Posted on Tuesday, 22 December 2015

My friend Sarah thought Oslo would be cold, expensive and dull.

Two out of three isn't bad.

Planet Vulkan

We booked into the Scandic Vulkan, which, true to its name, looks like it should be on another planet. I loved the room's floor-to-ceiling windows which afforded wonderful views over the wintry Norwegian capital; a wintriness that contrasted starkly with the warm, cosy hotel. The funky chairs and stylish printed walls were obviously chosen by someone with great taste. As was perhaps the intention, this place feels like a living working art.

What's more, with rooms starting at about £100, the Vulkan is fairly affordable by Norwegian standards.

Oslo Mathellen

Sarah does love the high life, but (although I budgeted a substantial amount for Oslo) I still wanted to keep costs under control.

To this end our first meal was in the Olso Food Hall (Oslo Mathellen) – actually part of the same new complex as the Vulkan, comprising offices and schools as well as hotels and eateries. It's a “fusion of culture and creative industry”, apparently. It's also one of the cheapest places in Oslo to satisfy one's hunger.

With meals starting at 79 NOK (£5.30), Mathellen is hard to beat price-wise. But equally, in terms of choice this place is something else. We feasted our eyes on all manner of themed stalls – from Asian tapas to seafood, from cheese to Fair Trade. Pink skinned chickens with un-plucked heads lay ready to be cooked, live lobsters in tanks seemed keen to avoid our gaze and slabs of fresh beef awaited the pan. Finally we both opted for foot-long chicken sandwiches, washed down by a tasty Cornish ale called Proper Job.

If Norwegian cuisine does consist mainly of rotting fish, then this food hall might be regarded as a god-send! Later, however, we would discover that Norwegian's do know how to make fish taste amazing.

Oslo Pass

Viking Ship Museum, Oslo, Norway (pxhidalgo/Bigstock.com)

I found out about the Olso Pass before we left the UK. We chose a 72-hour 590 NOK (£44) pass that gave us free entry to a number of top attractions including the Viking Ship Museum, the Kon-Tiki Museum and the Munch Museum. Flashing this pass also got us on to the metro, bus, tram and even the ferry without any additional charge.

Vigeland Park

Vigeland Park, Oslo, Norway (leaf/Bigstock.com)

But even without the Pass our first attraction would have been free. Shielded from the chill in our heavy winter coats we boarded a bus for Vigeland Park. An artist called Gustav Vigeland created more than 200 sculptures for this impressive public space, which covers 79 acres. The sculptures are based mainly on dozens of bodies – writhing together in masses, or depicted merging with organic shapes. We both nodded in appreciation before deciding it was far too cold to be enjoying al fresco art, no matter how good it was!

Keen to make use of our Oslo Passes, we headed for the Kon-Tiki Museum. In 1947 Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl built a balsa-wood replica of a pre-Columbian raft and used it to sail from Peru to Polynesia. This place brings that astonishing journey to life with maps and replica rafts. Sarah and I thought ourselves rather intrepid visiting the Norwegian capital – but our trip was put into perspective by the Kon-Tiki Museum!

Kon-Tiki Museum, Oslo, Norway (Telia/Bigstock.com)

After Kon-Tiki we squeezed in a brief visit to the Viking Ship Museum, located nearby. A small but fascinating insight into the rather barbaric world of the Vikings. How civilised the Norwegians seem now…

The Best Fish Meal Ever?

In the evening we visited the Statholdergaarden, apparently one of Oslo's best restaurants. A big dent in the budget, I thought, but knowing I wouldn't be returning here in the foreseeable future I threw caution to the wind. I was glad I did. Everything about this place was astonishing, from the service to the mouth-watering cuisine – and of course the price (surely some sort of typing error, I joked!).

Our five course meal opened with salmon and Swedish caviar; my first experience of this salty but opulent dish was not disappointing. This was followed by shellfish soup, cod, breast of duck and Norwegian cheese and bread. I just about managed to squeeze in the delightful ginger cake and white chocolate. A true assault on the taste buds, the Statholdergaarden certainly deserves its Michelin Star. This experience beat any fish supper I've ever had!

Museums

The next day we took in the Holmenkollen Ski Museum, which covers 4,000 years of skiing history, then the Nobel Peace Center, where the Nobel Peace prize is awarded each year.

Nobel Peace Center, Oslo, Norway (TTstudio/Bigstock.com)

In the bright but chilly afternoon we walked along the stylish new waterfront, taking in the futuristic Opera House (we could even walk on the roof) and the Akershus Fortress.

National Opera House, Oslo, Norway (TTstudio/Bigstock.com)

Ylajali Restaurant

Seeking warmth and food we headed for the rather exclusive Ylajali Restaurant. After seeing the prices I suggested we head back to the Food Hall, but Sarah said she would treat us both; after all, she said, it was our last night in the Norwegian capital.

It was something of a taste explosion; after Champagne appetizers we enjoyed raw shrimp and quail, crayfish and smoked leaks. Even the Brussel sprouts were amazing; not usually a favourite of mine. We were saddened to learn that the Ylajali was soon to close, but were glad we got to sample its delights before the curtain went down.

Once more huddled against the Norwegian cold, we returned to the art-infused Scandic Vulkan and enjoyed a few drinks in the bar before bed.

We were very pleasantly surprised by Oslo.

Cold? Yes. Expensive? Yes. Dull? Certainly not!

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