First day in Oslo

In the summer of 2017, my Norwegian friend visited me in the Netherlands. We had a great time exploring, laughing and goofing around. I promised her to come and visit her in Norway, and this summer I did! Before flying up to visit her, I first spent a few days in Oslo. She lived in Oslo for ten years, so with a list of things to do, I went to explore the city!

First up, was the Oslo domkirke, built between 1694 and 1697. I was going to pass the cathedral anyway on my way to the waterfront, so I went in and burnt a candle for my granddad. It’s my own little tradition to commemorate my granddad who passed away thirty years ago this year. He joined the navy to travel and see the world. I definitely got that travel bug from him, so I see this as my way of taking him along on my journey.

After that, the Operahuset was on the list. Not to go in for a performance of opera, opera theatre or ballet, but to walk on the roof and get a great view over the city. It was very hot in Oslo (about 30C), so being a bit higher up meant catching a little breeze, which was nice.

My last activity of the day was visiting the Akershus Festning, a fortress built to  protect  Oslo. The castle has also been used as a military base, a prison and government offices. It was nice having a wander around the terrain. It was still warm, but not too bad.  And the view from the fortress was pretty awesome!

It was a great first day in Oslo, especially considering the fact that I only had about half a day. The first half consisted of travelling by plane and train (but no automobile, lol). It took a while to get to my hostel in Oslo, because not only was my flight delayed, I also managed to nearly get a train in the wrong direction, haha. But since I wasn’t in a rush, it wasn’t a big deal anyway.  I stayed at Anker Hostel, a big and impersonal place. It was a cheap (for Norway) option, not the best place or neighbourhood to stay in, but it was okay and I survived. I did get treated to a wonderful evening sky though!