Oslo

In another moment of spontaneity a couple of weeks ago my two travel buddies, Dani and Silke, where able to persuade me (not that I really needed much persuasion) to join them on a trip to Oslo. A one night, two day trip travelling with none other than inexpensive Raynair Airlines.

So it was that very early last Saturday morning (I'm talking about 3 in the morning) I found myself braving the cold with the two girls cycling to the train station to catch a bus to the Airport, where we took a very short flight to a Norwegian Airport and then taking another bus found ourselves in Oslo...the most expensive city in the world! (and I'm not over exagerating check out this link)

You might be wondering what do three exchange students from Sweden do in a city like Oslo? Now that is a very good question and the exact same one we asked ourselves as we walked out of the bus station in Oslo! We were all so excited about going to Oslo, but no one had bothered to find out what there was to do or see there. Luckily it was not difficult to find a tourism office where we picked up some brochures and while having a very expensive coffee at Mac Donalds planned our assault on the city.

We were lucky to find "Streetwise: Tourist information for young people visiting Oslo". This little guide book saved our lives and we soon found ourselves referring to it every time we had a question. It had all the best information like; what was free, the cheapest bars, the best sightseeing walks and even where to find the best, free, public toilets (they were at city hall!) It was amazing!

So armed with our guide book we set off exploring Oslo. It is an interesting city and again very different to the other two Scandinavian Capitals I have visited. Here I found a lot more of a relaxed, young, party vibe. I don't know if it had to do with the big soccer final being played (every person was either wearing orange or blue to support their team) or because of the World Music Festival being hosted in the city (did not see a single show because we could not afford it), but the city was crowded! It was loads of fun visiting the Castle and watching the guards march around all seriously (think it had to do with the fact that the King was in residents) and visiting the really expensive shopping malls.

One of the best things was when someone stopped us, started chatting away in Norweigan and gave us a flyer. Now Norweigan is very similar to Swedish and we were able to make out two very important words on the flyer...FREE FOOD! So of course very interested we went in search of this food. We found a large tent on the warf and here true as bob were people giving away food! Not just any food, but Norwegian sushi, cheese and crackers, and even cooldrink. We couldn't believe our luck and casually helped ourselves and ate our fill while pretending to read the marketing material the people handed out to us. The best part was that just as we were about to leave it started to pour with rain so we were forced to stay longer and eat some more!

Very pleased with ourselves we continued exploring visiting City Hall, the Noble Peace Center, a Contemporary Art Museum and a variety of other interesting places. We eventually found our way to our hostel and to our 6 bedded room that we shared with 5 other people (this is an internal joke and it will make more sense when you look at the photos). After  a short siesta we went in search of some entertainment and with the help of our trusty guidebook we eventually found a pub/disco where we could enjoy a pitcher of beer (R200/L) and a basket of tacos (R70). We sipped at the pitcher for as long as possible and then as it had been a long day headed back to the hostel and sleep.

The next morning after a very simple buffet breakfast at the hotel we went in search and found some Sunday markets. They sold a variety of handcrafts, art and antiques and we enjoyed just milling through the many tables and stalls. This search took us to a few interesting suburbs of Oslo and we were able to see more than the average tourist with regards to life in Norway.

Our next stop was the newly built Oslo Opera House. This beautiful white marble building, built over the water. is sloped in such a way that it looks like a mini snow covered mountain and you are able to climb all the way to the top and enjoy the view of Oslo. (Just a pity it was overcast).

After spending sometime at the opera house we went in search of the old city and slowly found our way back to bus stop, then airport, then eventually back in Linköping on Sunday night. It was a long two days filled with lots of walking, but we were able to see a lot of the city and I'm very glad I went.

In the end it did not even turn out to cost that much either!

Hej då

PS: I now know what currency they use in Norway ;-)