时间：2022-10-26 10:51:29
I was at a pavement café on Karl Johans Gate， described fittingly as the Champs-elysees of the north， flipping through the pages of Edvard Munch in Oslo. I stopped at a drawing of this elegant high street by norway’s best known painter—not the least because his famous Scream has been stolen enough times to embarrass norwegian security. Munch had captured Karl Johans circa 1880 in a series of lithographs. And here I was， gawking at the passing parade along the same street， preserved with care， to remain much as munch must have seen it.
It was an enjoyable way to spend an icy april morning. And as I sat there， the occasional snowflake floated into my glass of Ringnes beer. I had arrived a few days before， expecting to feel spring in the air， but landing instead into the Christmas card snowscape that was Oslo’s Gardemoen airport. However， this efficient little airport is well-prepared for the worst weather， employing huge machines and smart technology to de-ice airplane wings even in deepest winter. Not surprisingly， it was voted the most punctual european airport of 2010.
The fetching capital of norway is snowbound for much of the year， but that’s no reason not to get out and enjoy its myriad attractions. The outdoorsy norwegians say， ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather， only bad clothing.’ So slip into the right gear and you’re good to go around Oslo， a city compact enough to explore on foot for the most part. Strolling along Karl Johans Gate in the heart of the city is a must-do. There’s the norwegian parliament at one end—and it’s not unusual to see a minister or two cycling in the vicinity. A far cry from our ministerial entourages， I thought， whenever such a dignitary was pointed out to me. At the other end， crowning a slope is the royal palace. All along are cafes， bars and the legendary Grand Hotel， from whose balcony the nobel peace prize winners greet the crowd. There’s also a Freia boutique， which will please even the most sophisticated chocolate fiend. Norway’s chocolate， though less known than its Belgian counterpart， is world class. They say the two things that norwegians miss most when they travel abroad is their chocolate and the sweet water from the glaciers that is available on tap. Drink it， and you’ll understand the fuss.
A short walk from Karl Johans is aker Brygge， a fjordfront development and another example of the norwegian flair for preserving their heritage while giving it a modern purpose. Here， a pile of old warehouses has been turned into a trendy hub of restaurants， bars and shops. Among the string of restaurants， which includes everything from steakhouses to TGIF， is D/S Louise—a restaurant with a nautical theme， which is one of Oslo’s best places for tucking into a large bowl of Moules Marinieres （mussels cooked in white wine）. At the water’s edge is an old ship that has been turned into a bar and restaurant. And I can’t think of a better way to spend a Oslo evening than to sit here， sip bellinis， admire the imposing medieval akershus fortress across the water and watch the boats glide by.
It’s a perfect way to round off a day of sightseeing. And there’s plenty to see. To begin with， Oslo is a city with a diverse array of museums. The picturesque Bygdoy peninsula is where you’ll find the viking ship museum， showcasing the country’s glorious seafaring past， and the Kon-tiki museum. Here， marvel at how the intrepid voyager thor Heyerdahl crossed the oceans in so seemingly fragile a craft. The Folk museum， arranged in a wooded expanse， gives you a glimpse into the history of norway’s indigenous people such as the sami from Lapland.
While you may pick and choose between the museums， nearly all visitors to Oslo go to Vigeland Park， the vast， green space housing the impressive， frequently shocking， works of Gustav Vigeland. Amid the trees， flowerbeds and fountains are set the sculptor’s nude figures， entwined， twisted and contorted in the most fascinating shapes.
Life in Oslo is defined by its unique location， bound as it is by a fjord on one side and steep， wooded slopes on the other. The fjord allows for all manner of water sport and activities， including a bouquet of fun boat rides. If romance is your thing， take a sunset cruise and dine aboard on the Norwegian speciality of prawns and mayonnaise paired with a crisp white wine.
The woods and steep climbs offer another clutch of things to do. A short drive from the city centre is Holmenkollen， venue of the World Ski Championship. It affords superlative views of the city and if you， like me， are no adventure sport enthusiast， you can still experience the thrills of a ski jump in a simulator.
In fact， its proximity to pristine nature is one of Oslo’s charms， and few other capital cities are blessed in this manner. You realise how close when you see signs for ‘ Elk Crossing’ only a short while after leaving the city centre. Hit the suburbs and you could find yourself trekking in quiet woods and picking berries in summer. The fleeting summer is when this city shows off its best side. Every park is filled with picnickers and Aker Brygge bristles with revellers， listening to buskers， drinking and eating at the seafood stalls set up at the water’s edge.
The city’s superlative food is bound to impress the gourmet. The bread is as good as in any Parisian bakery， the butter， sweet. You will eat well everywhere in Oslo， whether in its Michelin-starred restaurants—expensive， but not more so than many of our five-star places—or the many stylish eateries and casual cafés. Chefs turn out delightful dishes， drawing out the best of seasonal ingredients— spring lamb， to salt-baked trout， smoked pheasant and venison with wild mushrooms. And if you’re game enough， try the traditional pickled herrings， reindeer meat and elk sausage.
Summer is also when you can have the unusual experience of setting out for a night of clubbing while the sun is still bright and emerging at 3 a.m. or thereabouts， again into bright daylight. This is the land of the midnight sun， remember？ The nightlife caters to every taste—from funky places in the various ethnic quarters where you can also dine on Turkish and Moroccan food， to gay and lesbian bars， and uber chic spots downtown.
Don’t shy away from getting a taste of the nightlife even if you are travelling solo. Norwegians are friendly， even more when they’ve had a few drinks. They are almost always polite and cordial. In fact， the only things that seem to irk them are honking on the roads and fumbling in a supermarket checkout queue！ Their equanimity must have something to do with the fact that Oslo is repeatedly rated one of the world’s most liveable cities. And even the most jaded， been there-done that traveller is bound to come under the spell of this easy-going city.
At A Glance
Getting There
Air France， Lufthansa and KLM fly from major Indian cities to Paris， Frankfurt and Amsterdam respectively. There are connections to Oslo from all three. Fare： 45，000 approx
When To Go
June， July， August are the brightest months but Oslo is also worth experiencing in autumn and winter.
Must Do
Stay
Luxury： At the upper end of the scale is the Radisson Blu Plaza， starting from 15，000 approx；
Affordable： Centrally located， the Perminalen Hotel offers good prices for families. Their four-bedded rooms cost around 3，000 a night.
Eat
At Michelin-starred restaurants such as Bagatelle （www. bagatelle.no） if you wish to splurge. But the seafood and meat is good everywhere.
Shop
For woollens and souvenirs from Norway Designs， a delightful gallery-cum-shop in the heart of Oslo； www.norwaydesigns.no
See
The Oya Music Festival is the high point in Oslo’s cultural year. The dates for 2011 are August 9 to 13；