Ski trip to Oslo

I have always been an alpine skier. For years we've always gone on downhill skiing holidays with my dad and his wife. Sometimes even my mum's husband came with us, because he also loves the alpine skiing. My mum, however, never liked it. There was nothing about it that attracted her so we never managed to make her come with us. What she always said, though, was that she would go cross country skiing with us... although she'd never done it before. If we want her to go skiing then cross country skiing. That was something she could imagine to do one day. It's much healthier, not that aggressive and hectic with focus on speed. But of course, she never succeeded to make us going cross country skiing with her: we are alpine skiers!

That's still valid for me and I only started cross country skiing, because that's simply the local sport here in Norway. This is what everybody does here and since I live in Norway I think it's more than right to give it at least a try. And so I went end of January with Mari and my own ski set to the Sognsvann for a first cross country skiing experience.
That day I thought all the time of my mum, that this is the right sport for her and that she would really like it.
So when I came home after my first skiing tour I went online to check flights to Oslo, just for curiosity. And Norwegian actually offered quite cheap flights. I just gave my mum a call, told her about my first skiing experience and that I thought all the time that she should come to try that as well because she would like it. I told her about the cheap flights for a weekend around "Karneval" and invited her for a skiing weekend in Oslo when also her husband would leave with my brother for alpine skiing holidays. During that week my aunt Herad (that good old friend of Mari's) was supposed to stay with my mum. "Even better", I said to my mum, "bring her with you. Herad and Mari haven't seen each other for ages". Thus, she gave my aunt immediately a call and five minutes later it was sure that they would both come for a skiing weekend in the beginning of February... Initially my mum couldn't believe what crazy thing she just did: agreeing to a very spontaneous skiing weekend in Oslo with her sister. "Lilli, did I really agreed now on putting myself on skis???" - "Yes, mum, you just did :-)"

And I think she didn't regret it. Both, my mum and my aunt who both did cross country skiing for their first time, had fun. Below you'll find the pictures of their adventurous weekend.

Both arrived on Friday night. Saturday was dedicated to a stroll through the city before getting the rental skis for my mum and Herad. The evening was rounded off by a nice dinner in a typical Norwegian restaurant.

And then Sunday, the big day with destination Sognsvann... to keep it flat for the beginners (which includes me as well).


My mum, Herad and Mari well equipped on the way to Sognsvann


The first movements on snow with skis on their feet.




"Come on girls, where are you? I'm waiting for you!"


"We are coming!"






Right for lunch time even the sun came out and stayed for the rest of the day.


"Ooops, quite deep here the snow!"




And of course, not to be missed in a Norwegian's "matpakke": Kviklunsj (the Norwegian kind of "Kitekat")













After returning the rental skis on the Holmenkollen we had a superb view over the partially frozen Oslofjord.




In the right hand upper corner of the picture, between the trees, you see the top of the new Holmenkollen ski jump.






This new ski jump is still under construction, but to be finished for the World Ski Championship 2011 to be held in Oslo.




And here just a picture of a frozen tube on the outer wall of our apartment block.