Oslo and other things

So, it's been a while, hasn't it?

I was in Oslo last weekend with Mike Barrett. Mike's living in Budapest at the moment, so we found a city somewhere in the middle (ok, so really much closer to me), and met there. It was a fantastic trip, and really nice to get out of Stavanger for a few days. Oslo is a nice city, but much smaller than I had always imagined. I had been once before, for a conference, but that trip was a gong show and only lasted for a day; this trip was the first time I've really had a chance to walk around and see the city. In addition to discovering that 'Bagel Juice' is a tasty restaurant, I also discovered that I don't have the balls of steel required to be an olympic ski jumper (but more on that another time).

I'm heading back to Canada on the 11th of August, and I absolutely cannot wait. I haven't been back since Christmas, so this trip is a bit overdue. Toronto will be my first stop, then I will continue on to Vancouver and the Okanagan. In a surprising, but really cool, turn of events, my friend and co-worker Bjarte will be traveling to BC for a week while I am there. Not only is it his first trip to Canada, but he's flying directly to the Okanagan... not a bad introduction to the country! Let's hope the weather holds up for him.

Today's view from Norway: