Atlantica - 01.06.2002, Page 32

30 A T L A N T I C A
in Dagbladet, Norway’s largest newspaper. The story says that a dri-
ver, who was nabbed by the police driving at 132 km per hour, had
to fork out the equivalent of a $1,400 fine. When I ask the Norwegian
sitting next to me whether this is normal, he explains that the max-
imum speed on Norwegian highways is 90 km per hour, but in most
cases it is only 80 km. Phew, I count my lucky stars that I was fortu-
nate enough to slip through the police’s radar beams on my way
from Gardemoen Airport to Oslo earlier that day. (I had by then not
yet had the pleasure of getting aquainted with the stern fist of the
Norwegian law. Although I got away with the speeding, I was hit in
the head when I saw that the parking fines I had collected during my
stay in Oslo were charged onto my credit card two months after
returning home.)
IT IS FRIDAY MORNING and the varmebølge (heatwave) is still linger-
ing over Oslo, “statistically the sunniest Scandinavian capital”, the
hotel’s proud concierge tells me. We are not likely to meet anyone
wearing Helly Hansen outdoor gear or a traditional, patterned,
Norwegian wool jumper from Nordstrikk today.
The waitress at the café, where I feast on toast and café latte for
breakfast, tells me that on days like this the city is often left half
empty, because those that can find a way to ditch work, head
into the countryside. However, those that don’t want to go far,
flock to Bygdø. I’d better get going then. Bygdø peninsula is
only a short distance from the city. The journey takes ten min-
utes by car or by ferry from Rådhusbrygge, which lies between
Aker Brygge and Akershus Fortress, right below the very Soviet-
looking Oslo City Hall. Bygdø is a strange but very enjoyable
phenomenon. For example, on a peaceful meadow at the front
of the peninsula, cows owned by the King of Norway graze. The
rural atmosphere creates the illusion of being out in the middle
of the countryside, even though the downtown is only a few
minutes away. Bygdø also boasts two of the city’s most popular
bathing beaches, Huk and Paradisbukta, and five excellent
museums. Four of the museums are dedicated to sailing in one
way or another (the Viking Ship Museum, the Kon-Tiki Museum,
the Polarskip Fram Museum and the Norwegian Maritime
Museum). The most interesting museum, at least on such a fine
OPENING SPREAD: THE ROYALE PALACE; LEFT-HAND PAGE: MOODS FROM KARL JOHANS GATE STREET.
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