Day one in Oslo, our first 'tourist' day started off bright and early with a noon time wake up. It didn't seem like we could possibly have slept that late, but after a max of four hours sleeptime on our two plane rides, it was obvious we needed the rest. As we got ready to head out, the sun was disappearing behind the clouds but by the time we were sitting with our first lattes, it was shining bright again and lasted the rest of the day.
As a result of our exploration the night before, we found a good super market, a closed wine store (not reopening until Monday) and the perfect latte spot overlooking the subway station. When we noticed people starting to gather, we finished our coffees and headed over for the train. About 2-minutes later a sleek, silver-gray, new car pulled into the station and we were on our way into the city center. Each station was announced by a woman's voice and shown on electronic signs in the car, with the signs being key to figuring out how the actual sound of Norwegian matched up to what we were calling the stations. Roa, for example, has that throaty, rolling 'r' that I could never master in French class, but if I'd worked harder it might have helped with my Norwegian. Actually though, everyone here speaks English, effortlessly switching as soon as we ask a question.
We armed ourselves with Oslo Passes, good for all public transportation and free entry to almost every museum, and set off to get our bearings. On a side note, but one to be remembered, the lovely young woman selling the passes simply could not believe that one of us would possibly qualify for the 'honnor' or senior fare. The nearby Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art provided a different perspective on India with an exhibit called 'Indian Highway', showing a contemporary take I would have expected more from the ICA. After that cultural stop and a bit more walking that led to the discovery of enough other nearby museums for the next three days, we ended the afternoon at a cafe, on a plaza, in the sun, toasting a perfect start to our Oslo adventure.