Gobble Up Turkey

Friday 26th December 2025

Munich

No more snow, but a chilly breeze welcomed us to a feels like-5 day when we ventured out on another PH in Munich. Crowds still around, but sadly markets have all but disappeared and only a few restaurants, cafes and beer houses open.

it’s a shame the Cheese Shop was closed as its window offering was very appealing .

We wandered down to the main plaza and popped into a couple of beautiful churches and pondered on why so many old buildings are being restored- perhaps the influx of  refugees has given a surprising lift in available workers.

Arrived at the Town Hall spot on 1100 for the musical clock to perform its 12 minutes of entertainment with its  characters parading below the clock face to a couple of unknown pieces of music.  There must have been a couple of hundred people watching.

Headed down some wide boulevards to pass the residential palace and offices of the Chancellor of Bavaria. The later was an amazing mix of architecture with new wings built around the restored remains of the original building. The palace was typical of the symmetrical buildings over here and had grounds as big as 6 football fields.

Speaking of grounds we ventured to the still snow covered English Gardens which were rambling parklands with the river meandering through at a steady flow.

Much to our surprise there was a ‘stand up wave’ created by some mechanical infrastructure which was being ridden by 4 wet suited surfers. It was interesting to watch them surf, fall off and wash down to the shallows to pop out and start the process again. They attracted a pretty good crowd who seemed to shiver in sympathy.

Walked through the suburbs where even more old buildings were being refurbished before ending up at our lunch spot from yesterday the Hofbrauhaus.

With so few eating options we could not resist the temptation to experience the hospitality again. The place seemed even more packed than yesterday and the band was pumping out songs and getting the place heaving.

We found a seat, almost in the kitchen, and worked our way through another chunk of the menu- both food and beer.

Couldn’t resist a visit to the Souvenir Shop to pick up some goodies before continuing on our odyssey through the Old Town. 

Not sure if it was thirst or a call of nature had us stop later in the afternoon to sip Aperol and coffee inside a warm igloo type shelter. There was an explosive start to the session when Jake’s glass shattered in his hand leaving him stunned and looking like an advertisement for an incontinence product.

Thankfully no injuries and a free replacement drink from a very apologetic host.

Sunset was soon upon us and we headed back home to dry down and warm up on our last day in Munich. Dinner was a pick through a bundle of nibbles whilst watching the only English speaking channel on TV which was great if you liked biathlon and cyclocross.

Tomorrow we split in two with kids heading to Scotland and Jane and I to Heidelberg for a couple of days before heading home to catch the last day of 2025 in Australia. These 4.5 weeks have sure flown and we have packed in an amazing amount of travels, with fantastic experiences in that time.

Thursday 25th December 2025

Xmas in Munich

Apologies for lack of photos – problem with upload I am trying to resolve.

We couldn’t quite manage a White Xmas after yesterday’s snow falls had melted a bit, but there was enough around to remind us that it was an unfamiliar setting in which to celebrate.

The fat man in the red suit did manage to leave a couple of presents to share around as we celebrated a fair way from most of the family. A couple of What’s App calls allowed us to touch base before a light breakfast knowing lunch would test the belt buckle.

We donned our special Xmas jumpers and headed out for a bit more sightseeing in pretty cold conditions – with feel like temperature about -8.

Despite being Xmas Day the stall holders were beavering away in the last throes of dismantling. There was a surprisingly large crowd,mainly tourists if the accents were a clue.

With less stalls around we were able to see a lot more buildings and the usual collection of weird statues. The two outside the Fish Museum were the mythical rub me for good luck versions, whilst another really showed how cold it was with icicles forming on a part of it.

My Tottenham Hotspur’s beanie had elicited a few comments from both Poms and locals and it was ironic that the mannequin in the FC Munich Fan Shop was Harry Kane, the player the Germans pinched from Spurs.

The Town Hall and several other prominent civic buildings and churches were great pieces of architecture

Stopped for a coffee before more wandering and then ending up at our lunch spot, the Hofbrauhaus. It’s one of the most noted beer houses in Munich
and was apparently one of Hitlers favourites.

