Visit Sunny Oslo!
I am now writing from a Net cafe just around the corner from my hostel. I have the entire block in use tonight. The side facing west has my hostel. The side facing south is the net cafe. I am doing laundry on the Northeast facing side (My block is more of a triangle, carved that way by the Anker River that runs through the heart of Oslo from the lakes North of the city down to the Oslofjord. I arrived her by boat on Friday Morning after a late night in the ship's dead disco lounge. After posting my last message, and being unsure of whether my photos were saving to this nifty photobank I just bought, I went and complained to the service desk because the Net cafe's sign said they could handle USB, but clearly they couldn't. Fortunately, Lars, the purser I complained to is a tech geek, and when he heard about my technology he wanted to see it, so we used his laptop, and my photos worked! So I am trying to put some of them up on the blog so you can see me smiling and having a good time (And you can all be insanely Jealous!!!!HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Have I lost you yet? I'll finish off my boat stories. After the net stuff, I went and checked out the disco, which was doing Karaoke lounge from 10:45 to Midnight. Only one other person there seemed to be into it - Laura, a young British woman with a baby. I think she goaded me into it, and then I realized she's the DJ's wife, visiting from England. And she's a great singer. She gets up and does a Teriffic LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY, which I follow up with my Sub-par WALKING IN MEMPHIS (And the Karaoke has the Cher lyrics, fortunately I know the Marc Cohn version pretty well). She follows it up a few minutes later, I forget with what, and she goads me into singing again. I offer to share a duet with her, and pretty soon we're Travolta and Olivia on SUMMER NIGHTS. The audience eats it up, and eventually a few others join in, a Spanish guy with a spot on LA BAMBA, four very shy Norwegian girls doing GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN! Another guy is hanging with the DJ, I learn later that he's the guy in giant Parrot suit that entertains the kids on the boat, and DJs their party (I could hear it from the net cafe, imagine CRAZY FROG AXEL F on a loop). He does a really good NEW YORK NEW YORK. He needs reassurance, so I tell him that if Simon Cowell were here he would say "you sound like someone doing Karaoke on some boat cruise". So it's ok! I finish off with COMMON PEOPLE by Pulp and WONDERWALL by Oasis. The first is fun, but doing justice to the second one is impossible.
After hanging with the DJs and realizing the Disco is getting worse, not better (One person on the dance floor, count 'em, One!). I head for bed. Food is very good on the boat, the breakfast is a Smorgasbord and the Coffee is served in the containers where you use a plunger to strain the grounds through the water and get a stronger taste. Dinner was good, but the Rack of Lamb I had was a bit tough, I believe it should fall off the bone. But I'm just spoiled.
I arrive in Oslo and Hike my way up from port. I instantly notice two things here that I didn't have in Copenhagen - Heat, and the Sun. It's beautiful here, compared to Copenhagen, a nice city, but Oslo is different, Urban yet set into the mountains and trees. It hits me right away and I will find many other who say the same thing. Oslo looks like it could exist in British Columbia!
I hike up to the city center from the harbour in about 20 minutes and find Tourist info, get my usual map and info, and continue hiking north towards Anker Hostel, my home for the next 2 nights. 10 minutes later I have arrived and stowed my larger backpack in the luggage room. There is a walking tour of Oslo leaving in 10 minutes, so I run out to an ATM to get Norwegian cash, and I am back in time for the tour, which is informative in a way that none of the guides are. Our Italian born tour guide, Grazia, takes us (there are only 3 of us, including Grazia) up the Anker river past old factories, mills that have been converted to residential areas, we see lush Waterfalls running 15 minutes walk from downtown. Again I'm reminded of the Vancouver parks (I think Capilano has the waterfalls?). She also takes us through the hip area of Grunerlokka, the residential Gronland (Named because it was the place many Greenlanders moved to when they came here)and others that I already am struggling to remember. She also pointed out one area called New York that was an area for new immigrants during Oslo's industrialization. The 2:30 tour ended, and I think I spent the next hour calling home to family and friends. Afterwards, I walked around the center of the city, including the King's palace, attractive, but not open to the public (The less said about Lunch the better everything's a small fortune here), down to the Fortress, Akershus Festnung, which has the Norway resistance museum and another castle. But I hear it's not so interesting, so I ankle for a quick return to the hostel to get ready for meeting Ketil, a local I met when he was at hot docs. He was with June Chua, a writer and documentarian I know through some of my brother's friends. We met outside his theater in Grunerlokka (He runs a Movie theater that shows documentaies only) We went to a local pub to watch the Germany-Argentina Nail biter, then we go for Mexican. After about 4 or 5 pints each, we are still going, and we head for a very trendy nightspot where the intellectual bright lights of Norway seem to be gathered. Apparently the 40 something man a few tables down is the Prime Minister of Norway! Ketil is a very good host, and we are chatting with him and his friends Schute, Tereza, Ehlen and Linda (Apologies for any spelling errors). I enjoy the fish out of water status, but again, I feel very comfortable in a laid back patio atmosphere, that feels like...B.C.! I will learn the next day that next door to this bar, in fact, is the Canadian Embassy. Tired and more than a little inebriated I stumble back to the Hostel. Ketil walks with me, I hope he doesn't think I was going to get lost! I slip into bed but not without first calling my girlfriend who is in New Jersey to say hi (2am (Oslo time) and drunk is always the right time for that, isn't it?)
