Oslo - what a pleasant surprise!

---

So what does anyone know about Oslo? Not much I would think, at least in Australia. A stunning setting at the head of a huge Baltic Sea inlet. It's not a true fjord in the English sense of the word; the Norwegian word can refer to many different types of bodies of water. It's a hilly city, with a giant ski jump on display towards the north west. Dozens of islands and a curving coastline that is suggestive of Sydney.

And Norwegians.....how can there possibly be so many attractive blonde people? All the women look like they have just walked out of the Nordica Blonde tanning salon; all the men look like they have just finished chopping wood at the family holiday house in the mountains. And everyone looks beautiful.

A few surprises -so many smokers, and they can still smoke outdoors in the terrace parts of restaurants. A bit of a disappointment for socially advanced Scandinavia.

We had no plans. Out of our hotel and just walked. Through the quiet latin quarter (arty, galleries, jazz clubs, but few people), then down towards the harbour where the typical city and touristy hustle and bustle was going on.

Jumped on a commuter ferry and headed out to Bygdøy, an island now linked to the mainland, leafy, green, with a few museums (which we avoided), just a nice place for a walk! And it's always fun to get on a boat

---