Oslo, Norway (sneak peek)

Hey Everybody,

Since 3:30am Denver-time on Wednesday morning I haven't slept much (it's 11:30pm in Oslo as I write). So, really, it's only about 26hrs that I have relied on a couple of power naps to get me through. The sun is still out, the sky has just started to fade from blue, and I am in the Oslo airport for the night. In order to go on this trip with me....you gotta read about the technical stuff sometimes.

For example, after a 5 hour layover in Newark (oh boy!) we made two attempts at boarding & then sat on the runway for two hours (oh boy!). Thus a reasonable 7.5hr flight turned into nearly ten hours on the plane. But I got my aisle seat and could stand and walk around easily once we were off the ground. The good news is that SAS (Scandinavian Air) was so nice to fly. They feed you meals & give you a hot towel in the morning to refresh. I was especially glad for the meals because Newark's International terminal was awful. But to be fair....they are supposedly renovating.

Upon arrival, I caught the train into Downtown Oslo. The central train station has luggage lockers, which I planned to use so I could spend the time sightseeing. However, the security personnel are on strike. Who knew this would impact me: no lockers due to strike (oh boy!). So, since I paid for the train into the city & bought a ticket for a 2hr boat tour I was determined to find a solution. Tourist information recommended walking to the bus terminal to use their lockers, so I did. All working lockers were full; lots of lockers were broken. So, I spent the day walking the streets of Oslo & going on the boat tour with my duffle bag in tow (oh boy!). Now I know why I forced myself to bring only one bag on this trip - plus my carry-on of course. And I wasn't the only one pulling a bag today...

Oslo wasn't what I imagined....probably because the first store I saw was a 7-11. First restaurant, Burger King. First street performer: Elvis in a metallic gold costume from head to toe! It mostly reminded me of San Francisco. At least it did until I started walking through the center of town toward the royal palace on my way to the harbor. The bad news is that taking photos on today's walking tour was not convenient, so I hope to have some for you another day. The good news is that once my bag was on the boat I didn't have to touch it for two hours, so we still got some photos.

Oslo's new Opera House. It was constructed to look like an iceberg. People are invited to walk all over it for free & the architect believes they look like penguins. What do you think? In front of the opera house is a glass sculpture floating in the water.

There are 40 islands in the Oslo Fjord. This island used to be uninhibited as building was forbidden. Norwegian families would camp here in the summertime. Over time those families began to erect walls and/or roof for shelter over the tents. Thus, an island of summer homes was born.

These used to be bath houses before nudity was acceptable. Now they are often used as sheds. Each little house belongs to a summer home on the island.

A traditional Norwegian home on one of the islands. The grass helped to keep the place cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Families put their goats on the roofs to trim the grass.

An old lighthouse (1870s I think). Bet you thought you weren't gonna see anymore of those for awhile! :-). This lighthouse can be rented for weddings, parties, etc. I'm pretty sure it's expensive. By my calculations, bananas are about $6 here!

A very old fortress - Akershus Fortress - from 13th century. It was never penetrated by the enemy & the water used to come up to the wall. All this according to the guide on the boat.

Speaking of the boat.... This is Johanna. She was built in 1892 and worked for 100 years before "retiring" into the tourism industry. Ths is a close up of the main deck...They have a bar that serves food and drinks.

And here is the Nobel Peace Prize Center. I hope to go inside another day, but not with the luggage!

That's it for now....I will be in touch again when I can. Right now...I am off to find a place to power nap.