“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Finally, our last city. This has been quite the journey. After a relaxing train ride it was time to find our hotel, Thon Bristol. The Oslo train station is a bit large so we figured we would just head out a door and see where we were. The first thing I noticed was the number of large buildings, much different from the cities we had visited over the past few days. The people in Bergen told us Oslo was a “dump” compared to Bergen. I know they are proud of Bergen, but by no means is Oslo a dump. I’ve seen plenty of dumpy cities, and this is not one of them! Once we got our barrings we started our 1/2 mile walk to our hotel, and for a majority of it, uphill. Thankfully the sidewalks were clear and easy to walk. The Bristol is a historic hotel, and it is beautiful inside. The rooms are of average size, and they too had a wonderful breakfast buffet with many options for even the pickiest eater.

When we ventured out in the morning, we were surprised when we walked outside to see the city blanketed in snow. It made a large city of 700,000 people dreamy and a winter wonderland. It was perfect!

Oslo is the city I know the least about. Unlike the other cities we did not do a city tour, we did an inner Oslo fjord tour by boat. The boat tour was relaxing, we saw some beautiful scenery along the way, and learned the history of the various islands just off the coast of Oslo.

After the boat tour, we decided to walk around the various streets and see what we could find. We saw the Nobel Peace Center, although we didn’t venture inside. We then made our way to the Royal Palace and saw the changing of the guard. Now I’ve seen the changing of the guard in London and in Oslo, although in Oslo there were female guards in the mix. Kudos Norway! The palace is open in the late summer months for tours, so if you are there during July or August you should go, I’m sure it is beautiful inside.

Laura had wanted to experience the traditional sauna since we had arrived in Finland. I am not a fan of cold water, so this was a hard no for me. Laura booked herself a shared sauna experience and she took the plunge into freezing waters in Oslo, then went into the warm sauna. She said it was a love / hate experience. For me it would have been all hate.

While Laura went to the sauna, I made my way to the Deichman Library to search for the Future Library. We had learned about the this library from an American we met on our northern lights excursion in Tromso. On the 5th floor of the Deichman you will find an entrance to a small room. Only a few people can go in at once, and you leave your shoes at the door. The Future Library is just that, a collection of future books, but it is also a work of art. One hundred authors will be selected, one per year, from 2014 to 2114. No one can read the works ahead of time, they will not be published until 2114. One thousand trees were planted in the Nordmarka forest for this project, and the books will be printed on the paper produced from these trees. The library faces in the direction of the forest. The Future Library was built using trees that were removed for the planting of the new trees. The room is made up of layers of wood blocks, and in each layer is a crystal drawer to hold the manuscript from the author, and their name and year is etched in the crystal. It is very cool and unique.

I should tell you a bit about libraries in Finland and Norway. They are not like the libraries in the United States. Their libraries are social gathering places, not quite spaces. Food and drink are allowed in the same space as the books. I literally saw a woman with a full pizza and soda on the table along with her stack of books. They have cafes within in the libraries as well. They have play spaces for children, and a place for strollers to be parked indoors. When I was in Oslo there was a group of fathers with their babies sitting in a circle on the floor singing and laughing. Laura and I visited the libraries in every city except Bergen. They were packed with people enjoying themselves, and the books appeared to be in great condition even with the food and drinks – imagine that! If you are ever touring in Finland or Norway and you want to rest your feet and have a coffee, head to the library, all are welcome.

After the library I ventured to the Oslo Opera House then back to the hotel.

Within the block of our hotel, we had a number of restaurants and bars. Our hotel had a lounge and restaurant, but we decided to head out both evenings. If you are a beer drinker, I recommend you try Roor. This bar has 50+ taps, and if you are not sure what you want, they are happy to give you a taste and make suggestions based on your preferences. The first night we had dinner at the Bristol Pub located just a few doors down from our hotel. Their menu was small, mostly hamburgers and although I was skeptical, my truffle burger was delicious, as was the local beer. For our final night on this journey we picked Elias Mat & Sant, a Scandinavian restaurant. I started with a wonderful Elk Carpaccio while Laura had Smoked Whale… sorry Willy! For the main course, I had Seafood Bisque and Laura had the salmon. When the dishes arrived, I was immediately jealous of Laura’s salmon. My Seafood Bisque was good, but nothing will ever be as good as the soup I had in Tromso, that is still #1 in my book.

The next morning it was time to leave, and we walked to the train station at 4:15am, and yes, Oslo is safe, and we never had a reason to feel worried. The airport train is the quickest way to get to the airport, even faster than if you travel via car. It costs about $22 and the ride was 22 minutes. Hold on to your ticket, you scan it once you arrive at the airport. It was quick, easy, the train was very clean, and quiet.

What a wonderful trip! Laura and I saw so much, had some amazing experiences, and covered a lot of territory. I would love to head back to Lapland and do some skiing. I would also love to see more of Norway by way of the sea, both in the winter and fall. There is so much to explore. If you love nature and you love being outdoors, then I highly recommend you visit Finland and Norway, you will not be disappointed!

Ciao 💕