oslo on a rainy day

we arrived to oslo on the train on a rainy day ready to explore.
i don’t think oslo gets the best rep compared to the rest of norway,
but we ended up really liking it and having fun in norway’s capital!
we ended up having one rainy day and one beautiful sunny day, and it
was quite a different city with the two weathers…we loved it in both lights.
our first stop was karl johans gate, the main street leading up to the royal palace.
norway has figured out the way to be pedestrian friendly – most cars and buses are
directed underground in tunnels below the city center, so downtown is actually really
quiet, walkable, and easy to walk around in! i loved the feel of this clean, friendly city.
since it was a rainy sunday, a museum stop sounded perfect before church.
i 100% LOVED norway’s national gallery (free on sundays, bonus!!) aside from
having the iconic scream painting, it is such a treat to visit after having been in
the fjords and other parts of the country. seeing the romantic era paintings of
norway’s nature and fjords after seeing them in person is the cherry on top.
the museum is done so well ( i swear, norway has perfect taste! ) the accent wall
colors, framing styles, and layout made this museum so gorgeous and enjoyable.
i like museums but i don’t like to spend hours in them, so the fact that this was
free on sunday and just simple + beautiful made it a very good museum stop.
i am no art expert, but i will spot a monet from across the room anywhere.
he just draws me in and makes any museum worth it to me to see any his work!
whether you visit oslo at the beginning or end of your norway trip, stopping in
here to get a taste of the fjords will add to your appreciation of this country’s beauty.
a quick picture at the royal palace after before heading off to find church!
finding our church buildings each week in new countries has been a challenge,
but oslo made it easy! we were walking up the road wondering if we were on
the right path when we spotted this sign! sure enough, it pointed us straight there!
our good friend dillon went on his mission here in norway, so he still
knew some people in this ward and it was fun to connect!
we wandered the city a little more after church, finding spots of color
in flowers and buildings even on the gloomy day. this city is so sweet!
we walked ourselves hungry on the way to mathallen market just in time for
an amazing food tour that is brand new to oslo … good thing we came hungry!
this place was our kind of place – a big food hall full of all types of cuisine!
it’s like the ferry building // faneuil hall // chelsea market of oslo, and the food
tour is called foodie tour mathallen. you can find more info and book here!
although i’ve mentioned i LOVED norway’s food, we were ready for a change
of pace with our meals and we got it here! we met with sean from foodie planet
to get a taste of this new experience coming to oslo! let me just say, oslo is so
lucky to be getting this tour here . . . it is fun, filling, and FLAVORFUL!
from thai, to tapas, to green smoothies .. this tour takes you through the market
with personal stories from each owner, good conversation, & generous tastings.
a charcuterie plate straight from heaven ^^
we even tried reindeer again here — still so crazy to me!
obviously my favorite part of the food tour…do not miss this place! ^^
we ended this tiring rainy day at the museum of cultural history,
AKA the norsk folk museum. it’s the cutest place patterned after norway
in the olden days. each region is represented and people are dressed up in
traditional wear, with performances and lots of fun attractions. we went right
before closing time when things were quieter, but we could see the appeal! 
old norwegian post office + red cabins everywhere ^^
the absolute best thing in norway is the rooftop gardens on all of the little
cabins. i’m obsessed and asked chase if we can do this to our house one day! haha
the old norwegian stave church was amazing to see here.
these churches are all wood and so beautiful!
we talked with this cute volunteer all about norwegian history,
traditional dress, where she’s from, and more. such a fun place to learn.

the tree-lined old fashioned rose garden might have been my favorite part ^^
we had already packed a lot into this day, but i had to max it out with
one last stop – a ferry to the viking ship museum! chase was tired
but he was a good sport and made it fun – and he did love this stop.
how amazing are these actual VIKING SHIPS??
it’s a small museum, but so cool to learn about gritty viking history,
the way their ships were built, used for viking funerals, etc. it’s pretty
crazy to think these kind of ships made it across the ocean.
^^ a great end to our rainy day here!

one last norway post coming from our sunny day in
oslo..it looks pretty different, you’ll see! :)

xo