Ice Skating!

Today after work I went together with L. & J. to the ice ring between Stortinget and Nationaltheatret. Normally there is a fountain, which is quite famous with the locals. In summer, once the sun comes out, all the benches are filled with people eating ice cream and waffles. Families are strolling around the small park and the children are playing at the water.

The fountain in the summer!

In winter however, Norwegians stop eating ice cream, but not waffles. They make the fountain into an ice ring, which then becomes a meeting place for the local teenagers, tourists and people like us, who just want to go ice skating after work. 

It is really nice! It is illuminated, the skates are rented out in a heated tent and not everybody is a professional on the ice, which makes it less embarrassing when you struggle keeping your balance on the thin blades. In case you fall somebody else will for sure join you on the ice soon.

Anyways, as I said, L.,J. and I went there after work. J. picked us up from the office and we made our way to the ice ring, got our skates and went for a try. In the beginning it was a bit weird and unfamiliar to stand on skates again, but soon we all got used to it and were going around the ice.

It was fun, but somehow the ring was too small for so many people and especially with all the teenagers just using it as a hang out! There again you see how crazy these people are. Every normal teenager would meet with temperatures below -15°C at home or at a mall or at least somewhere inside. Not here! Here you use the ice ring in the middle of the city to hang out, with nothing more but sweatpants and a thin jacket!

So, we were going round and round, but after a while the skates started hurting. Of course, they are not fitting good, they are either too loose or too tight and they are pinching on your toes, on your ankles or elsewhere. After about an hour we were bored of going around and annoyed at all the people just standing on the ice instead of skating, so we called it an evening!

After giving back the skates and overcoming the weird feeling walking normal again, we split up, each one in his or her direction. I had to go home, since I had a meeting at 7 o'clock at my flat. As you know I am leaving soon and I am getting rid of stuff. I had put my mattress onto an ad-website and Vitali had called me to buy it!

It was for sale!

When I was at home he called and asked if he could come at 9 o'clock instead, since he had something to do still. For me nor problem, since I was anyways about to stay at home! So I made dinner instead and was talking a bit to A.!

Then at 9 o'clock Vitali came and took the mattress. He gave me NOK 800,- for the mattress, which is quite good money considering the fact, that I bought it for NOK 700,- and still had a blanket and pillows with it. After he left I went up to the attic to take down the old and not so comfortable mattress, which was in the room before. Now I am going to sleep on it for a couple more nights and then I go home! I can't wait!

~M~