Travel

The journey to Oslo was pretty terrible. Our plane had mechanical issues and I stayed overnight in Chicago before getting out to Heathrow the next day. There were a few very angry people to keep me entertained during the wait time.

Heathrow was very posh, I'd say. It's a little ridiculous and fairly frustrating socially, but the gate system and the efficiency is impressive. The best way to describe the terminal (or at least Terminal 3, where I departed from) is Las Vegas strip with gates to planes. The place is littered with Burberry and Fendi shops, caviar and sushi restaurants, and very, very expensive wi-fi. There are free charging stations for cell phones and computers which are powered by StatOil, a Norwegian gas company. I do like that flights aren't assigned a gate until the plane has docked. Most long layovers in America become very stressful because by the time you settle in for the wait, the airline shifts were the plane will be. There's nothing worse than having to lug heavy carry-ons across terminals because the gates change. Heathrow has that problem solved.

Heathrow Airport, Terminal 3, London

Getting into Oslo is very easy, as an American - probably doubly easy for me as my temporary residency permit was being processed by the time I arrived (and officially accepted as of today!). The airport is small, smaller than the Sunport actually, but beautifully laid out and furnished. Norwegians are amazing at mixing raw materials when they build these gorgeous modern structures. The airport is mostly hardwood flooring with concrete walls and huge plate glass divisions. Its all very cozy and inviting.

There's two trains from the station to Oslo: the commuter train and the express train. Supposedly the commuter train takes 40 mins to get from the airport to Oslo Central Station; the express takes 20. It really works out to be closer to 25 mins on the commuter and is almost half the price. It's a wonderful train, too - fully automatic, different cars for different customers (one for people with prams, one for storing skis, one for people who require a table, etc.), and warm.

Right now, I'm off to sleep (even though it is very early in the evening). Jetlag is kicking my ass. Tomorrow, I'll put up some pics of the neighborhood and talk about my first impressions of Norway. As a teaser, here's a pic of a cute little antique shop on my way to work: