Three quarters of an hour after arriving into Oslo I realised I'd left my Selfridges brolly on the rack above my seat on the Bergen train. I've still got the outer cover but the important element is missing. I went back to Sentral Station but of course the train was no longer at the platform. The left luggage chap said it was too soon for it to have been processed for left luggage (and it takes two to five days and they are closed on the weekend). I will be in Stockholm next week.

A couple of people were a bit down on Oslo as a place. I found it a great city. My hotel was right next to the station and within walking distance of the 'downtown' area. Most things seem to centre around the historic Karl Johans Gate - the shops, green space, culture (galleries, museums, theatre), politics (parliament) and royalty (the palace). I really packed in a lot on Friday. I walked the full length of the street stopping for a coffee and photo opportunities. As I walked up to the palace a car with flags on the wing mirrors. drove up the gravel. I heard a French guy refer to 'le grand fromage' - a great way to frame it!

In a pop-up coffee shop I met an American couple who gave me loads of tips on what I should visit. We talked about Munch's Scream, but I decided I'd prefer to spend my time outside in the glorious sunshine. I took the mini train tour to get a feel for Oslo and then walked to the harbour area to pick up a boat. The world and his wife were out but I managed to get on a two hour boat cruise on a spooner type boat around the Oslo Fjord. It was brilliant. The Fjord is stunning, especially in the dappled sunlight. The docked cruise liners dominate the waterfront. One boat tooted its funnel which led to other boats joining in. We passed multiple islands where people were jumping from their summer house jetties into the water, sunbathing on rocks or racing their boats across the bay. I found the trip really relaxing. Back in port I walked along the new boardwalk. I was going to go in one Norwegian restaurant but as I heard someone order whale I decided this wasn't the place for me. I found a tapas bar called Delicatessen who made a great artichoke salad which I washed down with a mojito. The sunshine called for such a cocktail. I then nipped into a vegetarian cafe near City Hall for coffee and cake. I asked if the the almond cake was Norwegian but like most food it's 'international'. It was still very tasty, especially as I don't often eat cake. As I was walking back to Sentral Station some spots of rain started to fall. I wish I had my brolly.

On Saturday I had a few hours before my train to Stockholm departed. I'd decided to focus the morning on visiting the Oslo Opera House. It's inspired by a glacier and designed so you can walk onto the roof. The sun was really bright bouncing off the creamy white marble and concrete. It's actually very peaceful up there and a great vantage point over the Fjord. A great finish to my fantastic Norwegian visit. After lunch I caught the train to Stockholm. It was a long seven hour ride passing through beautiful landscape again - stunning lakes, fields and woods. The train was an older model with an old fashioned bistro area serving refreshments. A Swedish guy (Eric Johansson) returning from Oslo was intrigued why I was taking photos on my iPad. We got chatting about how I love to look at different architecture. He said he's the same as he's a bricklayer. He appreciates the work of former bricklayers (three hundred years back).

I'm staying in Stockholm for four nights which will give me plenty of time to explore and relax. I arrived into Central Station at 9.45 pm and was glad to know the route to my hotel from my recce earlier this month.