Birthday in Oslo, part one

This year, for my birthday, I organized a little trip for both of us (A and myself) to Oslo.  Ok I didn't quite plan it.  A few weeks before, I had been browsing the Ryanair website, when I actually found these June flights to Oslo, which were rather cheap compared to the usual prices one expects to pay for a vacation in Norway.  So after excitedly informing A about this bargain, we immediately booked our holiday!


Soon, in the afternoon on Saturday 7th June (see, it even rhymes!) we were on board the plane to Oslo.  A first for both of us.  Some four hours later we landed at Moss Airport Rygge and took the Rygge-ekspressen bus to the city centre.

After we checked in at our hotel, Park Inn by Radisson Oslo, we made our way to the city centre, just round the corner from the hotel.  

We walked through the lively main street, Karl Johans gate, which is lined up with bars and cafés between all the stores, shopping centres and hotels.   

  

Feeling really hungry, we then wandered over to TGI Friday's on Karl Johans gate for my birthday dinner.  I had a Cajun Cream Steak while A opted for a Jack Daniel's Steak.  Both very good choices.

By the time we were ready to go back home (to the hotel) we hadn't realised how late it got until we looked at the clock tower across the road!  In Norway it doesn't get dark until very late, if ever.  Because, throughout the three nights we'd been there, I don't ever recall it being pitch darkness. And you'll see.  I have photos to prove!

This is the darkest it got!

The following morning, after a full English breakfast, we headed to the promenade and caught the ferry to Bygdøy - a peninsula which hosts most of Oslo's popular museums and is aptly called 'the museum island'.

We made our way to the Norwegian Folk Museum, whilst walking through quiet little streets and past beautiful houses that looked more like doll's houses!  The Folk Museum is one of Europe's largest open-air museums, with 155 traditional houses from all over Norway.  

There are also exhibitions of traditional tools, Sami culture, toys, folk costumes and historic artifacts, including an impressive exhibition of a dentist's clinic dating back from the 19th century till around the 1950's.

Buildings, re-enactments and food sampling all represent daily life and culture in Norway from the 16th century to the present day.  We had a busy but relaxing time as we spent most of our morning there, before we moved on to the next museum on our list. 

 

Birthday in Oslo, part two

Birthday in Oslo, part three

Birthday in Oslo, part four