Atlantica - 01.06.2002, Page 30

28 A T L A N T I C A
Boiling Over
in Oslo
It’s the middle of summer. Time to head to Oslo where
visitors can enjoy the urban delights of the city and
the natural wonders of the nearby countryside; and
as Jón Kaldal also discovered, go au naturel while
barbecuing along the shoreline.
Photos by Páll Stefánsson.
THE RADIANT EVENING SUN is reflected in the deep blue sea and the
wooden boards of the pier warm the soles of the feet. The small mari-
na is jam-packed with people and the outdoor restaurants on the
boardwalk are brimming. The last time I checked, the thermometer
had just slugged past the 30°C mark. Out past the marina, there is a
sauntering of sailboats slowly gliding, and an open speedboat comes
speeding. The boat slows as it closes in on the dock. On board I see
four sun-kissed girls wearing nothing but their bikini bottoms. They
circle once, head towards the pier and step on to dry land, after
dressing themselves in slightly more substantial clothing.
The French Riveria? No. I’m standing on Aker Brygge, a stone’s throw
away from downtown Oslo. They are absolutely right when they say
that the summer is the best time to visit the capital of Norway.
OSLO IS SOMETIMES CALLED the city of opposites. This city of 500,000
is surrounded by forest-coated mountains on all sides, except the
one facing Oslofjord. Many of the fjord’s islands are uninhabited and
used as outdoor recreational areas by the city’s residents. Inside the
city limits are 343 lakes and 242 km2 of forests. If there is any place
where the city and countryside become one, it is Oslo. But the city
has a whole different side too: slick bars and nightclubs, simple cafés
and Michelin-star-decorated restaurants, a variety of shops, and
world class art galleries ensuring that those who choose concrete
over trees, and socialising over lone encounters with nature, will not
be disappointed. Oslo is, however, best for those that appreciate both
nature and the city.
The past and present hold hands and get on famously in the
Norwegian capital. Not so many years ago, where the Aker Brygge
complex sits now, there was a run-down shipyard which was swept
away to make room for the glittering, fashionable buildings, which
house glamorous stores and restaurants on the ground floors, and
offices and apartments on the floors above. On summer days like
today, there is no place in the whole of Oslo that can tout a larger
gathering of people than Aker Brygge. To the east of the modernised
harbour stands the stately Akershus Slott og Festning (Akershus
Castle and Fortress), as it has for the past 700 years, through the thick
and thin of Norwegian history. Venturing past the thick stone walls
into the Akershus Fortress is like stepping back in time; an experience
that history-hungry travellers should not miss. The view in itself over
Oslofjord is worth the visit.
THE SUN IS BEGINNING TO LOWER and, like on all Thursday summer
nights, there is dancing under the bare sky at Aker Brygge. I have,
unfortunately, never had the opportunity to polish my polka, so I’ll be
keeping off the dance floor. Instead, I order a beer and sit on the tyre
of one of the restaurant ships which sits in the Aker Brygge harbour
all summer long.
I nearly choke on my beer when my eye catches a small news story
028-036 ATL402 Oslo 24.6.2002 15:35 Page 28