Norway

It’s hard to believe that my stay in Oslo, Norway is nearing it’s end. I’ve been here for almost 20 days and will be leaving soon. I remember buying the plane tickets back in April and so there was plenty of time for this to build up in my mind. Surprisingly, I was ready and packed with my apartment, for the most part, clean and ready to be ‘boarded up’ for three weeks (which is actually not how I usually go about things) days before my flight was scheduled to leave.

Vigeland Park

Oslo Norway

It was somewhat worrisome knowing that just a few weeks before a plane holding more than 300 people on it’s way to France crashed into the sea leaving no survivors. But I kept this in the back of my mind. I had more important things to worry about like my luggage being too heavy or getting lost, like making sure last minute things were done before I left and like finding a gift for the friend whose going to be ‘taking care’ of me during my stay in Norway.

Vigeland Park

The Royal Palace in Oslo

I’m really glad I overcame my inhibitions and went on this vacation. I have enjoyed every minute of it. I got the opportunity to go and see places and never would have seen like the Royal Palace, Vigeland Park, the Edward Munch Museum and Stockholm Sweden. I got to see The Scream by Edward Munch in person. I got a chance to buy reprints of two of his artwork that I fell in love with. Vigeland Park is a sight. It’s beautiful and huge and full of naked statues in varying stages of the human life cycle with more than one fountain.

Gay Pride Parade in Oslo

Munch Museum

I got to even see my friend get his very first tattoo and I myself added an extra piercing to my collection. I even got to see Gay Pride being celebrated in the streets of Oslo as the Gay Pride Parade ended the week long event.

Prison Wall in Oslo

View from Fort of Akershus Oslo

Church at Fort of Akershus

Apart from my friend being extremely sick on our two day trip in Sweden (which limited what we got to see) I had a blast there and saw what a beautiful sprawling city Stockholm is. Too bad they wouldn’t let me take pictures when I toured the Palace in Stockholm. It was phenomenal. The city had all it’s beautiful old architecture surrounded by the bustling more advanced buildings and public transportation.

View from Royal Palace in Stockholm

Royal Palace in Stockholm

Stockholm

The bus ride to and back from Stockholm lasted over 7 hours and it was mind numbing how gorgeous the scenery was. The only thing that caused a bit of difficulty during my stay was the weather. I had kept track of the pattern of the weather in Oslo and for the most part it was nice cool-ish weather. The day I arrived in Oslo was really nice, the next day it rained, the third it was nice and then after that it became progressively warmer and warmer until a pretty permanent and unusual heat wave hit. It’s been almost unbearably hot since about my fourth day here.

Bus Ride back to Oslo

Though I had a great time and love Oslo and Stockholm, I’m ready to go home. I’m ready to go back to my life (maybe not refreshed and well rested but at least ready to face it) and get back to reality (as I know it).  Three weeks is a long time to be away from home and- don’t get me wrong I love it here- I do miss my ‘normal’ life.

Love and Pain (later renamed The Vampire)

Kloudes

And though I’m ready to go home I’m already mapping out my next ‘big’ trip. I want to go to so many places and I realized that if I don’t take advantage of going to them while I can then I may never get the chance to later.