Thanks to First Hotel Millennium we had a centrally located hub to meet up each day before our adventures. We thought we might be relaxing there in the evening but every single day things took off and we dragged ourselves in to the hotel totally exhausted and often quite late ; -) Never a dull moment and no time to waste at OsloBG!
The hotel manager and staff met with us several times throughout the planning process and helped us with setting up, tourist information, and an area to meet up and plan our daily adventures. Every time I pass by First Hotel Millennium now I think of our OsloBG and what a wonderful time we had.

VisitOSLO was an important associate and a key contributor in making OsloBG a success. When I first talked with their Convention Manager – with my head full of ideas of a detailed program – she served me The Columbic Egg; “We give every participant The Oslo Pass, so they all can reach and enter the sights they want” – for free!
VisitOSLO is the leading organization in profiling and positioning the Oslo region as a tourist destination. They are dedicated to contributing towards the development of commerce and culture in the region. So when you are in or plan to go to Oslo; always check their website for all you want to know about the city: www.visitoslo.com

The Grand Opening was at Oslo City Hall with a reception from the Mayor of Oslo, Fabian Stang. Even his own birthday didn’t keep him from greeting these excited bloggers and providing us with an exceptional guided tour of the City Hall. Even in places I had never seen before!! All of OsloBG’s guests had a little gift from their homeland for the Mayor’s birthday and to thank him for receiving us on this special occasion. After the reception many of us went for dinner at Aker Brygge and had a chance to be better acquainted over good food and wine.

The first day as you may recall we had a guided tour around the highlights of Oslo. Oslo Guideservice provided excellent transportation and information on some of the most interesting sites in the area like Vigeland Sculpture Park and Holmenkollen ski jump.
The guides took us through Vigeland Sculpture Park and gave us an insight into Vigelands work and vision in designing every detail of this beautiful green area of Oslo. Although the weather didn’t cooperate as well at Holmenkollen ski jump, the best part was thankfully inside and many made it to the top for the ultimate view.

On the 20th the group was divided into activities of choice. My group had a guided tour of Oslo Opera House, a trip round the main street of Karl Johan, and watched the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace. Meanwhile Tor’s group had a day on Bygdøy island exploring the museums and beaches there. In the evening we had dinner at a small but charming restaurant on Bygdøy Island with a fantastic view of Oslo fjord.

The final day of our program again included the groups dividing up and exploring as far away as Drøbak! Ending the day with a champagne reception in the medieval park, and a roaring night on the town at The Dubliner!! That and plenty more photos – even a movie from the Mayor’s reception – is included in this cavalcade of a movie I made from these three days, enjoy:

I want to give a special thanks to all the participants. One thing we really felt after you all went home, when we looked back we felt so certain that Oslo Blog Gathering would have been different if even one of you didn’t come. One of the best things about OsloBG was the people and how everyone added a little something special to the group. In short it wouldn’t have been the same without you!
Click to see The participants and their adventures posts!

We hope one day to meet everyone again, and who knows maybe there will be another OsloBG in the future?

The Göta Canal:
Celebrating its 175th anniversary in 2012, Göta Canal is Sweden´s construction accomplishment of the millennium. Built between 1810 and 1832 under the leadership of the famous engineer Baltzar von Platen – employing some 58,000 soldiers as laborers – it’s 190 km long, passing through no less than 58 water locks and reaching a total elevation of 92 meters above sea level. All along the canal you’ll find an abundance of sights and attractions, lush, scenic vistas and many charming towns and villages, all embedded in a unique canal atmosphere.

Left: Canal town, Lyrestad – Right: Charming lock keeper cottages

Panorama view of the Swedish countryside

Left: Still of the original hand cut stones – Right: The locks have room for some fairly large vessels

You can rent boats, canoes and kayaks in many places along the canal. The old labor road along the canal is one of Sweden´s most popular bicycle routes, and there are also many attractive hiking trails along the way.

Us with the rented bikes at Sjötorp
The rental bikes are sturdy and comfortable, with broad wheels that roll smoothly on gravel and grass alike. They are equipped with baskets and a luggage rack on the back so you can have as much or as little as you like with you on your trip.

Canoes & Kayaks

Norrkvärn – a miniature version of the canal:
In the area surrounding the Norrkvärn lock, we see a miniature version of Lyrestad’s church tower within a model of the Göta Canal. The mini canal is a working model of Väster Götland part of the Göta Canal and a popular area for families with children:

Children learn through exploration at the mini canal

The models are made of solid building materials so the children (all ages LoL) can play in the water, sail boats down the canal and learn through experiencing it firsthand. The mini canal includes locks, a waterfall and buildings from the local area and invites to play and experimentation. Oh and by the way, this is all free – there is no admission to enter the Norrkvärn Park.

