Oslo, meadow of the gods, in French
It is by train that we decide to go to Oslo, thus avoiding parking lots and traffic, one imagines, dense in a European capital. All excited, I rejoice at this discovery, especially since a bright generous sun is finally there. Jean-Paul, for his part, has memories of 40 years. With his bike, he would travel the 46 kilometers without feeling them, eager to find his friends from back then, the young women and the liveliness of the city. He was bored in Hobøl. The evenings were long after the harvest days. Since then, the farm has changed a lot, ultra-modern sheds and photovoltaic panels have taken over part of the land, but there are still fields as far as the eye can see. "You have to adapt or die" says Irene's son, Sveinung who took over the farm. He has more the profile of a business manager, nothing to do with the farmer of the 80s that his father, Svein, was.
We leave Roulotte at our host's and park the car in the free parking lot of Knapstad station on June 24 at 10:00 a.m., for an hour's journey. No terminals on the platform, the 278 Kr, or nearly 24 euros per person, are to be paid directly to the conductor. The suburban train is clean and modern, like those of most of the large cities we know. As we enter the carriage, we feel the cold air conditioning splitting the warm air from outside. It is nice here, we leisurely look at the surrounding countryside with these colorful wooden houses scattered here and there where the Norwegian flag flutters. Soon, a long tunnel of several kilometers hides our view. I had forgotten about this tunnel, it was Jean-Paul who reminded me of it while rereading my article, as it was so difficult for him to feel trapped.
Once we arrived in Oslo, we looked for the Tourist Office. Few natives know it so well that we had to rely on the phone's GPS which was making us go round in circles. A long esplanade was in front of us, it was Tigerstaden Square, the city of the tiger in Norwegian. The Office should not be very far...
Oslo, the city of the tiger
After this ordeal, we arrive at the coveted office. A young French woman welcomes us with a broad smile. A student, she decided to perfect her English and learn Norwegian in Oslo. We will realize during our trip that there are many French people in the tourism and catering professions.
We head towards the Opera with a few leaflets and bus tickets in our pockets to go to Liv and Sean's. It is already noon and we are expected at 5:00 p.m. We are short of time and it is by double-decker bus that we visit the capital. On the forecourt of the opera, different companies offer to discover the city in two hours. We find that prices vary greatly from one operator to another and negotiate the rates.
Oslo and its opera
A lot of people on this splendid emblematic square of Oslo. It is difficult to take pictures without a face, an arm, inviting itself into the frame. Impossible to take panoramic photos! No wonder, even the most home-loving people cannot resist this magnificent weather. I have noticed since the beginning of the trip the importance I give to the sun. Its rays are essential to my balance and I understand all the more the Norwegians who regularly fly away for a week or two to Turkey, Greece or Spain. Today, we do not want to shut ourselves in, the exteriors of the Opera already transport our imagination, it is a real architectural feat, we feel like we are on an iceberg with this white granite on the facades and this Italian marble on the floor of the wide ramp.
Oslo organizes Gay Pride
Everywhere, colored flags adorn the city. The Gay Pride parade will pass through Oslo in 5 days, on June 29. We learn that more than 80 volunteers are working to organize this festival, one of the largest in Norway. It has taken place every year for 10 days. Some stores also display the flag, showing their support for the homosexual community, and others do not. I have not seen this movement of such magnitude in France.
The lightning-fast journey by double-decker bus has the advantage of offering a wide view of the town and its evolution. We take long avenues, pass by the Hôtel de Ville, the Parliament and get off at the Palais Royal station, Jean-Paul can't believe it. Crows with sharp beaks and lively eyes pounce on the remains, shredding the cans of Coca-Cola and the greasy papers left on the ground by impolite tourists. Fortune tellers follow in our footsteps. I have a completely different view, discovering the capital for the first time. The adage that it is better never to return to your places of memory is verified here. It is therefore with these mixed feelings that we return to the opera, still by bus, before taking a connection to the suburbs where Jean-Paul's friends live.
A Norwegian recipe, Småmat
Liv comes to pick us up at the station near her home. We run to meet Sean, her husband. I have barely had a chance to meet them before we sit down at the table. It is 5:30 p.m. Yes! It is dinner time. The småmat, simmered for a long time, does not wait. We taste this steaming stew, an ancestral dish of the region that ultimately can be eaten without hunger.
