I spent last week in Trondheim for the XP2010 conference. I found myself particularly busy for the entire week not only running my single workshop but helping chair a number of sessions and invited to help out with someone else’s. I’m really glad a few of us decided to stay around for the weekend and with the spectacular summer weather we had on Saturday definitely made the most of it.

Trondheim is really far north. So far north that the sun doesn’t ever really go down. The picture below is what Trondheim looks like at midnight and it never got any darker. I can tell you this because many of us had troubles sleeping throughout the week without even with blackout curtains in our rooms.

For the conference, we stayed at the Rica Nidelven hotel, serving what was acclaimed at Norway’s best breakfast. I regret not taking as many great photos of the offerings although I will remember the three stations very clearly for some time. One of them, operated by a very efficient lady serving some of the best coffees (cartado is closest the flat white), another with a person freshly slicing smoked salmon and some other sort of fish, and another operated by a person concocting fresh juices and “energy shots” made with things like ginger and other juices. The conference hotel was lovely and this was the view from my room (below).

As expected, things in Norway haven’t got any cheaper and with the weaker pound, even more expensive. This pint of local beer brewed at Trondheim’s Microbrewery cost more than £7. Ouch!

Fortunately spending all day in a pub isn’t your only option when there is sunshine all over the place. Visiting their Cathedral and surrounding grounds is definitely worth visiting for its amazing interiors. As part one of the welcoming events, we got to sit inside as they had someone perform a song on each of the two organs contained within.

We can definitely recommend walking along the river as well since the scenery is quite spectacular, and when you’re done with that, head up to the fort where you get a decent view of the surrounding area. It’s not too far from the central part of Trondheim at all.

Even the Norwegian’s get in on the whole BBQing season with their versions of the portable BBQ lighting up many of the different parks. It seems like the popular game Kubb is just as popular here as everywhere else with wooden blocks out on almost every patch of green in one park.

We had a bit of time on our hand, even after visiting the local Island where they executed people in the past although I wanted to go and take the bus out to a small town called Hell. Admittedly there’s nothing out there to do although the bus ride was nice and scenic, following the coast line as it took us there and back. We even had the same bus driver on the way back who had a big grin on his face when we boarded the second time.

I also finally got to see one of those buildings I thought they might have this far north, where they grow grass on the roof of their house.

We had a great time chilling after the conference in Trondheim and although the weather and the conference definitely had something to do with it, I will look back at that week rather fondly.

For a place to hang out, we can also recommend The Good Neighbour (Den Gode Nabo) (pictured above) with its floating deck providing an awesome place to settle back for a drink and sun yourself.