The drive into Oslo was quite stressful. We found our hotel and checked in then set off into the city to return the hire car. Stu was VERY ready to give the car back when we finally found the Hertz office. Car returned we set off to find a laundry and do other mundane tasks like find a vinmonopolet.
Day 2 and off we went into town. Travelling like a local we decided not to “touch on” with our tickets and plead ignorance as our first line of defence. It worked. Had a great wander through the sculpture park despite the eleventy billion Asian tourists. (Check out the book “why mummy drinks “ if you want a good laugh and also to understand the way we might talk aka WTAF and FML) Toilet stop enroute required but where - once located it required 15Nkr to enter but not coins - a card was needed - travel card did not work so desperation necessitated using the visa! So 15Nkr and an international transaction fee and crisis averted!!!!! Just!
Opera house next spoilt slightly by a fatality (thankfully we didn’t see it) but no denying it was right there. A short walk to the modern sculpture park was aborted once we realised how far it was and how uphill it was going to be so 23000 steps later it was time to take the shoes off!
Culture night in Oslo woohoo we had made it. As luck would have it we were in town for the night of nights. Clocked into the Viking museum which was fantastic and then the folk museum that took us through some brilliantly relocated buildings from greater Norway and 2 hours was nowhere near enough but it was nice to catch up again with Maria and Manfred from Flåm (Austria) would recommend both of these to anyone. B
Now back to Culture Night - Underwhelming is a term I am prepared to use. Some bits were great but on the whole not what the 40 page brochure was talking up. A lot of time spent trekking or navigating badly on local transport between supposed venues/ events only to find nothing or very little! Not a problem really as we were flying out the next morning and 23000 steps later we were ready for bed.... but not before a final drink in Norway in the hotel bar on the 9th floor (only drink available when you miss 5pm closing! At the Vinmopolet on Saturday!) Hardy’s Stamp. (Available at Dr Dans for $6.oo per 1 litre ) but a bargain at 95 nok or $15 per glass.
We had made some initial inquiries at hotel reception about transport to the airport and were informed that a taxi would cost us a mere $170AUD or train would be $33/4 each plus about $10/11AUD to get to the train station. Despite the hassle of dragging bags up the overpass to the metro and then finding the right train, buying a ticket etc we couldn’t justify the $170 taxi fare! So we attempted to case out the train stations do ticketting for our journey to the airport before returning to our hotel - unsuccessfully! So before heading to the bar we enquirer about purchasing a ticket for the train to the airport the next morning only to be told (by a different person) not to take the train - the bus would be quicker and cheaper and we could pick it up virtually outside the hotel and they gave us 50% discount vouchers! Go figure! Lucky we made the second enquiry.
Armed with our 50% discount vouchers we waited patiently by the side of the road hoping we were in the right spot and the bus would turn up. Success! $16/17 per person later and we were on our way to the airport!
Airports in a Norway are quite automated - print your own boarding pass, bag tickets, attach them and then drop them at automated bag drops! Who need people! Or passports for that matter. None required on exit or entry to Denmark.
More on Copenhagen to come. Will throw up some photos tomorrow
We think we have sorted out the problem with not being able to comment out so please knock yourself out but remember my mum and dad can see what you have written!
Failing that just send us an email x
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