It’s a 3 storey place with the bottom floor full of benches and for walk up diners. Today it was one of the few places open and absolutely packed. Litre steins of beer and pork knuckle plates seemed to be the order of the day, all enjoyed to the music of the 5 piece band.

Thankfully we had booked in advance meaning a seat on the first floor in a much quieter environment.

We even had 2 apprentice beer servers.

Whilst it was a change of scenery the choice of lunch wasn’t much different with steins and pork all round. Being Xmas we just had to have a strudel for dessert.

It was definitely a waddle home late in the afternoon after battling our way back through the ever increasing throng of people as we tried to take a different route.

Wouldn’t be Xmas without a little snooze before continuing the festivities devouring what seems to be a never ending supply of Scandinavian chocolate. Plus a tad of gin to wash it down.

Wednesday 24th December 2025

Nuremberg to Munich

No need for alarms when the little tacker comes a knocking at 630.

Headed down through an almost deserted main market square, with not a scooter or bike to dodge, to grab breakfast before heading off to the train station to head off for Munich where chilly temperatures were  predicted.

Our train was delayed 45 minutes. 

Fortunately, under the German railway system if you have a ticket, even with booked seats, you can catch a different train if you are prepared to play seat lotto.

No use standing around on a cold platform so we jumped aboard the Munich Express and had no problems.

The hour and a bit trip had us passing through beautiful countryside, much of it with a liberal coating of snow which whet our appetite for a possible white Xmas.

It didn’t take long to get excited as the snow started as soon as we jumped off the train and itaccompanied us all the way to our hotel. 

Been blessed with hotel location and quality to date and this was no disappointment with a two bedroom apartment each with en-suite and washing machine and a spacious sitting area.

Being Xmas Eve the shops and most bars and restaurants closed at 200pm, so a bit of grocery shopping was followed by a walk to the market area and main plaza. Like Nuremburg there was no high rise,  but a raft of new buildings and beautifully restored ones that survived the ravages of war.

If you liked a church or building spire Muninch is the place to come.

Thankfully we have enjoyed the market environment everywhere else, as after we passed the ice skating rink and passed under the main gate into the square the stall holders were in the throes of dismantling the stalls just leaving a few advertising boards around.

Only the roasted chestnut sellers tried to eke out a final Euro.

Not deterred by the lack of shops or a dribble of snow we checked out the sites before finding somewhere for a late lunch/ early dinner. It was a bit like a treasure hunt but along with 30 other Indians we enjoyed a nice mix of Indian fare in an underground 24 hour store.

We somehow managed to escape the labyrinth of underground stores and popped out to be greeted by a windy and snowy Arctic blast. We got a liberal coverage of snow on the short sprint back to the hotel. That didn’t stop us capturing a few photos and tossing the odd snowball.

As usual 500pm meant darkness so we settled in for the night having a quiet Xmas Eve tipple and some local snacks. 

Like a bunch of expectant kids we were off to bed early in anticipation of enjoying Xmas in a pretty groovy city.

Tuesday 23rd December 2025

Nuremburg

Today was all about the Xmas markets by day and night. It was amazing to see the difference in crowds between the time we got out for breakfast around 800 and when the market was at its height around 1230.

Headed down firstly with the intent to visit the Kids Market. In what is now true German style a weird statue stood at the turnoff. 

Again the entry was blocked by both barriers and police vehicles.

Santa waved us on in from on high and Jane managed to get in on the picture. 

It was a little wonderland with plenty of rides and kid friendly displays. All of the stalls had animated Xmas displays on top. Sully managed a ride on both the train and the merry-go-round, but Jane is yet to get her ride on the moving horse version. Of course there had to be another astronomical clock with puppet show.

The multi-national lane was fabulous with treats from countries all across Europe up for sale.

We wandered down along the riverside and over a couple of bridges completely disguised with stalls.

Met up with some buddies from Scotland and imbibed in the first of today’s gluhwein from some pretty flash ceramic mugs.

They afternoon passed pretty quickly and we were soon up at the castle watching an amazing light and image show on the facade of the Advent House.

Another riverside restaurant had a light show of its own.

A parting drink with the visitors and it was off for dinner in an Italian restaurant where it took a smarmy Italian to deliver our first Tourist ripoff. A large bottle of wine turned into a gigantic bottle of wine, pre- opened before arriving at the table, which cost €60. At that price we drank the lot.

