Outside of Iceland, I hadn't really worked my way through the Nordic yet, so I was excited to start that adventure in Norway. Word to the wise: many of the budget carriers fly into Torp Sandefjord Airport but, in their booking systems, label it as "Oslo Sandefjord Torp Airport." It's a bit misleading because the airport is not actually in Oslo but is instead a 90-minute train ride away. I generally don't mind remote airports, but I was flying in late via WOW air, which, based on my experience, can have backlog flight delays, so I decided I would book a hotel overnight in Sandefjord and grab the train into Oslo in the morning.
I was surprised by how few lodging options there were in Sandefjord. My hotel room left much to be desired. During my mattress bug check, it appeared a prior guest had some nasal issues and was picking and wiping "gifts" under the mattress. Santa must not have gotten my request for booger-free accommodations - I'll have to be more explicit.
The following morning, the train into Oslo was a breeze and quite comfortable. In Oslo, I was staying at a hotel by the train station, which is a stone's throw from the Opera House and easy walking distance to most things in the city center. I found the Opera House stunning and refreshingly innovative. Traveling through Europe, opera houses are beautiful but can give you déjà vu. In contrast, the Oslo Opera House was architected to look like a glacier. Its exterior is covered in marble and glass with sharp lines descending directly into the water, where its reflection twinkles at night. Another unusual aspect is that you can walk on the roof. There are marble ramps on each side of the building that lead to the marble rooftop. I couldn't help but think during my summertime visit, "How in the world do they handle this in the winter?" Marble, frost and snow don't exactly make for great foot traction on an incline. I should have looked into an Opera House tour to answer my questions, but it was so nice outside that I just couldn't bring myself to spend any more time indoors than was absolutely necessary. Instead I just pondered these questions while sprawled outside on the marble roof of the Opera House, basking in the sun.
Deciding to be a little less lazy, I started walking along the waterfront, whose boardwalk emitted a fresh, wooden plank smell, and noticed what looked like giant, brightly orange painted shipping containers standing vertically, dotting the waterfront every half mile or so. Apparently the new "Harbour Promenade" has 14 of these bright towers spanning over five miles of the coast, each with fun factoids and pictures. It's perfect for biking! I only got to about half of these towers while walking around - having completed a separate bike tour around Oslo the previous day, my rear end didn't want to hop on another bike seat so soon. How is it with the amount of innovation we have in the world today, bike seats are not more comfortable? At this point, you'd think they would be fitted with battery powered massagers in them, right? Anyways … the area of the promenade that's not far from the Opera House also has wonderful seawater pools, formed by merely enclosing the environment in the outdoor sea. The promenade has been designed for sunbathers with ladders extending directly into the sea for a dip and lane markers for serious swimmers. If you are a bit temperature-shocked, you can also just bounce over to the other side of the promenade and warm up in a floating sauna.
Then to top it all off, in your sweaty after-sauna state, you'll need another cool down. For this one, walk up Karl Johans gate in the city center toward the Oslo Cathedral to find the gelato stand. This isn't just any gelato stand with boring flavors like vanilla and chocolate - no, this is all custom craft flavors. I wouldn't have thought of Oslo, or anywhere outside of Italy, as a major player in the gelato business, but look at the chalkboard menu, and if you see the peanut butter and jelly gelato, get a big helping. It was uncannily delicious with spot-on flavors!
Alright, more exploration! Knowing Oslo has also hosted the Winter Olympics in the past, I wanted to see if there was anything left around the city from the games. I found a piece - or rather a very, very big piece - in Holmenkollen, outside of the city center. After a quick train ride and an uphill walk, I found myself looking at the Holmenkollen Ski Jump - a beautiful and sleek site, reminiscent of a giant cornucopia in shape. The location has been used for ski jumping for over a hundred years in various competitions, including the 1952 Winter Olympic Games.
I have never seen a ski jump in person before, and its enormity was awe-inspiring even from the ground. I was able to take the elevator to the top, where there are breathtaking views of Oslo, and peered out where the ski jumpers would start. Looking down … all the way down, I couldn't help but think that anyone who flung themselves over that jump was insane! It's so entertaining to watch these things on television while curled up on the couch, but another to be standing at the edge of the jump, feeling the wind sway your body - talk about heart-pounding! I'm all about thrill-seeking adventures, but I can confidently say that ski jumping is not for me. In the summer, the site runs a zip line from the top of the jump, which, for a pretty penny, can give you about 30 seconds of the feeling of flight sans the skis. I didn't personally try it, as it wasn't worth the cost in my opinion, but I suppose I would next time if my wallet felt too heavy.
