Nearby to where we are staying in Oslo is Holmenkollbakken, a large ski jumping hill with spectacular views of the city.
Up close the Olympic ski jump is impressive and imposing.
The skies are clear and the hike up is easy for the most part. But so worth it!
Mmm. Coffee. And this place is an institution. So much so it’s listed as a “must see” in the Lonely Planet City Guide, Oslo.
Multi-award winning and for good reason. The coffee is fantastic. Definitely the best I have had since arriving in Europe.
Thank you, Marit, for taking us here and shouting us coffee. Yum!
Autumn is in full swing here in Oslo. And a great place to witness the spectacular colours is in Frogner Park.
But nature is on display in more ways than one with the park littered with countless nude statues by Gustav Vigeland.
Actually, according to Wikipedia it features:
“212 bronze and granite sculptures … culminating in the famous Monolith (Monolitten), with its 121 figures struggling to reach the top of the sculpture.”
As we leave the park we’re farewelled by yet another glorious sunset. The weather has been incredibly kind to us!
The Oslo Opera House, home to the Norwegian Opera & Ballet, is quite the sight.
Built to resemble a glacier, it rises majestically from the water, all 36,000 blocks of marble.
The interior is equally as stunning: dark slate and white plastic, cool glass and warm oak, subtle lighting and dramatic beams. The design is a tribute to the harshness of the country and the genuine warmth and friendliness of the people.
Yet the whole point of the building is to be inclusive and democratic. One performance had 10,000 patrons sitting on the structure, and then was televised live so others could enjoy.
The aluminium cladding resembles braille but is in fact a nod to the rich history of tapestry artisans occupying the same area hundreds of years ago.
So yesterday we had a gentle fall of snow but today we’re greeted by clear skies and a divine sunrise.
It’s gonna be a hard day at the office!
The Cabin is toasty warm and cosy. But we’re eager to get out again for a stroll.
The snow cover is deceptive over the marshlands. We’re warned that we will sink deeply into the quagmire if we venture too far from the road.
However, we opt for a shortcut along a marked path. Well, at least it’s marked in parts.
We end up taking a wrong turn and find ourselves off the beaten track.
So Marit, our trusty guide, decides to double back. Before too long we find the correct path once again and then the road. Disaster averted; but what an adventure!
We have to bid farewell to the UK as we board a plane for Norway. You would think there would be a direct flight from Edinburgh or Glasgow but no, we need to detour through Amsterdam.
However, the travel time is infinitely less than our trip from down under.
We arrive safely in Oslo and are immediately whisked away to the confines of The Cabin nestled in the wilderness near Lillehammer (host of the 1994 Winter Olympics).
Travelling on their high-speed freeways in a Tesla singing along to Caraoke makes the trip go much faster.
Arriving in the dark of the early evening it’s difficult to appreciate the idyllic landscape but the conditions are perfect and we awake to a gentle snowfall outside our bedroom window.
After a relaxed morning we go for an easy 4.5km walk on the fresh, pristine, powder snow and enjoy views of Lake Mellsjøen.
To better understand the hut culture let me quote from Xenophobe’s guide to the Norwegians:
“The traditional hut has no electricity and an outdoor toilet, typifying the Norwegian desire to truly get back to nature.” p.54f
Fortunately, for us, our gracious hosts have the good sense to install both electricity and an indoor loo, however the toilet, through an environmentally conscious mechanism, actually cremates the waste since it’s not connected to a septic tank.
After the University of Glasgow we wander through the streets to the Glasgow Botanic Gardens.
The glasshouses contain not only a wide variety of tropical plants but some statues originally from the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum.
It was nice to find a little bit of home with a Wollemi Pine nestled amongst the trees.
But my favourites are the carnivorous plants: so beautiful in their innocent, unassuming splendour.
Next door to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum is the very grand University of Glasgow.
Despite Glasgow often being thought of as the poor cousin to Edinburgh, architecturally it’s actually a better looking uni than the University of Edinburgh.
And the archways, known as the cloisters or undercroft, are an iconic part of the university connecting the two quadrangles.
Our only full day in Glasgow is spent walking around enjoying the city sights. The Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum is the logical first choice.
A beautiful structure inside and out, resplendent in Glasgow red brick like so many historic buildings.
I overheard one child saying that “Elvis” is ugly: too funny!
There’s a broad mix of traditional as well as contemporary artworks.
The highlight is “Christ of Saint John of the Cross” by Salvador Dali.
But there’s plenty of other wonderful paintings.
After a couple of hours we wander across to the University of Glasgow.
Our accommodation in Fort William is the gorgeous little Factors Inn & Cottage. We’re actually staying in the inn but we have the place pratically to ourselves. To collect the keys the email says to go to the Inverlochy Castle Hotel. And when we arrive it’s like: Wow!
But alas, we’re down the road out of sight from the hob nobs.
On the walls of the inn are these very cool, old rugby prints, so appropriate when the Rugby World Cup is currently being played in Japan.
Our room is very spacious and we even have separate bathrooms. So not too shabby.
One bonus is that I added breakfast to one of our rooms so Ali and I get to live it up and pretend to be rich and famous.
I must say they were the best ‘salmon & scrambled eggs with caviar’ and ‘porridge brûlée’ I have ever had. Amazing!
Now for a spot of croquet, shall we?
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