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Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Oslo -- arrival that never stopped moving

OSLO, Dec. 8, 10:21P, local time.

Well, I was NOT able to wrangle the window seat, so I was relegated to the aisle. By the time we took off, it was about my “normal” bedtime, nearly 1A. With just a two-hour flight, I was so just ready to shut my eyes for a few more hours than what that quick nod afforded. Landed in Oslo, and there was not much time to jump to the races.

The airport is quite modern in design, with hardwood, glass and chrome accents that are appealing. The biggest thing that strikes you when  you enter the baggage terminal is the big-behind “DUTY FREE” signage for the local shop. It almost looked akin to a small grocery store – or at least a decent-sized CVS. Your usual staples were abound – perfumes, candy, alcohol. Ever notice how the duty-free shops tend to offer those items that men usually would take to their significant other (married or otherwise) to smooth things over after a rough patch? Everything except flowers.

After taking care of myself in probably one of the cleanest and neatest public restrooms ever, I hauled my bag from the carousel and launched full blast into the day.

It's cold, but not as cold as at home. Raw would be a better descriptor. And gray. Almost like a flashback to Oregon. (Shudder) Love the train system here, with the clean seats that flip up so luggage and groceries can easily sit on the floor next to you. But they were NOT kidding about the cost of things here! Sheesh! I can’t say I can complain about much when it comes to food prices or travel in the States any time soon! Roundtrip on the airport shuttle: about $50. Quick calzone and drink: about $20. I haven’t blown this much money in one day outside of a mall in a long time. Holding the budget for the rest of the trip in tact will take a miracle.

Too late to fret over such things now. We are in full swing, after doing the post-flight-shower-and-change. The day's first official interview came at the Nobel Peace Prize museum. Two must-see exhibits are set for public viewing: From King to Obama and Obama: A call to action. The former tracks how the relationship of the two laureates and their supporters made this moment in time possible. The latter is still under construction and is set to debut Thursday. Will fill in the details about the preview I took in this afternoon after I catch up on some serious sleep.

Daddy O is set to touch down tomorrow, and watching the promo on the local news team proves it's gonna be bananas!

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