The Cabin Trip

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We had our cabin trip with Filologisk Forening (the humanities college student society that we're members of--they even let Dan the scientist in!). It was a pretty good time, save for a few bumps in the road--the first being the icy cold downpour that drenched us as we left to catch the T-bane (tay-bahnuh, i.e. metro) to Nationaltheatret. It seriously rained HARD for 5-7 minutes, the very same 5-7 minutes that we were outside. Funny how that works. So I spent the bus ride there quite damp.

We arrived in Bærum after about an hour on the buses, and my how the scenery changed! Suddenly we were in a hilly, rural area, one that also happens to be the richest and most expensive municipality in Norway. Go figure. (Camilla's family lives here, but she swears they aren't snooty.)

Then we walked and hiked up a big hill, which was nice if tiring. The weather had calmed down and it was actually quite beautiful hiking up the mountain as the sun got lower and lower. Everything was illuminated in the warm, yellowy afternoon sunlight. And our faces were illuminated with pinkness and sweat, haha. Dan, me, Camilla and Ingrid spent the entire journey at the VERY BACK of the group. At points we couldn't even see the people ahead of us...depressing. I need to get in shape! In our defense, (a) I was lagging so I could pop a squat along the trail 😊, (b) Camilla and Ingrid are goons and we were laughing a lot on the way, and (c) we stopped to take some pictures.

For the record, Dan tells me that the "mountain" (more like big hill) range we were in was formed as part of the same...um...seismic crunch? as the Appalachians, back when the European and North American continental plates were stuck together. That should explain why the landscape will look familiar to some of you.

Finally we got to Hoppeseter, which is the name of the cabin (only after stepping in a lot of squishy mud), where we immediately kicked off our dirty shoes and checked out the view of the surrounding mountains. Ahh, so beautiful up there. The cabin's actually in quite a nice location, especially for a student cabin (it's owned by Juristforeningen, the law student society).

We went inside to have a look around, only to find that all of the beds had already been claimed. Oh well. We both had to sleep on the floor, which is OK considering Ingrid actually had bed bugs in her mattress and got bitten quite badly on the arm.

I can characterize the bulk of the trip in a few words: BEER, CHEESE, GAMES, FIREPLACE, DRINKING SONGS/CHEERS/TOASTS, 90s DANCE SONGS, SAUNA.

I hope that gives you an idea. I stand by my prediction that the trip would be like a Norwegian version of a weekend-long frat party: in a cabin, in the woods, with more gender equality and less obnoxious fratboy types. It was really fun to watch the Norskies in their natural habitat. And, as you may have gathered, the Northerners really loosen up and actually TALK once they'd had a few drinks.

On Saturday we hiked the short distance to the nearby pond, where some folks built a fire and we grilled pølser (i.e. hot dogs) and ate them the customary fashion--wrapped in lompe (potato tortilla-like things). And of course we toasted marshmallows.

On Sunday, Dan and I left a bit before everyone else because he had to get back to finish his take-home test. I was glad to leave because at that point I had cabin fever (I was getting especially annoyed by a very obnoxious, typically American girl who was just hogging attention and wouldn't shut up--if it illustrates anything, the last morning ended up with her loudly exclaiming about her bra that had ended up hooked on the antlers of the big moose head mounted in the cabin). We also got to enjoy the walk (downhill!) without other people distracting us. The weather was great on the way down.

And that was our trip! It was really nice to get out of the city for a weekend. Looking forward to our trip to Finse; we are leaving tomorrow!

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Photos

hi-ho hi-ho, to the cabin we go
on the way

excited to get up there
(Camilla & Ingrid)

Dan gets a little weird
when he's tired of hiking up a hill

SKAL!
One of many toasts.

don't let the bed bugs bite!
this is what will happen to you...poor Ingrid

HOT DOGS ROASTING ON A OPEN FIRE
bed bugs nipping at your toes...drinking songs being SUNG by Norweeeegggiiaannns, and folks dressed up in their pajamas! (That's my version of the trip in Christmas carol form.)

this is such a symbol of Norway
Pølse med lompe (and Saki in the background)

Isn't it quaint?
Øyvind in the window (try pronouncing that, would you.)

Pretty lake!
The water was so glassy, it was unreal.