Heisann Oslo!

So this weekend, I decided on a whim to go North and see the beautiful capital of Norway, Oslo! Ironically, I still haven't been to Stockholm yet but that's besides the point...

I took an overnight bus to Oslo to save money and arrived at 5:30 am. It was amazing to see the gradual lightening of the sky (just look at that beautiful sky!), but it was so cold!

With about 4 hours to kill before I could meet my couchsurfing host, I headed off for the Akershus Festning, a medieval fortress on the coast. Since the place was almost completely empty, I had so much fun exploring every nook and cranny of this enormous fortress! I also found an amazing view of the ocean from the top of the walls.

The two pictures above are from Oslo's top attraction, Vigelands Park. This unusual sculpture garden features lots of naked people of all ages, genders, and body types - representing daily life in its many forms. Everyone seems to really like the angry baby so I took a picture with it too!

By 10:30 am, it was time to go meet my host! This was my first time using couchsurfing.com, but I had an amazing experience. He took me around to the best city museums and parks, and it was nice to feel at home while traveling. I really loved Grünerløkka, the area where I was staying. This is apparently the most "hipster" part of Oslo, and I definitely saw an abundance of beanies, boutique shops, and even a rollerblader in the grocery store (lol).

Oslo has some cool (and free!) museums, including a historical museum with some Viking ship recreations and a film museum. My favorite of the weekend was the Folk Museum, a massive open-air museum showing Norwegian folk life through the ages.

On Sunday morning, I thought it would be a great idea to see the view from the Oslo Opera House before I left the city. I got a little too caught up with taking pictures and admiring the building...and missed my coach bus! I freaked out for a while, not knowing where to get wifi or how to purchase a new ticket. FINALLY, I got a wifi signal and paid for another freakin bus ticket. All because I was only one minute late...

So with a few extra hours to kill, I went to explore the lovely botanical gardens, complete with adorable mushroom and apple statues. It was a good way to relax after that insanely stressful period.

On my way home, I had a two hour bus "layover" in Gothenburg, the second-biggest city in Sweden. By then, it was getting dark and chilly and everything was closed. I walked around the port area, took some pictures, and gave up and went to McDonald's. Not sure if the city is better by day, but I probably won't be going back anytime soon.

In any case, I absolutely loved Oslo and the awesome Norwegians I got to meet there! I hope that I can go visit the gorgeous city of Bergen next time - if I can afford it. One should never underestimate how insanely expensive it is in Norway...

The Oslo Rose

Exploring Malmö

Malmö is Sweden's third-largest city (not that there are very many large cities in Sweden...), and it's only a 10 minute train ride from Lund! After spending a week recovering from my backpacking trip, I decided it was time to put on my traveling shoes and go exploring. Unfortunately, the soles of my beautiful bronze Nikes literally came off at the end of my trip, so I got a pair of cute Converse at the secondhand store.

Malmö is also where the second largest IKEA store in THE WORLD is located! I had a lot of fun running around it's maze-like displays and reliving my childhood. The food prices were also so cheap, I wanted to cry. Costco-priced things are really not a thing in Sweden...sigh.

My favorite part of Malmö was the famous Malmöhus, a large castle-turned-museum located in the middle of an absolutely gorgeous city park.

Next to the castle was a cluster of other museums and art galleries. I went inside a Technology & Transportation museum, which featured some really cool interactive exhibits on cars, boats, planes, trains, and even submarines (I got to climb inside one!). If I was a kid, I would've thought I died and went to play heaven but my inner child was super excited still.

Working air traffic control like a bo$$

We all live in a...but forreal this is so cool

 I also found BOBA in a mall, which made me sooo happy. The pearls were overcooked but I was glad to have a little taste of home. It's funny how the city blends it's traditional Scandivanian roots with the cultures of the large immigrant population. Here's a windmill from the beautiful Kungsparken:

Malmö is not exactly tourist central, but it is a place well worth exploring. Little squares and parks will surprise you at every turn, and it's international population means that there is food and culture from many corners of the world. I will definitely be back for more!

 

 Also this is a real concern in Swedish train stations...