~ wander.essence ~

These posts cover our slow trip through the Scandinavian/Nordic countries from August 4 to October 30, 2026. I will be posting one long post a week about each area where we stay. I like to write one post about a particular place so that I can revisit our travels in one spot on my blog, according to location. I can also refer others to the post if they plan to travel to the destination and want ideas. I welcome you to read the entire post, read parts of the posts that interest you, simply look at the pictures, or not to read it at all. All who would like to come along are welcome.

You can find our itinerary here: anticipation & preparation: a slow motion journey through scandinavia.

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Saturday, October 3 to Saturday, October 10: This week we moved from Lillehammer to Oslo, Norway.

Train ride from Lillehammer to Oslo

We managed to get on the 11:11 train from Lillehammer to Oslo after finding out purely by accident the day before that our 12:15 train had been cancelled. Because trains were being cancelled during Norway’s railway strike and railway work, we couldn’t get assigned seats. Thus we made it early to the train station and grabbed seats as quickly as possible. It was only a 2-hour ride, but after several stops, people were standing and sitting on the floor everywhere.

We chatted with a friendly Norwegian woman who was our age; she seemed to consider herself an aging hippie. Another younger man, maybe in his late 40s, joined in the conversation. After a while, I think they got tired of speaking in English and resorted to talking between themselves.

Our Airbnb apartment: “Home in Gamle Oslo” at Herslebs gate 23, Oslo, Norway

Our Oslo Airbnb apartment is on the 6th floor of an apartment building on Herslebs gate in the Grønland, Tøyen & Eastern Oslo area. The neighbhorhood is home to students, young professionals and families. Grønland is the city’s most diverse neighborhood; we could see that immediately and appreciated its diversity, with its hijab-covered women and its specialty shops selling international foods. We were close to the Botanical Gardens but never had a chance to visit it. If we had both felt better, we might have managed to squeeze it in.

Activities and Sights in Oslo

Oslo is the largest city and the capital of Norway with over 1.5 million residents in the metro area. It is an important center for maritime industries and maritime trade and is a hub of Norwegian trade, banking, industry and shipping. It is awash in cultural offerings that are welcoming to everyone, as well as culinary adventures that reflect its diverse populations. Its harbor promenade allows people to bask in the water vibes of the Oslofjord. We loved this city!

Bjorvika

Bjorvika is known for its location at the head of the Oslofjord and its 3-shape. It is an area that boasts the Oslo Opera House, the monumental Munch Museum, the architectural complex known as Barcode, numerous floating saunas, and the 6-floor Deichman Bjorvika, the Public Library.

Operahuset Oslo

Operahuset Oslo (Oslo Opera House) is home of the Norwegian Opera and Ballet. The building, which resembles a marble iceberg rising out of the fjord, was designed by architectural firm Snøhetta and completed in 2007. Its 36,000 blocks of white Italian Carrara marble create its sloping form which angles to ground level, inviting people to stroll to the top for panoramic views of Oslo. We of course did what everyone who visits Oslo has to do: we took that stroll up the roof.

Inside views show a warm oak paneling in spiraling ramps to various floors. Tall windows with minimal framing allow maximum views of the water. The roof is supported by thin angled columns designed not to interfere with the views.

The semi-transparent glass panel and stainless steel sculpture in the water near the Operahuset Oslo is “She Lies” (Hun ligger), created by artist Monica Bonvicini. It floats on a concrete panel anchored to the seabed so that it turns on its axis to catch the changing light and reflections. It is apparently a three-dimensional interpretation of Caspar David Friedrich’s 1823–1824 painting The Sea of Ice (Das Eismeer), representing floating blocks of northern ice.

Floating saunas along the harbor

All around the harbor are floating saunas, which, surprisingly, on a cold cloudy day were being used by groups of people in swimsuits. We saw them as we strolled around the Harbor Promenade. As both of us are slowly recovering from being sick, these did not appeal to us at all, though we could envision partaking in nicer weather.

Barcode

Barcode is a group of twelve high rise structures. We saw them from Akrobaten, a pedestrian bridge spanning the train tracks leading to Oslo S, and, from the other side, from the 12th floor of the Munch Museum.

