Norway Part 1 - Oslo

Kristen Hodges
Apr 10, 2020
5 min read

August 17-18, 2019 - Oslo, Norway

Last August, Austin and I took a trip to Norway where we traveled from Oslo to Bergen over a 10-day period. We did most of our planning in June - and I admit that we were late to the game by being only 3 months out. We still got to book most of the things we wanted, but as a heads up, if you want to plan yourself a trip here - give yourself more time to get it all together than we did! Norway is not a large country, and most of the destinations are popular, booking up fast. Nonetheless, we got everything in order and set out from Denver to London to Oslo.

I should start by explaining why Norway. I have always wanted to visit Scandinavia, and for some reason Norway was just calling my name. With its tall mountains dropping drastically into its northern seas, the labyrinth of fjords makes for a nordic version of Hawaii. And who wouldn’t want to go to a place like that?

When we planned our trip, we made our initial destination Oslo, where we had two full days to explore. We first arrived in the evening under a threatening sky, and although we were exhausted from our trip, we were determined to make every second count - so we dropped our bags and set to exploring. We were only a few blocks from the harbor, so we followed our inner architects straight to Snøhetta’s Opera House. Austin and I learned about this extraordinary theater in school, and were stunned to see it in real life. The geometric planes stretched out from under the small waves of the water in some places, while dropping off at steep angles at others. They truly spared no expense on this building - even the drain grates were made of stone! As we walked around, we were able to catch views of the city at dusk from the high vantage point. We spent the rest of the evening wandering the quiet neighborhoods and still streets until it was dark and we retired for some real rest.

The next morning I awoke with an overwhelming excitement for something I miss dearly living in the US… European Breakfast! And wow if our hotel didn’t hit it right on. The beautiful spread was endless with fresh fish, cured meats, soft breads, plates of fruits and cheese, and of course - incredible coffee. I love America, but we could really take some pointers from Europe and their breakfast finesse.

After breakfast, we grabbed our raincoats and headed out into the city, onto the Akerselva, a river walk that snakes through the city alongside a river that is its namesake. It runs past old factories, an eclectic art district called “KEM,” parks, and even features some insane waterfalls right in the city. We broke off the path to explore some of the parks, churches, cemeteries, and cobblestone neighborhoods just to get a feel for the neighborhood. It was a morning for wandering. Before lunch, we met up with a friend who attends the Architecture school there in Oslo. He gave us some tips on the city, showed us around their architecture school and studio, and took us out for some more amazing coffee. During our conversation, he informed Austin and I that we were visiting during the rainy season. We had to admit this was not something we knew when we planned the trip, but we crossed our fingers and kept our smiles anyway. He also let us know that the city seems quiet and empty because most people go to their cabins on the weekends, whether they be on an island or in the forest.

We stopped for lunch to get some doner kebab (if you know, you know), and then headed towards the museum district to spend the rest of the afternoon a little more dry and warm. We were not disappointed! We flashed our old student ID’s (don't judge) and went to a number of museums, some of them by famous architects like Renzo Piano, and others quaint and humble. We went back to the hotel for dinner (pros to staying at our hotel - included dinner!), then headed back out to a hidden speakeasy-type bar for a drink. After a long, wet and cold day, we called in a night to get some more rest for the next day; jet-lag was not treating us well.

DAY 2

The next morning, Austin and I were excited to see a clear sky and a low chance of rain. We thought we would explore the outskirts of the city, so we set out to go to Sognsvann - a freshwater lake at the end of the t-bane (the train in the city). There were a lot of people there, walking around the parks, exercising, and fishing. It was nice to go to a local's spot and see how the people of the city spend their time on the weekends. But also just to see some people!

Next we headed back towards the city, stopping at Frogner Park - which was absolutely packed! There were food trucks, festivals, and small fairs going on all over the place and it was a lively place to be. We walked around here for a while, exploring the flower gardens and checking out the buildings nearby.

Our next adventure was our favorite of all during our time in Oslo. We got on a ferry and started to explore the small islands in the Oslofjord, spending most of our time in Lindøya. This tiny island is populated with footpaths and colorful waterfront cabins - not a single street or car exists here. The brightly painted cabins were clean and so well taken care of - even their little plots of land were perfect - it all seemed like the island was from a fairytale. We wandered around the island for quite some time before deciding to take a dip. You can only swim in a fjord once, right? Well I figured now or never!

On our way back to Oslo, we saw the old fort, Akershus Fortress, and thought we would make it our last destination for the day. The fort was very calm and peaceful with minimal people perusing the sounds, and we walked around for some time before heading back towards the hotel to look for a place for happy hour.