Planning for the Oslo Blog Gathering, Norway Travel Fair 2010 gave inspiration, impulses and make some new contacts which can help as well. Exhibitors from all over the world make this Norway’s largest arena for the travel trade and visitors. Their aim is to be an inspirational market and meeting place for all Norwegian travellers by providing information as well as face to face personal contact. Europe is the world’s leading tourist region, with 500 million arrivals per year accounting for 53 per cent of global tourism. Of course Norway has a lot of potential in the world travel market, both within and beyond Europe. The fair’s PR strategist Bjørn B. Jacobsen, said at the opening: “Our biggest challenge is to build better awareness about and greater knowledge of the travel trade as an industry of the future. That also embraces the importance of idea, product development and concepts….” and I was thinking: let us show them how to make use of social media as communication channels too

My wife DianeCA and I were there to meet some of the OsloBG’s associates and get inspiration and of course we invite you along as well. Let’s start with the gatherings key contributor; visitOSLO:

Not all the staff at visitOslo knows in detail about OsloBG, yet – but all at their stand do now It was inspiring to discuss with them this experiment of using the Blogsphere and other Social Media to gather people from all over the world for three days of exploring Oslo and Norway; our culture, history and traditions.

Their site is an excellent start for your exploration and to find out what you would like to see and experience while joining us in August! Their site has an English version, and of course it is all free!

Visitnorway.com:
Not only Oslo, but Norway’s tourism organisations as a whole are aware of the internet as the most important travel information channel. The Ministry of Trade and Industry has given Innovation Norway the responsibility for the development and maintenance of the official travel guide to Norway: Visitnorway.com. The site includes several means of planning your next trip to Norway and in a lot of languages: visitnorway.com/es or, …./fr, /de, /uk, /us etc!
Of course we had a visit to talk about OsloBG at their stand too, with some spectacular show to attract visitors:

_{Left: Looking at OsloBG website – Right: An acrobat’s performance}

Having fun at a travel fair:
To introduce, promote and have fun, there were of course entertaining attractions as well. To make it short, in pictures:

<sub>A needed massage – Glass blowing

Fun for the children too of course.</sub>

I hope you will stop by the sites of both VisitOslo and VisitNorway and check out the information they have on travel and tourism. These are two official channels for tourism and give thorough information on what to see, what to do, and where to go when visiting Oslo and Norway in general. Some people coming to the trip may want to extend their stay to see more of the country since they have already travelled so far, and this is a good place to get information in planning your trip. If you are definitely planning on joining us for the Oslo Blog Gathering 2010, I hope you will remember to book your program fee soon! Only the first 50 booked will be able to participate in the reception in the City Hall with the Mayor due to space restrictions.

37 Comments »

Sometimes you need to get out of the office to be able to think outside of the box. Norwegians sometimes go even further and take a day or two to Denmark by ferry or Sweden by car. I did so together with colleagues in a workgroup at The Norwegian Computer Society last week and you’re welcome to join us. The purpose was to discuss the program our workgroup or task force will provide our members in 2010 and we went to Strømstad, 135km (84 miles) south of Oslo, just across the Swedish boarder. Then you’re out of the hectic and stressful urban life with a great view of the fjord and harbour at Laholmen Hotel:

As you can see, we haven’t got any snow yet, but it was below freezing and it gave kind of a taste of winter at least:

Since we’re getting closer and closer to Yule tide, the hotel was Xmas decorated both inside and out. I took this picture at the entrance around 9PM:


Then inside there was no doubt what season we were into – here are a couple of examples:

_{Left: Gingerbread House – Right: The hotel bar with a taste of Xmas}

Good planning requires good food as well as drinks and of course the social part of the work groups gathering is important for a good result. Then the hotels restaurant has all you need. You’re welcome to sit in with us while I show you the menu:

<sub>My regular readers might recognize at least a couple of guys in the picture?


Starter: Fresh caught peel and eats shrimp.

