Around The Lake

On week days when we don't have time to do long walks, a near-enough park for us to walk or bike there is Sognsvann (literally Sogns Water). I was a bit skeptical. Another manicured city park? Whatever, it was good weather and we ought to be out and about. When we got there, I was so happy. It's an intentional park, but with a patch of woods and a treeline so beautiful that it looks like an enchanted clearing. Ahhhhhh.

Looking at it, you'd never guess that one round the lake is only 3.3 km, absolutely perfect for a sprint. Lots of benches around for picnickers. Its proximity to a T-bane station (the last stop on the green line after Blindern and Kringsjå) means lots of runners will stop by for a run after work before heading home, especially during these long summer days. Biking is apparently not allowed, but we still see cyclists zooming by anyway. Saw a few humans and cute dogs in the water. I wasn't brave enough to swim in the lake. The temperature for the week averaged about 17°C in the day and 8°C in the night. Stuck a finger in to test the water. Probably about 20°C, still pretty nice for a dip. But for this girl from the tropics, it was too cold to swim in.

It should take you no more than 30 minutes to walk the circumference of the lake. Not exactly a pavement. A pebbled trail of sorts that hardens into mud at some points. 20 minutes on a slow jog. On one such walk, we took 45 minutes because we stopped and took in the sights, chatting up dogs, peering into corners to check out the mushrooms, taking silly photos of everything, and generally enjoying the day out. Last two weeks of warm summer temperatures.