We woke up to gloomy but dry skies in Oslo.  This is my third time here, and its unfailingly rained each time.  We were well prepared, having brought our Hurtigruten jackets (which came from Norway originally, although we were given them in Ushuaia, about as far from Oslo as you can get) and Helly Hansen waterproof pants (purchased as we crossed the Drake Passage). 

We had no particular plan, being at the mercy of the weather gods.  We were docked on the western side of the harbour, so our general direction was north and east. We didn’t linger in Aker Brygge, as we will explore it in tomorrow’s forecast sunshine. Instead we made for Karl Johans Gate, the main high end shopping street, with the Royal Palace, the Parliament, and the Cathedral all lined up. We stopped at the latter two – the Cathedral had particularly interesting ceilings and an ornate pipe organ. So far so good – no rain.

In search of a toilet, we dropped into a shopping mall.  I know Oslo is an expensive city, but the price of a pee is 20 Norwegian kroner, or $3!! I bought a focaccia and a danish pastry in the supermarket, and they cost about the same. Apparently the Norwegians have strong bladders. A quick google told us that the library had free loos, and we were headed there anyway.  We cut through the central station, trying to work out why there were stuffed horse shapes dangling from the roof.

As we left, the rain started in earnest.  It has not yet stopped.  We started looking for shelter anywhere we could find it.

The Deichmann Public Library, right next to the Opera House, is a wonderful thing. Not only did it have the free loos, but it allows you to bring bags, food and drinks.  And it had more than one book in the Orienteering section. It was full of Oslonians (Oswegians? Osloites?) having a good time eating, chatting, and generally doing things that many other such institutions would frown upon.  And the architecture was amazing.  A place for an indoor sprint if ever I saw one.  It even had two mezzanine pods, each reached by a different elevator – great potential for parallel errors.

Passing the Opera House (the marble paved roof was too slippery to walk on), we peered in through the windows at one of the huge rooms where they build sets. Fascinating.  After a quick wave at the newish Munch Museum just around the corner, we turned back north in search of the Akerselva River trail.  An unintentional detour led us to the bus terminal, which turned out to be a good place to eat lunch (but not to pee).  One focaccia later, we recalibrated our inner compasses, crossed a street, and found ourselves next to the river.

The Akerselva River trail is a very popular walking/jogging/cycling path.  It runs through a former industrial area, now very hip with converted warehouses, restaurants and cafes, and very different to the ultra modern buildings in most other parts of Oslo. It was a bit like walking beside the river in Abbotsford.  We followed it as far as the waterfalls and a pretty white bridged. I spotted some trolls perched on rocks at the edge of the water.

Leaving the trail, we cut through a campus of some sort.  Once again seeking shelter, we stumbled across a little picnic gazebo – the perfect place to eat my pastry.

From here we climbed a steep hill, lined with a row of colourful cottages, and with a city view near the top.  Down the other side was the cemetery.  Then it was back into the city centre, across Karl Johans gate, past Aker Brygge, up the gangplank, and onto the ship. Our waterproofs are happily drying, while we happily look back on our walk around Oslo, and contemplate dinner.