Left = Main course: Duck a l’ Orange – Right = Ice cream with wild lingon berries.</sub>


Then into the bar with more discussions and by all means creative and out of the box ideas for our program next year. It’s amazing how well a group develops ideas in surroundings and an atmosphere like this – some we agreed could be used when we started our meeting the day after and some could be a bit of a challenge to complete

How does your team generate creativity and encourage thinking outside of the box? Have you had any similar or unusual experiences? I would sure like to hear about them!

26 Comments »

Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is a cosmopolitan city where many different cultures live together and where different languages can be heard on each street. As headquarters of many European institutions, it’s a capital for the European Union. Being at the crossroads it’s playing an important role in Europe and fits the definition of the archetypal “melting pot”, but still retains its own unique character.

Representing The Norwegian Computer Society, I quite often go to Brussels e.g. in CEPIS meetings; Council of European Professional Informatics Societies, representing over 300,000 informatics professionals in 33 countries. As a network evangelist, it’s a thrill talking with and making friends with people from all over Europe – a great way to get new insight in the diversity and similarity of our cultures, traditions and habits. Further more, when I have the chance, I love to explore the same variety and contrast in the different architectural styles that can be found in the city; the former capital of the medieval Duchy of Brabant. Last week, I had some extra hours and walked around with my Nikon camera and you’re welcome to join me. Let’s start with a waterhole where they serve my favourite Belgium beer: Stella Artois:

Grand’Place or Grote Market:
Just around the corner, you’ll find the heart of Brussels and the place to start getting to know the city. This historic market square with its splendid guild houses and the impressive Gothic beauty of the Town Hall, is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful town squares in Europe:

_{The Town Hall and the square starts to get decorated for Christmas.}

Once there, you know it from the size of the square, the breath taking architecture and because there are tourists with world wide languages taking pictures and posing:

The square attracts special occasions or celebrations too. When I was there the 20th of November, Students of l’Université libre de Bruxelles were honouring The Free University of Brussels. Founded in 1834, it was a reaction against the catholic domination in higher education. Its name refers to the complete freedom of inquiry which is the founding principle of the university, and to the freedom of domination by either state or religious authorities. Like almost every institution in the bilingual Belgium, the Brussels University has been split up into French and a Dutch-speaking part:

Manneken Pis:
Just a short walk from the Grand Place Market is the Manneken Pis, a small bronze statue thought to represent the “irreverent spirit” of Brussels:

_{Another popular place to pose as a tourist}

This statue of a child performing one of Nature’s most basic functions is believed to have been inspired by a child who, while in a tree, found a special way to drive away invading troops. Belgians have created hundreds of outfits for this statue and this day of course it was Students of l’Université libre de Bruxelles

Windows shopping:
Brussels and Belgium is famous for a lot – let’s explore through window shopping and I’ll let the photos speaks for themselves:

Left above: Chocolates – Right above: Sweets, biscuits and more yummy

Left below: Beer – Right below: Belgium lace

The Fish Market:
Just to the north of Grand Place. Brussels’ restaurant gauntlet can be found in Rue des Bouchers – Beenhouwerstraat, and side streets. You find all kinds of Belgian cuisine of course, but as a Norwegian I look for seafood and find a lot – that’s why I call it a Fish Market (read my post from a previous for more details):

_{Left: Seafood stand – Right: The narrow and cosy restaurant street.}

This again shows one reason why I love my hobby, blogging. It adds a new dimension to my love of travelling. In my travels I am always thinking of my blog, and its contents which I like to be informative. In this way I pay more attention and learn more about the places I visit so I can share it with my favourite readers. That’s one reason why I would like to invite others to have the same experience in Oslo, and I would love to show you around you know. Click to see the constant improving program of The Oslo Blog Gathering 2010!

41 Comments »

Athens the capital city is in many ways the birthplace of Classical Greece and the cradle of Western civilization. As such, it is the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, Western literature and historiography as well as political science. Athens – related tο name of the goddess Athena – has been continuously inhabited for at least 7,000 years. So for a Norwegian who loves travelling, it has been on the top of my visiting list for a long time. I was lucky enough to be there this week together with my wife, combining EUCIP (European Certification of Informatics Professionals) business with pleasure. As always, we gladly take you along, so let’s start with an overview and landmarks:

The Athenian Acropolis is the ancient high city of Athens, a prominent plateau rock perched high above the modern city with commanding views and an amazing array of ancient architecture, mostly from the Classical period of Ancient Greece, the most famous of which is the Parthenon.


