Oslo

I'm in love. With Norway.

My love affair started at Disney World. The Norwegian tourist board made a movie called "the Spirit of Norway" so powerful that it made me dream of the fjords. So, 2 Saturdays ago, we loaded up the car and drove to Norway, to Oslo, to see, among other things, the Viking ship in the movie.

Norwegian radio stations are a lot better than Swedish ones. We had to do passport control at the border. Unlike going through to the States, this was a casual affair. The border guard thought we were Swedish and was going to wave us through until Peter gave her the passports. We chatted about Canada and were on our way. All this under a carport. Nothing like the fortress you pass through at Niagara or Detroit.

We found Fall in Norway. Crispness to the air. Coloured leaves on the trees, gently floating to the ground. The Viking ship in the movie is called the Oseberg. She's the first thing you see when you walk in the door of the museum. She almost brought me to tears because I couldn't believe I was actually there. The museum houses 3 Viking ships and some artifacts, all dating from the 9th century. It's a piece of architectural sublety because the arched ceiling echoes the murmurings of the visitors, bringing a sense of community. It's surreal, and I'm not explaining it very well, but it was very effective.

Food. I had found a recommendation for a place in the hills overlooking Oslo - Frognerseteren - Kafé Seteren known for its apple cake. Of course, the driving directions downloaded from the internet didn't match the street names and it took far longer to find the place than anticipated, but it was worth the hassle BECAUSE we found the Hollmenkollen ski jump on the way. Originally built in 1892, it is currently undergoing massive renovations to be ready for the World Cup Nordic event at the end of February. It's enormous. I can't imagine what it must be like to stand at the top of that ski jump, overlooking Oslo, the bay, and the sea. We're going back for a day of events in March - 3 nordic skiing races topped off by the Mens' final for ski jumping that evening.

Frognerseteren is a big wooden nordic chalet built in 1891. We found a table upstairs with a terrific view of Oslo and the sea. Again, I was almost brought to tears because I couldn't believe I was there. It was grey and cloudy, but it didn't matter. It was still incredible.

We will see many amazing things over the next 2 years of the Shepherd European Adventure. There may be something that tops our day in Oslo. I can't imagine what.

p.s. the apple cake? Filo pastry bottom and top crust. In the middle was 3 inches of applesauce filling, topped off with another 3 inches of whipped cream. Insane.