Despite a mild hangover, I managed to pack a lot into today, starting from when I headed down to the harbour for 9 am, only to find out the Nobel Peace Center opens at 10am. In search of cheap food options, I find an ICA grocery store that will heat a mini-quiche for me for under 20 kr. It's small but tasty, and less than 5 bucks! I have it with a banana and the combination is actually filling.
I visit the Nobel peace centre first. It's a beautifully desinged installation that uses technology innovatively, more than any other museums I know as it tells the story of Albert Nobel, presents very futuristic AV displays for all of the peace prize winners and does it in new and original ways. Definitely worth a visit when you are in Oslo (And you should go!)
I took a ferry over to Bygdøy island (Actually Bygdøy is really a peninsula), rto visit the museum complexes there. They have a museum dedicated to the Con-tiki raft (I skipped it), a museum that houses FRAM, the ship Amundsen sailed to the South Pole. The ship is well preserved, and stepping into it you feel yourself standing in a piece of exploration history. While there, I quickly lunch on a lox and egg sandwich that is delicious and reasonably priced. I skipped the maritime museum, and the open air folk museum, likely similar to the one I'll visit in Stockholm. I saw the remains of three found viking ships as well as some of their artifacts. 2 of the 3 ships are interesting and some of the artifacts are pretty cool. On the ferry back to Oslo I chatted with another Canadian who also sees the BC parallel (He says it's like coming into Cranbrook.)
I take in the National Museum, with its landscapes and Munsch-rich collection, enjoying the company of an Australian family with a 2005 Rick Steves guide. They need my help because some of the paintings in my walking tour description aren't in their previous year edition, and some of them have been moved. I think the Steves' guidebook has been my most valuable icebreaker on the trip.
After the Museum, I head for the Vigeland Sculpture Park, and take in the lifelike sculptures of the many ages of man erected in Frogner park. I also go a little nuts at this point when I realize frommy guidebook that the tilework surrounding the fountain is a 2 mile walking maze and I decide to follow it. I attract the gaze of many parkgoers, who must think me completely insane as I weave, wind and turn on the spot. A few get it, a lot just stare (And most just ignore my shenanigans altogether) I get through in about 40 minutes (I am cutting corners), and finish up at the monolith. The Vigeland park is fascinating and deserves a better summary, but I have to get going soon. I stopped off at Krishna's Vegetarian cuisine for food, it's a reasonable counter in the West end, near Vigeland Park, that serves a tasty Indian meal (and complimentary seconds), for a reasonable 90kr.
I finished off my day with a trip into the mountains over Oslo, culminating with a quick visit to the ski museum so I could climb the Ski Jump tower for the best view in the city of Oslo. Before I left I caught the penalty kicks between England and Portugal. Oh well sorry England. I have to go pick up my laundry, pack and go to sleep so I can be up and out early tomorrow.
After hanging with the DJs and realizing the Disco is getting worse, not better (One person on the dance floor, count 'em, One!). I head for bed. Food is very good on the boat, the breakfast is a Smorgasbord and the Coffee is served in the containers where you use a plunger to strain the grounds through the water and get a stronger taste. Dinner was good, but the Rack of Lamb I had was a bit tough, I believe it should fall off the bone. But I'm just spoiled.
I arrive in Oslo and Hike my way up from port. I instantly notice two things here that I didn't have in Copenhagen - Heat, and the Sun. It's beautiful here, compared to Copenhagen, a nice city, but Oslo is different, Urban yet set into the mountains and trees. It hits me right away and I will find many other who say the same thing. Oslo looks like it could exist in British Columbia!
