For most of the Northern hemisphere, March marks the beginning of Spring. In Norway, snow lingers through April and sometimes May each year. So, Norway’s “spring” sports are really winter sports in disguise: cross-country skiing, biathlon, and ski jumping.

What use is living in Norway during winter if you don’t do a little cross-country skiing? A very boring one since Norwegians are born with skis on their feet. Since they learn so early, they make lousy teachers. Through much trial and more error, I have come to the conclusion that I will remain a poor skier this season.

Even simple tasks can lead to the most unusual adventures… like going to church. The temp was 7F typically requires a two-layer bodysuit, but my Long Johns had cross-country skiing all over them. So, it took extra courage to want to leave the apartment and extra resolve not to get lost.

It’s unlikely that you noticed Google recently published brand new Street View imagery for Norway! So, this means that I can give you a free tour of the city.  It’d be nice if Google had a “Convert to black & white” function to make the imagery more realistic for February. But it does give me some optimism about this summer.

The main grocery store is a mile from my apartment (see map). Like most things in Norway, it’s not open Sundays; therefore meal planning is critical. This particular Saturday, I created a large grocery list and had an interesting adventure.