Continued from Tromso
Days 5,7,11,12
As you might notice, those days are a bit of a hotchpotch. Theoretically, Oslo was our base for the travels within Norway, but in reality, that amounted to very little time in the city itself. We first landed in Oslo from Tallinn on the afternoon of the fifth day of our travel. Our first agenda was a lot of housekeeping. We changed the currency at the airport, bought ourselves a 7 day city Ruter pass, and then had to wait a while before we got a train to Oslo S. Before we get to that, a bit about the pass. We had got ourselves a single zone pass, but to get to and from the airport, you need to get an additional ticket. The pass itself is a card you can buy at the airport, and there are self serve kiosks at all stations where you can make these additional purchases. If you’re traveling posh, you could try the Flytoget train. Higher frequency, but costlier.
We reached Oslo S (the central station) in just over 20 minutes, and by simply following people, found ourselves inside a mall. Maps told us that this was the Byporten mall. This was good news because our stay was at Scandic Byporten, chosen specifically because of this location. After some unplanned exploration, we found the entry to the hotel, which is inside the mall! The rooms were functional but comfortable.
Our original plan was to catch the sunset from the Opera House but we were well past sunset time. So we decided to head to Amundsen Brewery for dinner via Karl Johan’s gate and the Grand Hotel. The brewery was packed and we just about got a seat at the bar. That didn’t stop us from trying out a fiskegryte (fish stew) and an Amundsen burger with the brew! Early next morning, after a great (complimentary) breakfast at Egon, right next to the hotel, we caught the flight to Bergen.
On Day 7, we reached Oslo S really late from Bergen after the Norway in a Nutshell tour. It was snowing heavily and we had to drop our plan to visit Himkok. We decided to have a quick dinner at Egon and sleep since we had to catch an early flight to Tromso.
We next appeared in town on Day 11 from Tromso, early enough to make plans for the day. Lunch at Fiasco was the first task to be done. This was a short walk away and we enjoyed the beer and burger.
Since we were well in time for sunset, we decided to walk to the Opera House. We found it after a bit of help but climbing to the top (and getting down) was quite an adventure sport thanks to the slippery surface! The sunset was indeed lovely.
We then took a fairly long walk to Akershus Fortress. It was amazing to see such a peaceful place in the middle of the city. Lots of greenery, calm surroundings and splendid views. Dinner was planned at Himkok, voted among the top 50 bars in the world, but they had other plans. But before that, a good time to note that Himkok is very well hidden! A shopkeeper nearby helped us, just before we were about to give up. Himkok brews a lot of their own stuff – gin, aquavit etc. D tried a house wine and I went for a mead based cocktail. Both excellent. We also discovered that one is not likely to find any food in a bar in this part of the world. Extreme focus. We tried the nearby Oslo mall, but since the food options didn’t impress much, chose our friendly neighborhood Egon again!
The next day was the last of our vacation, but we had drama before we left the city. The train we had planned to get to the airport was cancelled, so we had to take the next one and were a bit delayed. D then tried to delay the inevitable by getting her bag caught in one of the train seats. But a helpful person stopped the doors from closing and we managed to get out at the airport.
We found Japanese whisky at the Oslo airport, and some good rum, and that ensured the final agenda of the trip also went well! Crazy Rich Asians, Deadpool 2, Ant Man & the Wasp, Tag, and supplementary alcohol from the Dubai airport later, we were in Bengaluru!
Notes: The 12 day trip cost us a little over 7 lakhs, though that includes shopping (including alcohol). Roughly – 1.8 L for transport (international + between places, book tickets in advance), 1.5 for stay (you could save some costs if you choose Airbnb), around 1 lakh for the different tours, 70k for food, 45k for the winter clothes (Kosha + Decathlon), another 45k for passes within the city. Shopping, visa, insurance etc make up the rest of the costs.