Oslo was recently the backdrop for an episode of ABC’s “The Bachelorette.” The hit TV show has also been a popular series in Norway.
This year marks the fifteenth anniversary of premiere of The Bachelorette, in which a group of men vie for the interest of a single, eligible woman. Sometimes the show is shot on location in romantic international settings, and in June, the contestants landed in Oslo for a secret shoot.
A ski jump itself may not seem especially romantic, but bachelorette Rachel Lindsay and her date Bryan Abasolo took in a beautiful panorama of Oslo from Holmenkollen, which towers 1200 feet (371 m) above sea level. They didn’t stand on a viewing platform, but rappelled 187 feet together as a form of bonding exercise. The jump was also somewhat symbolic: 31-year-old Rachel revealed that she is usually afraid of letting her feelings go, but that the physical letting go proved an even bigger challenge.
Rachel, a lawyer from Dallas, went on a group date with her suitors to learn the game of handball, a popular sport in Europe. She also rode a horse carriage, tried fresh oysters and stayed at Scandic Holmenkollen Park, a hotel with striking dragon-style architecture in the Holmenkollen neighborhood. The rose ceremony to determine which bachelors would stay was held at Losby Gods, a charming 160-year old manor in Lørenskog, a town just outside of the city limits.