Oslo and Goodbye

Rugged up as it is 1degC and drizzling,  and off to explore a little of Oslo. A great day to visit a museum or two. We walked down to the city hall, about 700m away along streets filled with people making their way to work in every description of coat, gloves, beanies and boots.

It was a great day that didn't start out too brilliantly when I slipped on a step heading to the bus stop and down like a sack of wheat, mud on my knees and rolled onto my bum, mud there too. This is the day I decided to wear my light coloured pants! A bit of skin off one knee, but otherwise fine, and no choice but to spend the day looking a bit of a mess!

With an Oslo pass in hand, it was easy to catch busses, trams, and get into any number of  attractions, a great deal for people here for a day or two. We have always wanted to see the Viking ships museum, an incredible collection of boats built in 800AD or so and used as burial vessels for important people, and discovered during the last hundred years.  The most intact vessel, the Oserberg Ship was much bigger than we had imagined at 21.5m long, and in beautiful condition. The skill and artistry of the builders has to be admired, and the seamanship of the Norwegians must take root from these brave men who sailed far and wide in these shallow ships. They have been beautifully displayed in splendid isolation to allow the viewer to soak in the moment, not surrounded by countless photos and texts and stuffed animals, just the ships, and in other rooms a collection of chests and artefacts found with the them. I was amazed to see a perfect pair of leather boots belonging to a queen buried in one of the ships, they looked like you could slip into them and wear them today.

We also went to the Fram museum, the ship that took so many famous voyages to the Arctic andAntarctic. It was the ship that took Admunsen to be the first man to get to the South Pole, just ahead of Scott. It is harboured in a vast museum that tells the story the Norwegians are rightly proud of. We could walk on the ship, it seems fantastic that you could stand on the very deck used by some of the most famous explorers in history.

Our day ended with a wander through the streets, and we came across an ice rink with a young girl spinning and sliding expertly around in amongst laughing teenagers and a mum and little girl being pushed along and giggling delightedly. What a lovely way to finish the day, and our visit to Norway.

We love Norway, it is a very easy country to travel in, here are a few of my observations of Norway;

• The people are very polite, with a reserved kind of friendliness
• Most people speak English if you ask, and are willing to help you out
• Everything runs like clock work, and I mean everything. No rush or fuss, but every train, plane and automobile, show, meal, museum, etc etc, is right on time, every time.
• It is expensive to us Aussies, $20 for a large (600ml) beer, $11 for a baileys on ice, $20 for a hamburger and chips, $20 for a cab that took us about 1km, $100 for a hamburger and plate of spaghetti from room service one night when we were too tired to go out and $15 each for a glass of red wine with dinner.
• Every where has been so clean, from buses and hotels to walking down the street.
• The beds are always made with two separate doonas which I think is a great idea, I can throw mine on and off without disturbing Max, I might chop ours in half when I get home!
• Fish is served for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or all three. I have loved all the different way fished is served and presented, they certainly must not have a cholesterol problem, well that is unless they eat a lot of their delicious pastries, which are also served for breakfast lunch or dinner.
• Free wifi on busses, trains, in airports hotels and many restaurants, fantastic!
• I was surprised to see beggars in the streets of Oslo, this is because since they joined the 
• European Union the borders have opened up to people a guide described as 'Romanies' and they are the ones who are begging.

All in all, it is a place we both agree was well worth visiting, we have enjoyed it very much, so much scenic beauty, and we have been made to feel so welcome everywhere we have been.