Flew into Norway (Hurrah! no Volcano) and Guusje (try pronounce her name *if you dare*) met us off the bus in Oslo. Which was good – as it’s a maze of a place. Or at least, at 1am it is. Maaike and Guusje met back teaching in the languages department in TCD many moons ago.
Guusje is now living in Oslo with her partner Inge – who is an excellent chef and a great wit – and a very very keen fisherman. And really, with a 10 day walk of a forest on your back doorstep – with literally thousands of little lakes full of trout it’d be a great place to be a fisherman.
So – a 10 minute car drive from the city centre the forest starts. There are tracks throughout for cross country skiing and huts to stay in, and there was still snow in the forest.
So, this fishing lark is *actually* harder than it looks. I suspect there’s something Darwinian going on. Presumably after all the fishes who like shiny metal hooks have been caught – then the genes change. But not fast enough for this delicious brown trout that Inke caught for us.
It was a great first impression of Oslo. I can’t really think of another capital which has such amazing outdoors opportunities just 10 mins from the centre.
Don’t worry – it’s not all roses (especially for tourists) but that’s more to do with oil and the shrewdness of the Norwegians. More to come…..
Leave a Reply