Tonje's Travelogue 17: Summer Night Cruise in Oslo
With content hearts, full souls, and even fuller memory cards from the camera we were back in Oslo. 6000 photos were proof enough that we had completed the vacation of our lives - and all on our own doorstep (almost!)
But, wait...we had one activity left to look forward to, softening the blow as the final curtain drew near, a romantic Summer night cruise in Oslofjord with shrimp and crab on the menu. It's easy to overlook things that are so close to home and we were more than happy to be tourists in our own city!
We live in Bislett, which is located in the middle of Oslo city. Oslo is a fairly small city compared to many of the big cities in Europe, and we could walk down to the departure point at Rådhuskaia in no time. We were already at the end of August, but the sun was high in the sky and there was not a breath of wind. It does not get better when you go out to the sea! (unless you need the wind of course)
We were welcomed by what turned out to be the captain of the ship on the side of the dock. The ship was large and built of solid wood with masts that stretched high into the evening sun. Douglas and I found a table on the upper deck and enjoyed the last of the summer sun with a cold beer while the ship filled up with guests.
Photo: Tonje Brattås
We sailed past Aker pier with its bustling restaurants which from a distance seemed more reminiscent of pre-covid summers than the times we were now in. Out into the fjord we navigated around the peninsula Bygdøy with Oslo's most expensive houses, and popular museums such as the Viking Ship Museum, Folk and Kon Tiki Museums.
We saw the smallest inhabited island we have seen, where one single house was perched atop a rock in the ocean. While we sailed in the direction of Nordstrand, we were served shrimp with mayonnaise, dill, and lemon and fresh bread - a typical Norwegian archipelago dish that tasted so heavenly fresh!
Photo: Tonje Brattås
The captain often came to our table to have a chat and tell a story or two about what we could see around us. One such story was of a cove that was full of boats with sunbathing locals on their decks. The captain told us that the area is called the Pond of the Dead.
There are several theories about the name. One is that no matter what wind direction you have, you are sheltered by three islands: Ostøya, Kjeholmen, and Grimsøya. The water does not move, it is dead…
Photo: Tonje Brattås
The sun was about to set when we turned our noses back to the pier again and was replaced by a giant supermoon on the horizon. We passed the hip Vippetangen food hall, where people waved and yelled, showing their excitement at seeing our ship.
As we approached land the moon threw a beautiful glimmer of light into the water, Douglas and I lifted our glasses and said "cheers" for a magical summer with Fjord Tours experiences and the beauty of Norway.
We are looking forward to next summer, and hope it will be possible to travel internationally again so that you can experience all that beautiful Norway has to offer!
Thank you,
Fjord Tours!
Love from Douglas and Tonje
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Photo: Tonje Brattås