Our tour of the city was a non-event - we were given incorrect instructions for the bus pick up point. These things happen so we did what we usually do - took the hop-on hop-off bus and it was freezing on the open top deck even with the sun shining. Oslo is an attractive city with a lovely harbour, parks and gardens, wide streets, plazas and beautiful buildings dating back to the 1100s. We were both interested in seeing the Kon-Tiki Museum - Thor Heyerdahl's expeiditions crossing the Pacific by raft and we stopped off in the afternoon to wander through. The highlight of the day was not dinner as has so often been the case, very average but very very expensive here. We booked to go to the Icebar Hotel - a temporary bar made up of sculpted blocks of ice. The icebar is reconstructed every year, and is dependent upon constant sub-freezing temperatures during construction and operation.
The entrance fee includes 1 cocktail served in, you guessed it, an ice glass. You are provided with heavy coats and gloves and are able to stay up to 45mins - the temp is a steady -5 degrees. Not as cold as we had thought as there was no wind, hence no chill factor - it was much colder on the bus today. We had a fabulous time - there were only about 15 of us. The cocktail was good and when finished you just dropped your ice glass in the rubbish bin. Quite an experience - a memory we will cherish.
An early start tomorrow - our train for the start of our 'Norway in a Nutshell' tour leaves at 8am but the station is just across the road.
The Royal Palace
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| City centre |
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| Apartments out in the suburbs |
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| One or two boats in the harbour |
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| A typical Oslo house |
Thor Heyerdahl's reed boats
Kon-Tiki raft
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| The MSC Musica had docked during the day - what a size |
In only a matter of weeks we have gone from thermal pools to Icebars - what an amazing holiday.
Ann
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