I had bought a 72-hour Oslo Pass, which for 590 kr (about £50) gave me free entry to loads of museums, unlimited travel on Oslo’s public transport system, and discounts in a number of restaurants. On Friday evening it was the latter feature that was of most interest to me. I had eaten a Boots Meal Deal on the plane, but it was now nearly 7pm and I was hungry.
The pass booklet recommended Kaffistova – “serves traditional Norwegian food and is one of the oldest cafés in Oslo”. It was near my hotel and offered a 20% discount to Oslo Pass holders. I made a beeline for it.
The café itself is self-service – take a tray, get it loaded up with food and return to your table. There were various delightful sounding options on the menu – steamed salmon, shrimp sandwich – but “Reindeer cakes with potatoes and mushroom sauce” jumped out at me.
I can honestly say it was the best reindeer I’d ever tasted. Kind of venison-y. It was very tasty, in any event. I wolfed it down quickly, but not before putting a photo on Instagram. Yes, I’m a wanker.
Suitably nourished, I headed back out onto Oslo’s streets to explore a while. It was a warm, clear evening and Oslo looked especially lovely bathed in the light of the slowly-setting sun. I wandered with no particular route in mind, but passed many of the city’s landmarks as I did so.
The University of Oslo’s law faculty:
The Royal Palace, situated in Slottsparken:
The City Hall, and Rådhusplassen, the square in front:
Rådhusbrygge, a small quayside located right in front of the city hall; starting point for numerous ferries and sightseeing cruises:
The former Oslo West railway station, now the Nobel Peace Centre:
Aker Brygge, a former industrial area, now regenerated with shops, apartments and restaurants.
The US embassy. You can’t really see in this picture, but rainbow flags were flying from the fence – presumably intended to celebrate Oslo Pride, but even more appropriate in light of the US Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage earlier that day.
Back in the city centre, I encountered Oslo’s small but perfectly formed gay district. In nearby Spikersuppa the Pride Park was already up and running, but I decided to hold off visiting until Saturday. Instead I ended up in London Pub, a small basement bar with a nice atmosphere and TfL-baiting logo. I drank a lot of Hansa, the finest product of Bergen. Well, it would have been rude not to.
