Upon deciding to visit Oslo due to the unbelievable flight deals and cheap accommodation that was on offer, my travel "companion" and I quickly realised upon arriving in the city that a bargain is not what it seems, especially since we discovered that Norway is one of Europe's most expensive ... Read review
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one must compare their propositions. Comparison presupposes yardsticks in common. This work thematises such yardsticks, demonstrating the existence, content and factual significance of a well-delimited set of proposition types and proposition patterns.
A comparison of the political-administrative systems of Norway and the USA. It measures ... more
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Advantages: Beautiful, friendly and welcoming Disadvantages: Expensive and cold.
Upon deciding to visit Oslo due to the unbelievable flight deals and cheap accommodation that was on offer, my travel "companion" and I quickly realised upon arriving in the city that a bargain is not what it seems, especially since we discovered that Norway is one of Europe's most expensive countries to visit, however, never let it be said that a paralyzing fear of flying or a distinct lack of money has ever prevented me from travelling ... ...and being approximately 120km from Oslo itself doesn't stop one from travelling there, Torp Ekspress ensures that every Ryanair passenger will have a seat on the fun bus that will leave Torp and arrive in Oslo roughly 2 hours later, we were very nearly caught out with the one hour time change and happily drinking our expensive coffee nearly watched our bus pull away, frantic scarf waving ensured the driver spotted us in time, anyway cost of the Torp ... more
Upon deciding to visit Oslo due to the unbelievable flight deals and cheap accommodation that was on offer, my travel "companion" and I quickly realised upon arriving in the city that a bargain is not what it seems, especially since we discovered that Norway is one of Europe's most expensive countries to visit, however, never let it be said that a paralyzing fear of flying or a distinct lack of money has ever prevented me from travelling further afield to broaden the horizons. At this point I must confess that the trip was in part funded by MasterCard and almost entirely by the West Bromwich Building Society.
Torp airport is the place you will arrive if you have experienced the "cut price" bargain airline service and being approximately 120km from Oslo itself doesn't stop one from travelling there, Torp Ekspress ensures that every Ryanair passenger will have a seat on the fun bus that will leave Torp and arrive in Oslo roughly 2 hours later, we were very nearly caught out with the one hour time change and happily drinking our expensive coffee nearly watched our bus pull away, frantic scarf waving ensured the driver spotted us in time, anyway cost of the Torp Ekspress is NOK 120.00 = GBP 10.90.
Upon arriving in Oslo one is automatically reminded to a passing resemblance with Leeds, only briefly did I experience this familiar feeling then felt an overwhelming surge of "old meets new" and "new meets very new", Norwegians embrace modern art more fully than us Brits and everywhere you look, wonderous sculptures and intriguing oddities can be found. In around one hour you will have an immediate feel and intimate knowledge of the Medieval street layout of the city, it's all so easy to navigate and once you have discovered the main thoroughfare; Karl Johan's Gate, you can rest easy that every street is within easy reach.
On our limited budget and abundance of time to spare one could imagine the city was beyond our means, in fact the opposite was true, considering the NOK was in short supply by myself and travelling "companion" we found a multitude of attractions which were fun and free.
FUN & FREE ATTRACTION # 1
Royal Palace, Drammensveien
Stands proudly above the city directly at the end of Karl Johan's Gate walk. See the palace which is a kind of sunshine dappled corn silk colour, see the statue of the King Karl Johan, who reigned over both Sweden and Norway when the palace was under construction (1818 to 1844). See the palace guards who stand to attention outside the palace, my observations regarding the palace guards are as follows:
They have guns which are locked and loaded,
They tend to grin if you wink at them,
If you stand just outside their peripheral vision curiosity will eventually get the better of them,
They don't mind if you take photographs of them.
FUN & FREE ATTRACTION # 2
National Gallery. St. Olav's Plass
Home to some of the most famous paintings in Norwegian artwork. See Edvard Munch's most famous painting 'The Scream' otherwise known as 'The Cry', his intense treatment of emotional and psychological themes will leave you in awe in the portrayal of such things as misery, sickness and death. However we much preferred his painting depicting 'Death in the Sickroom' and the more light hearted 'Evening on Karl Johan'.
FUN & FREE ATTRACTION # 3
Oslo Cathedral, Stortorget
Right off the main drag of Karl Johan's gate visit this stone church which was first built in 1697. See the large ceiling murals, see the stained glass windows by Emanuel Vigeland, and see the original stone pulpit. Oslo being famed for having an outdoor existence means you can enjoy the cathedral both inside and out; our enjoyment was further amplified by sitting opposite the cathedral to stare at its beauty and buying cinnamon bagels to entice the entire bird population onto the small green area.