Jean-Paul and Sean discuss the old days when they worked together on the farm. I can guess knowing smiles between the two friends, remembering some of their youthful epics. Meanwhile, I take note of the recipe that Liv dictates to me with precision and give it to you below.
"In the past, we cooked reindeer and moose, she tells me, but today it has become rare and very expensive". Indeed, during our trip, we only ate deer sausages. On the other hand, salmon is very present in supermarkets. A little too fatty, we shunned them. It is obvious that for the most part, they come from fish farms which are very numerous in the fjords.
Småmat, ingredients, (for about 2.5 liters of soup, 4 people)
500g lean beef, 200g raw ham and 100g dried meat, 1kg potatoes 300g carrots, 300g leeks and 300g cabbage
Preparation
- Cut vegetables into cubes of about 1 cm
- Cook each type of vegetable separately (so that the broth remains clear). Strain and let cool
- Cook meat until tender (about 1 hour), then remove, let cool and cut into cubes of about 1 cm
- To improve the taste, simmer the remaining broth and dried meat over low heat for 4 to 8 hours.
Skim the broth regularly so that it remains clear - Mix beef and vegetables with meat broth
- Salt and pepper
Our friends live in a small apartment, simple, modest, but comfortable. Here too, the lights are on in broad daylight and I happened to automatically turn off the bathroom before Liv's remarks. I remain perplexed, the bulbs work 24/7, especially in the middle of summer.
Walk along the Akerselva River
After a quiet night and a hearty breakfast with excellent homemade waffles, Liv suggests that we accompany her on the fitness trail that she does almost every day, and that at 70 years old. It is hot and humid, the sun is nevertheless shy. Still at a good pace, we begin the walk along the Akerselva River
We take the path from the Beierbrua bridge, and follow the river. This place is clearly unknown to tourist guides. In the past, these banks were home to very flourishing textile and steel industries. The river had a very high flow rate, its particularity is that it starts in the municipality of Oslo, crosses it for 8 km and ends up in the eponymous fjord. It is rare for a river to remain within the perimeter of a municipality. It seems that in some of these warehouses, booze was sold at a high price in the last century. Today, this district has become very popular with young professionals. Picturesque and peaceful, it allows architects and artists of all kinds to express themselves.
The workers' houses and workshops have been transformed into restaurants, cultural stages, modern apartments and residences for students of fine arts in particular. We meet many joggers, fishermen, cyclists and kayakers on the trail enjoying the green path. From time to time, the rustling of mallards or beavers in the river bed disturbs the calm of the place. A little further, in Nydalen, children enjoy swimming and paddling under the low-intensity waterfalls or in the water holes, while parents bask in the sun, to the point of some of them becoming like crayfish! We finish our walk in Frysja, very close to Lake Maridalsvannet, the birthplace of the Akerselva River
Opportunity to stop at the Picnic area and soak up the sweetness of life in the capital. I already imagine myself settled in. I venture to ask Liv, how much would we need to earn to live together in Oslo? Clearly, it would be beyond our means, at least 3,000 euros per month without accommodation. Jean-Paul, amused, retorts, "you would quickly become disenchanted, winter comes early and the nights are long here, you wouldn't be able to stand it". He is right.
My gaze falls on his young mothers chatting while sitting on the grass, the carefree children playing next to them. Summer is perhaps too short for them too!
We go back for dinner, finding Sean, a beer in hand, captivated by the football World Cup on television
Oslo and Vigeland Park
The next day, before leaving our hosts to return to Hobøl at the end of the day, Liv shows us around Vigeland Park, a very well-known site in Oslo. Thousands of tourists of all nationalities rush every day to the two hundred sculptures that pay homage to the living. Despite this crowd, we do not regret this attraction as the works in bronze, wrought iron or granite are superb, and the park is immense.
Like everyone here, we admire the Monolith, the wheel... The paintings on the walls of the fountain are also worth lingering over. It is the work of a lifetime for this sculptor who also imagined and designed the gardens with their rose beds. Unfortunately for him, he will die before seeing his work completed.
It's just a goodbye
We thank Liv for her welcome and her availability, understanding today's Norway better. We plan to meet again in August in her birthplace, in the south of the country.
For now, we are running towards the bus stop for the center of Oslo. We have to go back. We must not miss the train. We are sweating profusely. The idea of finding refreshed carriages fades my bad mood.
To be continued in the next episode and by following us in the Flash News on the site's home page.
Write or read comments?