra clothes so that I would not wreak of livestock as I traveled back to Ireland. Inside the barn were cows, goats, and sheep. I was initially drawn to the baby goats. So we went inside the pen. They scooped up the littlest of the goats and passed him off to me. It was love at first bite! He was just adorable, and Tobias brought me a bottle to feed the little guy. After spending some time with the goats, and having my clothes nibbled at long enough, we moved on to the sheep. There was not too much to do with them, as all the females were obviously pregnant. I mean, it looked like they could pop at any moment! The farmer was expecting new lambs within three or four days. I'm pretty happy to have missed out on that fun experience...not going to lie! But, I did learn how to milk a cow. It's not really as hard as I thought it would be. Once I figured out the method to the madness, it was very easy. I couldn't believe how much fun I had at the farm. I'm so glad that Tobias wanted to share that with me.



As part of my experience, I really wanted to take some time to look at the Norwegian churches. Adrian's neighbor is the organist for his church, so he was able to get us inside the church and play the new organ pipes for us. The church was beautiful. It was built out of sturdy timber, almost like a log house. But it was the inside that attracted me the most. The entire church was hand carved and painted. The pulpit, the altar, and the ceiling all carved wood, was painted with the most beautiful designs. It was glorious. What was also interesting about this particular church was the history of how it was placed. The church had been moved several times to suit the needs of those traveling to the church. When the church was moved, it was the tradition to leave behind the old bells. I learned so much about the history of the church through Adrian's Uncle.

Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to Norway. I kept in mind the reason for my study abroad, which is education. On my last day, Adrian took me by the Elementary School to visit his Aunt who is a first grade teacher. I introduced myself to the class, and they each took turns introducing themselves. I got to teach them the English ABC's because the Norwegian alphabet has a few extra letters and they are spoken slightly differently. They also showcased their skills in English by counting to ten in English. I was most impressed! I showed them on a map where I have come from, both North Carolina and Ireland, so they could track my journey. I loved the school visit!!
Traveling abroad even further to a country where I don't speak the language was probably the most worthwhile experience I have had thus far. I learned so much about myself and about the traditions of yet another culture. I will take back so much from my experiences in Norway!