SOUVENIR HUNTING
GUIDELINES:
1.... Try not to overdo it 2.... Take a credit card if serious about souvenir hunting 3.... See where the locals shop, follow them if necessary but try not to be too scary 4.... If you stop enjoying yourself, it's time to do something different
If you have the time or demanding relatives wanting a 'little piece of Norway' ensure you have to trawl through the plethora of souvenir shops, make it easy on yourself by limiting the expense and the walking distance to purchase your items, Karl Johan's Gate houses a multitude of small and reasonably priced souvenir shops, there are flea markets, one in particular, Youngstorget has a vast array of goods for sale ranging from cheese graters to cheesy tat, something for everyone!.
WHERE CAN I FIND AUTHENTIC HATS & SWEATERS?
Almost everywhere is your answer, If like me you have a hat fetish then this is your paradise, hats, scarves, gloves and jumpers are perhaps the biggest sellers for Norwegian shopkeepers so to keep them in business buy at least two hats, one must have the pom poms on string with earflaps. Expect to pay around 150 NOK = 13 GBP per hat, each hat has at least 5 various colour combinations. Norwegian hats tend to be quality made and most have a really comfortable felt lining to eradicate itchiness.
If sweaters are more your cup of tea, expect to pay a lot more to own the traditional Norwegian warmth giver, 650 NOK = 55 GBP was the cheapest I found but this figure can escalate up to near infinity or so it would seem.
"I'M HUNGRY"
My advice is try not to eat anywhere in Norway, if you succumb to faintness and find you must or your hotel does not provide you with an all inclusive breakfast or if like me you have spent your entire budget on hats then you may have to improvise Norwegian style,
OPTION 1 ~ Flatbread and Prawn Mayo Surprise
Hardly a surprise but very tasty. Norway's national bread, unleavened, flat and thin and the thinner the better! Buy from any deli for around 2 GBP then visit Aker Brygge (near the harbour) to buy some fresh prawns and mayo to accompany your bread. Enjoy a friendly chat with the local fishermen.
OPTION 2 ~ Hot dogs
Norway in fact is the hot dog capital of the world, with more hot dog stands than New York in the 70's. Expect to pay 25 NOK = a very reasonable 2.50 GBP to sample this messy experience, you get extra admiration points for topping it with as many extras as you can.
OPTION 3 ~ Marabou
For the more sweet tooth amongst us, chocolate can be our food for fuel. Marabou bars are delicious creamy milk chocolate which originate from Sweden but are widely available through Scandinavia for hungry tourists like myself.
"CAN WE DRINK ALCOHOL NOW?"
"No!" You must be at least 21 and look around 25 to be able to sneak past the doormen; having passed that test and once inside one of the many pubs and alcohol providing establishments then you will find it rather pleasant, Norway has a tough no smoking policy so it's really a rather pleasurable experience, if however, you cannot wait until your friend/husband/wife/whatever, has finished their Bacardi & Coke; then you must prepare to stand outside in sub-zero temperatures to boost your nicotine intake to an acceptable level.
There are no shortage of pubs in the centre of Oslo but be prepared to pay dearly for your inebriation, a lemonade (not mine!) and a small glass of bog standard white wine set us back a staggering 8 GBP and this we discovered was one of the cheaper bars. We staggered out of a few very friendly pubs with our purses lighter and felt the need to consult MasterCard before hitting the recommended nightclub.
Smuget was the nightclub in question which we were assured was a 'good night'. The clientele is described as a mixed bag of artists, writers, aspiring thinkers and the like, how anyone can think in a nightclub with 'Smooth Criminal' blasting from the sound system is beyond me. There are 3 different aspects to the club with a live stage for jazz, R&B, funk, soul and various 'other' names for music. The staff at Smuget were very professional and the only hitch we came across concerned my partner in crimes favourite drink, Vodka & Red Bull, upon asking for this tipple the barman laughed and advised us that Red Bull was illegal in Norway, shock horror! He then produced an almost identical tin with the words 'Battery' emblazoned on the front, Red Bull, Battery...no difference, problem solved.
RANDOM THOUGHTS AND STATEMENTS BY DRUNKEN NORWEGIAN MEN
"Meat, in fact is very expensive in Norway, most Norwegians buy their meat in Sweden!"
"Yes, a lot of Norwegians do shop at Ikea, even though it's a Swedish concept"
"Hey, are you from Sweden? I have to say you do look Swedish!"
"I have a second home; it's just outside Stockholm...In Sweden!"
"Can I say.....? You have lovely eyes" ~~ "Hmm, thanks!"
The end, hope you enjoy Oslo as much as we did :o)
Advantages: Cosmopolitan, Lively, Compact, heaps of Museums and Parks Disadvantages: Expensive
...years, and a new cosmopolitan Oslo has wakened in the shadow of the images of the old sombre Oslo as depicted by Edvard Munch, the city’s famous painter. Getting There
-----------------
Oslo is situated in southern Norway, at a latitude of almost 60 degrees N. If you have the time and the money, you can reach Oslo via one of the 100 or so cruise ships that stop here every summer, but otherwise the simplest way is via direct flight to one of Oslo’s ... ...return.
