Morning rolled around and we woke up nearby Oslo, Norway. It wouldn’t be long until we made port, so Shay and I hit up the onboard cafe for some coffee and then returned to our cabin to get all packed up.

By this point in our journey, extreme fatigue was beginning to set in. Not a fatigue from lack of sleep, we had been getting plenty of that, but a general tiredness from being constantly on the move. We generally walk most places, with some longer stints being on public transportation, so that certainly starts to take a toll. However, other factors contributed to our overall fatigue. Things like, every AirBnB we had so far in Northern Europe had no air conditioning, constantly trying to parse foreign languages when looking for landmarks or transport stops, learning the layouts of each city, trying to remain as polite and affable as possible at all times, constantly dodging people on the sidewalk, constantly trying baked goods wherever we went (you can only eat so many sweets and breads), etc. All these things, when taken in small amounts are completely manageable, but these things taken on constantly for a couple weeks straight will wear out most people, particularly someone who is typically on the introverted side of things like myself. I can’t speak to the innermost feelings of my traveling companions, but I’d venture a guess in saying we were all getting worn out.

As a result of this beat-down feeling, we all once again agreed that when we arrived, we desperately needed time in nature. Once we arrived at the port, we walked to our hotel, checked our bags in prior to check in, and set out to grab some food to bring on a hike through Ekebergparken. We found a local grocery store chain, grabbed some pre-made cold sandwiches and snacks, and hopped on a tram that took us to the park.

We didn’t realize when looking for parks to relax in that Ekebergparken was also a sculpture garden. Many of the statues were quite beautiful. Many of the statues tested my definition of art. It’s difficult for me to see the artistic value in a talking light post that grunts and mumbles nonsensically about electricity. I’m sure it made sense to it’s creator. Another wall display featured a number of screens with all sort of wackiness. It was something out of a David Lynch nightmare. Luckily for us though, the majority of the park is beautiful wilderness. Once again, breathing the fresh air and being away from people, just for a while, was quite restorative. We found a spot to sit and enjoy our lunch, and then the couples split up to explore the park. Shay and I stumbled across the spot where Edvard Munch painted the iconic painting “The Scream”. There was a small black iron frame commemorating the exact view seen in the painting, albeit over a century later. There was also a nice concrete platform. We all gathered there and played another rousing game of Smear.

Through the commemorative frame, we see the same area Edvard Munch Saw. Just picture a screaming guy.

After a bit more hiking around (and a $2 toilet break, thanks Norway) it was time to check in. We hopped on the tram back down the hill. By this time the reality hit us that on our return trip we were going to have a LOT of time to kill, so Shay and Madi wanted to stop at a craft store and grab some yarn for knitting. They were elated to find out that what would be a very high quality and pricier yarn in the states, was much, much cheaper over here. Not everything is pricier here it seems!

We continued on from the craft store (after Shay rolled the yarn into balls) and then got into our hotel. Now, I’d love to say we were suddenly super charged with excitement and explorer’s instinct, but we weren’t. This was the first accommodation of ours so far that had AC, and we had separate rooms, and a bathroom where the shower wasn’t over the toilet. We were quite exhausted, so we decided to lay low for much of the evening. Shay and I jumped out to grab some food at a local burger joint later in the evening (I was curious to see the Norway take on an American classic). The place was called Illegal Burger and it certainly was a burger joint. Shay had a bacon and bleu cheese burger, and I had a classic double cheese burger. We split some fries as well. It was certainly a good burger, not the best I’ve ever had, but they passed the test in my estimation. They have a cool vibe, check ‘em out if you’re in Oslo!

Nothing beats a good ol’ burger and fries. Folks are also much bigger on mayo in this part of the world.

Madi and Derek opted for a restaurant called Mr. Bowl, where Derek had Marinated Chicken and Rice and Madi had Chicken Noodles. They said it was tasty!

We made our way back to the hotel and shortly thereafter, went to bed. Finally some sweet, sweet AC.

Day 10 – The First Day in Oslo

Krown Bakery & Eatery