They can follow the route or sail their boats through the locks.

MS Bellevue of Mariestad:
Many tourists negotiate the canal in their own vessels, but there are also tours with classic canal ships available, offering cozy scenic cruises with fine onboard accommodations and restaurants. Of course you can also choose shorter cruises between the many historically and culturally interesting sites along the shores. My wife DianeCA shot a film with her Nokia of one of them: Bellevue of Mariestad. Including some of the photos, I made a movie out of it – enjoy:

So if you want to see the idyllic heartland of Sweden from a unique perspective, a voyage on Göta Canal is highly recommended! You can easily understand how this part of Sweden has a special place in the heart of this Norwegian. Although we have been coming here for over 10 years there is always something to experience anew. If you need more info or booking, Mariestad Tourist Office gives excellent service!

Mariestad:
Mariestad lives up to its nick name as “Pearl of Lake Vänern“. It’s the most evocative stopover among the lake towns, known both for its architecture and as a center for exploring the district. It’s famous for the many well-preserved old structures in Gamla Stan (or Old Town), including one building from the 17th century, all of which have survived despite several widespread town fires. The town founded in 1583 lies on the eastern shore of Lake Vänern, taking its name from Maria von Pfaltz, the first wife of Duke Karl (later Karl IX). He also build the dome church, an icon and landmark, easy to spot on our boat trip:

Sjötorp and Göta Canal:
About 10 miles north of Mariestad, at the Göta exit, we arrive at the village Sjötorp. This is the end (or beginning) of the Göta Canal, and the gateway to Lake Vänern:

There are small charming shops by the locks, and a canal museum featuring tools used to dig the canal in the 1800s, a large collection of outboard motors, but probably the most interesting is a collection of items retrieved from the canal (including an old model mobile phone).

Shops with ice cream, refreshments, smoked seafood and handcrafts.

The Göta Canal is one of the most remarkable waterways in the world and historically an important communication links between the inland industrial Sweden and the rest of the world. It’s 190 km long, dug out by hand between 1810 and 1832 by some 58 000 soldiers removing 300 000 cubic meters of rock and earth in order to create the three-meter deep and 14-metre wide canal. The construction foreman and certainly the one who promoted the project most strongly was Baltzar von Platen.
Today it is little used for trade but more and more by tourists who are using the canal. Since you can enter from both Stockholm and Göteborg (connection from the Atlantic ocean), they represent all kinds of nationalities:

Left: Dutch. German, Danish and Swedish – Right: Even Russian

Boats in a lock

A trip like this on M/S Marianne gives our guests a view of our summer paradise in a nutshell. One experiences the city and the country, the lake and canal, not to mention the culture and the history of the Mariestad area. It has the additional bonus of being a recreational day with a 2 hour trip on the water and a chance to explore the local area.

Thor Hushovd (18 January 1978) riding for Garmin-Cervélo, is up until this year known for sprinting and time trialing and is the 2010 Norwegian and World Road Champion. Thor is now the first Norwegian to lead the Tour de France, and first Scandinavian to win the road race in cycling world road championship. He also won the Green jersey in 2005 and 2009.

Edvald Boasson Hagen (17 May 1987) also considered as one of the biggest rising talents in the sport, being ranked as #3 in the world by UCI as of 31 August 2009. Edvald is the Norwegian Time Trial Champion and now rides for the UCI ProTour team; Team Sky.

I know they have way to go – more than two weeks left of the Tour – but right now, the Norwegians takes one day or stage or even both the yellow and green jersey at the time. I guess you find it wise for a nation with only two participants on this years Tour? And that you can imagine that it taste sooooooo good – today! : -)

So my American wife and I were there and with my Nokia N8 at hand, I’ll gladly share some highlights with you – starting at the grand opening on the stage (click pic to bigify):

Left: Marine honour guard presenting the American flag – Right: Guest of honour: deputy mayor Mrs. Aud Kvalbein gives her speech.

Diverse booths were set up giving information and special offers to Americans abroad and Norwegians as well, like this one manned by the US Embassy. The opening ceremony was begun with a speech by the American Ambassador to Norway, Barry White (beside him is his wife Eleanor) and of course I had to greet him and thank him for sharing one of his lovely citizens with me!!

