Skiglede

Translated from Norwegian, this means  "The joy of skiing". I am at Holmenkollen, Oslo where the statue named Skiglede is of King Olav depicted on a skiing trip with his dog, Troll, and in the background you can see the sinuous and majestic - if somewhat daunting - World Championship ski jump as it rises to a height of 60 metres. The area also hosts major Biathlon competitions, a testing combination of cross country skiing and shooting, and you can just make out the area for the shooting range behind King Olav. 


The ski jump has been redesigned and enhanced several times and is very well worth a visit. Almost hidden within the grand superstructure is  a superb museum tracking the history of skiing in the area together with access to a platform right at the top so you can look down on the jump as if you were about to take off! The platform also affords the most spectacular views across the city and fjord and for the adventurous there is now a simulator which gives an incredible  long 5 minute experience of what is is like to both fly from the jump but also race downhill at breathtaking speeds. Trust me, it is worth having a go!!


I am in Norway for a week staying with long standing friends and the following are all backblips as I didn't have access to broadband during my visit.