Oslo and the Holmenkollenbakken - nice here, but have you ever been to ...?

After our arrival in Oslo yesterday around 10 o'clock, we decided to explore the city right away. Our campsite check-in wasn't available until 1 PM, so we thought this was a good idea. First, we needed to find a parking spot. I’ll say upfront, parking is going to be expensive. I specifically searched for a spot that wasn't a parking garage but a real place, and I was so proud when we arrived and I opened the EasyPark app. It shows me 360 NOK for 4 hours. That's quite steep. However, we still thought we might not need that long and maybe it would be a bit cheaper, and when do you get to be in Oslo? So off we go. 

Our first stop is the fortress, and as always, I enjoy the combination of old masonry, ivy, and the first brown leaves being swept through the air by the wind. This brings an endorphin rush in me, as my beloved autumn feels so close. I could have autumn all year round. However, the sun keeps shining brightly, clearly still wanting summer. 

As usual during our city visits, we just start wandering and look up what to see in between. Meanwhile, we keep an eye out for anything we find along the way. I'm lucky and we come across swings. Apparently, it's a playground belonging to a school or kindergarten? Nevertheless, it's accessible, so we take the time to test them out. 

Since Günni isn’t as much of a swing enthusiast as I am, we soon continue. Now heading towards the city hall, which we can already see from the fortress. And I must say, our administrations could take a page from this. It's a very impressive building. The golden statue somehow reminds me of the “Hunger Games” movies 😅 The Norwegians have a knack for making everything a bit more beautiful, shiny, and impressive, at least in my opinion.

From the city hall, we head towards the palace. On the way, we see the university, and I’m fascinated by the fountain that forms such a pretty half-water sphere. 

There's so much to see in this city; you don’t know how to take it all in. So we limit ourselves to a few photos of everything and then move on to the next hotspot. Yes, quite touristy, but hey, we are tourists too. What we always try to do though, is focus on the small details. In Dronningparken, we get to see the lovely pavilion and the oddly growing tree.

Günter wanted to stroll towards Aker Brygge so we could check out this neighborhood a bit more. And fortunately, on a Tuesday morning, there were quite a few people around the city, but it wasn't completely overcrowded.

We can hardly get enough of everything; the city looks so well-kept, as if it's dressing up just for its residents and visitors. Although it’s so beautiful, we’re starting to feel a bit tired. The contrast between the very hot sun and the fairly fresh wind plus 7 km of walking around in the city makes us crave a coffee break. And we still have our parking ticket in mind. So we grab a latte macchiato and a cinnamon roll to share before heading back towards the van. I had already seen this impressive wooden structure on the way, and it must be added to our photo collection. 

Upon arriving at the parking lot, we unfortunately find a yellow ticket on the car. The sign that I initially interpreted as a camping prohibition sign is actually more about “no parking for anything other than cars.