Norway and Sweden (1) - Arrive in Oslo

We arrived in Oslo airport (OSL) just after 9am. Took the NSB (Norwegian State Railways, 90 NOK) train instead of the Flytoget Airport Express Train (170 NOK) to Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) since it was a lot cheaper. It was too early to check into our hotel, so we had to leave our luggage there and went out sightseeing. I really don't like this part of European travel: always arrive too early to check in.

1. Oslo Central Station.


2. Oslo Central Station plaza.


3. A tiger in Oslo Central Station plaza. Oslo's nickname is "the tiger city".


4. From Oslo Central Station plaza, crossed the tram tracks, it is the "Karl Johans gate", Oslo's main street.


5. The clock next to "Karl Johans gate".


6. Oslo City Hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony is held on December 10 every year to commemorate Alfred Nobel’s death. Unfortunately it was closed today. There was some kind of voting going on in the back of the building.


7. The clock on Oslo City Hall.


8. A "I LOVE PAKISTAN" truck parked in front of Nobel Peace Center, which is close to the Oslo City Hall.


9. A "I LOVE PAKISTAN" truck parked in front of Nobel Peace Center.


10. A "I LOVE PAKISTAN" truck parked in front of Nobel Peace Center.


11. A "I LOVE PAKISTAN" truck parked in front of Nobel Peace Center.


12. Nobel Peace Center where we bought a 24 hours Oslo Pass (270 NOK) and used it to go in. The card gives free entry to many museums and free travel on all public transport for 24 hours from time of first use. It seemed expenisve, but since it cost 80 NOK or more to visit a museum, and 30 - 50 NOK to take a bus or ferry in Oslo, the card actually saved us a lot of money.


From the harbor next to Nobel Peace Center, we took a ferry to Bygdøy Peninsula where several good museums are located. First we went to Norsk Folkemuseum (a large open air museum), mainly for its stave church built in the 13th century. According to Wikipedia: "A stave church is a medieval wooden Christian church building. The name is derived from the buildings' structure of post and lintel construction which is a type of timber framing, where the load-bearing posts are called stafr in Old Norse and stav in Norwegian."

13. Stave church in Norsk Folkemuseum.


14. Stave church in Norsk Folkemuseum.


After Norsk Folkemuseum, I was too tired to go to another museum, and since it was after 3pm, we took a bus back to the Oslo Central Station and then walked to our hotel nearby to check in.

15. First hot meal in Norway: Chinese seafood noodle (150 NOK). It was good, decent portioned. I was pretty satisfied to eat some hot Chinese noodle on a cold rainy day in Oslo.


(To be continued)

P.S. 1 USD was about 6 NOK in Aug, 2013.