Lisbon: Post 2: The Oslo Escape

I decide on Friday to take a trip to Oslo on Saturday. TAP Airlines flies to Oslo nonstop and I quickly book tickets. Next I research the best places to stay and am able to book my first choice: Hotel Continental. A 4 hour flight later, on a very early Saturday morning, finds me in Oslo before noon.

I jump on the express train at Oslo airport, which takes me right to my hotel’s door.

I’m a member of the hotel’s loyalty program (Leader’s Club) so I get an early check in to a wonderful room overlooking the National Theatre.

The weather is beautiful and a welcome relief from the heat wave in Portugal.When I land in a new city I always just start walking. I find myself in front of the Noble Peace Prize Center which has an English tour starting in 5 minutes.There are 5 Noble Prizes given out every year (Chemistry, Physics, Economics, Medicine and Peace), but only the Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo per the terms of Arthur Noble’s will. There have been 111 recipients of the Noble Peace Prize (19 of them women). It is awarded on December 10 each year at a ceremony at Oslo’s City Hall. A tribute to each recipient’s life and work is then created at the Noble Peace Prize Center. Last year the Peace Prize went to Narges Mohammadi for her fight against the oppression of woman in Iran.

I continue walking and I enjoy seeing my first Norwegian city. It is an incredible Scandinavian city, bursting at the seams with many green spaces, gorgeous museums and sophisticated restaurants. The waterfront is so beautiful and is overlooked by the Akershus Fortress.

My path takes me through a well kept cemetery and I come upon the grave of Oslo’s most famous artist, Edmund Munch.

I notice that despite the trim figures of all the people I pass, there is a bakery every few feet on my walk, with the most enticing baked goods.

I get a coffee ( well, and one small baked good) and sit for a while in St. Hanshaugen Park, watching people go about their Saturday.

As I loop back toward my hotel I come across a Pro-Palestein demonstration, but it is a very peaceful situation. So peaceful that a famous Oslo chef decides to send his chef’s out to make free food for everyone.

A little more walking before returning to my hotel to get ready to go out to dinner. It turns out the reservation I made is at a place doing 7 courses. Fortunately they are small!

I walk back to my hotel very happy that I have come to Oslo.

Sunday morning I have booked a walking tour, as I always do in a new city. Our guide is Michelle and she works as a hotel receptionist during the week. We meet at the Tiger statue which is the symbol of Oslo (who knew?).

One stop is Oslo’s Old Town which has the monument called “The Glove”.

The monument commemorates the king’s efforts to rebuild the city after a devastating fire in 1624. According to legend, King Christian IV pointed to this spot and declared that the new city would be built here. The monument serves as a reminder of the city’s rebirth and the king’s influence on its development. I also see the Oslo stock exchange “Borsen” and tour the Akershus Fortress, which was built around 1290.

Oslo has been the object of a tug of war between Denmark and Sweden for many years and only been an independent country since 1905. It was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II, who made their headquarters at their Akershus Fortress.

After the tour ends, I go to City Hall to see the room where the Noble Prize is handed out each year. It is fun to imagine President Obama and Dr. Martin Luther King crossing that stage.

I also see a number of other rooms in city hall. One big meeting room has this mural filling one wall. Probably not something that would be chosen in most American city halls.

My next stop is the Vigeland Sculpture Park. I take a tram out to an enormous park (Oslo’s version of Central Park) that is filled with over 200 sculptures of Gustav Vigeland. It is the largest sculpture park by just one man. He was prolific! And controversial. All of his sculptures are unclothed and some would say shocking. Some of his most famous are “Man under attack from genii spirits”, “Angry boy”, the “Monolith”, the “Fountain” and “Entwined”. The park is filled with families enjoying the beautiful day while strolling about this unique scenery.

I stop for a beer in a local pub and continue my walk. Around 4pm, I know there is a mass in English at St Hallvards so I go there to attend. Beautifully, there are at least 10 very young alter servers. I spoke to the priest afterwards and he says they sometimes have double that amount of young alter servers.

I head home and get ready for my dinner at the Michelin bib restaurant Smalhans. This dinner is 6 courses and it is wonderful! Smalhans only uses foraged local ingredients and you can taste the freshness in the food. My server was Dominica and we chatted a bit about the Oslo food scene which is quite sophisticated.

My dessert was brought to me by the chef Mads Ekrheim. Apparently Dominica told him I was a bit of a foodie and he came out to chat with me. I really appreciate that.

Monday morning I decide to take the train south to a small city at the start of some of Oslo’s islands. The central train station is fairly busy, but very organized and easy to follow.

