my feet don't want to go to sleep

The Marino vacation destinations choices happen in seemingly random ways. In 2023, we decided to go to Germany for oktoberfest. In 2022, most of us went to Mexico City and La Paz while I was “living” in Mexico. In 2021, we went to Charleston for Christina’s 30th birthday. This time we offered Peter the choice. He wanted to see the northern lights. Iceland was the first idea, but I had already been there so I quietly pivoted the conversation to Norway and the Arctic Circle. Everyone was onboard and I had my 40th country stamped.

I planned to stay for the entire month of November returning right before Thanksgiving. With this nomadic lifestyle traveling for less than a month, when I am working, seems silly. Plus with my booking.com status I can book places for a week or so without breaking the bank. booking.com is basically my landlord. 2024 was predicted to be an incredible year for the northern lights. 2025 is looking to be amazing as well… consider this your incentive.

We spent a week in Norway with 4 days in Oslo and 3 days in Tromso. Flying in and out of Oslo is the way to go with direct flights from Newark. Peter and I were delayed as his passport expired but that is a different story. I stayed an extra week in Oslo, since I missed most of it waiting at the DMV in New York, then went to Bergen for a week.

Oslo

To Stay

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel has cheap rates, great room sizes, and is located right outside of the train station. This train takes you around the country and directly to the airport. The signage is impeccable and you can print your bag tags at the ticket machine. Oh to live in a real country.

Anker Hotel is where I extended my stay. The room was decent with a little table I worked at and a view of the river, breakfast included. The tram stopped right outside of it so traveling around was easy. Oslo is such a walkable city if you have the time.

To Eat & Drink

• W.B. Samson – Egertorget – long line but the traditional pastry cinnamon bun is worth it
• HIMKOK Storgata Destilleri – one of the top bars in the world
• Mathallen Oslo – a food hall with loads of different cuisines
• Oslo Mekaniske Verksted – wine bar meets lounge meets library, perfect on a cold night
• Tim Wendelboe – very cute coffee shop
• Norda Oslo – fine dining Norwegian food
• Café Laundromat – coffee shop meets laundromat. Not as affordable as an actual laundromat but the food and coffee were delicious and my clothes clean.
• Alex Sushi – I went on a date with a guy who worked in this restaurant. If you go, tell Carlos hello.
• No Stress – the bar I went on a date at, the vibe is local and there are video games to play and plush seating
• Dolshi Restaurant – Eritrean restaurant with the most incredible dishes and coffee. Best meal I had the whole trip
• Masala Politics – on the main drag but above it all, incredibly delicious Indian food

To Explore

We bought the city pass for 72 hours which gets you into almost every museum, allows for unlimited train access, and has discounts at restaurants. I have done this so far in Hungary and Croatia and will recommend it 100% of the time.

• Kunstnernes Hus
• Oslo Badstuforening, Langkaia
• SALT – Art & Music
• Munch
• Intercultural Museum
• Astrup Fearnley Museum Of Modern Art
• The Vigeland Park
• The Fram Museum
• Historisk museum
• Nasjonalmuseet
• Botanisk hage

The Itinerary

Day 1 (or 3 if you didn’t change your flight to go with your brother to the DMV

The idea was the see the fjords which we really didn’t understand. After much running around the Aker brygge (ferry station), we booked a round trip ticket that popped to some of the islands around Oslo. It was technically a commuter ferry but it was a nice way to see the area around.

We ate at the Mathallen Oslo, walked over to Tim Wendelboe for a coffee, and hit HIMKOK for a drink. The Radisson had a rooftop bar which was perfect for a nightcap.

Day 2 & 6

No trip is complete without a walking tour. We texted the guide that my family had two days before and she made a private tour for us. We walked all over the city learning about viking history, when the Nazis invaded and occupied Oslo, and learned about the oil reserve that the government uses to provide all natural born citizens with a pension. Oh to be in a real country. We were then off to Tromso.