Deichmannske bibliotek (Oslo Public Library)

We visited the six-floor Deichmannske bibliotek (Oslo Public Library) with its cantilevered design. Inside are dynamic angles, contrasting textures, and streaming light. We found playful nooks and crannies – magical spots to squirrel yourself away and study undisturbed. We found one woman in the corner of a nook with old-fashioned card catalogs, people working together in a bright green jungle-like nook, artwork everywhere, and a play area with cooking and homemaking facilities for children. This was a lively, well-utilized space that was inclusive and welcoming. Families bounded around as if they were at home and studious people focused quietly on their computers. This library holds space for everyone.

I loved the quote we found here: “Being silent about censorship simply because it may not be affecting you right now isn’t particularly smart.” ~ George M. Johnson

Munch

There was so much to see at the amazing Munch Museum that it’s best if I break down the different aspects of it.

Edvard Munch ( December 1863 – January 1944) was a Norwegian painter. His 1893 work The Scream has become one of the iconic and acclaimed images of all of Western Art. He was a prolific creator with an estimated 1,750 paintings, alongside thousands of graphic works.

Munch’s childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dread of inheriting a mental condition that ran in the family. While studying, he began to live a bohemian life under the influence of nihilist Hans Jæger, who urged him to paint his own emotional and psychological landscape. His distinctive style emerged from this influence. He learned from other painters during his travels, especially in their use of color: Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

As his fame and wealth grew, Munch’s emotional state remained insecure. He briefly considered marriage but could not commit. In 1908, he suffered a mental breakdown that forced him to give up heavy drinking. His mood slowly improved with his positive exposure in the city’s museum and he worked in peace and privacy during his later years. Although his works were banned in Nazi-occupied Europe, most of them survived World War II, securing his legacy.

At the age of five, Edvard Munch lost his mother Laura, so artist Tracey Emin created a nine-meter-high Moren (The Mother) sculpture to represent all mothers, including Munch’s mother, in hopes of keeping the artist’s spirit company. To read more about this scupture see: Moren (The Mother). This sculpture is outside the Munch Museum.

“Infinite” (Floor 4) took us on an intimate journey through the highlights of Munch’s art. According to the exhibit: “One single truth about Edvard Munch and his work does not exist. Thus, Munch’s art and our understanding of it can be described as infinite.”

The exhibition is divided into twelve different themes: Alone, To Die, The Scream, Love, Gender, Outdoors, Naked, Others, Oneself, In Motion, On the Surface and Variations. These themes capture the emotional aspects of Munch’s art, the types of motifs he worked with and his innovative exploration of different artistic media. One prevalent theme for the artist was Love and The Dance of Life (the cyclical nature of love: its birth, blossoming and inevitable end). He focuses on Metabolism, Life and Death: the biological processes that are part of the cycle of life. In the theme of Death, Munch’s art revolves not only around the people who die, but those who are left behind. He explores the disconnections between people: separation, loneliness, and jealousy. His figures seem ambiguous, reflecting the society-at-large’s discussions about the fluidity of gender.

Munch created over 80 self-portraits throughout his career which show him in different stages of his life, surrounded by different backgrounds and items.

The Scream was conceived in Kristiania. Munch says he was out walking at sunset when he “heard the enormous, infinite scream of nature.” The agonized face in the painting reveals the angst of the modern person.

The main character in The Scream is enigmatic. It belongs to no class or culture, has no specific gender or ethnicity, and is strikingly timeless. The men in the background stand far from the character on a road to infinity, alienating the main figure even more. A thing that triggers angst and despair in one person can be insignificant for someone else.

It was tough to get pictures because of all the tourists doing “scream” poses in front of the painting, which I found annoying.

“Monumental” (Floor 6) showcases Munch’s largest and most ambitious paintings in a huge hall. These motifs were created originally for the University of Oslo’s Aula (ceremonial hall), opened in 1911.

In The Human Mountain, Towards the Light, light is depicted as a kind of primeval force essential for all living things. At the time, groundbreaking research was being done on x-rays, Earth’s magnetic field and crystallization. In these works, Munch combines religion and science, past and future, humans and nature. They reflect Munch’s belief that everything in the universe is connected.

The Researchers is the largest painting on a stretched canvas in the museum’s collection. The title refers to the children digging in the sand and exploring the world. The breastfeeding woman symbolizes giving nourishment to new generations.