I went to Fredrikstad and got off off the train. I was a bit unsure how to proceed, so I walked to the river where I talk to the ferryman. He suggest I take the ferry across the river to the Old Town, Gamlebyen, and I take him up on it . The ferry is free. After visiting the the historic Gamlebyen, I take another ferry up the river. I had imagined I would then take a boat to one of the islands. I had my eye on getting to their Ytre Hvaler Nasjonal Park. Sadly, the boats for some reason are not running. So I console myself that I had two free ferry rides on the water on such a beautiful day and saw the best preserved fortress town in Northern Europe. I take the train back to Oslo.

When I return, I make my way to the Royal Palace in time to see the marching of the guards.The Palace is the official residence of the Norwegian monarchy.

Now it is time for dinner at Brassierie Frances. My friend from home, Jon, is Norwegian and he had recommended the place. I had such a good time. The food is wonderful, but the patrons even better. On my left is Roar, a banker and Egin, a lobbyist and on my right is Harald, a governmental attaché, and his wife, Margret, who are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary. I learned so much about life in Oslo from chatting with these nice people. It is a festive evening.

A beautiful night walk home.

Tuesday my flight doesn’t leave until 6pm so I get a late check out and walk to the coffee house of Tim Wendelboe. It is a long walk, but I want to visit this coffee shop because he has won top barista in the world many years in a row. His coffee is considered exceptional, due to its source and its roasting. Getting there I pass through a neighborhood I really like called Grünerløkka. I pass a place called Mathallen with so any interesting shops.

I am taken with this one called Pies and Cupcakes ..and doughnuts. My essential food groups!

I take a bridge over the river Akerselva to get to Tim Wendelboe’s place. It is quite picturesque on the water.

Tim Wendelboe is very good looking and people visit it as if it is the holy grail of coffee. It is quite photogenic.

I ordered the cappuccino al fredo which I read is served in a martini glass. Yup. It is. And it is delicious.

I walk next to the main library, called the Drammen Bibliotek. I have heard that the libraries are the center of life in Oslo, but I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was 5 floors of books, but so much more. An area where babies are being played with among the books, a wine bar, a cafe, people working on computers and talking and eating and really enjoying being in the library. Wow!

The Oslo Opera House is next door. It is a beautiful building and unique as you are able to walk up to the roof on the outside and view Oslo from the top. I did that.

My last adventure is the National Museum. They have a special exhibit of Rothko and he is one of my favorite artists. They are exhibiting 250 of his works on paper which is mind-blowing.

Also there are two rooms of Munch works including two of his most famous paintings, The Scream and the Madonna.

This museum has only been opened a few years and I think it is world-class. I wish I could come here everyday and see a different exhibit.

Perhaps the most interesting and disturbing pieces of art is in the lobby. The art work started out because of a pile of rotting reindeer heads were dumped outside a court. The Norwegian government had ordered a mass cull of herds owned by Norway’s indigenous Sámi people, and Máret Ánne Sara wanted judges hearing a case against the demand, brought by her herder brother, to experience the grisly consequences. The tapestry of 400 reindeer skulls done by Sara has the flesh and tissue boiled and scrubbed off and the bone polished to a shine. It hangs like a huge flag. When you get closer you can see the bullet holes in each of the reindeer heads. It is quite an important art piece in the Sámi community and the museum wants to make a statement of its importance.

I look at my watch and it is time to take the express train back to the airport. This trip whet my appetite to come back to Norway and see other parts of the country.

One last beer and I am headed back to beautiful Lisbon.

I hope you enjoyed visiting Oslo with me!

LISBON: WEEK 1

Certain things about this Shirleyfest are different than prior Shirleyfests. I’ve been in Lisbon just one week, but I’ve been gone from California for three weeks. I did a hiking trip in Scotland prior to arriving in Portugal. The hiking was amazing and made even better because Laura and Mallory joined me.

Therefore, I arrive in Lisbon fully on local time. That makes getting going in my new city really easy. However, I’ve never done a Shirleyfest starting in August. It is much warmer and much more crowded than my fall Shirleyfests. Nonetheless, Lisbon is stunning and I have a wonderful apartment in a great neighborhood.

I actually arrive from Inverness, Scotland well after midnight, so I book a room at the airport hotel for the first night. I don’t want to deal with getting into a new apartment at 2 am. I can see the airport hotel right in front of me when I exit the Lisbon airport and google maps says it is only a 5 minute walk, but for the life of me I cannot see how I can walk there.There are lanes and lanes of traffic in front of me.

However, I don’t dare get in the long cab line and tell the taxi driver to drive me 2 minutes. So I finally figure out I have to roll my roller bag thru multiple busy intersections crisscrossing left then right then over again. I am very happy to reach my lovely bed after that harrowing experience.

