Oslo

We docked just on the north side of the fortress wall that faces the sea from town, and from here on Deck 12 most of the fortress is below me, but not all of it. It's an impressive view. In this distance on the mountainside we can easily see the ski jump, which IMO is much overrated as a tourist attraction but which sure is big and sure is high. Not far from us are smaller docks and the city hall.

It turned out we'd missed connections with Kristiana's Norwegian relatives - currently up at their mountain cabin - so we wandered Oslo on our own. Kristiana bought tickets for the Harry poTter movie in town, and I discovered a terrific jazz store, the kind where you can walk in and say "I'm looking for Scandinavian jazz that I might not find in America, and I like so-and-so, so-and-so, and so-and-so" and be handed stacks of great local recordings by an enthusiastic proprietress and directed to a well-equipped listening station, which is what I did. I lost track of how much time I spent there. I left with my wallet considerably lightened but my mood more so, a pretty good trade.

I had intended to go back in the evening (they're open until midnight) while Kristiana, Kristi and Madelyn went to the movie (which they greatly enjoyed), but slept through the opportunity instead. Nuts.

www.barejazz.com - my new favorite place in Oslo.