American food feast:
Before I show you some photos, here is the menu: Hamburgers • Hotdogs • BBQ • Chili • Ice Cream • Yogurt • American Lutheran Church manned the Coca Cola stand • American Women’s Club dished up lots of great America cookies • Sons of Norway offered waffles & sloppy Joes (not together thankfully) • Plus lots more goodies to feast on! We stood in the very long line for homemade, handmade freshly grilled cheeseburgers – fantastic!

Hamburgers left – sloppy Joes right

Cookies and ice tea

Street Cars Norway:
Once again this year, Street Cars Norway had an exhibition behind the stage and Thomas Følling (SCNs President) awarded prizes in 7 categories – Lucky one: a place in Oslo Motor Show 2011 in October!
An impressive exhibition I would say and quite American too – or what do you think:

First a panoramic view – then: …….


…… some of the beauties in details ; -)

The atmosphere was truly an American 4th of July celebration with all the trimmings. There were lots of happy families everywhere with good music and good food, plus fun for all ages. It was apparent that many American families feel themselves at home in Oslo. We finished off the day in our traditional way with Diane’s grilled ribs, corn on the cob and lots of grilled vegetables. I want to wish all my American friends and family a Very Happy 4th of July!

In the Light of Cornelis:
Cornelis Vreswijk (1937 – ’87) is undoubtedly one of Scandinavia’s greatest musical artists of all time and has become relevant again from the movie “Cornelis“. Hans-Erik Dyvik Husby played the role of the legendary Swedish troubadour in the film, and at Midsummer night Husby together with Vreswijk’s son Jack, held a concert using the music from the movie and interpret some of his songs in their own way. It took place in a historical and geographical landmark on Oslo harbor, at Akershus Fortress (see pic to the left) built in the 1600s. The location, surroundings, architecture and atmosphere on a long summer night in Oslo, were perfect. This panoramic photo, taken with my Nokia N8, is from about 10PM:

There were beautiful arrangements with acoustic guitars, strings and subdued production and I could not resist trying to capture some of this magic moment with my Nokia – with photos and even some movies – to share with you. I hope you enjoy the scenery and music in the edited movie – even if the language is Swedish – although since Husby is in fact Norwegian, some Swedes may object to that last statement ;- )

From Jesus to Cornelis:
Hans-Erik Dyvik Husby has gone from hell to heaven and back again. From the time he was front figure and singer of Turboneger, under the name Hank von Helvete, singing hard rock and struggling with drug addiction, until he went clean and checked himself into a rehab clinic in Sweden. He then made a strong come back in the role of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. Now he meets again another kind of underground when he debuted in the film role as the beloved, Swedish-Dutch troubadour Cornelis Vreeswijk:

Left: Husby after the concert – Right: Husby in Jesus Christ Superstar

Cornelis came from Holland to Sweden at the age of 12 years. He bought his first guitar in 1954 and released his first album – Ballader och Oförskämdheter – in 1964, including the famous Ballad of Frederick Åkare and Cecilia Lind. His life was influenced by alcoholism, drug use, multiple marriages, imprisonment and economic problems, as well as a brilliant musical career. He is considered one of Sweden’s greatest poets and artists, in line with Carl Michael Bellmann and Evert Taube.

Left: Hans.Erik and Jack – Right: Capture from my movie
Hans-Erik Dyvik Husby’s interpretation of Cornealis’ music was an interesting combination of the two artists, both nostalgic in the old melodies, and new in the at times more rocking presentation of the music. Since we have seen Husby in both rolls, as Jesus Christ superstar and Cornealis it was interesting to compare these two rolls and forms, and we enjoy his versatility and changeability from different types of music. The setting at Akeshus Fortress was the top of the cream in this St. Hansaften celebration and the perfect ambiance for a summer concert on one of the longest days of the year.

The grand historic Oscarsborg Fortress:
My wife DianeCA. invited those who wanted to join her for a trip to Oscarsborg Fortress. It stands on Kaholmene in the Drøbak Strait and has been there for more than 350 years. Build as a Coastal fortress in the years 1643-1644, its name was given by royal resolution on August 23, 1855 after a visit by the Swedish/Norwegian King Oscar 1.

Oscarsborg is best known for the sinking of the German battleship “Blücher” on the 9th of April 1940, WW2, and one can still get a whiff of the creosote (lignite tar) from the battleship. So the Fortress was military territory until 2003, but then made a publicly available resort island. We can tell you that many local families enjoy taking the boat out to the island fortress and having an enjoyable afternoon on the scenic grounds and visiting the charming seaside café.