Returning from Tromso, we stayed back at the Radisson. That night we went to the Christmas markets. We ate cheese, drank the mulled wine, and got chimney cakes. All before having a gorgeous seafood dinner at Norda Oslo.

Day 1 – Solo

When my family flew out I took myself over to the Anker Hotel to check in. Then I headed to the museums. I crush a museum so this likely isn’t for the people who read all the little signs. I went to Astrup Fearnley Museum Of Modern Art then Nasjonalmuseet. There are two Scream paintings. No one is sure which one is real. Both museums are worth it. I had a coffee and a cookie at the National Museum before leaving at 4pm when it closed.

That night I made a reservation for the saunas at SALT. This place is a vibe and something I would be doing regularly if I lived here. The couple hour admission gives you access to 5 different temperature saunas and a couple cold plunges. In the largest one, people sat with friends catching up. It felt very local with not many people speaking English. Every hour one of the saunas had programed meditations. Essential oils with themed music and higher temperatures but only for 10 minutes. They dropped ice on us and splashed us with eucalyptuses leaves. From there back outside the steam drifted off of you and the ice plunge felt incredible. No phones, just people sweating.

Day 2

Working remotely from Europe is great as the mornings are free to explore and the afternoons are for work. You can fit a lot in a day if you really use all 24 hours. I took the bus over to The Fram Museum which is all about a ship that explored the Arctic. Across from there is the Kon-Tiki Museum showing a man who sailed across the ocean to prove how the Polynesian traveled. The human ability is amazing, but these are not my life plans. Work took may afternoons into nights. Normally I would have a big breakfast, strong lunch, and snacks around dinner, creeping into bed around 11pm or 5pm eastern.

Day 3

Historical Museum was my first stop immediately when it opened. I explored the ancient Viking helmets and old coins almost alone. The city pass was my guide and I just kept museum hopping. I found a music museum at a university which is sadly closed now, which I also had mostly to myself. Then I walked along the river to the Intercultural Museum which was so funky. There was an entire room with newspaper articles hanging talking about Trump and his racism. He had been reelected just 5 days prior. The neighborhood this museum is in is diverse. I had ramen for lunch and hit a thrift store afterwards. Grønland is the area and is definitely worth an wander.

Day 4

Munch is the museum to visit, and has the Scream painting that most people probably see. It is 8 floors and has literal endless artwork. I spent the entire day there enjoying the multimedia exhibitions including a rap artist. They made a studio inside where the artist could record. Outside there were plush lounge chairs to watch a feature film he made to go along with his album. His name is Arif Murakami and is wildly talented.

Winter in Norway does not allow for much sun, with the clouds and the fog you barely see it in the morning and by 3pm it is absolutely gone. I left the museum and made my way towards an Eritrean restaurant. I ordered a big plate of a mix of veggies. I am salivating thinking about it. At the odd lunch time of 3pm I was the only person there. I ordered and finished with a coffee and went to work.

Day 5

The Vigeland Park is worth the trip a little outside of town. It is a park with statues of all variety. On a cold but sunny winter day I walked along the park watching people with their friends, running, or walking their dogs. I grabbed lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant and walked through the rich neighborhood leading me back to the park where the Royal Palace sits. Some of my favorite travel days are just wandering through the city stopping for a coffee or snack.

Day 6

Now clearly you can see you do not need an entire week in Oslo. But my flow of explore, work, sleep was perfect. This was my last day in Oslo before I took this gorgeous train and ferry day trip to Bergen. I spent the morning doing my laundry for an exorbitant amount of money and journaled in the cafe attached to it. After dropping off my clean clothes I strolled through the Botanical Gardens. These days were so cold but when the sun came through they were actually beautiful. I am a summer baby through and through and I could even appreciate the beauty. A couple times snow flakes fell lightly.

I watched the sunset at 345pm and went for wine at Oslo Mekaniske Verksted and sat next to a fire with Santa Claus gnomes. The moon shone full on my walk home. I enjoyed my time in Oslo but was ready to see what else this country had to offer. Besides the northern lights, this journey from Oslo to Bergen was my favorite part.