The Sun is one of Munch’s major motifs. On either side are Women Turned towards the Sun and Men Turned towards the Sun. The theme of the paintings is enlightenment, a symbol of the eternal and the universal, a reference to religious creation myths and classical art history. The motif also reflects Munch’s interest in nature and Vitalism, a scientific and philosophical movement that prioritized health, hygiene and physical education. The sun was attributed importance as a life-giving force.

Viewpoint (12th floor) gave us awe-inspiring views from one of the highest buildings in the city.

“Horizons” (11th floor) shows who inspired Munch and who he inspired. This connects Munch in a visual dialogue with other artists from his time. This was my favorite of all the exhibits because it showed Munch in the setting of his contemporaries, from the 1880s to the 1950s.

Munch’s life as a artist coincided with a time of great change and a wide range of styles in European art. Artists explored new ways of portraying their experience of the modern world. Artists drew attention to their inner lives as well as to social and political conditions.

“Edvard Munch & The Chocolate Factory” (9th floor) explores Munch’s themes revolving around workers and in particular shows Munch’s decoration for the Freia Chocolate Factory.

Munch grew up in Grünerlokka, which was then a working-class neighborhood. This sharpened his eye for the details of everyday life and physical drudgery. Throughout the 1920s, Munch worked on a monumental workers’ frieze and produced a number of sketches for murals for Oslo City Hall but the project fell through. The frieze only exists in the form of drafts and individual works, some shown this gallery.

Munch paintings reflect an exploration of women entering the workforce towards the end of the 19th century. Industrialization led to new kinds of jobs, particularly in the textile, matchstick and food industries. For many women, paid work meant a new form of independence, but also long working days, low wages and precarious working conditions.

This gallery included 12 monumental paintings that hung in the canteen of the Freia Chocolate Factory in Oslo for over a hundred years. Visitors to the museum are able for the first time to experience the Freia Frieze for the first time outside the factory premises, along with a selection from the Museum’s collection.

A plaque in the museum explains the ugly side of the chocolate industry, with colonialization, the transatlantic slave trade and exploitation of resources from poor countries.

Finally, we stopped by the Temporary Exhibition: “Katharina Grosse: Black Bed.” A German artist, Katharina Grosse is known for testing the boundaries of painting. In her work, a painting can appear anywhere – on a canvas, a bed, a sandy beach, or beside a railway track – and it can incorporate both its surroundings and the viewer. Often using a spray can, she works quickly and responsively, making colors appear to flow outward, blurring the distinction between painting, sculpture and installation.

Oslo Sentrum

Oslo Sentrum is heavy with history and is packed with some of Oslo’s most significant buildings. After a fire in 1624 destroyed Oslo, which was then located further to the east, the king, Christian V, decreed the city would be rebuilt closer to Akershus festing, and renamed Christiania. This area includes the Royal Palace, Akershus festning, Stortinget (Norway’s parliament), Rädhus (City Hall), and the National Theater.

Akershus Festning

On a promontory overlooking the fjord stands the medieval fortress of Akershus Festning, built in 1299 by Håkon V. We wandered around the grounds on a rather gloomy Monday and saw the numerous structures: walls with bastions, towers, powder magazines and gates. Sadly the palace itself, Akershus Slott, was closed due to some event. We were okay with that; we mainly wanted to take a walk outdoors while it wasn’t raining to get a feel for the city on our second full day in Oslo.

Stortinget (Norwegian Parliament)

We walked toward Karl Johans Gate and saw Stortinget, Norway’s Parliament building. The H-shaped building is said to represent two arms outstretched towards the country’s people.

Karl Johans gate

We strolled down Karl Johans gate, lined with stately buildings. Carl Johan was king of Sweden and Norway from 1818 to 1844.

We stopped at W.B. Samson for a couple of baked treats and a latte.

Nationaltheatret

The National Theater, which opened in 1899, was designed by Henrik Bull.

Grünerløkka & Vulkan

Since we had a rare beautiful day in Oslo, we decided to explore outdoors by taking some walks and exploring a sculpture park.

We headed first to Grünerløkka, the center for Norway’s industrial revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries, with the area’s factories and textile mills powered by the Akerselva River. In the 20th century, this former working class neighborhood bustled with creativity and became Oslo’s most alternative place to hang out. Though not as popular with artists today, the affectionately-known Løkka neighborhood is a lively night life place.