Another early night walking back through streets still packed to the rafters on what might be the last night of markets given German’s celebrate more at home on Xmas Eve. 

We will be in Munich tomorrow and there might even be a drop of snow.

Monday 22nd December 2025

Nuremberg

After a takeaway breakfast we headed for the bus station to do another Hop On Hop Off circle of town.

Started with a journey around the walled old city with its huge towers and a dry moat.

The Old City still remains to be the Red Light District , despite a proliferation of Sex Shops with some interesting items for sale. Thankfully Jane’s new fur covered handcuffs should stop the scratch marks.

Pretty smart marketing by the local energy company, calling themselves NRG.

Our first stop on a day which probably focussed a little bit on the sad side of Nuremburg history was a visit to the Courts where War Trials were conducted.

Court 600 is now a place of reflection, a long way from the dark days when 20 Nasi’s went before the courts, with 11 sentenced to death, but 2 choosing to suicide before the event.

There is a remarkable museum with much stuff that is best just read, remembered and not photographed. Suffice to say the anti semetism that emanated from the Nazi Party beliefs had a catastrophic impact over time with some 5.5 million killed.

When will we ever learn.

Walked to the next point, the enormous cemetery which is still beautifully manicured  before jumping on the bus for some roving reporting on the castles history, including the obligatory myth about an escaping miscreant who hurdled the moat leaving hoofprint which are still visible today.

Headed up through the restored mansion precinct and the much purposed student lodgings which went from a Lepers Hospital to a wine storage site to today’s use. Sounds like the owner threw his arms in the air getting a reasonable tenant.

Back down passing the market whose entries are now protected by ram barriers in response to the Munich market issue.

An Asian couple found the market an interesting spot to take wedding photos, gluhwein in hand.

The kids jumped off and we headed to the Nazi Headquarters which in its heyday was a suburb in its own right.

The main area was under renovation but the small comprehensive display highlighted what a sinister and influential political party the Nazi’s were.

Whilst known for the wanton slaughter of Jews they handed out similar treatment to dissidents and prisoners of war. 

Sadly choosing Nuremburg as its HQ has tainted the image of the town.

The fact they facilitated the War Trials which were a precursor to the International Court in The Hague which deals with atrocities of war goes a bit of the way.

Thankfully its current standing as the best Xmas Market in Europe helps give the city of 500,000 a much more pleasant reputation . To be honest the people have been tremendously welcoming.

After a prolonged wait for the bus we headed back to town to do more laps of the various markets, have a couple of room drinks, before heading to a 20 seat restaurant/bar for dinner.

As the client base changed during  the night we realised we had probably selected an LBGTQ venue.

A late night gluhwein and return to restaurant to pick up forgotten hats and gloves had us having a comparatively late night , hitting the sack at 900.

Sunday 21st December 2025

Berlin to Nuremburg

Up early and bundled into a cab by 730 to ensure we got to the main station on time to catch our train to Nuremberg.

We were catching up with Sophie, Jake snd Sully for the lead up and then final celebration of Xmas in Munich , which might not be white looking at the forecast.

Seems Jane and I used up our snow allocation in Scandinavia.

It was a seamless process to get onto the train and spend a 3 hour trip mostly surrounded by fog. When it wasn’t foggy the German countryside showed up in all its green glory.

Off the train and greeted by the Adeladians and it was off to drop the bags and start the journey in Nuremburg

Like every place visited the Xmas rush is on with streets swarming with visitors and locals. No more evident than right outside our hotel which abuts the market precinct.

Our first unusual event of the day was a parade of hundreds of people dressed in traditional uniforms, carrying banners and all wearing hats off different colours and of course carrying mugs of gluhwein.

We found out that it’s an annual event where members of various university sorority and fraternity groups march on the 4 Sundays before Xmas. Loved one of the guys in uniform including a sword and scabbard used the latter as a cup holder.

They certainly turned a few heads as did the weird statue whose essence couldn’t be captured with a single photo. Shame I haven’t worked out how to add a video.

For those that loved smoked salmon our next port of call was the cats pyjamas.

We popped back to the hotel to do a mini train trip around down which showed us the highlights and gave us an idea where to jump off the bus tomorrow.

