18 August 2016
Left home around 5.45 am to get to stansted for an8.30 am flight on Thursday morning 18 August
Car park all automatic so quick journey to airport
Lots and lots of people at airport so took a long time through security and for some reason Nikhil’s bag was stopped and searched even though it was Arjun who had brought the razor
Eventually got Nikhil bag no issue and took ages to getting to the gate as had to go through the shops
Nikhil and Arjun decided to get soy breakfast sandwiches even though I had brought theplas and toasted masala sandwiches and pies
Plane journey uneventful and got to Oslo Moss Rygge airport early
A very small airport so passport control took a long time then ATM took another long time
Got to the car hire location and no one there so had to call them up
He said would come in 5 mins but came later about 15 mins and then told us systems were down so we had to wait
We waited for another half hour and bought some drinks
2 waters and 2 soft drinks about £14
Eventually got the car after about another hour
Nice car Golf and drove to apartment
Easy to find
Had to pick up keys from a fruit shop
Parking just outside
Apartment ok but 1 bedroom with air bed in lounge
Nikhil said he would sleep on sofa
Lovely sunny day so decided to go to Oslo centre
Walked it there as about 2 miles walk
Trams goes there but found out its pretty expensive
Walked to Oslo fjords and harbour
Lovely harbour with lots of waterfront apartments and hotels and lots of restaurants and cafes
Very lively
Sat down for a drink
A band rehearsing for a TV show that evening
Afterwards walked to the opera house
Can walk up on the roof and see the sea
It’s quite cool
Also saw the peace centre
They were setting up for a mela
for the weekend and also a jazz festival at the weekend so city was buzzing
Ate at a pizza restaurant by the waterfront
Norway so expensive 3 pizzas 3 starters and a bottle of house wine around £120
Walked back and picked up some groceries
Milk and soya milk and some tomato tins cost around £15
Played some games back in the flat
Around the world game was new
Who am I
19 August 2016
Next morning Friday woke up around 8.30 and decided to go to Drammen as ski resort there with gorge and tarn
Breakfast was cereals and thepla and then left
Drive easy and took around 40 mins
Parked at the ski centre and then walked up to the tarn
Walked a longer way round with lots of pine trees
Shame we didn’t have a bag otherwise would have picked some
Got to the top and was beautiful and peaceful for about 10 mins before a big party of youths arrived with a ghetto blaster
Walked down by the gorge
Was very pretty
Decided to drive back and make some lunch
Went to shops and picked up some beers and salad
Made pasta and salad
Rested for a few hours and then walked to Oslo
Mela was buzzing and went there
Had some pakoras
Were ok
Great lineup of musicians at the mela
Good views
Had a drink by the waterfront
Beers and chips
Arjun still hungry so decided to get some food
Mela had some fusion band from France
North African band really good mix of reggae hip hop and arabic music
Pizza place too pricey
£28 for a pizza so passed by a super market and picked up frozen pizza and potatoes and beans and walked home and cooked that
Nikhil didn’t want to eat so just 3 of us
Then watched oylmpic
Hockey final. GB v Netherlands
GB won in penalty shootout
Saturday morning plan to go to Vigeland park and antique market and then go to Oslo for jazz and mela
Also to city hall and parliament palace
20 August 2016
Saturday morning after breakfast around 10.30 went to Vigeland park
Beautiful sculpture around 200 by Gustav Vigeland
The park around 10 mins walk from us. Lots and lots of Asian I think Korean tourists there.
Park is famous for its angry boy statue but lots of other beautiful statues.
Lovely lake and rose garden as well .
Could have spent whole day here with a picnic
But we then went to the antique flea market
Not too many antiques but people selling second hand clothes as well as old trinkets from their homes.
Life must be hard as standard of living so expensive.
Then came home and cooked pasta and noodles and made some salad.
Lovely filling lunch
Finished the prosecco and beer and made some fresh coffee
After lunch walked to Oslo centre
Wanted to check out the free jazz but that had finished so walked around and went to parliament and city hall
City hall is where the Nobel prix ceremony takes place
Lovely building overlooking the fjord
Then went to royal palace
Can actually go right up to the palace and walk around the gardens
Very picturesque
Then walked to shop near jazz that was selling veg and vegan food
It was a fast food cafe type and was going to shut soon
I got a hummus wrap and Arjun a mango lassi and Nikhil a cookie
Then walked to Indian restaurant we had seen earlier called Dee peppern Gror
It was busy so we were told to come back later
We walked to mela but nothing going on just yet
Sat on steps for a while watching the world go by
Music about to start but we went back to restaurant
Hitesh shocked about prices but this is Norway
Boys and Hitesh had paneer and bengan and naan and rice
Food was really good
Started raining and got quite chilly so we got blankets as sitting outside
We have been walking a lot on this holiday
Something like 19000 steps on Thursday 21000 on Friday and 24000 on Saturday
Still raining when we finished but we had brought our kagouls and braved the rain and walked back
Nikhil Hitesh and me had a hot chocolate
Watched the rhythmic gymnastics
Arjun arguing it’s not a sport but a circus act
Then watched the football final between Brazil and Germany
Brazil were leading by 1 goal to nil when I fell asleep but were living dangerously as Germany had lots of shots on goal
It was 1 all after extra time and then a penalty shootout which Brazil won
First time they have won
21 August 2016
Sunday morning got up late
Plan was to have late breakfast then leave the apartment and head for Fredrikstad before heading to the airport
Breakfast of cereal and khakra and chevdo
They have lovely freshly ground coffee and a perculator in the apartment so made some coffee which Arjun had
Left apartment around noon
Just had to drop keys in letterbox
Headed to Fredrikstad
Very nice fortified city. By the sea
Little sleepy as Sunday but quaint shops and cobbled streets
Lots of cannons on the hilltop guarding the city
Had a pizza at the pizza peppe
The pizza chain we had seen before and decided it’s too expensive
Ordered 2 large pizzas garlic bread a salad and onion rings and 1 beer
Came to £100
Food was good though and we finished it all before heading for the airport short distance from Fredrikstad
All smooth sailing
Had to just drop keys in the box re car
Had drinks left over unopened which Hitesh finally managed to give away to taxi driver
Now waiting to board the plane
Hasmita Shah 