Edvard Munch’s family rented several modest homes on both sides of the Akerselva River, living at different addresses in the Grünerløkka. From 1877 to 1882, the family lived at Fossveien 7 in Grünerløkka—a building that still stands today—where Munch decided at age 16 to become a painter.

Mathallen Oslo

Across the Akerselva from Løkka is Vulkan, a densely packed collection of restored warehouses now home to the wonderful food court of Mathallen Oslo.

Frogner and Western Oslo:

Frogner is a wealthy enclave in Oslo, characterized by long, tree-lined boulevards, imposing villas, and attractive green spaces.

Walking tour: St. Hanshaugen’s Scenic Parks & Streets

We continued on from Mathallen after a delicious lunch and walked parts of a walking tour outlined in Lonely Planet Norway. We walked through a scenic lane of colorful wooden houses at Telthusbakken. From there, we came upon Gamle Aker Kirke, Oslo’s oldest remaining building (from 1150) and a stop on the St. Olav’s Way pilgrimage, with 639km remaining to Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.

We continued our walk to Vår Frelsers gravlund (Our Savior’s Cemetery) where we saw a Russian Orthodox Church and then searched for the graves of Edvard Munch and Henrik Ibsen. This was such a lovely area!

Frognerparken & Vigelandsparken

At Frognerparken, we found 214 expressive sculptures featuring more than 750 stylized figures depicting emotions throughout all stages of life, from infancy to old age. This is an installation by Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943) called Vigelandsparken; it is the world’s largest sculpture park created by a single artist. The Monolith at the center took three full-time stonemasons 13 years to carve out of a single piece of stone. It was finished in 1943 just before the artist’s death.

Vigeland was also the designer of the Nobel Peace Prize medal.

Oslo City Museum

The 18th century Frogner Manor houses the Oslo City Museum. It tells of Oslo’s development over the years. It tells of the timber trade which enabled people to gain wealth. In 1814, Christiania became the capital and during the 1800s, the city evolved into a modern metropolis. Around the mid-1800s, nature was “discovered” as a place for health and relaxation. In the decades after 1870, hiking became a common activity.

By 1900, the population had reached 220,000. At the end of the 1920s, functionalism became a big hit in architecture.

A whole section of the museum was devoted to the German occupation of Norway beginning on April 9, 1940. Vidkun Quisling, Norwegian military officer and politician, became a Nazi collaborator who headed the puppet government of Norway during the country’s occupation. Germans determined to nazify all churches and schools, trying to indoctrinate the citizens. Black market trade and a barter economy grew. Rations were scanty. Blackouts made winter especially difficult for the citizens and most people stayed inside. News was censored and radios confiscated so it was difficult to stay informed.

The Germans surrendered on May 7, 1945. It is estimated that 1,286 people died in Oslo as a result of the war. In 1942, 476 Jews were sent to the German death camps; only 15 returned, but it was difficult for them to regain confiscated homes, businesses and a rtefacts. Some fled to Sweden. Crown Prince Olav returned to Oslo on May 13. On June 7, King Haakon and the Royal Family returned. We had seen the mini-series Atlantic Crossing (2020) which covers some of this story and tells of Crown Princess Märtha, a Swedish-born princess who married into the Norwegian royal family and lived as a refugee in the White House during World War II.

After the liberation, Oslo experienced a housing shortage. The city expanded and built “satellite towns,” connected through an efficient subway system. As the population soared between 1944-46, housing became scarce. An expansion of the city to Aker in 1948 enabled new housing to be built.

In the Oslo City Museum, we found The Golden Ghetto, 2019 by Shwan Dler Qaradaki (b. 1977). The images show two satellite towns, residential areas developed in the 1960s and 1970s to provide modern and high-quality housing for Oslo’s growing population. The Danish “Jewellery Law” passed in 2016 required that gold and valuables be confiscated from asylum seekers to finance their stay. The Golden Ghetto plays on this law and the term “golden ghettos,” which describe areas with a homogenous high-income population that remains poorly integrated with the rest of society.

In the 1970s increased immigration from non-European countries was making the city more diverse. Oslo became an important arena for the struggle for women’s rights during the 1970s and 1980s. A Gender Equality Act and the right to self-determined abortion came into being in the 1970s.