Getting Around
-------------------
Oslo can easily be explored on foot, as the city is still reasonably compact. Karl Johans Gate is the amin thoroughfare linking Sentralstasjon in the SE and passing the University and the National Theatre to reach the expanse of Slottsparken in the NW of the City. The Oslo T Bane has five lines which cross the city from East to West, and most lines run through all the more central stations. A 24 hour ...
helencbradshaw 04.07.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Oslo (Norway)
Advantages: See opinion Disadvantages: See opinion
...Oslo. As such, I visited Oslo on numerous occasions, in much the same way as somebody living in Basildon would visit London. I had a love/hate relationship to it really. There are reasons why I would never like to live in Oslo, but it’s certainly a beautiful city with plenty to offer the tourist.
Smack bang in the middle, you’ll find the Royal Palace. This is completely different to Buckingham Palace. There are no fences surrounding ... ...with the students of nearby Oslo University. Karl Johan is also famous in Oslo as the main shopping street, their equivalent of Oxford Street you could say. Be warned though, prices in Norway are MUCH higher than here, so be sure you have enough of your hard earned cash with you.
Example prices: ½ Litre of lager: kr 45 (about £3.80)
Loaf of bread: kr 16 (about £1.30)
20 cigarettes: kr 68 (about £5.70)
3-course meal in a good restaurant: kr 700 ...
CherryBlossom 26.05.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Oslo (Norway)
...journey around Europe. Going to Oslo was an obvious choice, as we were working our way through Scandinavia, it made sense to go to one of its capitals, and was also very easy to get to from Bergen, on Norway's west coast, where we'd made our first stop.
Getting to Oslo was relatively easy: we took an overnight train from Bergen, which since it was during the summer meant that it was slightly difficult to sleep as it didn't get very dark, though ... ...you're travelling from the UK, Oslo has a major airport so it shouldn't be too difficult to find a flight from an airport not too far from you, or you can get the ferry from Tyneside to Bergen like we did. When we tried to get a train to Stockholm, we were told that there is apparently only one each day, but I find that difficult to believe, so if you're in Sweden you could always get the train (or a bus) to Oslo. Since we got an overnight train ...
charlsayslol 29.07.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Oslo (Norway)
Advantages: Beautiful sculptures, a break from the city life Disadvantages: Can be quite crowded in the summer time
...amazing Vigeland Park located in Oslo :-)
Prelude
My wife and I have had the pleasure of stopping by Oslo on a few occasions. The last time we went there was in connection with Nikki’s annual Christmas party in mid December 2004. We spent a few hours taking a look at the beautiful Vigeland Park located in the Frogner park area. We stayed at Radisson SAS Plaza hotel near the main train station in Oslo by the way. We were there during the Nobel Peace ... ...up with the city of Oslo and he got a house and a studio and in return he made sculptures for the park. You can read a lot more about the history on the homepage of the park and the museum. Gustav Vigeland himself never got to see the park finished before he died by the way.
Our visit to the park
We came to the park at about 11 am and it was pretty cold. I’m used to the mild winters of Stavanger so I was freezing my butt of. There were not that ...
gard 29.01.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Oslo (Norway)
Advantages: Unique, not full of tourists Disadvantages: Cold, expensive
...the beggars or prostitutes in Oslo are immigrants. This is one thing that brought Oslo down for me. I hate to see people living in poverty and in Oslo you will be asked numerous times "please, please help", which on the one hand made me feel very sorry for these people in their situation, but then, without getting into politics here, you have to look at the wider picture. Oslo is the most expensive city in Europe and if you don't have a decent job, ... ...of lager, for example, in Oslo it costs anywhere from £4.50 to £8. I stuck to half pints and gave my usual white wine a miss. I would advise visitors to Oslo to pick up a few bottles of wine at duty free if you're staying for a while so you can have a glass back at your hotel room. It cost us approximately £40 for two meals in a restaurant, without wine or dessert. The food we had everywhere was exquisite though and we had gone to Oslo knowing that ...
Lofnorsk 25.09.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Oslo (Norway)
Value for Money
Sightseeing
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
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various destinations in both the United Kingdom and Europe. I thought ld give you sample – full listings can be found on the website.
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RYAN AIR & BIG BROTHER
As we all know everyone’s favourite housemate Brian Dowling, is an air steward for Ryan Air. In Stanstead an aircraft has been painted wishing him luck for his stay in the big brother house. Also Ryan Air are donating cash to the NSPCC for the length of time Brian stays in the house – just as well its day 64 today otherwise he might well bankrupt them!! (BTW VOTE BRIAN TO WIN ...
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