This place has an amazing history, not all of it glamorous.

We had dinner in a packed restaurant with pork knuckle everybod’s fare.

A late night wander through the market with a hluhwein to finish of our day.

Saturday 20th December 2025

Berlin

Looking to make the most of our short stay in Berlin so  it was up early and a street cafe pastry and coffee breakfast. 

It was a bit of a sombre short walk at 800 in the morning with the impacts of drug, alcohol and mental illness all seeming  to manifest into homelessness. 

In a stretch of 300 metres we passed at least 6 poor souls, ironically outside a great glossy building that was one of the first reconstructed after the war, wandering about aimlessly with life in a backpack or a collection of shopping bags.

It seems that all that glitters is not gold with the complex repurposed in 2024 after the shopping centre went broke, along with Oscar Wilde business.

Worked out best way to see Berlin was the Hop On Hop Off bus and jumping off at the sites we had already marked as must do’s.

Drove down past the Jewish Memorial with its 2711 stones of rememberance  and then around to the old Soviet side of Brandenburg gate, both we would return to later in the day.

First drop off was Reichstad the Parliament building which is a great mix of the new and old. Like many points of interest a ticket is required, even though this one was free. A 20 minute wait secured us a 300pm entry permit.

A quick walk around the outside of the building with its 4 stone corners the only remnants after the war and a huge glass dome atop.

Back on foot we headed for the next pick up point to rejoin the bus. Interesting to see the number of Italian restaurants as you wander the streets.

On the bus we passed the area settled by the Hugonnets who established the first market gardens in the Moabit area. Another feature , if you could call it that, was the Moabit Gaol

 Visitor Centre which once held some of the worst 3rd Reich offenders after the war. Thankfully it’s now a place of reflection.

Just on animals, around the corner was the Zoo , which if blurb is correct,  has the biggest number of species cared for in the world. 

Went past the Presidents residence , the Schloss Bellevue  Palace, which is situated adjacent to the rambling 3 square  kilometre Tiergarten Park – a remarkable forested park in its natural state which was redeveloped after being razed  in WW2 along with 70% of Berlin. 
it was just down the road from the gold topped avictory Column

Its no surprise to see  the Soviet side is all vanilla unit blocks and the west an aggregation of modern and restored buildings.

Interestingly during the war 40% of population fled despite significant investment in shelters.

Back in the modern side we passed the  Hotel Berlin  the first built after the war, and then another Embassy Row.

Staffemburg the guy who unsuccessfully tried to assassinate Hitler has a street named after him and a building, ironically the Ministry of Defence.

Next STOP was the intersection that was the crossroads for the divide between Soviets and the rest- it used to be controlled by an amazing lollipop light which is still there.

Then came the first glimpse of the remnants of The Wall built in 1961 to prevent people escaping from East to West. It was actually two walls about 8 inches thick divided by a death zone of 30 metres and it covered 155 kilometres. There is only about 1500 metres left. 

About 200 metres is standing outside the Museum of Terror and covered in information about that Cold War era. The other section is 1300 metres covered in murals including the famous Kiss between Brezhnev and Honecker celebrating the anniversary of German democracy.

The remainder of the wall is represented by a trail of stones along tne original path. If you didn’t want to walk it you could twje a balloon ride and get a birds eye view by balloon or borrow a Russian made Trabant (a fibreglass car produced by the Russia’s during coldest which was good at turning to the left).

Another  interesting point was it was demolished in 89 on 9th November a date now familiar with other historical events.

A visit to Berlin would be incomplete without going to Checkpoint Charlie where the great divide gave protected access across from East to West. 

It’s a pretty innocuous structure flanked

with pictures of a Soviet and US soldier on each side. It was site of the famous 63 tank standoff between US and Soviet’s. They called it a tank confrontation, pictures suggest US bought a tank and unsurprisingly the Soviets had a vehicles similar to a VW.

It was probably the most popular spot we visited.

Back on the bus passing the highest structure in town the TV spire, gold  topped Victory Column and a raft of Xmas Markets. The town is crisscrossed by pipes of different hues which are simply above the ground water pipes.