On Friday, July 22, 2011, a bomb exploded in the government quarter. Eight people were killed and many were seriously injured. The assassin went on to the political youth camp AUF on the small island of Utøya, where he killed 69 people, most youngsters. Altogether 77 people were killed. The city gathered to mourn the dead, with 200,000 people participating in the “rose march” at the City Hall Square, and to show they had no fear of terrorism.

On the second floor, the Oslo Theatre Museum celebrates everything theatrical.

Exhibits focused on the Twenties, Strikes and Class Struggle, Working Life, and Women of the New Era. One photo showed the airship Norge over Oslo on its way to the North Pole on 14 April 1926; Roald Amundsen had bought it in Italy with plans to fly over the North Pole. In mid-May a crew of 16 people flew the airship from Svalbard over the North Pole to Alaska.

The museum was informative but seemed to jump around randomly from one time period to another. It was a bit confusing.

Bygdøy

Bygdøy is a pretty mostly residential peninsula to the west of the city. White villas line wide avenues with mature trees and forested areas provide green spaces for recreation. We went on a cold and rainy day to a cluster of museums at the tip of the peninsula: the Kon-Tiki Museum and the Fram Museum. There are others as well, but we only had energy for two.

On our way there, who boarded the bus but Liv and Max, the Australian couple from Melbourne we met on our cruise. Liv and Max were in Norway with Liv’s parents; her mother is part Norwegian and they were visiting relatives and favorite Norwegian spots. They were headed to the Fram Museum, which they’d visited before but wanted to return to. We were headed to Kon-Tiki because we wanted to watch the 58-minute film called Kon-Tiki which they play every day at noon. The museums are right next to each other. We took photos together, but never saw them again in Oslo. Liv had given me a QR code for her WhatsApp so I could send the photos, but somehow the contact didn’t save so I have no way to get ahold of her now.

Kon-Tiki Museum

The Kon-Tiki Museum charts the story of the 1947 101-day Pacific voyage led by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002) to test Heyerdahl’s theory that it was possible to reach the Polynesian Islands from South America. It was fascinating that the crew hardly had to do any work to steer the raft and that they were able to eat abundantly directly from the sea. The raft was mostly carried to the Polynesian islands by currents and air flows. Only when they had to cross the coral reef to land on an island did they finally wreck the ship, which eventually washed up to shore. The boat was surprisingly rescued and taken to Norway where it was resurrected and placed in this museum.

We first watched the 58-minute-long Oscar-winning documentary Kon-Tiki (1950) which is shown daily at noon. Heyerdahl was an imaginative child and grew up to be quite the adventurer. He made numerous expeditions across the Atlantic in reed boats Ra and Ra II, which are also on display.

The original balsawood raft, Kon-Tiki, is surrounded by displays telling the story of the expedition.

Thor Heyerdahl’s other expeditions included some on land and some by sea, shown below.

Fram Museum

The polar endeavors by Norwegian pioneers Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930) and Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) are shown in the Fram Museum, along with the ship. We could walk onboard the Fram, surrounded by the sounds and sights of raging seas and the Northern Lights, then walk below deck to envision the life of a polar explorer. The museum tells of Arctic and Antarctic discovery.

Fridtjov’s plan to deliberately let a ship freeze into the dreaded ice in the Arctic Ocean was revolutionary. The idea was thought to be suicidal as no ship could withstand the ice pressure. The Fram’s construction was exceptional and proved this idea wrong. The main innovation was the rounded hull with smooth sides so the ice could not get a grip to press the ship down, but on the contrary would press it upwards like a round nut squeezed between two fingers. The wooden materials were stronger, thicker and more closely spaced than on any ship before. The rudder and propeller could be hoisted up inside a well in the stern to protect them from ice damage, and the ship was short, for maneuverability in the ice as well as for extra strength.

Fridtjov Nansen led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, traversing the island on cross-country skis. He won international fame after reaching a record northern latitude of 86°14′ during his Fram expedition of 1893–1896. He began his Arctic drift from September 1893 to March of 1895, at which time he left the expedition. Otto Sverdrup captained the Fram after Nansen left and brought her out of the ice near Svalbard on 14 August 1896.

Although Nansen retired from exploration after his return to Norway, his techniques of polar travel and his innovations in equipment and clothing influenced a generation of subsequent Arctic and Antarctic expeditions.

Roald Amundsen was the first to navigate the Northwest Passage, the first to reach the South Pole, a navigator of the Northeast Passage, the first to fly to lattitude 88 °N and the first to fly over the North Pole and across the Arctic Ocean.

