Sitting in a downtown Oslo cafe called Barbera. Thinking of mom.
Staying in Oslo another night. Took a bus into the city around noon and will be taking it back to Bent’s house when done here. Had hoped to meet up with Liza, but it looks like that will have to wait until next time I pass through town. Did get to a couple shops today that had both GPS maps and camp fuel. After that, made it to the one destination in Oslo I didn’t want to miss… Korn (translated “Grain”) on Bygdøy. It’s a cafe that sells organic and free trade products. More importantly, it’s the cafe owned by snowboarding icon Terje Haakonson – hands down the most influential rider in the history of the sport. He lives with his family just a few blocks from the shop. Had lunch there – trout and avocado sandwich on an oat roll, with a cup of coffee and a slice of “American” cheesecake. Walked from there to the museums the area is known for, which were already closed but got some time to spend alone on the docks with a panoramic view of the city.
Caught (stole? …oops) a bus ride back to downtown, walked around the city center (royal palace, national theater, parliament, cathedral, city hall, nobel peace building, aker brygge, etc.), and then found this corner cafe. It, like everything else around here, is high class and comfortable. Norway is the most expensive place in the world, and you can tell. Everything is clean, classy and modern. Barbera has been playing metro trance since sitting down with my nine dollar pint of pilsner and wireless internet (not as common as I expected) at a candlelit wooden table in a space that looks as much like an Ikea show room as a Monday evening meeting place. With prices like that, intake of staples like cigarettes and alcohol have been cut dramatically, but I’m taking the opportunity to appreciate them in the city before the beauty around me changes from urban to rural and I begin living out of my tent. That can happen easier now that I have the maps and fuel and will probably start before the week is out.
…ok, lights just went down. Weak Become Heroes remix on the stereo and I can’t stand being here by myself. It’s too good not to be sharing with someone. Get me out in the woods, and I’ll want to be alone, but now I need someone.
