This was my second time in Oslo. I first came in 2003 when I fell in love with Scandinavia and wanted to stay, even considering missing my flight home.Since then there have been some changes in Oslo. A new opera house has been built with creative slanting architecture in the water looking like a floating iceberg.A friend had recently visited and I saw his pics as this wasn't here on my last visit in 2003. It was close to the hotel so I spent some time here first....

Today I was leaving Stavanger and flying to Oslo. I was hoping to shake off the rain once and for all by moving to the interior.Our budget hotel did not offer breakfast but we were allowed to goto the luxurious Victoria Hotel beside. They had a feast of all kinds ranging from sardines, salmon, eggs, beans, fresh loaves, fruitAs I was leaving two Chinese tourists were asking reception for the way to the bus station and were confused by the directions. I offered to...

Stavanger is known as the gateway to the oil industry and supposedly the most expensive city with the highest per capita income. Stavanger was once the capital of the fishing and canning industry and has been able to reinvent itself.A remnant of the old days is the old town whose houses are still showcased by the locals living there. It was fun exploring in the clear skies unlike all the rain in Bergen's old town.Stavanger is shaped like a U-shape with the harbou...

After arriving in Stavanger I didn't really know what to expect as this isn't much of a tourist town. Aside from the shining clear skies to my surprise there was a visiting exhibition NATO fleet in harbour.You were allowed to board all ships and walk on their top decks only. There was also a submarine but no entrance was allowed. The last time I'd visited naval ships like this was in Yeosu, South Korea.Participating countries were Germany, France, Latvia, and Nor...

This morning I would be taking the 4hr bus from Bergen to Stavanger and hoping to shake off this dreaded rain by moving to a new city. I had already bought the ticket online beforehand for 440K ($88).Stavanger is not on the tourist route and not many people go there but I figured why not see another coastal town. I know of it as the ferries from the UK come here and originally I had planned to fly here from the UK on Ryannair before heading up to Bergen when I wa...