Update 13 - Winter sports

Visitors, drinks, skiing and dessert!

One of the many amazingly vibrant sunsets we see from our window at work. And here's a couple of amazingly vibrant Ozzies we had drinks with a few weeks ago!Roland and Jacinta have been living in Dundee for a couple of years. They were in Oslo for a quick visit so we showed them how to get to Sognsvann and Vigeland Park to see the statues.It was great catching up for dinner and drinks. Unfortunately they were here for the only snowless weekend we've had in months!See...3 days later and the snow was backIt snowed for a few days straight...here it is piling up on our balcony!Eigil enjoying a smoke on the balcony in the snowI've warned Dan about thisGoing out for a few drinks after workTo rubber chicken!Tibi doesn't get itAnita and Olve talking with only the power of their mindsDan gave it a goThe boys...and Trygve!A crazy Oz couple (who don't stand out at all)Walking to the train station...the icicles on the lights were growingMary Poppins?I love how snow changes the look of everythingLook out for the icicles!Walking back home up our street...Digging through to AustraliaIt feels even warmer inside with snow on your balcony!Yay! Snow + sun = skiing!Off we head to catch the train...Ski jackets on!There were several tracks on the big lakeA forest full of skiers?Here's Dan on the lake. It was damn cold so we weren't worried about the ice breaking.I tried not to look too novice...but I realised I was looking far from professional :)Cross country skiing is a big family thing to do in Norway10 mins of skiing and you've forgotten about the coldThe low sunlight across the smooth snow covered lake, occasionally broken with deep ski lines was a beautiful sight.Yep, it's good fitness isn't it DanIt felt like a different planetWe were pretty happy to be out and about in such a landscape:)It's easy to forget you're on a frozen lakeA BIG frozen lakeAs we were reaching the other side we spotted a picnic tableIt looked like a puffy marshmellow tableDan cleared us a spot to eatPeople passing by grinned at us...we must've looked funny with our beanies poking out from the snow piled table :)Hot milo tastes SOOO good when the weather is this coldIt steamed Dan's glasses up!I still can't believe we were actually hereThen we started the long journey back across the lake. I fell over getting back onto the lake in front of some kids who pointed and larfed histerically at me.Look ice!We got pizza from the little shop back at the start of the lakeI've never seen so many people with skis waiting for the train! There must've been over 100 of us by the time the train came!That night we went out to dinner with Grant and Astrid to a Spanish place Astrid suggested. The food was great! (as you can see)Fine wine, delicious food and fantastic companyWhat more can you ask for?Well maybe dessert!After here we went for a drink and then headed home, feeling content and sleepy from our awesum day :)On our way to the tram we passed the spot where we had to wait to get our visas.

New Year’s Work Party

Just over a week ago we had our work New Year's PartyWe all got 4 drink vouchers each (+ extras from a few non drinkers)I had no idea Norwegians could get so drunk!These photos are from the sensible part of the nightThis is DJ Dust (pronounced Doost). He asked if he had to smile for this photo. And yes he's wearing a tie :)Here is Annette enjoying herselfTrygve and I danced the night awayEigil had his upside down smile onVladas enjoyed a drink and a danceAll together nowAwwMy jokes were hilarious darlingSiggy didn't need a karaoke machineLook out, a friendship ringLast but not least...us and Joakim's tie! Then the night could best be described as 'let the stumbling begin!'

The day the ocean froze

This is the day after our Funcom party. It so gorgeous out we decided to go for a walk.Can you see the ski jump? (we love looking at the ski jump)We decided to walk to Bygdøy (the joined island) to watch the sunset over the oceanStopping along the way to enjoy the viewMmm snowWe started wondering if we would make it to the ocean in time to see the sunsetFrosty branches...there was a chill in the air!This boat marina meant we were getting close to waterOoo!Neither of us expected it to look this gorgeousThe sea was partly frozen...our first frozen sea sighting ever!and the frozen bubbles on top created this alien planet textureof course Dan had to poke it with a stick :)We'd never been so cold watching such a beautiful sunset :)Ah, the romance...I've got the whole world in my hands (well maybe just a piece of frozen ocean)One last look before we headed back on our cold journey home

When in Norway…

Here's how I chilled the chardonnay last Friday nightIn Australia we have a bbq on the balcony, in Norway we have an ice bucket on the balcony :)

It’s snowing again!

It snowed again last weekend and this is what we woke up to this morningThe biggest snowball ever!Walking to work felt like a cross between walking on cornflour and walking across a beachSometimes it's nice not to own a carThis is the most snow we've seen in Oslo so farStopping at the bank along the wayNeed any snow with your petrol?A couple of hours ago I took a break and went for a walk to see if I could get to the edge of the water near work (since the sun was setting).I had to walk knee deep in snow to get these photos...brought to you by...two soggy trouser bottoms! (and 2 damp socks)