“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, “Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”
― Lewis Carroll

So I raved about the trains in the last post, but I think it could be said again. Scandinavian trains are my favorite.

They’re not too pricey, and on top of that you get free wifi, chargers at your seat, and of course fantastic snowy views.

However, I’m jumping ahead of myself.

For any who haven’t been following, this is part of my Nordic adventure, heading up to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Oslo was our last stop on the road. However, to get there we needed to take a long train ride all the way there. Not that it was a great burden to us.

We checked out of our hostel in Stockholm and headed to the train station where we grabbed coffee and treats to finish off the last of our Swedish crowns. And then we boarded the train and were on our way.

It was very crowded, but thankfully my seat partner got off at like the second or third stop, so most of the ride I had to myself and could look out the window while working on my computer. The countryside was beautiful. You could see small black dots out on the surface of a frozen lake, little ice fishers waiting for their catch. I just would catch myself sighing, and thinking the train ride could be longer, and I wouldn’t mind.

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In fact it was, delays apparently were caused by trains crossing, though I don’t really understand how that works, but nonetheless we arrived in Oslo in the late evening.

My friend and I headed out into the cold, both enjoying the snow as we have none where we are living in France now, but both come from places that get a little frozen precipitation during the winter months.

We walked through the downtown before heading to our Airbnb.

I had never done Airbnb before. Maybe that’s strange for a traveler, but it’s true. I had never seen the need, choosing to usually find hostels instead. However, Oslo had very few hostels, so my friend and I realized it might be just as cheap to book something else instead. And that’s how we found the place we were staying.

It was a very nice apartment, very close to the downtown area. The hosts were very friendly and offered us advice about what to do. They were even helpful when I asked if I could wash my clothes while I was there, since it would save me a trip to the laundromat when I got back.

I highly recommend this option if you’re in Oslo with another person, because it’s worth it splitting. Or another Airbnb. It’s nice to have another option if there aren’t hostels to house you, and it beats paying for a fancy hotel. Such is the modern world I guess!

After getting some advice about what to see from our host, my friend and I headed out to find food. We walked down to the downtown area, enjoying the snow and lights and city. We were again hungry enough (having skipped lunch) we decided to settle for anything. Which is how we ended up eating pasta at Prima Fila. It was pretty good food overall, and we even splurged and I had dessert and my friend a starter. Good to treat yourself sometimes I guess.

After that we took a little walk around the area before heading back to get some good rest. We were looking forward to a full day of exploring when morning came!