I arrived in Oslo to find it shut or rather the camp sites
do not open till 1
st June so I had to go about 8 miles out to find
somewhere decent to stay. Bogstad Camping turns out to be one of the largest
campsites in Norway and is situated just below the Holmenkollen skiing area
that was developed for the 2011 world cup. As you will see from the photos the
Ski Jump towers above the whole area and is clearly seen from the City below.
Oslo is a very small city with a population of only 600000.
It is situated at the head of the Oslo Fjord and has spread both inland and to
the islands over the years. Because of the terrain there are tunnels and
bridges all over and to get from one place to another by foot may entail long
diversions but fortunately there are 6 Metro lines and 6 tram lines as well as
train and bus connections. I spent most of my time in the city around the harbour
where like all good cities in the 21century the old has been ripped down and
new built. Like elsewhere, some good and some bad and some still under development.
The Town hall a monstrous brick building of 1930’s origin has none of the
charms of the old Rathuis’s of Germany. The new Opera House is one of the
better buildings and it is quite a treat to be able to walk up the roof! This
new building is complement by many older one of which the National Museum was
my favourite.
Note to all: when it says melk(milk) on the carton it is not
necessarily melk in the carton! As I found out when I poured a white liquid
that was not milk or even yogurt onto my cereals this morning, we live and
learn!