I hike up to the city center from the harbour in about 20 minutes and find Tourist info, get my usual map and info, and continue hiking north towards Anker Hostel, my home for the next 2 nights. 10 minutes later I have arrived and stowed my larger backpack in the luggage room. There is a walking tour of Oslo leaving in 10 minutes, so I run out to an ATM to get Norwegian cash, and I am back in time for the tour, which is informative in a way that none of the guides are. Our Italian born tour guide, Grazia, takes us (there are only 3 of us, including Grazia) up the Anker river past old factories, mills that have been converted to residential areas, we see lush Waterfalls running 15 minutes walk from downtown. Again I'm reminded of the Vancouver parks (I think Capilano has the waterfalls?). She also takes us through the hip area of Grunerlokka, the residential Gronland (Named because it was the place many Greenlanders moved to when they came here)and others that I already am struggling to remember. She also pointed out one area called New York that was an area for new immigrants during Oslo's industrialization. The 2:30 tour ended, and I think I spent the next hour calling home to family and friends. Afterwards, I walked around the center of the city, including the King's palace, attractive, but not open to the public (The less said about Lunch the better everything's a small fortune here), down to the Fortress, Akershus Festnung, which has the Norway resistance museum and another castle. But I hear it's not so interesting, so I ankle for a quick return to the hostel to get ready for meeting Ketil, a local I met when he was at hot docs. He was with June Chua, a writer and documentarian I know through some of my brother's friends. We met outside his theater in Grunerlokka (He runs a Movie theater that shows documentaies only) We went to a local pub to watch the Germany-Argentina Nail biter, then we go for Mexican. After about 4 or 5 pints each, we are still going, and we head for a very trendy nightspot where the intellectual bright lights of Norway seem to be gathered. Apparently the 40 something man a few tables down is the Prime Minister of Norway! Ketil is a very good host, and we are chatting with him and his friends Schute, Tereza, Ehlen and Linda (Apologies for any spelling errors). I enjoy the fish out of water status, but again, I feel very comfortable in a laid back patio atmosphere, that feels like...B.C.! I will learn the next day that next door to this bar, in fact, is the Canadian Embassy. Tired and more than a little inebriated I stumble back to the Hostel. Ketil walks with me, I hope he doesn't think I was going to get lost! I slip into bed but not without first calling my girlfriend who is in New Jersey to say hi (2am (Oslo time) and drunk is always the right time for that, isn't it?)
Despite a mild hangover, I managed to pack a lot into today, starting from when I headed down to the harbour for 9 am, only to find out the Nobel Peace Center opens at 10am. In search of cheap food options, I find an ICA grocery store that will heat a mini-quiche for me for under 20 kr. It's small but tasty, and less than 5 bucks! I have it with a banana and the combination is actually filling.
I visit the Nobel peace centre first. It's a beautifully desinged installation that uses technology innovatively, more than any other museums I know as it tells the story of Albert Nobel, presents very futuristic AV displays for all of the peace prize winners and does it in new and original ways. Definitely worth a visit when you are in Oslo (And you should go!)
I took a ferry over to Bygdøy island (Actually Bygdøy is really a peninsula), rto visit the museum complexes there. They have a museum dedicated to the Con-tiki raft (I skipped it), a museum that houses FRAM, the ship Amundsen sailed to the South Pole. The ship is well preserved, and stepping into it you feel yourself standing in a piece of exploration history. While there, I quickly lunch on a lox and egg sandwich that is delicious and reasonably priced. I skipped the maritime museum, and the open air folk museum, likely similar to the one I'll visit in Stockholm. I saw the remains of three found viking ships as well as some of their artifacts. 2 of the 3 ships are interesting and some of the artifacts are pretty cool. On the ferry back to Oslo I chatted with another Canadian who also sees the BC parallel (He says it's like coming into Cranbrook.)
I take in the National Museum, with its landscapes and Munsch-rich collection, enjoying the company of an Australian family with a 2005 Rick Steves guide. They need my help because some of the paintings in my walking tour description aren't in their previous year edition, and some of them have been moved. I think the Steves' guidebook has been my most valuable icebreaker on the trip.
After the Museum, I head for the Vigeland Sculpture Park, and take in the lifelike sculptures of the many ages of man erected in Frogner park. I also go a little nuts at this point when I realize frommy guidebook that the tilework surrounding the fountain is a 2 mile walking maze and I decide to follow it. I attract the gaze of many parkgoers, who must think me completely insane as I weave, wind and turn on the spot. A few get it, a lot just stare (And most just ignore my shenanigans altogether) I get through in about 40 minutes (I am cutting corners), and finish up at the monolith. The Vigeland park is fascinating and deserves a better summary, but I have to get going soon. I stopped off at Krishna's Vegetarian cuisine for food, it's a reasonable counter in the West end, near Vigeland Park, that serves a tasty Indian meal (and complimentary seconds), for a reasonable 90kr.
I finished off my day with a trip into the mountains over Oslo, culminating with a quick visit to the ski museum so I could climb the Ski Jump tower for the best view in the city of Oslo. Before I left I caught the penalty kicks between England and Portugal. Oh well sorry England. I have to go pick up my laundry, pack and go to sleep so I can be up and out early tomorrow.
posted by Steven at 4:37 PM
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