Scandanavian Holiday: Part 1

TL;DR: It was fabulous. Oslo is my favorite city I've visited on my own, the weather and sailing were fabulous, there was terrific company on the ship, the food was amazing, and my body stood up to the challenge. I arrived home to air you could cut with a knife, bone tired and covered with bruises but only one injury that will take another few weeks to clear up, a garden looking like a jungle, a deluge of vegetables requiring harvest, and a bunch of chores and projects I had successfully convinced myself could wait until my return but which now feel very overdue.

I want to capture what happened while it's still relatively fresh, but "productivity" and "responsibility" are tugging at me. Squeezing out a few moments, I'm going to start until the clock strikes, and post what I have so far, hoping to come back before too long.

 

PROLOGUE:

Five days before I was to leave I got sick - probably food poisoning. Very very sick, very very unpleasant and messy, totally debilitating. For 48 hours I moved only between my bed and the bathroom, with heroic efforts to get to the backyard door and let the dogs out. Through it all I kept a countdown to the trip - I certainly couldn't travel if things didn't clear up. It left me shaky and weak. Luckily I had done major laundry just before getting sick (and I didn't wear any traveling clothes while down for the count) so packing didn't require a lot of work. The most major thing I didn't do was go for a pedicure - my toes went to Norway unadorned. The day I left, I was five pounds lighter than the day I got sick, but I was clearly a long way along my recovery. Just cautious in what I was going to eat. Also very aware of restroom availability, in case of emergency, but it never was required, thank goodness.

THE TRIP AND OSLO

 I arrived in Oslo Friday afternoon, although my bag did not. Because I'd figured I'd be somewhat dazed and weak upon arrival, I'd planned on a taxi to the hotel. But when I didn't have my luggage, just my carry-on shoulder bag, I decided to try out the train. $6.50 instead of $80! I had to walk a few blocks, but the hotel room was ready and I was able to collapse. I thanked my mother for her rules of travel: always pack a change of clothes in your carry-on. I only had underwear, but it was great to be able to change. Lufthansa was tracking my suitcase and sending me regular updates, so I wasn't worried, just resigned. After freshening up, I ventured out. 

I had studied maps of Oslo and planned out several things to do. But immediately, I realized my mental scale was off. Oslo is so much smaller than I had been thinking! When I stepped out of the hotel, I looked to my right and saw the harbor. I had been thinking it was much farther away. Instead, everything was right there.

I spent the next few days walking, taking the tram, walking and looking more, and sitting at sidewalk cafes eating fish soup and drinking beer. Only one museum. The weather was in the 90s! I went back to the hotel in the middle of the day each day, and then sallied forth again. The Norwegians apparently eat dinner earlier than any other country in Europe (like, 5:30 pm!) and so I got by on the hotel breakfast, a mid day snack, and late afternoon dinner at a cafe. One day I had 19,000 steps! and 16,000 another! Way to go, body, carrying me along!

Norway has decorative manhole covers.
This photo is one of a series from other visits.

Oslo has a small river, complete with waterfalls, flowing through it
I took a tram up the hill, and followed the river back downtown.

Showing I'm in Norway

Many spots around the harbor people were swimming.

In a fun modern development area, public art.
I like the way this motorcycle moose echos the other photo.

The waterfront has been entirely rebuilt in the last 20 years.

The one museum I went into - the Museum of the Resistance.
I read a lot of adventure stories in my youth. The reality was grimmer.

These two notes in particular hit me different right now.