Headed back to the Reichstad passing a protest outside Brandenburg Gate. Lots of different causes were represented by about 60 participants who were slightly outnumbered by the 100 police.

Off the bus, security checked and we were off to visit the amazing dome above the parliament building.

What a structure –  with a double helix stairway taking people up and down the inside. It sits directly over the house with purple seats of parliamentarians clearly visible. 

It’s a tribute to clever  design concepts to maximise the use of natural elements. A huge monolith of mirrors provides light, a moveable shade reduces the impact of heat, a hole in the top allows the escape of hot air( much needed sitting above a bunch of politicians) and solar panels provide energy. 

it had another monumental moment when artist Christopher wrapped it in plastic.

On top of all of this it provides a great panorama of the city whose architecture is definitely a reflection of its turbulent history.

Back down we visited the Jewish Memorial which was an eerie experience with the strategically placed lighting. Another walk through the Brandenburg Gate and a wander along the Un Der Linden which was heaving with a weekend crowd.

Managed our daily dose of gluhwein before heading off to the Nivea shop to make ourselves beautiful. Of course there was another Xmas decoration expedition- as the advert says ‘ we are going to need a bigger tree’. 

Worked our way along river and over the bridge, with its community of homeless settling in for the night, before heading to dinner.

Managed to get one of the last seats next to a nice German couple who were celebrating a birthday. 

Decided to go for a smaller dinner by having a shared sausage plate. Wrong – doubt whether butcher would have much stock left after the offering put before us.

Beer was another experience,  with prices set by an internal ‘drinks stockmarket’. There was no drinks menu – prices were driven by supply and demand. We adopted the simple ‘ most for least’ principle and enjoyed a couple of nice Pilsner’s.

No thought of dessert so that was it for Berlin before tomorrow’s train ride to Nuremberg.

Friday  19th December 2025

Oslo to Berlin

Bit of a restless night after some Reindeer Revenge, aka Bali Belly, but all ok the rest of the day.

Modicum of breakfast which included a ginger shot to calm the tummy, most hotels serve them at breakfast in Norway.

Then did a Gary Lyon and managed to tweak my hamstring or glute muscle lifting the suitcase off the floor which led to a day of hobbling.

Handled the station run smoothly and we were off on the Airport  Express with a raft of other travellers heading who knows where. 

Being the Friday before Xmas the airport was packed and we joined the queues at the self checkin. We mastered the process but the conveyor belt didn’t and it was a 10 minute wait before bags disappeared, hopefully headed for Berlin.

Up in departures we were greeted by an amazing Delorian type car and for  a mix of culture an original Munch painting – his most famous 20’s painting was The Scream.

Soon on the SAS flight accompanied by the usual gang of people who empty their wardrobe and think it will fit into carry on luggage.

Aisle seat, so not sure what sort of territory we crossed but ended up in a chilly Berlin 90 minutes later.

Baggage handlers made my bag quite easy to distinguish pulling off one of the straps, so after a little running repairs we traipsed through one terminal to another then underground to find train platform.

After a ticket machine dilemma and encountering a guard giving a family the rounds of the table for having a pram in the wrong carriage- a real welcome to Germany- it was all ahead Berlin.

The main station replicated most in the world, crowds, chaos and homeless. Not sure what the 20 police cars out the front were doing, but it did put one on edge.

We manouvered our way through ever darkening light along streets filled mainly with modern buildings. It was architect freelance school here. Interestingly Embassies were dotted along this part of town, including US which was all about security and not aesthetics. There was a meter display recording something in the billions – something, perhaps refugee intake given the multicultural make up of the people we have already passed.

Found our riverside hotel and unsurprisingly it was quirky. Room was all German efficiency which included bathroom door also opening inwards to create a toilet cubicle.

Unpacked and slaked thirst with an Aperol while doing some map orientation then headed off the dinner at recommended local restaurant. On the way passed a bunch of kids training for curling- youthful enthusiasm had them hurling the stone more.like ten pin bowling much to the chagrin of coach.

As usual the meal servings were ridiculously big with 4 pieces of snitzel the norm. Didn’t leave much room for the accompanying pint of pilsner.

An after dinner walk probably took us to the dark side of town along the river with plenty of homeless and dodgy buildings.

Managed to reach the un der linden – the huge avenue leading up to the Brandenburg Gate.

The whole area was again glitzed up for Xmas and the illuminated gate showed itself all its glory. The small market was doing a roaring trade in gluhwein and takeaway food with the big Friday night crowd.

Wound our way back along the river and passed the Berliner Ensemble with a crowd gathered outside and some early arrivals sipping champagne on the balcony below a stunning mural.

Back to the hotel with all its artwork and oddities before calling it a night.

Thursday 18th December 2025

Oslo

Afforded ourself a little sleep in with today’s itinerary driven solely by us, no packing up, no bags out etc 

It was a snow free, yet chilly day, with a light mizzle that greeted us after breakfast. ‘Feels like’ temperature was -2, so we were rugged up for our 45 minute walk out to the Vigeland which is the worlds largest Sculpture Park by one artist.

It was a chance to walk off the ‘bus bum’ accumulated after 9 days in a coach. It was a surprisingly hilly walk as we wandered through suburbs surrounded by beautiful parklands that housed the home ground of local ice hockey and football teams. The most infrequently used area, at this time of the year, the swimming pool, with 3 level diving tower, was also in the precinct.

Time passed quickly and we arrived at the ornately sculptured bridge that led to the sculpture park which extended in front of us as far as the eye could see.

Whilst they have fossil parks in the world this was a tossil park. If you were offended by men’s dangly bits and nudity generally this park was not for you. We did notice a tour group of Asians giggle and quickly pass through.

The artist deliberately  had all granite sculptures nude so they did not age and reflect  a particular era.

The major exhibit depicted life from womb to tomb and all forms of sexuality. The craftsmanship was absolutely amazing.

Jane managed to embed herself in the Secret Women’s  Business group while I realised I didn’t measure up to be a model.

After an hour we took a more circuitous route home walking through Embassy Row where all the fancy houses and flash cars dominate the scenery. There were several police huts and cars scattered through the area. The most ironic neighbours were Russia and Ukraine. It was interesting the majority of houses facing the Russian Embassy had Ukrainian flags displayed either in windows or on external flag poles. 

Seems the majority of Scandinavia is very supportive of Ukraine and rightfully so.

Stopped outside a kids school and watched the kids enjoying school- most clad in Santa hats.  There were also plenty at childcare if the traffic jam outside was any indication.

It was then down along the harbour where huge ferries seemed to swallow semi trailers as they drove into the hold. 

Behind them were the cruise ships ready to take the passengers on an Arctic  adventure. We actually met an Aussie couple outside our hotel destined for a cruise who picked our brains on what to expect- we had to keep the mystery of the Northern  Lights exactly that – a mystery.

Made our way back home passing the Palace with its three diligent guards doing precise military drills out front.

Back at the hotel we were pleasantly surprised with free Glogg in the foyer.

When upstairs it was a decision between the laundromat or Oslo Trots – clean clothes won the coin toss.

Dr Google set the trail and we headed off on some more hill walking up through the University precinct and then through some quaint suburbs with beautiful wooden houses. One had the best Naitivity scene embedded in the facade of the house.

We soon crossed the river after fighting off a group of marauding ducks anxious for a feed. Either lack of feeding or in a show of male virility two put on a great wrestling match.

Soon reached the laundry which in true Nordic fashion was completely automated and charged at their rates.

Found a local parkside cafe situated inside an old cinema and enjoyed our 2 beers and a sandwich for $A75,  the only thing missing was popcorn and Choctops. 
The bridge over the stream had the obligatory European love locks attached to the sides.

‘Oslo consistently ranks as one of the most expensive cities in Europe. The reality is that Oslo’s high prices reflect its strong economy, high wages, and excellent quality of life’  – a direct quote from Dr Google who seems to forget the high tax regime.

Ventured back and collected clothes before a lovely walk through a suburb evolving from industry to residential, but not without the scourge of graffiti. Despite the graffiti this place is spotlessly clean.

Back in the city centre afternoon traffic was at a standstill despite the locals  glowing praise of the tunnel systems that cross the city.

No rest for us, after dropping off clothes and a little more Glogg we headed to the Xmas Markets and another lap. Crowds were much bigger than yesterday and more people using the attractions, including the ice skating rink and some steep metal slide which would struggle to meet safety standards, but did attract a lot of yelping teenagers.

Lived up to our promise from yesterday and got a Juicy Moosey Burger, albeit under the stare of Bullwinkle whose picture was on the back wall. Dessert was in the form of a waffle and it was an alcohol free visit.

The ‘have more kids’ incentive over here is certainly working with many a 2 and 3 kid family enjoying the market and in the streets generally.

Headed down for a quick peep at the harbour and City Hall and National Theatre before the evening chill and mizzle had us back home  across the Palace Park for our last sleep in Scandinavia.

Wednesday 17th December 2025

Tromso to Oslo

Today was our last day in the Arctic Circle and with a bit of a sad heart we packed up and prepared for our trip to Oslo.

Managed to avoid WW3 which was happening at the Reception Desk, right in middle of Breakfast Room, between 2 insistent young CRA’s who couldn’t accept there was no room to extend their stay in the hotel that evening. The abrupt ‘well what are you going to do about it’ barked at the staff member, received the politest of  replies ‘more importantly what are you going to to do about it’. That soon had them on their heels tails between the legs.

We enjoyed breakfast and the 5 minute bus ride soon had us at the airport.

Everything other than security is self check in over here and the worst fate is getting stuck behind IT illiterate people at the checking in and luggage drop area. 

We managed it and after their umpteenth try and a bit of guidance they finally worked it all out, some 10 minutes later. 

Jane automatically puts her hand up at Security and meekly succumbed  to the handsome young guard asking permission for a full body pat down.

As expected no contraband and a smile was all he found.

Jumped on a full SAS plane and grabbed my window seat which gave a Birds Eye view of the wings being hosed down to remove ice – every plane get the treatment here after the late 90’s ditching when ice formed on a plane’s wings. Thankfully it landed without injuries and started a process that lifts one’s confidence, especially when you see how much washes off.

The two hours passed quickly as we flew over snow covered mountains, then frozen lakes and rivers , before 20 minutes out from Oslo the snow disappeared and the lush green fields forming part of the 3% of farmed land in Norway started to appear.

Navigated the airport quicker than the poor driver navigated the Oslo traffic on the 40 minute  journey to our schmick hotel right near the Palace and Xmas Market.

We passed the Alfred Nobel Museum (famous for developing TNT) and the building where Prizes were awarded last week. Surprisingly, we didn’t see Donald Trump moping around out the front with a ‘What About Me’ sign.

Seems the weird decor theme is being embraced in lots of Scandinavian hotels with colourful walls and abstract paintings in foyers and rooms and this one was no different.

With little daylight left we walked town admiring the beautiful old and new buildings , before getting our bearings right for Fridays train trip to the airport.

Then it was off to the grandest Xmas  Market so far, with its glittering entrance, raft of amusement rides and stalls galore. For the punter there was a huge chocolate wheel where with one lucky spin of the wheel you could win a 2kg pack of a chocolate of your liking. Just as we arrived a fellow marched off with a giant Toblerone box under his arm. At $7 a spin and 80 numbers not sure it was a good bet.

If you had a sweet tooth there were lollies galore and a 100 different flavoured toffee apples  My confectioner Dad would have been in his element.

There were food stores aplenty with traditional hot dogs, cheese ball pasta, doughnuts, corn dogs – you  name it . I must say the most appealing was the Juicy Moosey Burger – we will be back for one of them tomorrow.

Headed back to hotel to dress for our farewell dinner which was held in a restaurant that shared the building with a library. Seemed more diners than readers with lots being turned away for tables whilst we were there.

The decorations both freestanding and incorporated into building facades are beautiful and create a real spirit of Cmad.

Dinner was the best meal on tour and we enjoyed a couple of Italian wines to boot.

The house next door was pretty unique being decorated as an Advent Calendar.

Back on the bus for a 3 minute ride home and said our goodbyes to all those with onwards journeys first thing in the morning. Then off upstairs for a farewell drink in the packed rooftop bar with the Pussycat Dolls ( Nancy and Elina) – our bus mates from the US.

There endeth our Chasing The Northern Lights tour. Next stop Berlin, Nuremberg, Munich and Heidelberg.