Cruise Chronicles – Days 12 & 13 – At Sea and Arrive in Oslo

Free at last!

Day 12 was another day at sea as we steamed toward Oslo, the last port of call before the ship returned to Copenhagen. We were going to be among a few dozen lucky passengers to disembark in Norway…a much easier plan than to be part of the madhouse when 3,500 disgorge back in Denmark.

Baltic Sunset at Sea (19 May 2019)

The day at sea was leisurely. Attended a modest photography lecture and a somewhat disappointing art lecture. What was billed as a look at the Picasso art in the Hermitage Museum devolved into a sales pitch for some of his ceramic designs. They’re always selling something on a cruise ship.

There was some reading and journaling of the trip thus far and packing of the bags so they could be moved to the exit early the next morning.

The Oslo Fjord (20 May 2019)

We sailed up the Oslo Fjord at sunrise…which is pretty early that far north this time of year. The photos here were taken around 5 AM.

Fjords are steep and deep valleys carved out by glaciers and then flooded by the rising ocean. Norway’s coastline is global ‘Fjord Central.’ Check out this short video. If the nation’s coastline was straight and undented, it would be 1,600 miles long. With all the fjords, the coastline has 18,000 miles of waterfront. You can see that the water must be deep given how close our behemoth is to the shore.

The Oslo Fjord (20 May 2019)

Norwegian Customs officers boarded the ship and cleared the passports for the passengers exiting here. Fortunately, we were able to leave before the hordes of short-time visitors. We will stay in Oslo for four nights.

The final insult regarding ‘My Unfortunate Incarceration’ was the last use of that personal medallion on a lanyard that cruise passengers get. It opens the cabin door, registers all your purchases and checks you on and off the ship. When I was going ashore for the last time, it prompted an alarm that said I was still quarantined (!?!). It took a few minutes to clear that up before I could finally escape.

Barcode Neighborhood, Oslo (23 May 2019)

We took an Uber cab to the Air B&B apartment that Beck arranged earlier. Located in a neighborhood called ‘Barcode,’ a number of new multi-purpose high-rise buildings occupy former industrial and dock space in Central Oslo. Much of the land was under water until the mid-19th century. Some refer to it as the ‘Opera Quarter’ since the spectacular new Opera House is nearby.

The Living Roofs of Barcode, Oslo (20 May 2019)

We had a corner apartment on the 20th floor…simply furnished but with two bathrooms, three bedrooms and plenty of space for our separate stuff. Especially in this new neighborhood, the plant life on the roofs demonstrate the Norwegians’ environmental ethic. The city is clean, orderly…and expensive.

Our Oslo Apartment (20 May 2019)

The rest of the day was easy and quiet. A bar lunch followed by some local wanderings. We walked a few blocks to Central Station to get travel information (and a very pricey pint of Jack Daniels for me). There was a grocery around the corner to fetch some evening snacks and we were content to settle in for the night.

Tomorrow will be a serious day of local touring.