Day Two: Europe!

HEATHROW

You might wonder why I’ve titled this section Heathrow instead of London. Well, I don’t really feel as if I’ve visited England – looking back at our two-hour stopover, I’ve decided that the fact that I never actually stepped outside of the terminal building precludes the UK as a checkmark on my list of countries to visit.

Not to say that I didn’t have fun.

After waking up from a short two-hour sleep, we had a quick breakfast (only about six hours after we were served supper) and prepared for landing. I silently lamented the fact that I hadn’t been able to watch more of the free movies and TV shows. That’s right, I was wishing my 9-hour flight was LONGER. I’m special like that.

We landed at Heathrow at a sunny 11:00 AM. After getting through exceptionally strict customs (I had to shotgun my carefully stowed Clamato – my last for 4 months), we wandered into the shopping mall that is Heathrow Terminal 3. After taking a short trip into the Harrods outlet with Mom (trip being the optimal word - I felt decidedly like a bull in an extremely expensive china shop), the three of us wandered over to the duty-free shop.

And what a shop it was.

Approximately the size of a Safeway, the duty-free at Heathrow features a variety of fine watches, perfumes, and alcohol. And oh, the alcohol. Not only did they have an absolutely astounding selection of Scotch, Gin, Bailey’s and other British spirits, everything was up for sampling! In fifteen minutes, I had:

• 15 year-old Glenfiddich,
  
• the best mojito I’ve ever had (real crushed mint!),
  
• sugar cane liqueur from Brazil,
  
• Pimms No.1 (thanks to Ben Rakochy, I’m already well-acquainted with it – though the Brits were a little confused by my mention of a saskatoon berry-based cocktail),
  
• and lastly, a fine Grey Goose on ice.
  

Needless to say, I was in a very good mood when I boarded the plane for Oslo.

DESTINATION: OSLO

I finally felt like I was in England as I got a quick shot of the Tower Bridge on way out of city. Hopefully I get back here at some point, if only to catch a rugby test match and a few pints in a pub.

Boarding the Boeing 737 to Oslo made me realize two things:

• I liked the Airbus more,
  
• Air Canada isn’t actually as bad as everyone says – from the meals to the service to the entertainment, I really enjoyed my flight.
  

After a few snapshots of the English coastline, I had a quick nap, and woke up over Norway. My first view of the country confirmed all I’d read: forest and sea, with a few small farms in between (though not surveyed on the square – rather strange to see for a Saskatchewan boy).

We landed outside Oslo, at one of the most beautiful airports I’ve been to (with a real Scandinavian flavour) and worked our way to security. After being waved through customs (remarkably relaxed), we boarded a train for Oslo city centre. In case you don’t know, I love trains – but unfortunately, this one involved a large amount of underground travel. Plus we had to stand. But I still had a blast.

OSLO - ARRIVAL

As we exited the train station, we were overwhelmed by the feeling that we were actually in a European city. However, this awe was quickly replaced with a desire to get to our hotel as soon as we could for a hot shower and a soft bed. Unfortunately, the seven-block trek to our hotel over the cobblestone seemed much further in real life than on Google Maps. The muggy weather and the puddles didn’t make it any more enjoyable.

However, we finally made it to our hotel, and all feelings of exhaustion vanished. Mom had truly found us a steal – a classy, inexpensive hotel in the heart of Oslo. Once we rode the tiny elevator, we arrived at our small but cosy room on the 4th floor, with free internet, a double bed, and a cot for me.

I jumped in the shower to wash off the acquired grime and sleep that had acquired over the past two days of traveling, and emerged ready to take on the world. We set out to find ice for the beer Dad bought from the duty-free at the Oslo airport… and found it at the 7-Eleven. It would seem that the European infiltration by American chains is unavoidable.

FIRST MEAL ABROAD

After dropping off the ice, we set out to find food for the evening. After wandering the local main drag (Karl Johans Gate), we resolved to try and find a cheap place that sold Norwegian cuisine – preferably seafood. After reading a dozen menus and finding nothing cheaper than $30 CAD a plate, we chatted with a local to find out the scoop. He informed us that the only inexpensive food downtown was to be had at the “chain” restaurants. In other words, McDonald’s, 7-Eleven, and Burger King.

So we made a group decision to postpone our traditional Norwegian meal to Tromsø, and settled for BK hamburgers, a piece of 7-Eleven pizza, and a McFlurry. In our defense, we only spent 120 Norwegian kroner between the three of us – less than what it would have cost to feed one at any of the restaurants we visited.

As tourists, our evening was a total success – we walked the harbour and watched its buskers, caught sight of Parliament and the palace, tripped over the cobblestone sidewalks, and relished the fact that we were in a European capital city. However, I’ll tell you more about Oslo when I update you on our tourist adventures on Monday. But here are a few pictures to keep you on the edge of your seat:

A WELL-DESERVED REST

We headed back to our hotel, and I logged onto the wireless network to check my email and update my journal. As the night wore on, we planned our Monday that lay ahead, the designated “tourist” day in Oslo. Finally, we tucked into our beds at 11:00 PM, even though it was only 3:00 PM in Saskatchewan – my lack of sleep the night before ensured that my jet lag was almost non-existent.

I found it easy to fall asleep, even though one of the complaints about our hotel was the noise of the trolleys outside. Truth be told, they are much quieter than the long-long-short-long trains that speed through Wilcox every night.

So there you have it - my first official day in Europe. I'm going to sign off now (we’re headed out for supper). Hope that you're enjoying my travel account so far!