The next day I dragged my poor mother all over the city of Oslo to introduce her to everyone and show her every nook and cranny I have discovered while living here. It is so good to be able to show her in person where I have been living, and for her to meet all the people I am constantly talking about.

The first thing we did, on the 7th August, was to head into Oslo. We went to see the Oslo Opera house, Karl Johan's street, the royal palace, the changing of the guard, the Ibsen museum and the Oslo Statue Park (Vigelands). We were more than exhausted by the time we headed home that evening.

We needed our rest too. This was because the following morning we headed north to Trollvegen. I had been in this area once before and found the scenery stunning, I was really excited for my mother to see it as well. I have nursed the ambition to climb Trollvegen for some time, and my mother's visit was a perfect excuse.

On the day of the climb, 9th August, the weather was not great. The clouds were really low and for the first two hours of hiking we had no view at all - just clouds. My poor mother had asked in advance about the difficulty of the hike, and I had honestly replied that it would be a tough 4 hours for the first part, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. I suppose my error was in not knowing a darn thing about what I was talking about.

After two hours, the clouds started to lift a little, and we were given beautiful vistas of the valleys, gorges and peaks all around us. These views also gave us a good look at how much further we had to go. Eventually, it took us four hours to reach the evilly named "Breakfast Spot." Then, while eating our lunch at 3:00 pm at the "Breakfast Spot," (eventually I recovered from the irony of that name), we saw the clouds creeping in again. I was nervous about the views being spoiled.

I was right. took us another hour and a half to reach the summit, and once we arrived at the top, there was nothing to see but clouds. We took pictures and were almost ready to turn around and head back down, when when poof! The clouds completely cleared. As anyone who has ever dragged their mother to the top of a mountain might say," the view made everything worthwhile. Really it is true.

The cliffs at the summit drop 1, 000 meters straight down, and then after a ledge another 500 meters into the valley below. I found it hard to fathom the height while I stood there.

The whole trip took a total of about 8 hours. Now, I am proud of my fitness as a professional athlete. Part of my job is to be super-fit. However, I struggled up this mountain, while my mother was trooper champ and complained less than I did. She did really well and I am proud of her.

The next day we headed over the mountains to the famous Geiranger fjord. We took our time on the drive, stopping along the road to take pictures of waterfalls before getting to our destination. It was gorgeous. This time, we went for a short, 2 hour walk, just to make sure our limbs still moved. All was well, and I even managed to walk behind a waterfall while climbing the mountains above Geiranger-what a day!           

The next morning, we drove home through Lillehammer. This was a strenuous and busy trip for my mother, but I think it is one she won't be soon forgetting. I tried to show her as much of Norway as possible and, once she gets over her aches and bruises, she will probably agree with me that I succeeded.

I was very sad to see her leave, even after all these years. However, the good news was that the Mathesons were en route. I was soon distracted and preparing for another Norwegian adventure.