An Emigrant's Resolution

Having spent the first two months in my new home adjusting to life altering situations like a new job, a new home, and a radical seasonal shift from snow to sunshine in about two weeks, I pretty much neglected any regular physical exercise, and have recently been feeling, and seeing, the results.  Consequently, I have resolved to start jogging. 

Jogging is something I never really got in to in Dublin.  I think this is mainly out of self consciousness (mixed with laziness), however, a certain freedom comes with being in a country where an extremely limited number of people have any idea who you are.

As the sun rises at about half four in the morning, and I still haven’t gotten around to making curtains for the bedroom window, it’s really no trouble at all getting out of bed at half six to go for a run before work.  (At least it hasn’t been, for the grand total of three times I have gone out so far…)  I am also lucky to live near Frongnerkilen, which is really a beautiful place to run.  In addition, the weather has been pretty decent, so I have had no excuse at all so far.

This week, I have been running out past Frongnerkilen to Bygdøy.  The run has some lovely views of the Fram Museum, which houses the Fram Ship, the first ship built for polar expeditions in Norway.  It also tells the story of the three main Fram expeditions, under the leadership of Fridtjof Nansen over the Arctic Ocean; Otto Sverdrup to the arctic archipelago west of Greenland; and, Roald Amundsen to the South Pole.  I have yet to visit this museum but it’s on the list!

On the other side of the marina is Oscar’s Hall, a summer palace which is a monument to Norwegian artists and craftsmen.

Once on Bygdøy, we pass Kongsgården, the King’s farm (and forest), which has cattle, horses and sheep.  At about three kilometres, this is about as far as I can make it, without having to call an ambulance.  Hopefully, the distance will increase with time.  At the moment though, I’m just hoping for consistency!

P.S. Excuse the photo quality - the combination of jogging and photography is another skill I need to develop!