Days 23 + 24: Oslo

The Oslo Opera House overlooking the North Sea

Tonight we're traveling by overnight train from Oslo to Bergen, the two largest cities in Norway. I'm writing this post from the top bunk in our sleeping cabin, while Dave works on his computer in the bunk below. The outside window of cabin is open, and the rattle of the train mixed with the howling of the wind is oddly comforting, as we cut across the heart of Norway at top speed.

Our first glimpse of Norway from the plane

After touching down in Oslo international airport a little after 5:00 pm yesterday evening, we had just 30 hours to explore everything the city had to offer. Dave fell in love instantly with the overcast skies and pale complexions of each passer by.

Dave all smiles at the Oslo Opera House

We checked into our hotel yesterday evening and immediately set out in search of dinner. Norway is famously expensive: a fact we were both very aware of before arriving. While doing research for our trip, a quick Google search led me to the "Cheap Eats Guide to Oslo" which turned out to be insanely helpful. Not even kidding, we hit up 4 of the 12 restaurants listed during our short stay in Oslo (and they were all fantastic!)

Thai food from Rice Bowl, in Oslo city centre

It turns out, Norway is known for having the best Thai restaurants in all of Europe. I can't imagine why this is, but I absolutely believe it as there were Thai and Asian restaurants on every corner of the city. We opted to go to Rice Bowl last night, for traditional Thai cuisine, thanks to the Cheap Eats recommendation. The meal was one of the best I've had in a long time and I would recommend Rice Bowl to all Thai lovers who may find themselves in this part of the world.

Oslo cranes at dusk

The North Sea

Follow me to the land of the midnight sun

After dinner we took advantage of the daylight, and walked a little ways to the famous Oslo Opera House, which sits on the shore of the North Sea. The Opera House is unique in its design, as it has a slanted roof that encourages passers by to walk, climb, crawl, and skip along its surface (just no skateboarding!) The sun was just starting to set, and Oslo glowed reverently in the dusk light, as we stood on the roof of the opera house and took in the sweeping views.

The Oslo Royal Palace

Dave and I outside the Oslo Palace

This morning, we checked out of our hotel and left our bags with the concierge, eager to make the most of our time in Oslo. It rained on and off throughout the day, but that didn't deter us from walking the streets of the city. We followed Karl Jonahs Gate, the main walking street, from the Oslo train station to the Royal Palace and Gardens, located just west of the city.

Later, when the rain picked up, we decided to check out Oslo Mekaniske (another recommendation from the Cheap Eats list). Mekaniske is a hybrid café-meets-pub, tucked away in the east quadrant of the city just across the Akerselva River from the city centre. I loved the vibe of Mekaniske: the inside was full of comfortable furniture, crowded in between coffee tables and bookshelves. In spite of the rain, two tall wooded doors were opened wide, leading the way to a sprawling covered patio dotted with locals bent over in quiet conversation. We opted for indoors, and lounged on velvet couches in the back corner of the pub, where we played many games of chess by candle light, and sipped on pints of beer.

Inside Mekaniske

I loved everything about the decor inside the pub

Chess and matching pints

Afterwards, we retrieved our bags from our hotel, and made our way back to the train station, to catch the overnight express to Bergen. The train departed Oslo a little after 11:00 pm, and we should arrive in Bergen just before 7:00 am tomorrow morning. From there, we're renting a car for the rest of our travels.

Oslo, I'm sorry our time together was so short, but you were nothing short of magical.

Onward to Bergen in the night we go.

Cheers,
Heather