Northern Sights

Although this is our fourth visit to the fair city of Oslo, it’s been nearly twenty years since we last visited. I am honestly staggered by that. How did that happen?

Our first visit was way back in 2001 when a friend in work recommended it as a holiday location and gave us contact details of a travel company that specialises in Scandinavian travel. Saw it, booked it and…..you know the rest.

It was a big trip, or so it seemed at the time, and for the first time we felt like adventurous travellers - heading off to unknown lands across the North Sea. Crazy really to think that a future escapade would take us to the southern hemisphere. Admittedly we didn’t stray to far from the capital city. After catching up with a friend who lived there, we caught the train to Flåm and spent a gorgeous week at the side of a fjord. It was idyllic. As well as the fantastic scenery, boat trips and hiking, I got the chance to buzz the QEII in a little boat. 

Setting out to buzz the QEII

The aforementioned QEII

It was all over far too quickly and after visit to Bergen by catamaran we were back in the airport to fly

back home.

We were back in Oslo just a year later for the same friend’s 30th birthday and then a couple of years later for his wedding. It did seem like Oslo was becoming our second home.

Yet then there was a gap. A large one by anyone’s standards. So when the opportunity arose - more on that in a minute - to return, how could we pass up such an opportunity? 

Airlines’ pricing algorithms are a mystery to me, and I suspect a lot of others. We were looking for the most cost effective way to get back to New Zealand from Switzerland when it became apparent that it was cheaper to first travel to Scandinavia and then depart a few days later, rather than a direct route. Odd but true. So with that in mind, a weekend in Oslo seemed like the perfect end to our summer sojourn around Europe.

As well as seeing the beautiful city 20 years later, it also gave us a chance to catch up with some friends from the UK and of course our whānau resident! 

As usual when we visit Oslo, the weather was glorious with warm and sunny days and long light nights. The beer, wine and conversation flowed with ease. It was good to spend time with friends we haven’t seen for a while and soon the intervening years dissolved away in tears of laughter. As well as revisiting old haunts we found some new favourites and generally had a relaxing and enjoyable time.

I’d forgotten just how friendly and helpful Norwegians are and I reckon that they would give Kiwis some stiff competition as the most accommodating hosts. No offence New Zealand, just saying!

As I leave Oslo again, I am determined that it won’t be such a gap to my next visit and I look forward to exploring more of this fantastic country. There’s so much more to see and I know we’ve only scratched the surface.

Like Clockwork

I realise that, as I am typing these words on a train to the airport, this could all come back to bite me but surely the Swiss transport system is one of the wonders of the modern world?. 

We left a small mount village at 05:40am and caught the 06:00am bus. Which as admittedly left two minutes late. This wasn’t the fault of the transport system, but instead an issue with a passenger  who decided to arrive at exactly the departure time and then continued to debate the price of the fare with the driver. Quite possibly the most annoying person we’ve come across this holiday. If this scene has payed out in the UK then the driver would’ve closed the doors in the late comer’s face and waved as they drove away. Equally, if this has been a scene from New Zealand then…. actually it wouldn’t have mattered because there wouldn’t have been a bus in the first place and even if there was, it would’ve either been late or not turned up at all.

Minor passenger related glitches notwithstanding, the bus caught up the lost time, despite the route being a tortuous, twisting and narrow road down the valley and arrived at the train station on time. That didn’t stop me giving the late comer a hard stare as we disembarked. I felt much better.

Ten minutes later we were on the train speeding north towards Bern and are expecting to arrive at the airport at 09:15, making two changes on the way each with only five minutes to make the connection. Who would’ve thought that fast and frequent public transport set make for a fast and efficient transport network? 

Express inter-city trains connect to regional trains that then connect to local trains. These then connect to trams, mountain railways, cable cars, buses or boats, depending on the desired destination. When viewed from high up in the stratosphere it must look like a well orchestrated ballet. It’s magic - except it isn’t really. So how is it done…..sorry excuse me, we are arriving into Bern and I have to go and change trains.

…..where was I? Ah yes, how is this done? I recall reading an interview with a Swiss transport network representative who was responsible for planning the timetable, and he was slightly dumbfounded when he was asked that very question. “Well, you plan one week and then repeat it across the rest of the year”’ was the simple and perhaps obvious response. Could it be as straightforward as that? It makes you wonder doesn’t it.

[post blog note - arrived at the airport at exactly the planned time. Shame the flight was an hour late leaving 🙄]