Oslo

Oslo is the capital of Norway and also the most populous city.  It is around 1000 years old and the hub for Norwegian trade, banking, industry and shipping.  In 2009 Oslo was found to be the worlds most expensive city but it was overtaken by Tokyo in 2011.

We ate in the proper restaurant for lunch yesterday and again for dinner as it was our first formal evening.  You will have to wait for the fat block in the DJ photo’s until Claire does her blog.  However, Claire and Mum looked nice.  I had trouble with my dicky bow, mainly as my shirt top button wouldn’t do up.  Although my formal black suit was made to measure, my measurement seemed to have changed somewhat.  Still, my Dad’s best black shoes fitted me.  That is probably the only place that I haven't put weight on, my feet.  Oh no, just thought of another one.  Very good choice of food, we had a really nice time.  The entertainment started at 8pm so we decided to give it a whirl.  Well the captain greeted us with free drinks so we had to go really.  The entertainment was very good but we were all tired and so gave it up and had an early night.  Claire and I did watch our free DVD before going to sleep but it was crap (“All the pretty horses” with Matt Damon).

We arrived at the river mouth at around 6am, sailed down the river and moored at around 9.30am.  I was awake from 4am today and kept having the occasional look out our window.  I put my little light on and read for a while before getting up and going up to the crows nest at around 6am.  I didn't take any pictures as the river was still quite wide and in a photo you would only see a thin strip of interest but it was nice to look at with your eyes.  Some people had settled themselves in on one of the forward facing seats in the crows nest with a coffee and a good book.  I might do that myself next time I cant sleep so as not to disturb Claire.  I brought us both a freshly squeezed orange juice back to our room for about 7.15am and woke her up with a cup of tea.  I can hear you all, “What a great husband”.

We decided to get off and have a walk around outside as none of us has ever been to Oslo before, or even Norway for that matter.  I was a Project Manager for a Mobil Oil Norway Project and was promised a trip over but it didn’t happen.  There were huge queues waiting at the top of the stairs but we needed the elevator with the wheelchair so got excused through and got straight on the lift; the people at the bottom of the stairs had to wait for us to get off first.  Last night we had been talking to one of our waiters from Indonesia and asked him if he gets any free time in Oslo to which he replied that he gets about 3 hours.  He normally gets off and walks to the pier where he has a coffee and uses the free wifi.  I told him thats exactly what we would do then I could put the blog on.  We walked around the most promising looking way but that eventually led to the “Oslo Opera House”.  Sounds like it, but didn’t look like the one in Sydney.  No pier to be seen.

We walked back the other way, past our ship again and all the way around the other side and ended up near the fish market and the “Cod Farmers”.  Sounds Italian but they didn’t use a horses head.  No luck so we decided to walk back to the ship, by this time it was around 11.45am.  There was a couple of, “Hop on Hop off” buses there and tickets were only €20 each but none of us are big on cities and it was nearly lunch time.  Also we had the forethought to put towels down by three poolside loungers before we left and it was a nice day.  It came natural to us, me being half German, Mum being married to one for so long and Claire having lived there.  We had a very relaxing day around the pool with lunch in the middle of it.  By 3pm Mum and Claire decided to make the most of their spa tickets and get pampered once more, leaving me time to do the jobs.  Change the DVD, write the blog, download the photo’s and read my book.  I can hear you all, “What a great husband”.