Overnight ferry and a couple of days in Oslo.

Although the idea of an overnight ferry had long appealed to me, I had been hesitant to book it, due to my tendency toward severe sea-sickness. But it looked so cool and like such a fun way to travel! I decided to try out the transdermal patch, which sticks on behind your ear and gradually delivers medication. I was thrilled to have it work well. (Also, the seas were completely calm for the entire journey…)

Boarding the ferry from Copenhagen was easy and well-organized, and we were soon ensconced in our little cabin. We arrived with plenty of time before the ship departed. I decided to go explore the ship, while Cami opted for a nap! The day was beautifully sunny and I availed myself of the open-air bar on Deck 9, where I had a lovely mojito as the ship pulled away from the shore…with the requisite blast of the horn. As we pulled out of the harbor, people stood waving at us from the shore.

Later, we went to one of the many restaurants on board and had mediocre Italian food and a most excellent panna cotta. The beds were comfortable and the sea continued to be smooth. It was a bit disconcerting to wake up to bright sunlight only to find that it was 3:20am! By 8:00am we were on the outskirts of Oslo and could see little towns, boats and inlets as we sipped our coffee. We disembarked about 10:30am and made our way to the hotel.

It turns out that July is kind of a “dead” month for local entertainment in Norway. However, we managed to find an authentic Irish bar, with decent food, good beer and a genuine session happening.

The next day, we planned to do the “hop-on, hop-off” bus tour and see the whole city. This seemed like a good plan at the time. But the fates had other ideas. After being misdirected to the bus stop, we were finally able to board. We settled in with our head phones and anticipation of seeing interesting sites. We rode one stop. The bus then paused for about half an hour while they sold tickets to new passengers. It finally moved again, only to completely stall out as it tried to make a turn in a narrow intersection. And there it stayed.

Passengers finally disembarked. Other buses were backed up behind it and nobody could go anywhere. The tour staff were going back and forth between the different buses trying to figure out what to do. Another bus driver arrived. He seemed more knowledgeable and Cami was hopeful that this guy would get things going again, but I was done with the bus. I went across the street and got a coffee and a croissant. (And contacted the company for a refund!)

Since our carefully laid plans to see the city were pretty much shot, we decided to visit the History museum right nearby. They had an exhibit about Vikings (what else!) that was fairly interesting. But I was hot, tired and cranky, so I made my way back down to the hotel where I could get cooled off. The walk was pleasant, on a broad, car-free pathway in the middle of town. And downhill!

That evening, we had a stroke of luck. Brandi Carlile was in town and performing at the Sentrum Scene, a venue very close by. The concert had been sold out for weeks, but when I checked StubHub, there were exactly two tickets available. I snagged them! It was a fantastic concert!

All in all, we did not see as much of Oslo as we’d hoped. But it was still a fun time…and maybe we’ll be back!

Look, my lad, I’ve had just about enough of this! That parrot is definitely deceased, and when I bought it not half an hour ago, you assured me that its lack of movement was due to it being tired and shagged out after a long squawk.

It’s probably pining for the fjords.

PINING FOR THE FJORDS?! What kind of talk is that? Look, why did it fall flat on its back the moment I got it home?

The Norwegian Blue prefers kipping on its back! It’s a beautiful bird. Lovely plumage.