Historical monuments from centuries back:
The heritage of the classical era is still evident in the city, represented by a number of ancient monuments and works of art:

_{Hadrian’s Arch}
Athens retains a vast variety of Roman and Byzantine monuments, as well as a smaller number of remaining Ottoman monuments projecting the city’s long history across the centuries:

The city also contains a variety of different architectural styles, ranging from Greco-Roman, Neo-Classical, to modern. Many of the most prominent buildings of the city are either Greco-Roman or neo-classical in style:

_{Left: The National Library – Right: The Academy of Athens.}


Walk in the Urban life and architecture:
Athens offers some great urban walking. Several major streets have been recently pedestrians, and a mostly car-free archaeological walk has been implemented connecting the Acropolis and nearby sites. We had a pleasant afternoon and evening walking around the Plaka and Kolonaki districts:

_{Walking stairs and narrow streets.}


The Greece cuisine:
It reflects the Mediterranean style of cooking and diet. Fruits and fresh vegetables play an important role in making some of the most well flavoured and colourful Greek delicacies. Among them garlic, onions, fennel, zucchini, grapes, apples, dates and figs are widely used. Seasonings and herbs like dill, mint and oregano and lemon rind also form an important part of the recipes. Lamb is very common, of course moussaka the national dish is well known but the fish dishes are the best ones as Greece is a country surrounded by the sea and fishing is a main factor of the Greek agriculture. As a Norwegian and lover of seafood, I had to try when we where eating at the Plaka districts together with some Spanish EUCIP colleagues:

<sub>At an outdoor restaurant on a pedestrian stair walk.

Left: Kalamarakia (squids) and the Greek beer Mythas – Right: Tsipoura (sea bream)</sub>


Oslo Blog Gathering 2010.

We were only in the beautiful city of Athens for three days. I even attended a business conference in that period, but we really had a lot of good experiences and a feeling of a vacation. Like Oslo, the center of Athens is very compact and easily available on foot or by public transportation. We took a bus sightseeing trip to get an idea of where the important monuments were and the distance between them, and then we were able to pick and choose what was most important for us. This is really a good example of how one can have a lot of great experiences in a compact period of time, much like the planned Oslo Blog Gathering in 2010. So remember to click and check out the plan and maybe you will enjoy a similar experience with us as your host.

40 Comments »

Gutenberg House in Mariestad contains both an art gallery and a graphic museum. Built in late 1700s as a warehouse, this is the only remaining of the numerous wooden buildings that previously lined the harbour. It’s therefore a valuable element of the old part of Mariestad in Sweden and well worth a visit:

–
What attracts me first was The Graphic Museum and of course the connection in name with Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (1398 – 1468), the German goldsmith and printer who is credited with being the first European to use movable type printing and the global inventor of the mechanical printing press. Among the specific contribution to printing which are attributed to Gutenberg is the invention of a process for mass-producing movable type. The press at the museum is from the 1900s, but I guess you get the hang of it:


The other attraction is The Art Gallery located on the second floor: A perfect place for art exhibitions of all kinds in an old wooden house. I guess from these photos, you get an idea of that too:

Here you’ll find a comprehensive selection of artwork, sculptures, jewellery, textiles, etc. from exhibiting artists in Mariestad and the local area.

This old building and the surrounding properties have more to offer as well – especially if you care to pay The Back Gardens a visit. A nice, quiet, personal and artistic atmosphere:

If you take a look at the details of the groupings you’ll understand why I went crazy with my Nokia mobile phone camera:

To me it’s like going back a century in time – like a recreational journey where time stands still and you’ll find candy for the eye everywhere. To me for sure it was another quality time adventure with my wife at our vacation home town in Sweden. You’re welcome to read about this trip and see it all from her prospective on DianeCA’s own blog.

23 Comments »