As travelling by cruise was an element of considerable size on this trip, I'd like to tell you about the night we travelled from Oslo whether to Copenhagen, which qualifies as one of the wilder occurrences in my life. Unlike the cruiseship we took from Stockholm to Helsinki and back, this one was smaller, less comfortable, and more claustrophobia inducing. I'm not sure whether it is the current(s) and/or the winds in that area, or if this was a special occurrence just for our pleasure, but until the early morning hours, the ship was rocking in such large motions that one had trouble keeping balance, let alone walking straight. The cabins we had had no windows, 4 beds, and fit 3 people if they were all standing (god forbid a suitcase were to open, that would reduce the space to only fit the person diggin through it). The really fun times, however, started at dinner time, where the population separated in two groups: the ones who sat mournfully not wanting to eat in fear the food wouldn't stay down, and the ones who battled against the forces of nature to get their fill. Spending a large part of my life living on a sailboat has enabled me to fit into the latter group. There were large round windows showing the lazy mass of waves, the cause of such circumstances, while inside was a mixture of people's murmur and the screeeching of stacks of plates situated on springs within walls of metal, as they peeked out above the counter at the top of a wave and screeched back inside at the bottom. Eating my second serving of a plate full of french fries and nothing else (I'm not particularly good at food when travelling), I'd realised that despite the constant presence of slight claustrophobia, this was one of the cooler things to have happened to me. Looking back, I would not mind returning to that ship at all. Especially when the next morning had me waking up in Copenhagen.
Have you got a good campfire story from your travels? Don't hesitate to share it in the comments!
x, Valens
As it had been with the previous stops in Scandinavia, Oslo, the northernmost point of our trip (and of my life) did not disappoint. We started roaming about the city the night before by visiting the Oslo Opera House, an architectural feature that interacts with the public by allowing access all over the surface. I was very happy to have experienced the building in cloudy weather, as the white of the sky is complimentary to the stone that covers the building's surface, while the sharp sea with grey hues offers a sharp contrast.
The following morning was started with a visit to the Holmenkollen ski jump, which was due to the incredible density of the fog hardly seen. Not only was it foggy, though, it was also bitingly cold. Had we had that kind of temperatures in Slovenia, we would call it a lovely winter's day. Quick reminder: I was in Oslo on August 19th. We returned back to the city centre and made our first stop in the Vigeland park, named after Gustav Vigeland, the sculptor who filled the park with a multitude of various sculptures that are an exploration of the human form. There is also a fountain that portrays the circle of life, and a monolith that represents humanity's universal seek to reach the divine. An honourable mention should also be given to the rose garden right after the bridge, which boasts with the largest collection of various types of roses. If there is any speck of a hopeless romantic or an aesthete in you, then surely you will enjoy it. Next on the agenda was the Bygdøy peninsula, on which we checked out the Vinking ship, Kon-Tiki, and Fram museum. If you plan on seeing all three museums as well, don't forget to buy the joint ticket in the Viking ship musem, as you will thus get to see three museums for the price of two (handy trick if you're a southerner with different standards in terms of pricing). A personal favorite was the Fram museum, as it offered the chance to walk the actual boat along with many interactive activities that simulate life on the Arctic. I was very excited about the polar room, a space with polar temperatures, although I did scream and run when I saw the half-dead-half-frozen wax figures of the crewmen (most excercise I'd done in 3 months), as it had been the last thing I was expecting to stumble upon whilst freezing my butt off.
As we had to board the ship for Copenhagen at 4pm, we only had time left to see the city centre and get lunch. We took a look at the Town Hall, the place where the Nobel prize is awarded each year. The mosaic on the walls wonderfully depicts the history of Norway, the cassette ceiling is cool, as are the floors. Just go see it if ever you find yourself in Oslo. Lunchtime was in my and my sister's case sacrificed for a greater purpose, as we chose to spend that time to pay a visit to the National Gallery of Oslo i.e. to see Edvard Münch's The Scream. Due to our wholly unnecessary powerwalking, we were left with much more time on our hands than we anticipated, which we diligently spent enjoying all the other paintings (they have a great collection! I even found a new favourite artist!) and hogging the museum shop (poetic exaggeration; we just bought some art cards). After it all, we took to the port and enjoyed the superb views of Oslo as we parted for Copenhagen
Is Oslo on your bucket list? Please don't hesitate to express your opinion on my post in the comments below!