The next morning I arrive at my new home at 10:00 am and let myself in with a code. The building is delightful. It is right on a corner of a quiet street. The place is fairly new and it has beautiful furnishings and top of the line appliances (all Bosch: dishwasher, induction burners, oven, washer and dryer). And most importantly strong air conditioning. There is a large patio to sit and have wine and cheese (hopefully with my new friends).

I unpack quickly and head out to explore. Estrela Park is in my backyard so I start there and order a beer to sit and people watch (and dance).

Afterwards, I explore a bit before getting ready to walk to dinner at Café De São Bento. I always have a nice dinner reservation made for my first night on Shirleyfest. I had read good things about this restaurant. It is opposite the Portuguese parliament with a little red door on Rua de São Bento where I have to ring the doorbell and wait until someone lets me in. Once inside, I see the color red is a major player in the decoration, similar to their famous medium rare steak that’s been bringing locals back to this spot for the past 40 years. This is a great spot for people watching, since it’s a popular place for politicians to celebrate the deals they just sealed across the street. I enjoy a wonderful meal.

I discuss with David, the charming server, how best to cross the river to view Lisbon from the other side. Just as I am finishing, a young woman next to me, who had been chatting in Portuguese with everyone, follows up with me (in perfect English) about what David has told me. Her name is Catarina and she lives nearby and goes to school. We chat and she loves the idea of Shirleyfest. She offers some great Lisbon suggestions. One suggestion is that since it’s my first night here she will show me the famous Lisbon miradores ( lookout points). Off we go traipsing through nighttime Lisbon. We walk for hours and I see the most beautiful nighttime sights and sounds.

The next day I head out for a walking tour I have booked with a local PhD archeology student. The meeting point at 11am is near the famous 13th century Igreja de São Domingos, so since it is Sunday, I go early and attend mass there. I really love going to mass in foreign countries. Even though I cannot always follow the homily, the order of the mass remains the same and I just say in English what the other participants are saying in their native language. This is the oldest church in Lisbon and has a difficult and storied past. It was the site of the Inquisition, murdering thousands of Jewish citizens in 1506. It has also been destroyed by an earthquake and fire which locals say is punishment for the Inquisition. The ceiling of the church is red, memorializing the bloodshed of the event.

I meet Kate, my guide, and we traverse Lisbon, seeing many of the archeological sites in several neighborhoods.

Afterwards I head to the Lapa area for lunch at Le Boulangerie.

Sated, I walk up the enormous hill to my apartment. Tonight I have dinner at Senhor UVA, a vegetarian restaurant one block from my apartment. The street runs between two dining rooms and I sit at the bar and had a delicious meal and discussed travel with my server Adrian who is from Florianopolis, Brazil. He is making the case for a Shirleyfest there.

Monday I walk to the main Metro station and make an application for a monthly transport card. Fortunately I know to always bring extra passport photos on Shirleyfest, as sure enough one is needed to complete the application. Handing it over, I’m told to come back the next day to pick it up. Given how far I’ve walked, I decide another 30 minutes will bring me to the Gulbenkian Museum. Along the way I stop for a nice lunch along a lake in Eduardo Park. I was at the Gulbenkian 8 years ago and recall it fondly. It does not disappoint. My favorite is the Portrait of Sara by Frans Hals. His paintings always look so realistic.

Tonight I hit another neighborhood place….. Pinot Bar de Vinhos. I’m surprised to learn it is owned by the same people that own Senhor Uva, where I ate the prior night. It is right on Estrela Park and a unique wine store. There is no wine by the glass menu. You just tell Jems, the server, what you feel like and he selects from the various bottles he has available. I end up with a Sicilian red from the Mt. Etna area and some very tasty small plates. I have a great conversation about the Japanese art islands with two people from my neighborhood who have also stopped by.

Tuesday I walk back to pick up my transit card. I’m surprised to find out it works not only on Lisbon buses, Metros, and trams, but the ferries, the trains to many nearby cities and even the elevadores ( funiculars). Not only is it a financial bargain, the ease of never having to go to a ticket machine or ticket agent is invaluable. So let me start using this valuable card!

First I take a bus to the Mercado de Campo de Ourique. Getting off, I see a lovely church called Saint Condestable and mass is beginning so I decide to head in. Gorgeous.

I stroll around the market wishing we could get these plump fresh anchovies in California.

A stop at Copenhagen Coffee Lab fuels me to take a tram to the ferry depot where I catch the ferry cross the river to Christ the King statue. The ferry ride is so calm ( and short—8 minutes). Christ the King statue is almost identical to Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio. I get off the ferry and see a shuttle that I’m guessing must go to the statue. I hop on and 15 minutes later I’m there, overlooking what suspiciously looks like San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Approaching the entrance I’m waved to a ticket line. I oblige, though I see many people bypassing the ticket line. I figure I want to support the economy so I buy a ticket. Later I realize that the only reason to buy a ticket is to go to the top of the statue. Ok, well I have the ticket so up I go. Amazing views and it is quite spiritual way up there.

