7. Oslo in the Sun

When I was about 11 years old, I went to see A Song of Norway, a movie that promised to be every bit as absorbing as The Sound of Music but failed miserably. Although it was the story of the struggles by Norwegian composer, Greig, most of the context and nuance was lost on me. However, despite my total disinterest in the storyline, I was captivated by the stunning natural photography, especially of the autumn colours. I remember to this day, scenes of dark green pine forests interspersed with the most magnificent yellows, oranges, and reds of a northern autumn. Today, I had the opportunity to witness, in a very small way, the magnificence of a Norwegian autumn day.

It is hard to believe that today could be so different to yesterday. Whilst yesterday's grey dismal sky and relentless rain made sightseeing almost impossible, today's sky is azure, the sun bright and even emitting a small amount of warmth. A few steps from the ship a sign advertises pleasure cruises of the bay in a large, sleek catamaran. We are so eager to see something of Oslo, we are the first passengers on board, snagging the best seats on the boat. We have missed so many tours since our itinerary change that even this cruise on a catamaran does not make up for missing out on see Norway's fjords and other sights that we could have only seen up north. Whilst this boat takes us around the bay, we can see a glimpse of autumn colours between the brightly-coloured Lego-like houses on the shore. The view today does not even satisfy my expectations of Norwegian autumn colours; the ones that I still vividly remember from that forgettable movie.

Tom has challenged himself to walking to the top of the Opera House roof whilst I offer to wait for him below. I do promise to take photos of him when he reaches the top. I watch him walk up the steep incline of Italian Carrera marble; the sun reflecting off the white roof, making it hard to see. I notice that the November sun barely moves all day. It is at my eye level and remains that way all day. I take some photos of people who look like Tom peeping over the top of the Opera House roof. One visitor, not Tom, hoisted himself up on the ledge, laying in a pose for photos. I think he is a fool and sigh with relief when he eventually removes himself from the what appears to be a dangerous situation. All of a sudden, I see Tom walking down the other side of the roof. A closer look at the photos I have taken of potential Toms on the roof reveal a collection of strangers who look nothing like him at all.

We spend the rest of our time on this beautiful day wandering around the centre of Oslo. Today, at least, has given us a taste of what the city has to offer. We learn about the seafaring history of the Norwegians, especially those who ventured into the Arctic to look for the Northwest Passage and to the Antarctic regions. It is said that Norwegians were the first to arrive at both the North and South poles. Ancient Norwegians, the Vikings, certainly made their presence felt in Europe and even traveling as far as North America.

It is time to return to the ship. Our new itinerary has us leaving Norway and our next stop will be in the Netherlands in a couple of days.