Oslo, Norway

Another city, another hop on/hop off bus. Our time in Oslo was quite limited (6 1/2 hours) so once again, this was the best way to see a multitude of attractions/visitor spots in a short space of time. Oslo is a city of contrasts where old and new mix seamlessly. There are lots of green spaces and some very lush, expensive neighborhoods. We stopped off in the center of town and visited the King's Palace, Parliament building, the sculpture park, and the national theatre, and had our usual ritual of coffee and cake at a local cafe (or bakeri as they seem to be known as). We found it difficult to find a toilet that we could use without having to pay. In fact it was near impossible so the old credit card had to come out, at a cost of NZ$3.50 per visit, maximum 15 minutes per visit😂.
We then took a stroll around the new harbourside town of Tjuvholmen, not too far from the cruise terminal. This spot encompasses numerous office spaces, apartments and restaurants/bars as well as lots of outdoor spaces for exercising, swimming, and generally relaxing. Oh, and fake, very realistic-looking, trees. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to visit the Opera House, which was a bit of a disappointment. Full disclosure: the photo of the opera house is not mine - it's a photo of a photo that was on the ship 😊Read more