So, despite being no longer jet lagged, my room at the otherwise lovely hostel is situated right above a pub which at about midnight turns into a bacchanal. Apparently this is where the (by day) mild-mannered introverted Osolites come to drunkenly sing along with one another way past my bedtime. Also, there is a great deal of horn honking that goes on precisely when I'm trying to sleep. It's absent during the day, but at night, oh boy, people are trying to go places I guess.
All of this is to say that while I am no longer feeling the brunt of jet lag, I didn't sleep a wink last night (my second night in Norway) so I'm not in the best of spirits.
Anyways...
A run down of my journey here:
- 19 hours spent in an airplane/airport, not including the travel to and from the respective airports.
- 6.5 hour layover in Munich, which was the most pleasant airport I have ever been in. Quiet, with delicious food.
When I arrived in Oslo, I was so tired from my journey that navigating the subway system with my enormous bag and figuring out where to go from the subway station was a bit of an ordeal. I took a wrong turn out of the station and had to haul my enormous bag up about a mile long stretch of one of the steepest hills I think Oslo has to offer.
Anyways, I passed out hard my first night here. My first day (yesterday) I emerged and decided to go see the Nobel Museum & Vikingmuseet and just do some wandering.
The Nobel Museum was a bit of a dud honestly (no where near as nice as the Stockholm location) and I cruised through it super fast so I would be able to catch the ferry out to Bygdoy, where the Vikingmuseet was located. Oslo is situated on the Oslo Fjord, which is a gorgeous natural juxtaposition to the city.
The Vikingmuseet. I may try to squeeze in another post with more photos and details about this place, because it was pretty impressive. But know that I was in my nerdy element, and freaking out about the age of the artifacts in front of me.
I am pleased to report that since being in Oslo, I have successfully navigated the following forms of public transport: bus, subway, and ferry. The hostel I am staying at is right by a major transportation center, as well as the Royal Palace, which looks especially pretty at night.
What do I think of Oslo so far?
This is my first (long awaited) experiencing traveling abroad alone and it has put my singularity-- that is, my being solo-- into an interesting context: what is being alone? What is the dividing line between solitude and loneliness? I am an inherently solitary creature. I crave, and require, alone time, yet I simultaneously desire closeness and connection. I have felt intensely alone since arriving in Oslo, and it is both comfortable and uncomfortable, in ways I am continuing to suss out.
As for Oslo, I like it, but I am ready to get out of this particular city. I take the train northwest to Bergen on Monday morning (I'm hoping getting to the station and getting on board the train is a seamless process) and I am really looking forward to it. I am trying not to compare Oslo to my experience in Stockholm, because there really is no comparison to that trip: I was abroad for the first time, in my ancestral land, with my grandmother. But I will say that Stockholm is a FAR more beautiful city: you simply cannot exceed that city's gorgeousness, with its body across islands and water everywhere. Oslo feels a little grimier, a little more industrial, a little less charming. However, I am having a blast. I just want to sleep.
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