Walking on Ice;

Around Oslo, there are no laws about shoveling the sidewalks of homes or businesses. Instead gravel is laid on top of the ice. This is usually enough to keep people from slipping, but as the gravel is walked on, it becomes sparse in some spots. This leave large sections of black, or thick ice free to be slipped on. The answer to this? People know how to walk on ice with out slipping.

I have learned this skill, but every now and then I hit some black ice, or the ice is on a slope, or I am just not paying attention, and I slip. Very few times have I fallen to the ground, and I have never been hurt more then a bruise. I do get nervous when I am not walking alone. Most of the guys at Trolltech walk very fast, and I worry about trying to keep up with them and falling on ice. So the other day I bought some "ice shoes" (I am just calling them that. It is not their proper name).




My "ice shoes" are rubber skeletons that are pulled around and under my own shoes. They have a thin metal coil that surrounds the rubber beneath the shoe. The metal coils grab the ice as I walk on it, and prevents slipping. You can even run on ice wearing them. A draw back is that they are very hard to walk with on tile or very smooth floors, however they are very easy to remove.

Even though these "shoes" are meant for the elderly, and hikers, I find them very useful and fun to use.