Here I am as promised! Thanks for your patience. Are you all bundled up nice and warm for a quick glimpse of Norway? My holiday with Kate crept up on us all of a sudden, and before we knew it we were on a flight bound for the capital. It was a great experience, even as we entered the country. The man at the passport counter was so friendly. the conversation went:
And that set the tone for the rest of the trip.
'Is this your first time in Norway?'
'Well, yes, since the last time I was here I was one.'
'Were you born here?'
'No, my parents travelled with me when I was very young'.
'Welcome back to Norway. Are you travelling alone?'
'No, with my friend Kate.'
'Oh! Ask her over here and I'll stamp you both at the same time. *stamp stamp* Have a great time in Norway, girls!'
Here are some pictures from my first trip to Oslo... thanks, Mum! Her challenge to me was to find the little boy in the left picture, she calls him my 'first love'. I am happy to report that after 25 years -though he hasn't grown any taller; like me, my friend has found a sweetheart of his own.
Dave did ask me if I met any tall blond Norwegians who took my fancy and I have to admit, I did fall in love with a tall handsome Norwegian, though not blond. He's in the Royal Military... and seemed to enjoy having me pat his nose.
The Autumn colours and tree-lined avenues were very beautiful. Oslo was not as cold as we'd feared and we were toasty and warm with thin wool layers, a coat, scarf, hat and gloves. The city is very walkable, about 15min to get from one end of town to the other with very light traffic. Kate and I met Paula from Edinburgh, as she was one of our fantastic dorm mates at the Perminalen. She tagged along on our first full day in town before heading northwards by train to see her friend Nick Harper perform. We went to the Nasjaonalgalleriet (National Museum; of Art, and also Design). It houses many Munch paintings including the definitive 'The Scream' painting. It is a very powerful piece of art and does not fail to impress.
On Day Two, Kate and I bought a 24 hour travel pass and made a beeline for the Vigeland Statue Park, then the Folkemuseum (Norwegian Museum of Cultural History) and the Viking Ship Museum. It was a pleasant walk from the bus stop to the Park, taking in the fancy consulates on the way there. I was amused to see that the Chilean Embassy was in a block of flats and that someone had a sense of humour with their garden ornament...
Here is the wonderful and weirdly fascinating Vigelandsparken (the Vigeland Park), the work of Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943) with more than 200 sculptures in bronze, granite and cast iron.
Does anyone know who might live in this.....?
I thought something cool like a stork!
I loved the Norsk Folkemuseum with its 155 traditional buildings from different Norwegian regions and traditional costume collection. In the summer there are folkdance lectures, handicrafts and farming activities.
A pretty French garden at the Parsonage, and the fairytale medieval Stave Church.
I guess having trees grow on your thatch adds to the insulation.
Painter's studio.
Lovely Norwegian colours.
Kate in the 60s apartment.
Now, I must tell you about Norwegian food! Kate and I braved a walk in the cold and dark to get to a traditional Norwegian pub and eat a Norwegian meal. She opted for the fried trout and I had boiled halibut, to the right. Very tasty! Other Norwegian specialties are: reindeer and moose, and Christmas meals lutefisk (fish preserved in lye) and rakfisk (fermented fish). Kate was on a bit of a vege streak so I didn't try the reindeer out of sensitivity and I'm afraid the 'fisks' were beyond my bravery.
I never expected to discover a cafe serving yummy waffles at the Armed Forces Museum, but there you go.
Norwegian icecream. Yes, it's still popular even when it's so cold you can walk home with it without the icecream melting.
Here is how you DIY (Norway can be $$). Lots of rye crispbread, a 'dirty bird' (Kate's nickname for hot roast chicken), Norwegian gingerbread, julesmarsipan, dark sesame chocolate, cherry flavoured cheese spread, salad, tomatoes and other randomness from ICA, a supermarket. There is also a supermarket called KIWI! There is a picture of me in front of one of these somewhere, I'll find it later. The two words of Norwegian Kate and I learned whilst on holiday were 'Trek' (Pull) and 'Skyv' (Push) so we managed to get through a few large wooden doors!
The Akerhus Slott (Fortress) and Forvasmuseet (Armed Forces Museum).
Kate and I have still got to do the grand swap of photos, so I'll post the ones of me as they come. Hope you enjoyed having a quick trip around Norway with us!
