1 June 2018, Friday
I woke up very early this morning because I had a 6:55am train to catch. In fact, I could very well have been woken up by my roommate’s snoring rather than by my mobile phone’s alarm. I had the “fortune” of having snoring roommates for the past three nights so I hadn’t sleep well for some time. I usually like to book the early morning trains because they are the cheapest, and I can still have the rest of the day to explore after arriving at my destination around mid-day.
At 6:10am, I reached Göteborg C railway station and bought myself a croissant and a cup of latte from 7-Eleven (41 Kr/S$6.50) for breakfast. At 6:57am, my NSB train 390 departed Gothenburg for the four-hour journey to Oslo, the capital of Norway. I paid 299 Kr (S$48.52) for my 2nd class ticket. The seat on this train was very spacious and there was even a dispensing machine on board where you could buy a cup of fresh coffee. Train travel in Scandinavia is so comfortable!
Along the way, a border control officer casually dressed in untucked T-shirt came onboard and checked my passport. She asked me a few questions about where I came from, where I was going next and when I’d be leaving for Singapore. I told her that I was travelling for three months. She took a look at my big backpack, nodded and moved off.
There is no time difference between Sweden and Norway
Exchange rate: 10 Norwegian Krone (NOK) = S$1.709
At exactly 11am, I arrived at Oslo Sentralstasjon (Oslo S). I was still feeling quite tired from the journey but my energy level shot up immediately because Norway was one of my most anticipated countries for this trip. When I was drawing up my itinerary months ago, I had identified several key countries and Norway was right at the top of the list, alongside Greece, Russia and Mongolia.
From Oslo S, I walked 10 minutes and arrived at my accommodation – Saga Poshtel Oslo Central. The “Poshtel” is actually a hostel located within the same premises as Saga Hotel Oslo Central but it is in a separate building, hidden in the backyard. The main hotel is quite posh and beyond my budget, but I’m happy that they offered a more affordable option for backpackers like me. For my 12-bed dorm room, I paid 845.50 Kr (S$142.77) for two nights, or about S$71.40 per night. The price included breakfast so it was quite a good deal. The location was very good as well.
Saga Poshtel Oslo Central
Address: Kongensgate 7, Oslo 0153
Price: 845.50 Kr (S$142.77) for 2 nights, for a 12-bed mixed dorm
Website: https://sagahoteloslo.com/saga-poshtel/
It was way too early for check-in (officially at 3pm) so I deposited my big backpack at the reception and headed out. While flipping through a magazine earlier, I read that Norwegians drink a lot of coffee and Oslo is the capital city of coffee lovers. I decided to check out Fuglen (click here), one of the cafes recommended by the magazine.
From the hostel, I walked for about 20 minutes and arrived at Fuglen at 12:20pm. I bought a ham & cheese sandwich and a cup of latte for 119 Kr (S$20.34). It was really expensive but I didn’t care, because I wanted some food in in my stomach and a cup of good coffee. I loved the vintage, 60’s era décor and furnishing at Fuglen.
After lunch, I strolled around the area and came across Fretex, a Salvation Army thrift store. I love visiting thrift stores because they are usually a treasure trove of hidden gems like rare CDs and vinyl records selling at low prices. I was quite lucky that day as I unearthed a CD album called Play, by Grammy Award-winning vocalist Bobby McFerrin and acclaimed pianist Chick Corea. It contained a track called “Spain” and I’d been searching for a recording of it for a long time.
I first got acquainted with “Spain” in 2000 when I performed the piece as part of a Chick Corea medley during a concert with the VJC Symphonic Band. In 2004, I got reminded of the piece again after it was used as reference material by my lecturer during a class on musical improvisation. The syncopated rhythm arrangement of the piece was really tricky to work out initially. It’s a brilliant piece of music and you can watch a live performance by Bobby McFerrin and Chick Corea by clicking here.
I gleefully bought the album for only 10 Kr (S$1.70). It looked like someone had sold off his entire Miles Davis collection and there were several other good jazz titles as well. I was very tempted and would have bought more if I were not backpacking. Nevertheless, I was very happy with my single purchase.
I soon reached Karl Johans gate, the main street of Oslo, a 1km-long boulevard linking Oslo S with Slottsplassen (Palace Square). The street is filled with lots of nice restaurants and shops and it is supposed to mimic Champs- Élysées in Paris.
When I reached the Royal Palace at 1:40pm, there was a changing of the guard ceremony taking place at Slottsplassen. Having served in the SAF Bands during my National Service days, I was naturally drawn to the parade. It was always fun to observe the soldiers’ attire and the way they march, and of course, the music played by the band.
After the parade, I walked towards the National Theater and saw that a military band was putting up a free performance at the outdoor area. I planted myself at a shady spot behind the percussion section so that I could see everything that was going on. I was used to this vantage point of course, being a percussionist myself.
The band played contemporary pop tunes such as Adele’s Skyfall and familiar ones like music by The Beatles. It brought back marvellous memories of my school band days, when our repertoire consisted of a lot of The Beatles and we also used to perform on special occasions at public places like Sentosa or the Botanic Gardens. I felt like I was being transported back in time 20 years ago.