After reversing courses, and returning via ferry I look at my pre- prepared personal Lisbon map and realize I m near Taberna de Rua das Flores. Famous for it fresh fresh seafood I head over not sure if I’ll get in. But I do! Fantastic octopus and beetroot salad and of course Portuguese wine. I decide to walk home but not before stopping for a drink at the rooftop bar of Hotel Chiado. I just love this rooftop bar. Great views, good wine list and friendly waiters. Ahhh. I have a little chat with Sofia, a student, who has the same birthday as me ( I’ll need to go back there on our day!).

Wednesday I decide to try my new transport card on the train and head to Cacais. I’m so glad I do as this is a stunning town. Think of it as Carmel with a fortress. I read the food blogs on the train and so I head straight for Malacopa for fresh fish tacos. Walking around afterwards is so delightful. The beach, the marble streets, and adorable shops. When I get to the fortress, I find that once you enter the courtyard it is an artist colony with many art galleries. What a great idea. I think I could easily live in this town. On the train back I sit next to a Brazilian woman who tells me she came for a visit to Cacais about 8 years ago and never went home! She lives in a bungalow where she walks to the beach each day.

I WhatsApp my new friend Caterina to see if she wants to meet me for Greek food tonight. There is a place recommended by Eater 38 only two blocks from my place. Luckily she agrees and we have a wonderful meal at Kefi Greek Bistro. Afterwards we stop by Pinot Bar for a night cap. What great day.

Thursday it is 96 degrees. I decide to go out to Factory FX. It’s a concept area with several streets of bars, restaurants and shops. Very hipster. I feel like I’m in Brooklyn. I have a nice salad and stroll around a bit before jumping on a tram and heading to the MAAT museum. It is the Museum of architecture, art and technology. It’s along the river and part of the museum is in an old power plant. The architecture is beautiful and the setting is stunning. The curation of the exhibits does leave me puzzled on several occasions. I do like this one exhibit on the various colors we find in the oceans. A small child is mesmerized by it as I sit there.

Friday it is still very very hot. I do a walk down Avenue Liberdade where old phone booths have been turned into kiosks. It is refreshing to stop for a cold drinks all along the wide boulevard. Next I brave the heat and do a self guided walking tour of Barrio Alto neighborhood, including a ride on the Elevador Bica.

Later I meet two new people that my friend Nick introduced me. Nicole and Tova meet me back at Pinot Bar. A bottle of bubble and wonderful conversation flows easily. These are extremely interesting people who I hope to see again in England or Norway ( their respective homes).

I finish writing this first trip report on a flight to Oslo. I decide spur of the moment to be very European and go to Oslo for the weekend. It will be much cooler there.

So this is my first week of this year’s Shirtleyfest. Adeus as they say in Portugal…..until my next report. Thanks for reading along.

Announcing Shirleyfest 2024!!!

LISBON

Laura and I visited Lisbon 9 years ago. It was the summer before she started grad school. We had rooftop drinks every night, ate delicious seafood and walked and walked. We had a blast and one week was just not enough. Yet I haven’t been back….until now.

My memory of Lisbon is that it is charming all at once — an endearing mix of now and then. Vintage trolleys shiver up and down its hills, bird-stained statues mark grand squares, taxis rattle and screech through cobbled lanes, and Art Nouveau cafés are filled equally with well-worn and well-dressed locals — nursing their coffees side-by-side. It’s a city of proud ironwork balconies, multicolored tiles, and mosaic sidewalks; of bougainvillea and red-tiled roofs with antique TV antennas; and of foodie haunts and designer boutiques.

I actually thought I’d try Sydney this year, but I kept hitting a brick wall in my search for the perfect apartment. Since this is my 14th Shirleyfest, I know now the universe is trying to tell me something when that happens. It was whispering. “Lisbon”.

Why not Lisbon? Absolutely no reason. It is one of the oldest cities in the world and the second-oldest European capital city (after Athens) predating other modern European capitals by centuries. It is mainland Europe’s westernmost capital city (second overall after Reykjavik) the only one along the Atlantic coast, the others (Reykjavik and Dublin) being on islands. So history and geography conspired to create Lisbon for my next Shirleyfest.

Once I got it in my head that this is where Shirleyfest must be, I had a simultaneous thought…stay longer. So my friends Nick and Ivan put me in touch with a relocation company they had used and lo and behold they had the perfect apartment. It’s in the area of Lisbon called CAMPO DE OURIQUE. I’m staying longer this year so look for lots more posts!

Here’s a few snaps of my new place: