Sorry Norway tykes, but after my first week here I have to report that so far Oslo isn’t quite measuring up against other Scandinavian capital cities I could mention: Transport system: rubbish. The tubes say different things on the platforms, the announcements and the trains themselves. Only Norway would have the guts to introduce this “mystery commuting” concept but they don’t quite manage to pull it off. Stockholm 1 Oslo 0. Buskers: Really rubbish. My outstanding busker memory of Stockholm was standing in Gamla Stan station listening to a band playing Disarm by the Smashing Pumpkins. Here it’s some guy breathing through what looked like a hospital ventilator tube into a little keyboard in order to make noises like an infant’s first recorder lesson. Stockholm 2 Oslo -1. And you were lucky to get -1. Coffee: Who knows? Just been out for a walk at 7:30 past literally dozens of coffee shops, all closed. Stockholm was just as bad for this (is it just me that drinks coffee in the morning? Surely not?) but at least there was a choice of places to get bad coffee at central station. The coffee house I just passed at central station here in Oslo had nobody at home and the till wide open so it wasn’t opening any time soon. Nul points all round. Stockholm 2 Oslo -1 Prices: rubbish I’m not going to get started on this one. Presumably the prices are so high in order to subsidise the transport system, etc. (see above). It’s another point off, I’m afraid (and half a point off for Stockholm to keep things fair). Stockholm 1.5 Oslo -2. It’s not over yet. It’s too early to give any fair scores for beer, which carries bonus points, and the jury’s still out on the female scenery competition. But as Henry Kelly would say, you’re playing catch-up.
Transport: I know. In Trondheim I know it cost 22 NOK for a ticket to take the bus anywhere you want with in an hour, in zone one. In Oslo. I don´t know. Buskers: what the **** is buskers. Let´s look in the dictionary.. hm hm.. No can´t find it Coffee: 7/11? Prices: I know. but have higher wages in Norway, so things costs more. the beer cost in pubs 50-60 NOK tobacco 165 NOK. That it is why we drive to Sweden to buy some things Oslo is a **** hole. Trondheim is a much better place.
I paid 720 NOK for a monthly pass. But seeing as there are no ticket barriers or inspectors I'm not entirely sure why. Buskers are those people who abuse the silence with crap music and expect you to pay for the privilege. Unless I'm supposed to pay them to stop. That would make more sense. I meant proper coffee places. If I have to make my own coffee I'll do it at home and keep my three quid. Fair comment on prices/wages. I paid 62 NOK for Guinness last night, about £5.70. And that's not in a hotel bar or anything, just a normal pub. Next time I'll go to Trondheim. I can learn from my mistakes.
7/11 Everywhere in Scandinavia the 7/11s do these iced cappuccino 'slush' things that are absolutely f ucking delicious. Try one and you'll be having them every hour or so until you start hallucinating. Honestly I can't f ucking stop drinking them whenever I am over there.
Trondheim is the place.. same prices. but hell.. at least we know how to drink those southies don´t know how to drink. we drink till we drop. and if you get invited home to someone, you most likely get some strong home made stuff then you can learn how to make the national drink up here in Trondelag. KARSK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karsk
