Mobility Trip to Stavanger by RTU ISST Students

Day one. 17th of April 2026

Our journey to Norway for our Daba Hub student exchange programme started on the 17th of April 2026. Alongside 4 of my classmates, the director- Mr Dmitrijs, and our homeroom, English and GPR teacher- Mr Valters, we met at the airport to catch an early flight at 8 am.

The fun started on our layover in Oslo where we had some food in the airport and waited for our next flight to Stavanger.

Once we reached Stavanger our first destination was the school where we were to be spending most of our time at.

We met our hosts, including the school’s director, had some nice food prepared by them, and made our way to a recycling factory where we learned about how metal, wood, and plastic get reused in stavanger to keep their city green. Our next stop was a shop where they sell the recycled items supplied by the factory for a great bargain.

Next on the agenda was Domino’s pizza, where I’m not afraid to admit some of us had a little bit too much fun in the children's play area, ending with a couple of us losing our voices.

Shortly after we went to the city and learned about a few different places there and headed back to the school to meet our host families, with whom we headed home and ended day 1.

Day two. 18th of April 2026

Today we had a very exciting second day. First, we visited the Science Museum in Sandnes. It was a very unusual and interesting place. We found out, using a funky machine in the museum that senses your brain waves, that my classmate Jarik can think about the least. And the only one who can think about even less/meditate better is our homeroom teacher Mr Valters.

After that, we went on a hike to Dalsnuten mountain. Although it was raining, we still enjoyed the walk and had a great time together. Later, we went to Kvadrat Shopping Center, where we spent some time looking around the shops. In the evening, during our free time, we met up with friends and walked around Stavanger city center and enjoyed exploring the beautiful city.

Day three. 19th of April 2026

It was a simple but memorable day. We woke up early in the morning and started the day slowly, enjoying a quiet breakfast at home prepared by our wonderful host family. The weather already looked a bit gloomy, but we didn’t let that ruin our plans. After getting ready, we head out together to the center of Stavanger.

From there, we took a ferry along the Fjords. The journey itself was incredibly beautiful — the fjord stretched out around us, surrounded by dramatic landscapes and calm water. Even though it was raining and was quite cold, the view still felt special. Most of the time, we stayed inside the cabin to keep warm, playing cards and having fun together. Still, every now and then, we went outside to take a look at the fjord, feeling the fresh air and taking in the amazing view.

After the ferry ride, we returned to the city, a bit tired but happy, and had something to eat while talking about our favorite moments of the day. Afterwards we went to the oil rig museum, where we learned many interesting things and discovered a lot about the industry. Including how to slide down an escape tube if needed!

Later, we attended a cultural event where alongside people from Norway, Estonia we presented their countries. We shared stories, traditions, and also tried food from each culture, which made the experience even more enjoyable and unique.

In the end, after such a full and eventful day, we all went back home, with many new memories and stories to tell our friends back in Latvia.

Day four. 20th of April 2026

Today was a very active day. We started the morning with a walk and then drove to the school, where we had a beautiful breakfast. After breakfast, we presented our group presentations about recycling and other environmental topics. 

Later, we drove to the municipality of Stavanger, where we listened to an interesting presentation about the city and its work for about an hour. After which, we continued to Stavanger city for an excursion with a guide, and then we had some free time to walk around and explore the city on our own. 

In the evening, we went to a grilling party where we played football and volleyball and enjoyed grilled food together. Truly great and comforting. To finish the day, we went to the sauna we had rented, where we spent two hours relaxing and jumping into the fjord between sauna sessions. It was an  extremely fun and memorable day, and a great way to finish our journey and say goodbye to lovely Stavanger.

Day five. 21st of April 2026 (FINAL DAY)

We planned to wake up early and head to the city centre for one last breath of the fresh fjord-side air. But sadly our plans changed due to the fact that we woke up later than we wanted and also Jarik forgot his coat at the school, so he left a bit earlier to retrieve it. We barely made it on time for the time our director had planned for us to meet at the airport, but nevertheless George and I were there first and were waiting for everyone.

This time the layover was slightly less energetic due to the stress of almost being late and also it was quite early, so we mostly spent our time finding something to eat before our flight home. We played a bit of cards, and watched Mr Valters grade our english papers.

I slept on the flight and woke up back in Latvia.

Overall it was a really fun trip and I would happily go somewhere with the company I was with again, thanks for reading.