One of the many benefits of living in the UK is having so many countries right at your doorstep. With my visa coming close to it’s 7 month mark, I was getting to a point in my time where I was starting to finally feel settled in. I think I came to that realisation when most of my life admin had finally been sorted out and I had so much more time on my weekends to actually travel. Who knew you could achieve so much in such a short amount of time!

From being able to travel to places around Europe like Paris or Positano, to even places within the UK like Oxford or Cambridge. My next skill that I was determined to master was learning how to utilise 48 hours of your time travelling to a new country. One of the things I’ve learnt with weekend travel is to use your weekends away for places that you will only ever need a weekend to see that place. And taking leave or utilising Bank holiday weekends for places that need more than two days of your time. It sounds like such a simple concept, but it’s not something that I even thought about until I moved to London.

We only had 48 hours in Oslo but despite only having a limited amount of time to experience Norway’s capital city, here are 7 reasons why I love Oslo.

1. Technologically friendly: the second I stepped out of the airport I immediately noticed that the trains were some of the most technologically advanced I’ve ever travelled on. The city is a mix of historical buildings and modern minimalist architecture, where you can appreciate history and still find places where you’ll be able to charge your phone!
2. Minimalist architecture: there’s something about the Norwegians and their simple way of life that’s fascinated me. I’ve always been drawn to minimalist architecture and the idea of a minimalist lifestyle. Oslo is a place you’ll be able to find this everywhere. Which brings me to my third point.

   

   

3. Minimalist fashion: I’ve always preferred sleek and effortless style over seasonal trends and in Norway, minimalist fashion is all you’ll ever see and even the most casual outfit can look classic.
4. A city that is ever so relaxing: there’s a reason why Norway has the reputation of being one of the places with the highest standards of living. You can really feel it just by being present in the city. I felt so relaxed the entire time during my stay and maybe it’s also because it’s known as one of the quietest cities in Europe. Which is such a contrast from the hustle and bustle of London where everyone is rushing to be somewhere yesterday.

   

5. Norwegian language: I’m not sure if it was because I was travelling to my first ever Scandinavian country which added to the extra excitement, but there was something that was therapeutic about not being able to understand the language. You don’t care as much because you don’t understand what exactly is happening around you. On the contrary bringing me to my next point..
6. Norwegians are ever so trusting & attentive: When we got lost, the locals were more than happy to help give directions. Which I know a lot of you can agree that this type of courteous treatment isn’t always something that you experience, especially travelling to certain parts of the world.
7. The weather: despite the weather being cold, the constant sunshine and clear blue skies were such a treat and contrast to the never ending gloomy grey skies of London. There was nothing more that I appreciated than being able to sit by the water and watch the sunset at 7.30pm.

Other places to see if I had more time

There will always be places that you wish you could have seen however there are only so many hours in a day.

Here are places I would have loved to see if I had more time:

• Day trip to Bergen – Google this now. It looks absolutely breathtaking. This will however take up an entire day of travel to get there and back to Oslo (on average of about 24 hours in total, including sight seeing). So be wary of this if you are planning on adding this to your list, as you may need more than a weekend.
• Scream Painting – Actually going to the right museum to see the Scream painting. This painting was originally located in the National Gallery but due to renovations, it has temporarily been relocated to the Munch Museum until 2020. If art is one of your passions, you definitely need to see this.
• Holmenkollen Ski Museum – If you’re into photography, this place (which is an Olympic ski jump) will give you the perfect Instagram shot of Oslo’s city skyline. It takes around 45 minutes via train, so I’d suggest doing this first thing in the morning to get it out of the way.

A weekend away in Oslo is the perfect city break you’ll ever need.

Yours sincerely,
Paola
The Seasoned Traveller