Whereas the Arctic is an ocean area surrounded by land masses, the Antarctic is a continent surrounded by huge expanses of ocean. Antarctica is nearly twice the size of Australia and about 98% is covered by ice that averages at least 1.6km in thickness. On average, Antarctica is the driest, windiest, and coldest continent: a minimum temperature of -89C (129F) has been recorded. In winter the sea ice around more or less doubles the size of the continent. So it is not surprising that Antarctica long remained the unknown 6th continent.

Aker Brygge & Tjuvholmen

Once a warren of industrial wharves and coastal traffic, Aker Brygge was one of the first areas to be redeveloped in Oslo’s three-decade-long waterfront transformation. Old warehouses are now filled with office space and stylish restaurants line the harbor. The addition of the National Gallery in 2022 made the area even more appealing.

Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art

The Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art really shines in the Tjuvholmen area; this was once an area where criminals were executed in the 18th century. The wood-clad buildings with sail-like covers are connected by an over-canal walkway. We visited this museum on our last day in Oslo, which luckily turned out to be a beautiful day. The museum celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023.

The main exhibit was of Colombian artist Beatriz González (1932-2026), known as la maestra. She radically reimagined what art can tell us about power, grief and memory.

Across her practice, she addressed the recurring violence in Colombia, socially-constructed ideas of taste and value, the legacies of colonialism, and the displacement of communities. In her later work, she turned to the images of violence that dominated the Colombian media. Her paintings, furniture interventions, wallpaper works, and public installations became powerful sites of political commentary and mourning. From the 1990s onward, her works bear profound witness to grief while also offering visions of hope.

In the second building, we walked around to look at the regular collection, but didn’t find much as some work was underway in the museum.

Tjuvholmen Sculpture Park

Tjuvholmen Sculpture Park comprises nine works and mostly sits on the lawn between the museum and the fjord.

Nasjonalmuseet

Norway’s National Museum covers classic and modern art, design and architecture. Displays are arranged chronologically and are spread in 86 rooms over two floors. We only had energy to drop into several exhibits.

We perused some of the 6,500 works of the largest collection of Norway’s art, architecture and design. We loved the way this exhibit was set up.

The exhibit “Asta Nørregaard: Truth and Beauty” depicts people from commerce, science, and culture, and activists from the women’s rights movement in Kristiania (Oslo). She became the most renowned portrait painter of her day.

The Munch Room (Room 60) at the National Museum has the most vibrant version of The Scream of the four on public display in Oslo. Munch seems to repeat the same theme time and time again. Now that we’ve seen so much of his work, it feels a bit like we’ve been cheated because we’re not seeing new works of art, but reworkings of the same themes and pieces over and over.

The collection includes works of both international and national art.

Modern art is depicted in “The Pillars” which addressed the “fragmentation” in today’s public discourse.

Nobels Fredssenter (Nobel Peace Prize Museum and events hub)

We were thrilled to walk right past the Nobels Fredssenter (Nobel Peace Prize Museum and events hub) on the day that the Nobel Peace Prize winner for 2026 was announced (Friday, October 9). Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law. She has contributed to strengthen the institutions of international law. Thank goodness she didn’t offer to give it to Trump as that stupid Venezuelan woman tried to do last year. The Nobel Peace Prize is not allowed to be given or transferred to another person.

Of course, I was thrilled Donald Trump and his minions didn’t manage to sway the Nobel Peace committee to give him the prize, as he has been lobbying for since the first days of his presidency. It shows the courage and decency of the committee that they keep their high standards and don’t succumb to political pressure.

General City Sights

I try to capture interesting things that catch my eye while wandering about. In our neighborhood, we found a synagogue, a rainbow-colored construction vehicle (for our granddaughter Allie who loves construction vehicles), the floating saunas as seen from the Munch Museum, the harbor as seen from the Opera House, and manhole covers with the Norwegian coat of arms.

We also were captivated by Fellesskap (“Fellowship”) by Norwegian sculptor Nico Widerberg; it is a sculpture near the Opera House of human figures without arms or heads. The figures are made from a textured blend of granite and bronze standing side-by-side on a common platform. The stripped-away, armless forms symbolize equality, unity and a pure, shared humanity.

