On my first visit to Oslo, the capital of Norway, some nine years ago,

I took a 4 hour walking tour of the city, this time we had rain and I hopped on a Hop on Hop off for a ride. Everywhere we went was familiar.I took some photos from the top of the bus, this is my favourite

9

A stairway to a tree house? To nowhere? To heaven?

We passed beautiful houses in the most exclusive part of Oslo.

The Sky Princess docked opposite The Akershus Fortress and this was the view from my cabin R 321 on the 14th floor.

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo.But Every-one knows that.Norway introduced salmon sushi to Japan. I bet nobody knew that! 😊

On my first visit to Oslo some nine years ago

I took a walking tour of the city and in the loveliest of sunshine  I spent 3-4 hours exploring the capital of Norway.This time we had rain and I hopped on a Hop on Hop off for a ride. Everywhere we went was familiar.I took some photos from the top of the bus, this is my favourite 

A stairway to a tree house? To nowhere? To heaven?

We passed the most expensive houses in Norway in the most exclusive part of the city.

Skagen,the third port we had docked in,

is at the very top of the continent of Europe.Here the two seas-The Baltic and The North Sea-and the whole of the world meet.You can stand with one foot in The Baltic and one in The North Sea.Skagen is 600 years old.Many artists, including Hans Chtistian Andersen,  loved it.

And no , The  Skagen watches are not made in Skagen, not even in Denmark.They are made in China, but the quality parts like the Miyota movement are from Japan.

I don't know who this fierce looking man is and why he is kneeling outside the Skagen gallery, but I could not resist taking his photo.The Danes certainly have a lot to be happy about. Comfortable life,the envy of Europe (in 2021 Denmark was named the second best country in the world for the quality of life,Finland taking top spot,Norway third, Sweden fifth, the Scandinavians  are truly blessed),the freshest  air, their own currency and not the euro. Wow.

And the most beautiful flower shop I have  ever seen.Yet there are no flowers in front gardens or on window sills. Strange.

Skagen has the largest number of yachts in Denmark, it is the main Danish fishing port and town  is famous for the red tiles. This photo encapsulates all of this.

Copenhagen is laid back and as comfortable with itself as I am with myself

and that is one of the reasons why we get on so well! I have been to the city at least four times, always a part of a cruise.I have seen all the usual tourist attractions  I'd wanted to see,but on each visit I find something unexpected. This time it was The Studio Arhoj Design Store,where you can see the craftsmen at work and buy what they made.

And  on this visit I had my first ever potato pizza.Potato pizza. Whatever next!

It was delicious.

And here it is.

The pigeon enjoyed it, too.