July 5th
Oslo International Airport is 50 kilometers out of town. That seemed like an expensive cab ride. So Gail and I decided to hop the train. We didn't rent a car the entire time we were away. This is Europe! Nobody drives . . . . At least that's what we thought. Actually, nobody does seem to drive in Oslo. Once we arrived in the city there were a handful of cars coming and going. But it was a great place for pedestrians and bicycles. We read that most of the heavy traffic took place underground in a series of tunnels. Outside of Oslo, I think everybody drives despite the nonsensical gasoline prices - $7.00 a gallon compared with $2.25 in the United States. Gail is more of a sentimentalist. She lived in Europe growing up and rode around on a Eurorail Pass. She's a big believer in trains.So yes. We took the train from the airport. It took a while to get going. Gail punched her credit card into the Flytoget ticket machine. Wouldn't work. I put mine in. No dice with that one either. In America, you just use your credit card. Who needs a PIN unless you withdraw cash at an ATM machine. Both of us have ATM cards that work in every cash machine in America. In Norway you need that PIN for credit cards too. It turned out later I could have used my ATM card to buy the train tickets. But we were a little spooked at that point. We went to the counter. That turned out to be for the "local" train. It went to the same place -- Oslo S -- but had one more stop along the way. But tickets were 100 kroner apiece instead of 200 with Flytoget. Well, you don't get to become a high powered hedge fund manager by throwing away 200 kroners for nothing! We took the local.
At the train station I insisted on buying some local currency. I was paid a market price for my $100. But there was a 50 kroner service charge. Kind of like the stock market. Gail thought I was being stupid. Everyone said there was no reason to carry cash in Norway. Our credit cards have chips in them. So they would work. And every store took them. Before I bought the cash, though, I'd tried to go to the bathroom in the train station. Ten kroners. No cards. "I'm getting some cash!"
Our hotel was near the train station, a few blocks from Karl Johans Gate. Gail figured out the language better than I did. She knew the names. I visualized where everything was. Oslo has a pretty simple layout. After we settled in at our hotel we walked straight to the new Opera House. It's world famous. Designed by a leading architectural company right down the street. We climbed to the top, explored inside, and listened to gypsies play a combination of soulful melodies and American show tunes on their accordions out front. What caught my eye, besides the beautiful building itself, was the gigantic construction project unfolding across the street. We couldn't understand the sign out front. Later it was explained to us that the new government was creating a retail-commercial-residential complex with a big emphasis on student housing. Pretty good digs!
We toured the main sights the rest of the afternoon. It began raining when we reached the Cathedral. We popped into a coffee shop nearby. Gail figured out the menu. I just wanted a basic cup of coffee. I ordered an Americana. Gail bought a latte. "Take away?" No. It was raining. We stayed inside. But it cost an extra 12% for the privilege. This time my credit card worked. But without a PIN I had to sign for every purchase the next two weeks. (Who checks those signatures?) After the rain died down we trooped up to the Palace, then back down Karl Johan's to the Grand Cafe. The food was great. But 130 kroners for a beer struck me as a little steep. Turns out, that's what a beer costs in Norway. At least during tourist season!
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