No such thing as bad weather

The Norwegians have a saying: 'There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing'. Well, I must have bad clothing then, because I arrived rather damp and bedraggled this morning after a trek across Oslo to reach the EDEN Conference which started today. Even with my umbrella (the obligatory item all Brits carry with them at all times) it was hard to fend of the precipitation. We are on the University of Oslo main campus which is situated in a lovely wooded area to the west of the city. It would of course be most wonderful if the weather had behaved itself, but no, at the moment, it is decidedly moist, to put it mildly. Not to worry, there are many great people here at the conference. Just about every second person is a familiar face in the world of e-learning and distance education.

They say Norway is one of the richest countries in Europe, and I don't doubt it. The taxi drivers must be some of the richest in the country. I got stung £120 for my taxi fare from the airport to my hotel last night. Perhaps it was silly season. It's a good job I'm fabulously rich and only have a wife, two kids and Manchester United to support, otherwise I'd be staying out on the streets.

I'm looking forward to the conference here in Oslo. There are keynotes from amongst others, Sugata Mitra and Sir Ken Robinson, and the theme of the event, 'The Joy of Learning' seems apposite especially as everyone here is looking a little weathered and rain soaked at the moment. Things can only improve, and I am sure they will. More blog posts from the conference later today and tomorrow. The official hashtag to follow is #edenoslo.

Photos by Steve Wheeler