Finally, I’m done with the third to the last chapter of my online Norwegian course. Learning the language online is quite a challenge, and while it is very exciting at the start, the enthusiasm slowly fades. And I’m left with only a minute motivation to finish it, because yes, it has gone boring. 😛
But I’m not here to complain about how my Norsk is going. I’m here to write about the first time I set foot on Drammen — “the shittiest city” in Norway, according to my hosts. Before the visit to the Drammen Museum and the romantic climb up the Spiraltoppen on Valentine’s Day, there was, of course, the first time I laid eyes on the city. My boyfriend invited me over for the first time last January, and after the commentary of the city being the shittiest, I lowered my standards and didn’t expect to see much.
Of course, the comment was based on something factual. The city was dubbed “worst” because of the traffic jams that often occurred there in earlier years. But since the 1970s, the local government has been working very hard to come up with really good solutions — and now, the city is one of the top 10 most attractive business regions in the country. How cool is that? In fact, Drammen won “the prestigious prize for the best city development in Europe” in 2008.
Drammen is a river city, lying on both sides of the Drammenselva (“elv” is the Norwegian word for river). Its location makes it the main harbor for fruit and car import in the country.
There are a few bridges in Drammen connecting both sides of the city. One of which, and is also a landmark, is the Ypsilon bridge (see photos above). Its name was due to the fact that the cable-stayed bridge is shaped like the letter Y, with one end on the Strømso side and two on the Bragernes side.
Next to the Ypsilon bridge is a giant steel ball — but it’s not just a ball. It’s part of the 2008 art installations by the riverside. The ball is actually a harp, with sensors capturing the footsteps, river sounds and wind. It is indeed a hundred percent fascinating!
Beautiful graffiti is found all over the city!
We also dropped by my boyfriend’s workplace. One really nice thing your bf/gf can do, at least in Asian culture, is to show his/her workplace. While my bf has never been to my workplace due to proximity issues, he had taken me to his a couple of times and I’m proud of what he does.
It was a late night walk around the city, and the cold was creeping in. So we ended the tour with some refreshing beverage in this Sportsbar called Lauritz located in Bragernes Torg. The bar is under renovation as of the moment.
So, what happened to the shittiest city in Norway? Someone even dubbed it as the ugly duckling of cities in the country! With major developments in infrastructure, I’d consider the city one of the most livable. I’m excited to see how it is in Drammen during summer. 😉 I even came up with an adjective to describe the moments my bf and I spend in Drammen — Drammentic! haha
There. There. Today, WordPress greets me with a Happy Anniversary. Haha! Been with WP for many years now, so I guess it’s a Happy Anniversary to Pinay Odyssey! Been blogging about my travels for a year now. Awesome! I still have lots to document though. 😉
This is all for now. Hope to see you in Drammen! ❤
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