Full flight to Oslo on Sunday morning. We landed, grabbed the bags and caught the train to Oslo S, the central station. Because it was so early and we couldn’t check into our AirBnB, we stuffed everything into a luggage locker at the station and set off. 

After a quick bite, we returned to the just-opened tourist information counter and waited to purchase an Oslo City Pass (again, not having roaming on our Australian numbers meant we couldn’t purchase the passes online, which would have been easier and make things less risky, especially in the case of a dropped pass…). Because we’d bought the pass for a set number of days and dollars, we were then committed to try to get as much value out of it as possible.

From the station, we walked out to climb the Opera House roof then went to Munch, a whole 13-storey gallery dedicated to Edvard Munch. They have three versions of The Scream, which they show individually on 30-minute rotations in a dark room. We saw the lithograph and a colour version. (Strangely the National Museum also has a colour Scream but it’s on display all the time in full light…) Loved visiting Munch Museum. Great view of the city, well spaced out galleries and paintings. Worth it.

From there to the Akershus Fortress for the Resistance Museum and the Castle. The resistance museum was dense with information but I wasn’t taking much in so it was a very quick visit there. The Castle was great, not too overflowing with stuff and could be taken at an easy pace.

Next was lunch at the port, followed by the National Museum (more art, offset with coffee and cafe and a sit down). Kadinsky, Picasso, a few other famous ones. Then into the Nobel Peace Museum – very quick visit here. I think we burned ourselves out on kulcha.

By then, it was time to check in so we returned to Oslo S, grabbed our luggage from the luggage locker, and headed out to National Theatre station and our accommodation. We chilled for a while. I think I might have even fallen asleep for a little bit too.

Then we gathered ourselves and caught the Metro 1 line all the way up, as suggested by the guy at the tourist office, as it has a great view over Oslo if you sit on the left. He wasn’t wrong. Stunning. Up the top we had dinner at a restaurant, which was pretty decent, then caught the train down to Vigeland Sculpture Park and walked through there for a bit. Hilariously, there’s a sculpture of a man throwing and kicking babies. It’s so good. The clouds were rolling in too, but it was a pleasant walk and not too busy.

From there, we walked to catch a bus back to the accommodation, getting ice cream at the grocery store on the corner, then back into the apartment to rest our weary feet. It was about then that I realised I didn’t have my laptop.

I vaguely remembered taking it out of my backpack and putting in the luggage locker that morning, so I wouldn’t have to carry it around in my backpack, but I didn’t remember putting it back in again when we retrieved everything. There was then a panic as I tried to confirm these memories. Did I collect it from the security tray at Trondheim airport? Did I leave it in the apartment in Trondheim? I was 98%, then 100% certain, I’d left it in the luggage locker. Glen and I returned to the station but there was no one around to ask and the lockers are assigned so I couldn’t take a peek inside. So we came home. I was beside myself with worry, what with not only losing the laptop but also considering a future where money was going to be so much tighter.

I was up at 7am the next morning and returning to the station with all the other people in rush hour, ready to talk to the lost and found people first thing. Turns out I didn’t need to talk to them but to a station security guard who was fortunately standing nearby. 

I explained the situation and he checked his Cave of Wonders and lo, my laptop was handed over! Amazing! Such a relief. Especially, as I discovered last night, we don’t have travel insurance for this trip so if I’d lost it, I’d have to pay full price to get a replacement.

I returned to the apartment, lighter of mood, and deposited the laptop. We headed out for more exploring (had to get our money’s worth), first stopping for coffee and cake at a nearby cafe. Fortunately we did because when we were due to leave, I suddenly realised that my Oslo pass was no longer in my pocket. Panicked (once again), I sent Glen back up the road to look for it while I checked the cafe.

Having no luck, I headed out to meet him whereupon I saw the white card sitting in the middle of the intersection, patiently waiting for me. I retrieved it whole (if a little dimpled from cars driving over it) and off we went.

(I don’t normally make a habit of losing things but if I’m honest, I have left an iPad and a passport on a plane — separate occasions – and a scarf in an airport lounge so it’s not unusual behaviour.)

Relieved, we caught the 30 Bus over to the Folk Museum, an open-air museum much like Beamish (which I said to Glen multiple times who then, about an hour later said that this looked like an open air museum). We walked around looking at the buildings, occasionally going into ones we could get into. It rained a bit as well so that put a dampener on things every now and then. But it was a pleasant experience and we covered a lot of ground. Museum fatigue was real though.

After there we went to the Maritime Museum (saw Norway’s oldest boat at 5000 years old), the Fram Museum (you could actually go on the ship, which was really cool. Well done interpretation but absolutely overloaded with it and most not used), and the Kon Tiki Museum. I actually read all the panels on this one so goes to show a good story is what matters most. 

From there we caught the ferry from Bygdøy back to the City Hall and walked, in the rain, to the apartment. Glen had a nap and I chilled for a while.

In the afternoon, wanting to make the most of the pass, we set off for Holmenkollen Ski Museum, which was on the same train line as the other place we went but not as far up the mountain — and yet had better vantage points. The museum is really nicely done, not too heavy with info, but the highlight is the ski jump tower, which gives you 360° views above Oslo. 

The rain came down just as we were getting up there and with minimal cover it forced everyone down so Glen and I had the whole platform to ourselves. It was well worth the trip out there. 

We left when the museum closed at 5 and we returned to the apartment before dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant. Had a couple of drinks and some decent conversation about our futures. Two days in Oslo done!

On Tuesday, we got up early, headed to the train station, had breakfast, bought more Starbucks mugs, and waited for our train to Gothenburg. A problem at Oslo S meant ALL trains were delayed though it looked to be clearing by the time we were due to depart so we went to our platform, number 17.

A train was waiting so we boarded with a few other people, only to realise that we probably shouldn’t have so we got off. About five minutes later the train left, going god knows where, so we made the right move.

Our train eventually showed up and we got on with about a 30-minute delay. It should have been smooth training from there but about 45 minutes in we were told there was a problem and we were diverting to Moss where we had to wait for another train. 

Our new train eventually arrived and we boarded. The couple in the same carriage realised too late that the guy had left a bag on the train (or on the platform) and I felt for them, considering my own ordeals. I hope they got it back.

We then zoomed towards the border and crossed into Sweden. Then we had to change trains again at Trollhattan, before arriving at Goteborg Central two hours late. We then caught another train to Liseberg station and got drenched walking to the hotel.