I was also mesmerised by the conductor because his cues, expressions and gestures were exactly the same as those of my secondary school band conductor. Music really is a universal language. As I stood and watched the conductor, I recalled the time when I first joined the band as a Secondary 1 student. Back then, I wondered why we even needed a conductor because every musician had a music score in front of him…all we needed to do was to follow what was written on the score and just play! Of course, I quickly learned that that the conductor is the most important person in the band.
The conductor is the one who shapes the sound of the band. Non-musicians might wonder how a sound can have a “shape”, but that is exactly what it is. Whether a band sounds robust, weak, urgent or calm depends wholly on the conductor. Different bands may perform the same piece of music in different ways, and it is down to how the conductor interprets the music and how he/she directs the band to fulfil the interpretation in his/her mind. Conducting is more than just waving a stick in front of a bunch of musicians. It is about conveying his/her intention and extracting the performance out of his/her musicians. Well, I am not a conductor but that is my understanding as a musician.
The band was so good that I stood there for an hour watching their entire performance. As I listened to them play, I had goose bumps and even had tears welling in my eyes when certain passages of music moved me. It was incredible.
After the band performance, I went to the metro station to buy a 24-hour public transport ticket called an Impulskort (Impuls card). It cost 105 Kr (S$17.94) and it is valid for 24 hours upon activation. With the card, I could travel on Ruter’s buses, trams, metro lines and ferries.
At about 4pm, I went back to my hostel to check in formally, before heading out again for a swim at Frognerbadet. Admission to the pool cost 101 Kr (S$17.26), which was the most I had ever paid for a swim! However, that was the best thing to do because the temperature was a scorching 30 degrees Celsius.
When I arrived at 4:45pm, the pool was crowded with lots of locals but not overly so. It really was a very fine summer day for a swim and everyone seemed to be having a good time. At the far end of the outdoor pool, there was a diving pool and the 3m, 5m and 7m platforms were filled with kids lining up to jump off. Norwegian kids are really fearless! In Singapore, we don’t have swimming pools with diving platforms available for general public use, but even if there were, I highly doubt you will find any children or adults using them. I managed to swim about 20 laps and felt very accomplished and refreshed after that.
Frognerbadet is located right next to Frognerparken (Frogner Park), where I was headed to next. Frogner Park is the largest park in Oslo city and the Vigeland sculpture installation within it is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist. The sculpture area in Frogner Park covers 80 acres and features 212 bronze and granite sculptures designed by Gustav Vigeland. Most of the sculptures are situated along the 850m main axis. The park is open all year round, 24 hours a day and entry is free.
Gustav Vigeland was a famous Norwegian sculptor who lived from 1869 to 1943. He was also the designer of the Nobel Peace Prize medal. From 1924 to 1943, he lived in the building at the south of Frogner Park, which also functioned as his studio. It has since been converted into the Vigeland Museum. His works feature lots of nudity, exploring human forms and relationships. Enjoy the following weird and wonderful Vigeland sculptures…
At the highest point of Frogner Park is the Monolith, a 14m tall column with 121 human figures carved out of a single block of granite. The men and women clinging together are of different ages and the top of the Monolith is crowned by children. According to the Vigeland Museum website, the sculpture can be interpreted as a kind of vision of resurrection, and our longing and striving for spirituality.
Vigeland Park is a fascinating place and well worth a visit. Best of all, admission is free. I spent about an hour taking tons of photos, trying to find the best angle for the sculptures. It wasn’t crowded when I was there in the evening so it was lovely.
From Frogner Park, I took tram number 12 back to the city centre and alighted at Aker Brygge, the harbour area of Oslo. The Nobel Peace Center is located nearby but it was already closed when I arrived at 7:45pm so I didn’t manage to visit it. Since 1990, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded on 10 December (death anniversary of founder Alfred Nobel) each year at the Oslo City Hall, located right next door.
Aker Brygge used to be an industrial area but it is now a lively area with many fancy restaurants and bars, with gorgeous views of the pier and the old fortress across the harbour. The vibe here felt like Darling Harbour in Sydney. At that moment, a party cruise pulled in to the pier and brought along a boat load of revellers dancing to loud music on the top deck. They were obviously enjoying all the attention everyone was giving them.
Aker Brygge was nice but it was not really my scene so I left after a short while. I took another tram to go to Hendrix Ibsen, a café/record store located in the Vulkan neighbourhood. From what I read, it sounded like a cool café with a selection of used vinyl records, so I was keen to check it out.
Unfortunately, Hendrix Ibsen wasn’t what I expected. I imagined it would be a small and cosy record store but it was actually located within the PS:hotell premises and it was more like a hotel lobby bar. There was no one around and the atmosphere felt cold and unwelcoming. The vinyl selection wasn’t great either. Furthermore, it didn’t serve proper food so I didn’t stay for a meal there.
After the disappointing trip to Hendrix Ibsen, I walked around the area to look for a place for dinner. I found many restaurants but they were all crowded and pricey, as you would expect from Oslo. In the end, I settled on a food truck in a small park as it was the only option offering decent food under 100 Kr. I ordered a salmon pasta for 95 Kr and a bottle of apple juice for 20 Kr. The meal still came up to 115 Kr (S$19.65) but at least the pasta was good. I also hadn’t had fish for the longest time so I savoured it.
After the simple dinner, I made my way back to the hostel and returned at 9:45pm. It had been quite a long day but an enjoyable one. I was only just getting started on my Norwegian adventure, many more exciting days ahead!