My lips are chapped from Oslo.
It was a weekend trip that we planned a few months ago. We booked a flight from Friday to Sunday for 26 euros. I was so caught up in studies and other obligations, that Oslo crept up as a surprise. The surprise would be a very scenic and adventurous one. There were 13 of us in total.
Friday morning, we took a six euro shuttle from the train station on Hämeenkatu to the Tampere airport. There we were scanned and screened thoroughly and rudely. 9:00 came, and we boarded. The flight was 20 minutes ahead of schedule, getting us to Norway (Rygge) in a little over an hour. Ryanair's classic trumpet celebrated the landing. A bit creepy.
There was a bus going from Rygge to Oslo for 210 krones (NOK) round trip. We had to wait 45 minutes until it came.
The bus ride was pleasant, but I was so tired from the previous sleepless nights to enjoy the landscapes. Anyway, there were forests and cottages. The sky was a light shade of blue. We were lucky.
At the Anker Hostel in Oslo, linen cost us an extra 50 NOK. We were frustrated about the unanticipated costs, but we were relieved to put our bags in the room and check out the city.
I should mention that this has been my first hostel experience. During my exchange in Spain, we took a week trip to Italy, staying in places that were called "hostels," but were hotels, and whose rooms we didn't share. In this hostel, we were four girls sharing a room with three strangers. The three other girls stayed with a man they found on couchsurfing, and the guys stayed in a different room. I was nervous about the hostel, but it wasn't bad. So, it was expensive and dirty, but probably livable for a few nights.
The sun gleamed on Oslo. People were smiling, walking their dogs and talking to each other. They looked at each other. I felt a warm, comforting sensation, like I had been missing out on public human companionship for months. The streets were narrower than the ones in Finland. There were many large buildings, making us feel closed in. McDonalds advertised its 10 NOK cheeseburger, better than the 90 NOK Big Mac meals. (Oslo is very expensive, if you haven't gathered.)
By the way, so many trees.
We walked past museums, through the city center and near the Domkirke church, completed in 1697. There seemed to be an explosion of color compared to Tampere. In the architecture, clothing, people, food, expression, etc. Our first destination was the Slottet (The Royal Palace). This is where the Norweigan and Swedish King Charles III lived in the 19th century. Today the Norweigan monarch resides there, and the palace was carefully guarded by three silent young men.
The other side of the palace wasn't so interesting, but there was a cute pond with ducks to look at. We proceeded to the National Gallery, where Munch's original painting Scream is living. At last, we didn't enter because it wasn't free and the Munch museum often held a different version of the painting (when we later went, there was no version at all). The day was wearing on and we decided to check out the Vigelandsparken (Vigeland Sculpture Park), apparently the world's largest sculpture park. The sculptures were impressive and evocative. I had never seen something similar.
Evening fell, and we had just enough energy to stop at a grocery store and make it back to our hostel.
At the hostel I met a guy from Israel who was fasting for Yom Kippur. He said that while he isn't so religious, he wanted to be respectful. After the army service, he traveled around Thailand for a few months. He arrived in Israel and began to work. Most recently, he has been traveling around Scandanavia and Berlin, and will start college as a journalism student this year. He's 25 years old.
I had a great sleep. And I really needed it. The following day, we checked out of the hostel and marched to the Munch-Museet (The Munch Museum). We went back to the city center for lunch (McDonalds) and then split up into two groups. One stayed in town. The other bought a transportation ticket for some longer excursions. I went with them. We took a 30-minute subway ride to the Holmenkollen Ski Jump. The subway became a train, and we saw the most beautiful Scandanavian landscapes of pine forests and cottages. We reached the final metro station (Frognerseteren) and walked down to the traditional Norweigan restaurant, overlooking Oslo. This is the area that Munch found inspiration to paint Scream. What a stunning view....
I should interject about how comfortable and easily my group traveled together. While we disagreed at times, we got along very well and had a great time together. Bonding with them is one of the most lasting memories I have from the trip.
The Holmenkollen Ski Jump was as tall and powerful as it looks in the pictures. I was so out of shape that it was hard to walk to the top. But I made it. After a half an hour, we were ready to be on our way.
Next destination: Island. Issue: All the museums we wanted to see on the museum were closed. It was almost night, and there was not much to see. Decision: Take a ferry to the island, and then take it back to Oslo.
The ferry ride was smooth. The staff members were friendly and chatty. I'll always remember Anika, who sold me(/forced me to buy in a motherly way) a popular Norweigan chocolate "Kvikk Lunsj" or Quick Lunch. She said I must try it with coffee. On the way back, I asked if Anika was from Oslo. "No," she replied. "I'm from the island. You know, all I do is hunting and fishing." I didn't know how to respond and she bursted out laughing. "No, I'm joking," she said. At the end of our conversation, she said, "Don't forget me and the Quick Lunch!"
At 9 in the evening, we met the Brazilian girls at the Opera House. We split up again, and didn't meet until our bus left from the Oslo station at 4 in the morning.
My feet were sore, my eyes were strained and my lips were chapped all the way back home.
Oslo was beautiful, and I am back with many memories.
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