Martijn.be - Personal Site & Travel Blog

Running & Reindeer

Published on 14 June 2026

The last day of InterScandi—including a short run—but the first day of properly exploring Oslo! Well, I mostly discovered the bars, since it was a bit late for museums already…

But first the coaches took us and our luggage a bit closer to Oslo centre. We got off the coaches to start our Hangover Run, the luggage was then further transported to Pakkhuset Oslo, where our run finished. A final Circle and a sandwich, and that concluded InterScandi 2028.

My CityBox Oslo hotel was only a couple of hundred metres away, so I quickly checked in, and had a shower and a change.

A quick coffee or two at Hakone Coffee, and I was off to the Amundsen Bryggeri & Spiseri. Lovely people behind the bar, and some really nice beers, brewed in the tiny brewery just behind the glass.

Next: Dr. Jekyll’s Pub—with a hidden toilets entrance—and RØØR.

Time for some Norwegian cuisine, and Elias Mat & Sånt had exactly what I was looking for: finnbiff! This reindeer stew with bacon, mushroom, onion and carrot, double cream and brown cheese sauce, was served with mashed potatoes and lingonberries, and it was delicious.

Sufficiently fed, I was ready for some more beer, trying to keep my selection as local as possible. Luckily Mad Goat Tap Room and Brewgata both had plenty of choice.

InterScandi Saturday

InterScandi Saturday

Published on 13 June 2026

Regular readers will know by now: the Saturday of a weekend-long hash event always includes a long run during the day, a nice dinner, and a party. InterScandi was of course no different.

After breakfast the participants for all the differently sized trails took off at different times. For the trail I chose—the “long” trail—the start was actually from Snippen, a train station one stop from our accommodation in Kjelsås. From the train we could already see what to expect: lots of rocky climbs and descents, dense woods, and rain… While clouds and mist obscured some of the views, it was still a beautiful 16km run.

InterScandi Saturday Run: Silly games on the platform while waiting for the train

For dinner we had a tasty Indian curry—I guess my exploration of Norwegian cuisine will have to wait until Sunday evening—and some kind of crumble for dessert.

The party—themed “Circus”—included live music by “Wrong Direction”, a group of musical hashers. Oh, and I found out Face ID doesn’t work if I’m wearing a clown’s nose…

On On to Oslo!

On On to Oslo!

Published on 12 June 2026

Friday is when the weekend starts, so it was also the day when the InterScandi hash event started! That meant I had to get a train to Oslo first, and to then kick it off with a little pub crawl.

While I was having breakfast in the SJ Lounge in Stockholm Central, the platform number for my train disappeared off the screen. That didn’t bode well… My SJ 3000 to Oslo eventually departed with a thirty minutes delay, which grew to almost an hour during the six hour long ride. Unfortunately this type of train doesn’t have any solo seats, but the seats were wide enough to be comfortable and not in anyone’s way.

SJ Lounge Stockholm. No, not the McDonald’s, above it!

After arrival in Oslo, it was just a short bus ride—I didn’t feel like lugging my bag around town—to the Crow Bar & Bryggeri, where Interscandi officially started with a checkin and bag drop, and the first beer of the pub crawl. Loads of familiar faces, from Brussels and elsewhere…

Oslo! Not actually the train station, but it’s the building I came out of…

The pub crawl was actually just a list of suggestions, half of which were on my to-do list anyway. My first stop was at Henry & Sally’s, Mikkeller’s bar in Oslo. Unlike yesterday, I actually bought my Mikkeller Passport and had it stamped.

My second stop was at Oslo Street Food, where I got myself the Gangnam Chicken from Tunco.

After that I headed to Crafty Dog, once Oslo’s BrewDog bar, and it still shows. No tattoo or EFP discounts, though!

I then still had time for a last beer at Café Sara, before a bus would take us to our accommodation for the weekend, Rønningen Folkehøgskole.

Battleship for Beginners

Battleship for Beginners

Published on 11 June 2026

A new day in a city I have only hashed and drunk in so far, that means museum time! And of course the ongoing quest to try national dishes and as many local beers and bars as possible…

Sleeping anywhere but home is always a challenge, but after a shaky night on a sleeper train, a night in a completely dark, immovable bed at Citybox Stockholm was pure bliss…

After I finally got out of bed, I went for breakfast at Greasy Spoon: a Classic Benedict, and a coffee by local roastery Lykke.

Breakfast as Greasy Spoon. Yes, it says “Butter me up, maple me down” on her shirt…

Time for the educational part of the day: the Nordiska museet! For once, a museum that didn’t start in the Stone Age, but in the 15th century. Still, there was plenty of history to cover.

Just around the corner was the Vasa Museum, the perfect example of what happens if you prioritise the customer’s wishes over common sense…Still, a beautiful ship!

For lunch I went to Östermalms Saluhall. After some browsing, I had the roastbeef smörgås at Nybroe.

After easing into beer yesterday, I decided to start a bit earlier today, at Omnipollos Kyrka. A high-roofed building like that seems to be made for brewing!

Quite a bit smaller was Ölkemi—I didn’t find the actual brewery—where I soon dominated the Untapped menu screens…

After so many hours without caffeine, it was time for coffee and an almond croissant at Café Pascal.

The next beer bar on my list was UDDA.

At Mikkeller Södermalm they were unable to scan any QR codes, but happy to believe I’m a Mikkeller Running Club member… Oh, and I had the ‘traditional’ Swedish pizza kebab there.

Both Bar Kaja and Oliver Twist celebrated the launch of Repslagargrannar – Sola I Karlstad, but I had it in the first of the two.

The last bar of the night for me was Stigbergets Fot, where I had the Dirty Tots to soak up some alcohol, and a couple of lovely beers.

Sunny Sweden, Rained Out Run

Sunny Sweden, Rained Out Run

Published on 10 June 2026

A new country, a new city, and a newfound appreciation for beer! First impressions of Sweden were great, and as expected, the hashers in Stockholm very welcoming.

A hot shower to start the day in sunny Sweden. Well, it was sunny for about five minutes after I opened the window blinds of my compartment… It was just enough though to enjoy my boxed breakfast in the sun. In the end, the train was even fifteen minutes ahead on schedule, allowing me some extra time—and snacks—in the SJ Lounge at Göteborg Central. Any other week I would not have needed to stop at Göteborg, but track works—announced well in advance—necessitated a transfer there.

Showering on my SJ EuroNight… and it was hot!

After queuing for a bit to get on the SJ X 2000, I found my extremely roomy seat and I was on my way to Stockholm, the original destination of my sleeper. Within minutes a train attendant came to confirm my lunch order, and then later served at my seat at the requested time.

After arrival, and a short metro ride, I was able to check-in to my hotel: Citybox Stockholm. No people involved, I was able to sort it out with just the consoles.

Then it was time for my first proper coffee since Monday, at Drop Coffee, with some pastry from Svedjan Bageri.

But then it was time for a big moment: my first alcoholic beer in a month! In case you missed it: after my birthday brewery crawl, I gave alcohol a rest for a month, so my first proper beer was in Stockholm, in Akkurat, to be accurate. And boy, did it taste good!

I also had some homemade köttbullar there, served with cream sauce, pickled cucumber, lingonberries & mashed potatoes.

My first alcoholic beer in a month, at Akkurat

But a new city usually also means a new hash, so I went back to the hotel to change, and was off to Fruängen—with the underground—for Stockholm Underground H3 #1656 – The Hot Dog Run. A sudden downpour just before the run was about to start, meant not all markings were as legible as intended… We found the drink stop, though!