Dining in

Our first night in Oslo, we were still both sick, so we ran out to REMA and bought groceries. We made an asparagus soup (from a pouch) but threw in some fresh asparagus; we had a grilled cheese with Jarlsberg as well. On our second night, we had eaten lunch at Vippa so we made a salad with fishcakes (fiskekaker): lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, capers, red onion, avocado. I topped mine with tzakziki. Since we still felt bad on Monday, we ate leftover soup and grilled cheese. Tuesday night, we ate tortellini with ricotta and spinach, topped with tomato pesto and broccoli.

It’s so nice to have an Airbnb again so we can cook in and not have to go out to eat for every meal.

Dining out

Lunch #1: Our first day in Oslo, we headed to Vippa, a food court of international flavors at Vippetangen right on the Oslofjord. I got a halloumi wrap from Athena’s House and Mike got a Shawarma wrap with chicken from Aleppo Bahebek. We enjoyed our pleasant lunch looking out over the fjord.

Lunch #2: We’ve seen a lot of pintxos places in Scandinavia and I keep telling Mike I can’t wait to get to Spain in 2027 to enjoy more tapas and pintxos. Pintxos are small snacks, typically eaten in bars or taverns. They are traditional in northern Spain and especially popular in the Basque country, Navarre, La Rioja, Cantabria, and Asturias.

In Mathallen Oslo, we found Barramón Pintxos y Vinos, where we finally had a nice sampling of Pintxos. We tried Argentinian Wild Shrimp (Artichokes, sunflower seeds, aioli and mango); Tenderloin (Pimientos Padron, Iberico bellota, fig and bravasauce); Caramelized Endive with Manchego (Serrano and tomato marmelade), Caramelized Chevre (Pickled red beets, pear, hazelnuts, and honey); and Cecina de Leon (Smoked Beef Ham) with chevre, pistachio, apricot, pear and pomegrante. All was delicious, although the server was a bit gruff and impatient.

We shared a big chocolate doughnut from another vendor in the food hall after lunch.

Dinner #1: We ate a nice dinner at the outdoor spot called Grüner Haven, which we had stumbled upon while walking through Grünerløkka earlier in the day. What attracted us was the chanterelle soup they advertised. We have seen chanterelles for sale in nearly every market in Scandinavia and though we didn’t know how to cook them, we jumped at the chance to eat a soup made with them. Mike got a Chicken fillet marinated in lemon & pepper, served with a rich mushroom sauce, rösti potatoes and salad. We shared both. For dessert we shared a chocolate fondant with whipped cream and ice cream. What we loved was that both meals were piping hot. We were pretty darn cold despite sitting under heat lamps bundled under blankets, so warming up our insides with hot food was just the ticket to inner comfort.

Dinner #2: It is no surprise that Mike and I love small plates, where we can sample many different flavors. So we returned to Grünerløkka another night to eat dinner at theka indian street food, where we imbibed in several small plates. We tried Theka Pockets (Marinated chicken in Nepalese inspired spice mix, filled wontons with spring onion and ginger deep-fried and served with South Indian peanut chutney); Garlic Prawns (garlic and herb marinated prawns with olive oil, garlic and spices); Bombay Burrata (an Indian twist on burrata, with gunpowder masala and homemade jaggery and mint chutney); and a Goan Park Taco (braised pork in a spice mix from Goa and Kashmiri chilis served on a Kashmiri roti with pickled onions and mango). It was all delicious. We enjoyed a nice chat with our waitress who was born in Oslo but whose family is from Somalia. She loves Norwegian culture and her life in Oslo.

Homebody Stuff

Mike and I continued struggling with our various illnesses. Luckily we had a nice apartment and enjoyed hanging out and relaxing. We still did a lot of things, but we weren’t constantly on the go. Mike went one morning to Dr. Dropin in downtown Oslo for his red and constantly watering eyes. I didn’t see the doctor because I figured my miserable sore throat, cough, and head cold which would eventually clear up.

Every morning, I continued to do my NY Times puzzles: Wordle, the Mini, Connections and Strands. In the evenings, we watched our regular shows: Grantchester; AnotherSelf; Old Money; The Killing; Ride or Die, De Eetclub (The Perfect Lie); Thank You, Next; and Ted Lasso. We finished watching Love Life and The Split. I kept plugging away on two books I have going: The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama and The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto. I don’t know how it’s ended up that I’m reading two Japanese books on a Scandinavian trip.