Today I arrived in Oslo. I flew into Gardermoen and got to Oslo from the airport by the Flytoget shuttle train which was fast and convenient. I paid NOK 82 (Norwegian Kroner) and I was in Oslo in 25 breakneck minutes.

I am staying at the stately and august Grand Hotel for over NOK 2,000. In U.S. dollars my room is $509. Luckily my grandmother gave me lots of money for my trip to Norway since she has great memories of a an ice bar there called Icebar at the Ice Hotel.

For breakfast I ate grot with cinnamon and sugar which is porridge made by boiling milk and flour. It does not sound as appetizing as it looks, but it was actually a hearty meal! I think my grandpa would eat it!

To show my thanks to grandma, I shopped at Dale of Norway and bought my grandma a famous wooly Norwegian sweater. Symbolic patterns are used in the intricate sweater designs. I bought my grandma a sweater with the gothic arches design from the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, her favorite city. I got the sweater at special sale and only paid NOK 100! Yippee!

I went to the amazing Viking Ship Museum. There were huge longboats and the weapons the Vikings had are very different than the weapons we have today. For example, they used a club with spikes in it and woven nets to throw on their victims. There was also an exhibit about the swords they used. I learned about Viking culture and the helmets they wear were only worn in battle. I learned about Lief Eriksson and Eric the Red. Eric the Red was the first Viking explorer to set up a colony in Greenland. Eric the Red was Lief Eriksson's father. I went for free because I had an Oslo Pass!

I stopped for lunch and I ate gravlaks which is salmon on an open sandwich called a koldt bord for NOK 7.

After lunch, I went to the Munch Museum where I saw the famous painting called "The Scream" by Edvard Munch. There were other paintings of Norwegian people and winter scenes. I thought the museum was awesome and I don't usually like all art museums! I bought a Scream keychain in the musuem shop for NOK 3.

It was cold and 18 degrees out -- perfect for dogsledding on a frozen lake outside of the city or for skiing! The Norwegians have a passion for the outdoors! Since the snow never melts, I decided to investigate a day of skiing for tomorrow.

If it was August, I could go to the Peer Gynt festival on Lake Gola. This festival celebrates the birth of Henrik Ibsen the "Father of Modern Drama." Too bad. Maybe next time.

Norwegians eat dinner early. I had aaloo gosht kari which was mutton and potatoe stew. I paid NOK 15. It was very good and I had no idea I would like sheep!

After dinner I went to the Icebar. The whole place was made out of ice! Everyone was wearing these big black coats with huge furry hoods.

I got back to my hotel and I took a hot shower and went to bed.