adventures in *

Opera House

I took the Flybussen (bus) from the airport, which is about 40 miles north of Oslo. The area reminded me of Springfield Oregon, rolling hills covered with expansive field of grass. Sparsely populated with small farms dotting the landscape.

I went to check into my hotel, the Thon Hotel Europa. My room has a great view of the tram, which passes by every 5 minutes until midnight and starts again at 7a. The room itself was very basic, tiny double beds and a bathroom the size of a closet.

I went to the Royal Palace, which was an impressive sight. Armed guards with rifles at the entrance. I like the fact in Europe, such places are easily accessible to the public.

Next was the National Gallery to see some famous works by Munch, Picasso, the one that impressed me the most was Dahl. He painted landscapes that look almost like photographs.

I make it a point to visit a chinese restaurant in each country I visit. In a place that is completely foreign to me, seeking out chinese food is a comfort. My first meal in Norway was authentic dim sum. The waitress I spoke to is first generation Norwegian Chinese. She spoke cantonese, english, norwegian and vietnamese – real impressive. There’s a large vietnamese population in Oslo, didn’t expect that. Oh and no tong yun gai (chinatown), the closest thing was Torggata gata (street) which is lined with ethnic restaurants.

I walked to the Opera House, a wedge shaped metal and glass covered building on the waterfront. It was designed to allow people to walk on the building, all the way to the roof, pretty cool. The weather was perfect for sitting by the water and people watching for awhile, lower 70s with a cool breeze.

Enough sight seeing for the day, back to the hotel to rest.