ROCKING IN OSLO, DAY ONE CONTINUES

  WE WERE FEELING GRAND IN THE GRAND HOTEL!
If you missed entry 1....Eve, (65) and Asta (56) are sisters I met at O'Hare. During the 6 hr. wait there, we became friends. They are on their way to Stavanger, Norway to visit their nephew.
                AstaEve    from Enderlin, N. Dakota (facsimiles)
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After a short rest in our luxurious suite, we were ready to rock
in Oslo! Asta stayed a long time at the Artesia Spa, taking advantage of the manicures/pedicures, message, shampoo and set, and body treatments. Eve and I thought of Asta as being a 
"youngster" and were happy to see her pampered. When she
returned it was late morning. We had eaten some of the pastries, but now we were hungry for real food.
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We ate in the Hotel's Palm Court Restaurant. It was well known as a good place to have a light lunch: fancy sandwiches and pastries.
 It was impressive with a glass ceiling.
 A handsome young man (around 20) with honey colored hair caught our eye as he entered the restaurant. He looked so much like one of our favorite TV series stars, Simon Baker.
Just younger. He was with some other people but looked our way and waved!!!??  facsimile

I had done some reading at home and knew what I wanted to see; SISTERS had not, so I was boss. haha.  After brunch we
walked up the Karl Johan Gate pedestrian street to the Royal Palace.  There would be changing of the guards at 1:30 pm. Look down the street & see palace.

Then we continued walking and enjoying being in a strange
place but with people who have now become friends. We
were amazed to find a McDonald's; we found a bench
then ate hamburgers and watched people going by!!
                           


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 Then we gradually worked our way to the City Hall,
 where the promenade begins at 5:30 pm each day.
.       The inside the City Hall was beautiful.
The walls were covered with murals showing the history of Norway.


       
The boy we saw at brunch this morning was there also. He was waving; and he seemed to be waving at me!
                                                     
"Annie's got a boyfriend," Sisters teased. Could I possibly
know him? But suddenly he left.
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Next was the Akershus Fortress and Castle. There is no way
to tell you how wonderful it was.
v
v
The construction began around 1290 AD.
I could have spent days looking around there. One section was devoted to the five year period that Germany occupied Norway. Germans surrender fortress in 1945

We reluctantly left and continued down Karl Johan Gate pedestrian street; we passed on by the Royal Palace which we
had seen earlier. Then we saw the Oslo Royal Theatre. Nothing was playing, but we slipped in and heard some actors rehearsing.


Then we caught a cab back to hotel to get ready for another highpoint of our first day. 
We were going to the Oslo Opera House at 7 to attend a Mozart Opera, presented by the Oslo Opera Company and the Bejing Opera Company. It would start at 7 pm. 


It was 50 degrees and drizzling rain. We put on our long johns with long skirts over them. We wore sweaters & long colorful scarves.


 I wore the cape my granddaughter had made for me.We felt dressed up. 


We got there on time; I don't know how. When we were
 seated, Asta said, "There's our golden boy sitting across
the room." We didn't look at him; and he didn't seem to see us.


We had heard Mozart before...but not in Norway, not in this theater. We sang all the way back to the hotel, amusing the cab
driver.


When we were ready for bed, we went over every detail of the day and declared the day was good. SISTERS taught me some
Lutheran hymns and I taught them some I know. It would be that way each evening until time for them to go on to Stavanger.  I'm tired now.


More soon. Love, annie
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