Ah, the journey that is traveling. I came quite the direct route to Norway. Something like Boston to Lisbon, to Munich and then to Oslo. I was so grateful to myself, upon hearing that my connecting flight closed their gates as I was hustling through security, that I had spent the extra $35 on flight insurance. Let this be a lesson, flight insurance is worth it!

The sun turned the sky cotton candy pink over Portugal as I finally took off. I had grabbed an acai boost from the Mercado in the airport and couldn’t help but notice my hands shake as I unscrewed the lid. There’s the adventure adrenaline kicking in.

Exhausted was an understatement for how I was feeling after our first full day in Oslo. But wow! I could hardly complain when we’d spent the day  playing in our own personal winter wonderland.

I’ve never skied in my life, so why not have the first time be in Norway! I’m definitely the type of person to jump into new things, which is exactly what I did at Oslo’s Vinterpark. We skied about 4-6 miles and enjoyed some hardy laughs, gorgeous ice dripped trees, and twinkling landscapes. It wasn’t hard to generally get the hang of things (but you know what they say, fall 27 times get up 28 right?)

The signs along the trails were pretty easy to follow, and we made our way to a cafe in a log cabin. The building radiated with the smell of cedar and the promise of a warm fire inside. Our gloves warmed by the fire as the homemade minestrone warmed us from the inside out.

Apparently after trying cross country skiing for the first time we were still feeling extreme, so we headed to Korketerkkeren, a well known sledding hill. But this isn’t your neighborhood sledding hill, this one drops in elevation by 835 FEET (I COULDN’T MAKE THIS UP PEOPLE). An absolute adrenaline rush and a must visit if you’re here in Oslo.

Our second day here was a lot less extreme. Beginning with coffee at the well know Tim Wendelboe (if you’re heading here on the weekends beware it doesn’t open until 11 and has very minimal seating, but it’s all worth the taste). Art and afternoon tea consumed a good chunk of our day. We learned about and pondered the art of Munch, Matisse and Picasso among so many others. If you’ve ever learned about art, seeing it in person truly brings all you’ve come to know to life. The National Gallery has a truly amazing collection if you have an appreciation for the arts, and quite the cafe too!

On our last evening in Oslo, we explored the waterfront and took in the beautiful architecture of the Opera house. For dinner, we headed to the Mathallen market, where we planned to pick up fish to cook back at the apartment we were staying at. However the meals offered at the market were too tempting, and we ended up grabbing a glass of wine and eating there. I’d highly recommend this market place! There’s such a wide variety of cuisine and treats, it made for a perfect dinner with a fun ambiance on our final night.

 

 

(shout out to Anna for being the ultimate planner and looking into all these amazing places in Oslo!)