Making Each Day Count

On the tail end of our Norway trip in March, D and I spent a few days in the country’s capital, Oslo city. We flew via SAS Airlines from Tromso and arrived at Oslo Airport, and to get to the Oslo Central we bought roundtrip tickets and commuted via the FlyToGet airport express train. It was late in the afternoon when we arrived at Oslo Central, and it was a relief that our AirBnB was located at Bjørvika, just a few hundred meters away. Much as I wanted to take my sweet time exploring the shops next to the train station, it suddenly started to drizzle which prompted us to get to the AirBnB first and settle in.

I was pleased with the location of the AirBnB as it was minutes away from the sea, the Munch Museum, and the Oslo Library. There were cafes, shops, and the Barcode Street Food next door where we had dinner. D had a poke bowl and I had Bacalao. I made a note to self to go back to Barcode next time because there were other food stalls I wanted to try.

Over the next few days, we explored the city where our feet could bring us. Two things I enjoyed about Oslo were the sculptures that we saw every day, and the places we got to visit for free.

Oslo City Hall

The Oslo City Hall was completed and inaugurated in 1950. It hosts the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. We went through a short security check when we entered the building. The hall near the entrance has remarkable mural paintings. Upstairs each room was impressive, some of which have a good view of the port.

Munch Museum

We were fortunate to have had the chance to visit the Munch Museum for free on a Wednesday night which started at 6PM. The museum of a modern architecture. Its upper levels provide a good view of Opera House and the port.

The paintings exhibited in the galleries were captivating. I wanted to see the different versions of “The Scream”, an iconic painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. I only saw one – the lithograph version.

My favorite part of the Munch Museum was the interactive experience at the 7th floor (Edvard Munch Shadows) where the inner child in me was awoken as I checked out the exhibits with awe. At first I wondered why there were little pawprints on some furniture like the piano, a cabinet, and so on. Tracing them would lead to peepholes, and there I would see the mice’s homes decorated with little furniture. They were cute!

Akerselva

Lastly, D and I enjoyed a morning stroll along the banks of Akeselva river and Nedre Foss. The sound of the water was calming and soothing, and it was fun to watch ducks floating about, and dogs being walked. I imagine this is a good place to have a picnic during the summer. Nearby was another food hall, Mathallen Oslo, where we had lunch and coffee afterwards.

Though our stay in Oslo city was much relaxed and not as action packed (in terms of tours) compared to our Tromso trip, it was a good way to wrap up our visit to Norway. We are thankful to have been given the chance to visit this beautiful country.