Europe 2015: Day 2.1 – Oslo (briefly)

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Jet lag, my old nemesis, you’ve returned. Fortunately, flying west-to-east isn’t as bad if you stay up to your normal bedtime the previous night, unfortunately, I got just enough sleep on the flight to be completely out of sync, and slept fitfully at best. But there’s things to do, so off we go into Oslo.

If breakfast at this hotel is anything to go by, I’m not going to have any trouble staying nourished.

The breakfast at Scandic Victoria (Rosenkrantz Gate) in Oslo left nothing to be desired. At least half a dozen types of meats and cheeses, two types of smoked salmon was a good way to start the day. (Warren Schultz)

The breakfast at Scandic Victoria (Rosenkrantz Gate) in Oslo left nothing to be desired. At least half a dozen types of meats and cheeses, two types of smoked salmon was a good way to start the day. (Warren Schultz)

I laugh when American hotels talk about a “Continental” breakfast in comparison.

The variety of fruits, milk and juices at Scandic Victoria also was excellent. It was very common there to find lactose-free milk on breakfast buffets at the hotels where I stayed. (Warren Schultz)

The variety of fruits, milk and juices at Scandic Victoria also was excellent. It was very common there to find lactose-free milk on breakfast buffets at the hotels where I stayed. (Warren Schultz)

As you can see in these photos, there are many different types of cheese, five types of cold cuts, two types of smoked salmon… you get the picture. All the juices were fresh squeezed, and there were a variety of fresh fruits, breads, and other hot items on the buffet (red beans, eggs, sausages). After the long travel and fatigue, this seemed like just about the best breakfast ever. While I would have been perfectly happy to graze until they took the food away, we had a train to catch in a few hours.

First stop, attempt to get SIM cards. I’ll discuss this more in a later post, but as of the time of this writing, it is not possible for non-residents to get a SIM card in Norway, due to the security restrictions placed after the terrorist attack several years ago. This was a fact I was not aware of, and was not made clear by the salesman, who sold us cards which worked until they did the security check several days later, and then were cut off. Good times.

That out of the way, it was time to explore Oslo for a bit before catching the train to Trondheim. This did not make for particularly pretty photos, and keeping things dry was also a challenge. It doesn’t mean that the city wasn’t interesting to look at though.

Zodiac-Themed Clock on Oslo City Hall (Warren Schultz)

Zodiac-Themed Clock on Oslo City Hall (Warren Schultz)

 

Rain in Oslo made any photography difficult on the way out, but the design of the Town Hall was striking. Note the patterns in the brickwork. (Warren Schultz)

Rain in Oslo made any photography difficult on the way out, but the design of the Town Hall was striking. Note the patterns in the brickwork. (Warren Schultz)

 

Closer view of the city hall frieze (Warren Schultz)

Closer view of the city hall frieze (Warren Schultz)

 

Full height view of the front artwork (Warren Schultz)

Full height view of the front artwork. Note the swan, which is a symbol of the city. (Warren Schultz)

 

 (Warren Schultz)

Oslo National Theater (Warren Schultz)

 

Statue posed in front of the Oslo National Theater (Warren Schultz)

Statue posed in front of the Oslo National Theater (Warren Schultz)

 

Beautiful architectural design in Oslo, concealing modern businesses. (Warren Schultz)

Beautiful architectural design in Oslo, concealing modern businesses. (Warren Schultz)

 

One thought on “Europe 2015: Day 2.1 – Oslo (briefly)

  1. Pingback: Europe 2015: Day 2.2 – On to Trondheim - Geek Field GuideGeek Field Guide

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