Norway 3rd September aka Sunday again

We left Mefjord Brygge and headed for the ferry to take us back to the mainland. On the way here, we went across a bridge so this was a different route for some new scenery. There was already a long queue for the ferry when we arrived at the terminal despite being more than 30 minutes early. The journey was short and sweet (though I took a pill so I wasn't at risk of getting ill anyway) and on the other side, we found some more amazing places to explore including a small island linked to the mainland with a bridge.

We got to Tromso airport really early for the flight but not so early we regretted it. We ate some lunch and passed time by swapping photos via a usb drive. Many of the photos I am posting here come from Joe and Lisa. Which is pretty obvious when you consider how many of the photos have me in them...

On the flight from Tromso to Oslo, I had some interesting travel companions. I was on the aisle seat and the wife was at the window and the husband between us. He told me that they were coming in from Svalbad where he had been working in his capacity as an electrical engineer specialising in high redundancy/reliability systems at the Svalbard Satellite Station. He showed me photos of the place, some that had been taken by a colleague of his including one of a polar bear. It looked like a truly alien place with odd rituals (hanging seals? keeping dogs in rows upon rows of cages?). I was fascinated.

They told me that they had both worked on Oslo airport and in fact it was where they met. Astounding. I think she must have been an architect though she said that she "designed" some features of the airport so it wasn't totally clear to me. But I was impressed! 

It was her that told me to get the local train from the airport to Oslo central.

I said my farewells to the couple and got off the plane. Unexpectedly, I saw Joe. He and Lisa were heading onto Heathrow so I didn't think I would see them as they would be going for a flight transfer rather than going to arrivals. But he had lost his passport. There wasn't a route back to the plane as there was a one-way escalator involved. But I understand that eventually Joe and Lisa found some staff member who searched the plane for them and retrieved his passport.

I headed into Oslo... and regretted getting the local train. Yes, half the price but it was crowded.

At Oslo, I met up with Erik. We met in the lobby of my hotel which was essentially at the station. It was great to see him. It felt like many years but actually was only a year or two. He took me out to watch the sun set from the roof of the opera house.

It was a fun evening. He pointed out to me the proximity to the woods and how public transport could be used not only to go there but also to go out amongst nearby islands. He told me that there were boats in the harbour that had saunas in them and could be rented and taken out too. We ate in a hipster food court place. I had tonkatsu and it was fatty and delicious and much better than any I have had outside of Japan. We ate outside. It was 16 degrees and pleasant (when I returned to the US, it was still 30 degrees even at 10pm). We had a couple of drinks (which somehow he paid for by convincing bar staff to take a personal transfer via "vipps") and then he took me home on a tram. 

It was a lovely way to end the trip. And it was a lovely trip. The company was brilliant throughout and the country just worked. Everything was modern and well designed and simply functional. The food was such high quality even when it was simple. I mentioned the wonderful bread but also the wonderful water. Better than any bottled mineral water and straight from the tap. And of course the landscape. Even on days without views, I found something to enjoy. Mainly the company I was with but also the mosses, the lichens, the berries and the mushrooms.

I missed Norway as soon as I left it. I am Norwegian Blue.