I have been putting off blogging about the cruise because there is just so much to say and I have so many photos that I want to share. The thought of sitting down and compiling it all was really overwhelming to me- and still is if I am being honest. Because of that, my blogs are going to be a bit different for this trip. I am going to just write conversationally and add a gallery of pictures to finish as a reward for those who get to the end. I plan on doing an in-depth ship blog where I break everything down for those that are interested in cruising, especially with Royal Caribbean, but that will be after all of my destination posts. If you stick around to read what I have to say about Oslo, you're the best!
Oslo, Norway was our first port of call on our 2018 Baltic cruise. I am not sure what I expected from Oslo exactly, but what I found was certainly unexpected. The idea of Norway is packed full of culture and traditions. Scandinavia is home of the vikings, and Oslo is quite proud of that. In fact, there is an entire museum about it nestled into the city. Also, if you have ever seen Frozen, then you know that rocks play a large part in Norwegian history. Many people used to think that they were a form of troll- a creature that played a large part in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. So, you can imagine my surprise when I opened the curtain in our room to discover ourselves docked by a large array of glass architecture and modern design.
We got dressed and then went upstairs to get a bit of breakfast before we disembarked to explore. While we were in the dining room, we had panoramic views of the navy water that rippled and caught light so frequently that it was actually painful to look at for too long. There were also tons of smaller boats in the harbor next to us and people out and about walking along the board walk. When Jonathan and I had eaten our fill and waiting long enough that the original rush of people trying to get off had died down, we headed down to deck one and and stepped into Norway.
This being our first time off the ship, we didn't realise how close the city centre was and decided to take full advantage of the free shuttle service that Oslo was providing. Us, along with a decently large group of older people, waiting in line while something that resembled a train came puffing up for us to take. We squeezed in and then drove at a minuscule pace down a busy road and across to another dock. Jonathan and I had to laugh because it felt like we could have easily walked faster than the shuttle and it had just taken us to the other side of the harbor. We started to walk back the way that the shuttle had taken us (we had no idea where we were going and we didn't want to stray too far from the ship) and happened upon a random statue of President Franklin Roosevelt. If anybody knows why there was a statue of the former U.S. President on the bank of Oslo, Norway, I would absolutely love to know.
We followed the water, finding a square that had multiple fountains and a group of school children who were eating their lunch and chatting rapidly to each other in Norwegian. I have gotten to the point in my life where it is no longer bizarre for me to hear adults talking to each other in a different language, but for some reason it is hard for me to take in the fact that there are tiny humans that are communicating in a tongue that I do not understand. Jonathan took pictures of every statue, flag, and any other anomaly that we happened upon. We continued to follow the harbor around, passing expensive restaurants packed full of business people enjoying brunch or an early breakfast. We were walking through the beautiful and exceptionally modern neighborhood of Aker Brygge. There were fish markets at every turn as well as ice cream trucks whose business was booming under the warm sun and clear blue skies. We came across these wide tiers and sat down next to the people with ice cream cones and watched the water lap against the side of docks. Jonathan wondered at the lack of barrier and how anybody could just get into the water. The atmosphere was relaxed but excited as the locals mingled happily with the tourists.
Being creatures of habit, we continued along the water, me being exceptionally wary of how easy it would be to fall into the water after Jonathan's observation, and walked past the "Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art". In a neighborhood where almost every building we passed felt like modern art, it felt like the perfect place to put it. We didn't go inside, but we walked through the Tjuvholmen Skulpturpark on the premises and wandered down to a little pebble beach where fresh water was constantly being filtered in from the sea. School children were throwing the pebbles into the water and squealing with delight when it would come back and splash at them. There were teens and young adults laying out in the sun with views of the hills and the Baltic sea greeting them whenever they'd open their eyes. I asked Jonathan if he thought I could go into the water and he shrugged, so I threw caution to the wind and kicked off my sandals so I could walk in the cool water. Nobody blinked an eye and I grinned- I was standing in the Baltic Sea on the coast of Norway!
Finally, I got out, slipped my sandals back on and we continued along, getting closer and closer to the ship. There was lavender planted along the wooden footpaths, and we came across more and more people sunbathing. We also started to see people jumping into the water and it made me wonder if they didn't have barriers up because there just didn't need to be- that swimming in the harbor was completely allowed. We took some pictures of our ship, walked through some of the apartment complexes (in which we found weird underground spas and playgrounds that had giant bouncy balls that were stuck to the ground) and emerged in a bustling shopping district. We walked through some of the stores and I took pictures of literally every fountain that I found find. I really like fountains, okay? Feeling tired and happy, and also like we saw everything that we could in Oslo to get a feel for what the city was like without having to pay for anything, we headed back to the ship.
Outside of the ship, we purchased a cheesy magnet (the first of many from the trip) and went through security back on board. We grabbed lunch and drank a ton of water and then went back to the room to put the pictures on Jonathan's laptop. Five minutes later Jonathan looked really distraught and announced that something had happened and all of the pictures we had taken around Oslo had gotten corrupted and were gone. At this point, it was too late to go out and retrace our steps, and all of the magic we felt when first stepping into those places would be gone, so we just walked along the balcony and took some pictures from the ship. You can actually see the walkways with people sunbathing and the very unique apartment buildings, so all wasn't lost, and I had my pictures that I grabbed haphazardly on my phone, but it was still a disappointment. On the other-hand, maybe it was a good thing to just know that we enjoyed our time, and even though we don't have pictures of everything, we still made a load of memories in our quick stop in Oslo.
On our sail-away from Oslo, I was completely enraptured by the traditional wooden houses in yellow and red colours nestled into the green islands and by the silhouettes of the hills. So much so that my husband and I booked another cruise for next May along the Norwegian Fjords. Looking at pictures, I feel like it is going to be one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. So Norway, you haven't seen the last of me! I can't wait to soak up even more of your culture and experience your beautiful nature!