Hiking Nourishment

Today, Jennifer and I took the t-bane (subway) to Holmenkollen, home of a spectacular ski jump and the Ski Museum. It's in the hills that overlook the city center, almost at the end of the subway line. The ski jump itself was pretty amazing, but I don't think this picture does it justice.

The jump is tall and incredibly steep. During the winter, the water at the bottom is drained and jumping competitions take place here.

We went on the jump simulator machine . . . which was actually pretty fun: a small enclosed compartment which moved mechanically to simulate the speed of a 130 mph downhill experience. We also went to the Ski Museum and saw skis that dated back to 600 A.D. Of course, Norway is where skiing first began--and Norwegians are proud of the ski tradition. The historical overview of skiing included stories of Norwegian explorers who made it (or tried to make it) to the South and North poles, in addition to displaying artifacts from the expeditions of Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen.

After the museum, we decided to take the subway to the end of the line--to an area called Tryvann, home of hiking and mountain biking during the summer and skiing during the winter. We did some hiking there, admiring the chair lifts as well as the beautiful scenery.

So what does this have to do with food? Before going to the park, we stopped at a local restaurant for a little nourishment before the hike. I had a typical Norwegian dish: an open faced sandwich with smoked salmon, scrambled egg, and a thin shaving of zucchini.

A girl's gotta eat before a hike, right? This was actually a very yummy sandwich--I love how creamy smoked salmon is . . . and was glad that the restaurant included a slice of lemon to squeeze on top. It was exactly what I needed to keep up with ski fiend and all around athlete Jennifer.

I had decided before I left that I would go cross country skiing this winter. Jennifer, who once worked as a ski instructor at Lake Tahoe, wants me to try downhill as well, and she promises to be a great teacher. I do want to try new things this year . . . but we'll have to see whether skiing is one of those things.

On my way home, I walked through Aker Brygge enjoying the second day of the multicultural music festival. One tent had Pakistani music and I thought of my dear friend Samina as I watched a group of men dance.

Tomorrow, the Fulbright Orientation begins. I feel quite relaxed after such a fun weekend.