Champagne on historical ground:
The Medieval Park in the Old City of Oslo (called Bjørvika) is the largest contiguous area of preserved ruins from the Middle Ages. It was here that the urbanization of Oslo started around the year 1000. In the 1300s there were six churches, three monasteries, royal residence and the bishop’s residence in this small urban society.

Surrounding the ruins is now a park and the old coastal line is recreated as it was in the middle ages by the creation of a water table to provide parkland quality and character. Before the grand finale in the evening, TorAa suggested this place as the perfect surroundings for popping the cork and toasting a successful gathering:

Through Exhibitions and Events the park already communicates experiences, stimulating activities and even more: provides knowledge about Oslo City’s origins, and the role of Oslo as the capital and the Norwegian Middle Ages. The most famous yearly event is The Øya Music Festival, so we where in the right place to have a party:

The grand finale celebration:
Three hectic days (and nights) were coming to an to end but we weren’t ready to give up without a fight, or rather a party. My wife DianeCA and I were exhausted, but we still had a jolly good time with the whole gang at Dubliner Folk Pub. It was a mixed feeling of sadness for having to say farewell, but also the loud buzzing and talking about all the excitement we had experienced. Nobody wanted to go home and all had a lot more they wished to see and do. I was thinking: All in all, many good reasons to come back:

Lawrence aka BeaverBush came up with the party idea and made the reservations for us at the pub. He was so nice and gave me a bottle of very nice champagne on behalf of all the participants. I was happy, thankful and proud of course that all went so well. It was hard to make a small thank you speech – very emotional for me:

Celebrating the Mayor’s birthday in the City Hall:
I have decided to end the report from OsloBG with the most Magic Moment of all: the opening ceremony as the reception by the Mayor in Oslo City Hall. Being aware of that the Mayor had his birthday that very day, I’d asked the participants to bring a small gift from their homeland to give to him. My wife had my Nokia X6 mobile phone, to capture the moment:

My wife DianeCA and I have worked hard on planning OsloBG for over one year and now that our mission is accomplished and my dream has come true, I want to thank everyone again who participated. We made the plan and invited the guests, but it was really each and every OsloBG participant who made the event what it was. Everyone played a key roll and it would not have been the same without them!
So far, all their posts about OsloBG is collected at the gatherings guest list. I will soon make a post to present all of them – so stay tuned!

Five minutes later we had left the urban city life and were enjoying the nature (click pics to bigify & enjoy):

The ferry is relatively small and in just 15 minutes takes you to Bygdøy Island with lots of historical museums:

<sub>Closer and closer to the Fram Museum:

Fram = the boat Roald Amundsen used at his Polar Expeditions (the first to the South Pole in 1912)</sub>

Five minutes walk from there and you take Norway’s shortest ferry trip to the island where we were dining:

_{Max 11 passengers and one minute drive.}

The restaurant at little Herbern Island:
This small “hide out” is a hidden gem and a peaceful and idyllic island which should be on every Oslo visitors wish list. People started to come out here when the restaurant first opened in 1929, and it has been known as a small and precious pearl in the Oslo gastronomy scene since then, beautifully situated on a natural beach it is open yearly from May – October.
It could be taken for a private Scandinavian summer home on the outside, however inside the restaurant has seats for 65 guests and 130 outside on the terrace with a fantastic seaside view. The restaurant’s interior is bright, with big windows, white table cloths, wooden chairs and a beautiful parquet floor. I’m sorry I didn’t take any pics from the outside, but here are some from the restaurant late in the evening:

_{Fantastic sceneries through the panoramic windows.}

I have pics from our gastronomic adventures as well so join the Oslo Blog Gathering gang from all over the world and let me share the menu:

I guess it would not surprise you that seafood is their speciality and to me of course; the choice was easy. So first things first; the starter – bon appétit:

<sub>Scampi on a crisp salad with balsamic vinegar dressing

Left, the main course: grilled salmon on pureed potatoes – Right, the dessert: cappuccino pannacotta</sub>

After the one minute ferry back to Bygdøy Island, we took the bus back to Oslo – a 20 minutes drive and we were back in the city and First Millennium Hotel again.

This was Friday night’s menu and we were all getting to know each other quite well – making friendship for life. According to the OsloBG program, we still had one more day and night of fun and adventures, so stay tuned there is more to come!

