From Oslo to Breivoll Gård

By Priya Seeraj-Turingia, English Studies 

Norwegian Parliament at the Storting Building 

While the rain was falling in Norway, our energy didn’t! Today was the day the group was checking out of the hotel, but first, we had to fuel up. After a scrumptious breakfast at the Anker Hotel, we also got to do some activities before leaving Oslo for the DNT cabins at Breivoll Gǻrd. The group split up, with some going shopping or on a fjord cruise. I went with my sister, Roshni, to explore the streets of Oslo, with the mission of seeing the City Hall. It was a 20-minute walk to Oslo’s City Hall. Still, it definitely seemed a bit longer as Roshni and I kept stopping to take pictures of different buildings or going into different shops. It felt like everyone was on a mission, the streets were busy with tourists going on walking tours and people doing some shopping. Roshni and I kept zigzagging as we didn’t want to be in people’s way. On the way to the City Hall, we stumbled upon Norway’s Parliament building and took a couple of pictures in front of it.

Selfie at City Hall

We finally headed to City Hall and the whole building was breath-taking. The outside was covered with decorative carvings, telling stories of Norse gods, such as Frøy and Gerd. The inside opened up with a large room covered with a beautiful mosaic and of course, I had to take a couple of pictures of those! Roshni and I headed upstairs and explored a bit more before leaving for Oslo’s National Theatre. The inside had marble architecture and displayed posters of different plays they had done. 


Inside Oslo City Hall 

While heading back to the hotel, we saw a group doing a peaceful protest in front of the Parliament building. I asked someone what the protest was for, and they explained it was for the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. We were just walking away when someone asked if we were from the USA. We explained that we were from Canada, so she asked if something like the protest we were seeing was allowed in Canada. We chatted for a bit, and it was amazing to see the solidarity among the group as they meet every day at noon to showcase their strength and resilience. 

Protest at City Hall

After a couple of detours on our way back to the hotel, we finally made it and met with the group. We gathered our bags and energy and prepared for the trek to the bus station with all our luggage. The bus ride felt short, but that was in preparation for the long winding walk to the cabin. It was very hilly, and everyone was trying to balance their bags so it didn’t strain their backs. 

Enjoying our first dinner at Breivoll Gård

However, it was worth it once we got to the cabins. The area was so quiet and peaceful, starkly different from the bustling of the city. Roshni and I got our room key and we are living our bunk bed dreams. You can tell these cabins are made for people to disconnect, truly relax, and be one with nature. To sweeten the pot, Roshni, Kelsey, Sammy, and I went exploring and found the hammock room, and fell in love (and asleep). But of course, we had to wake up in time to eat the lovely meal made by Andreas which was tomato soup with sausages and calf stew. The meal was so good that it made me sleepy in preparation for the busy day ahead tomorrow!


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