Oslo

Seven of my friends and I went to Oslo, Norway on Monday.
So let me tell you about the best city I've ever been to.

We arrived late to Oslo, and had to take an hour long bus ride to the city center. Immediately, I was psyched to be in Norway. But our priorities were in finding our flat.

For dinner, we had ramen, and we played card games and had drinks to celebrate our arrival. Then we were off to bed, to prepare for our 7:00 wake-up time.

Hayden, who was the one to initially suggest we go to Oslo, set up a detailed itinerary for the three days of our stay. He put in a lot of work, and it was much appreciated. The two days were filled with all we could have wanted to do, and all we could have wanted to see.

Hayden, our fearless leader.

The first morning there, as we stepped outside to start our adventures, I could immediately feel how crisp the air was. The entire day was gorgeous and sunny; since there was minimal wind, it felt much warmer than Edinburgh.
Everything about the city was wonderful, and we got some incredible views.

We went to plenty of museums (including the Viking Museum), the National Gallery, Akershus Fortress, the Nobel Peace Center, and (probably my favorite) the Holmenkollen ski jump. We also did some aimless walking and explored the city. This trip was worth every penny (and that's saying something, considering how expensive everything is in Norway).

View from the top of the Holmenkollen

Holmenkollen

View of the City Centre

I can honestly say that Oslo is one of the greatest cities I've ever visited.

One thing that I appreciated was the smaller city feel, but also being able to take a fifteen minute bus to the mountains, where it felt rural and cozy. It was so odd to see people on the bus with ski gear..

I think it's worth saying that this trip was excellent in part due to the city, but also because of the friends I spent time with. There's nothing like finding a good group of people that you will be able to have fun with or relax with: whatever is needed in that moment.

Me, Hayden, Zubin, Nolan, Angie, Lindsay, Rentao, and Christine

We were pretty good about sticking to the itinerary that Hayden set up for us. We even got a little ahead of ourselves on that first day. We turned in at about 6:00, and most of us took a much needed nap.
It was my friend Angie's birthday that day, so after we rested up, we found ourselves a hole-in-the-wall burger joint (where every burger option also had a veggie alternative!), which was excellent.

We spent the rest of our evening eating a Norwegian dessert, having drinks, playing games, and telling stories.

The birthday girl with her cake, candle, and of course a Birthday Shot!

By the time we finally made it to bed, we were all exhausted. The second day started later (we got out around 9:30) and since we had already done some of the planned items the previous day, we were able to take it easy.

It snowed most of the day, which was beautiful. It was also exciting to have the full spectrum of Norwegian weather, within our two days there. We found a neat marketplace, where we had lunch. We also walked along the river, and marveled at ducks (I know they are just ducks.. but they are Norwegian ducks).

My favorite part of the second day was finding a dog. He came running at us from nowhere, and ran right past us. All the girls squealed, of course, and soon he came running back. He was pretty cautious, but as we started throwing snow chunks into the air, he became friendly and playful. We decided to name the dog Oslo (which is actually a GREAT name for a dog.. think about it).

We spent two very full days in Oslo.
And I am satisfied, but was also extremely sad to leave.
I guess that's just one more reason to return, someday.