The Norwegian Opera & Ballet:
As an ice berg out of the ocean, the Opera from the outside is considered spectacular, and the radical change of worm welcome look when you get inside is equally impressive. It’s Norway’s largest performing arts institution, with 600 employees working in about 50 professions and trades. Designed by the Norwegian architects Snøhetta, it is the first opera house in the world to let visitors walk on the roof (click pics to bigify & enjoy)):

_{OsloBG participants roof photo shoot}.

The new opera house offers a rich and varied programme from three stages: The Main House (1369 seats), Second House (400 seats) and the Studio (200 seats). The Opera Roof and Foyer are also used for concerts and other artistic performances.
Our guided tour invited into a unique workspace and we learn a lot more about the architecture and even catch a glimpse of life backstage. I had my Nokia X6 mobile at hand of course, to give you a sneak peak:

The oak tree inside gives a warm and welcome impression as oppose to ice berg shaped building on the outside:

The artistic facilities and what is required of the shows was also among the guiding themes. We saw the public areas, the main hall as well as Scene 2 (photos above), and we even were back stage and also saw the rehearsal rooms and the sewing room:

The Oslo Pass = Free transport & entrance:
The OsloBG participants were given this Oslo Pass by VisitOslo. It provides free travel on all public transport, free admission to museums and sights, free parking in all Oslo municipal car parks, discounts on car rental, ice skate hire, Tusenfryd Amusement Park etc. This of course were very convenient to have – all the time – so even if only three stops away, we took the tube to our next adventure this second day.

His Majesty the King’s Guard (HMKG):
At 1:30PM 2 pm. every day, the changing of the guard ceremony take place in front of the Royal Palace. A popular spectator event for tourists and of course for the OsloBG participants too:

Their dark blue dress uniforms have remained virtually unchanged throughout the regiment’s 142 years of existence

I was serving at the King Guard myself in 1972, so I knew where to take OsloBG participants to stay or sit to get the best, closest look:

One noteworthy detail of the uniform is the plumbed bowler hat, which was copied from the Italian Bersaglieri alpine troops – a regiment that so impressed the queen Louise (Queen of Sweden and Norway between 1859 and 1870) that she in 1860 insisted the Norwegian guards be similarly attired.

OsloBG – the participant’s choice:
This is only a small collection of what was explored by the OsloBG participants this second of our three days together – all in all we were about 30 participants from all over the world. Seldom were we together in one group though as the program idea was based on that everyone should pick out their favourite spots according to their interest and preferences and of course what they felt for each day. So as “local hosts”, DianeCA my wife, our good friend TorAa and I picked out our rout for the day and invited those who wanted to follow.
I will post more from my trips and so will they – not to mention all the participants’ blog posts from their adventures. Those will be presented by me in one post as soon as I have collected all of them. So by all means: stay tuned!

You get the same feeling when our vacation home city changes its name for the day to MaRioStad. My wife DianeCA and I, on our way to the city centre for a romantic dinner, accidentally came across the parade and I just had to capture the fun and share it with my blog friends. Luckily I always have my Nokia X6 mobile phone on hand:

Carnival is nearly synonymous with Rio, but that is not the only place. On the contrary, it’s celebrated throughout most of the world, especially in Catholic countries. Other major carnival cities include e.g. Verona, Nice, Lisbon, Verona, Cologne and Lisbon. People are preparing for months, saving money for the big party. In Mariestad there were huge expectations and everyone turned out so the sidewalks were full (click pics to bigify & enjoy):

_{People with big expectations – all over!}

Although Rio’s is today’s carnival capital, this celebration has it’s origin in Europe. The ancient Romans had large rallies in the street, where they among other things, drew a boat with them. There was plenty of food and drink and a grand feast for the occasion. In the middle Ages, carnival was to some degree celebrated in Scandinavia, but this celebration disappeared with the Reformation in 1537. I think it’s good that this tradition is reborn in Mariestad and with a cute, local twist:

<sub>Willy’s Steamboat float – Pippi Longstockings

Colourful clowns – What about a rolling rock band, now that’s rock n roll

Fancy cars and pretty girls</sub>

Before I end, let’s get back to the samba feeling and these beautiful women (mostly) and fantastic costumes:

I also had to check out the video feature on my new Nokia X6 – here you are: Turn up you’re speakers and let you’re feet lead the way:

One thing that is wonderful about Mariestad is that whenever something is happening in town all the locals turn out for the event. This time the weather was good and the atmosphere was energetic. Since this was our last week of the summer vacation in Mariestad, I think it was a smashing end to our stay – don’t you agree?