Oslo was amazing! First of all you notice how cold it is, -10 degrees! Oh yeah. There’s an art of layering up to stay warm, and you need to learn it quick. Driving from the airport to the center of Oslo was so beautiful. All the tree tops, roofs of the houses were all decorated with glistening white snow. I can’t remember the last time I saw snow back at home, so this just blew me away! Don’t know why first thing that came to me was ‘I need to jump in it’. And I did! The cold from the snow was like pins and needles on my skin. Over my travels I noticed just how clean and tidy Oslo is. In the streets, restaurants, toilets, parks, it’s no wonder they’ve been awarded the best green city for 2019! You also notice how efficient everything is, from your taxis being on time, your train, trams. Nothing is delayed like back at home.
There’s lots of investment going into Oslo. With brand new buildings being erected for museums, libraries, the Opera House. Even Norwegian Airlines is upgrading their fleet with investing in new planes and it’s growing rapidly and every aircraft is brand new and squeaky clean. Culture, music and arts is massive in Oslo. Also the city holding one of the biggest Award Ceremony’s in the world, The Nobel Peace Prize, in their town hall every year. I’ve met some fantastic people, Labour leaders, the Prima Ballerina, the staff from the FRI organisation, the Mayor and the ministers of Equality and of Culture. The schedule has been full on from Parliament, to City Hall, FRI organisation, Opera House and tours of the city from the Royal Castle to the marina, and up in the mountains. I learnt so much about the east and west divide and that there are about hundred different dialects in Norway. That’s confusing in and of itself…
With how busy the MGE team kept me in Oslo, there was not much time for a lot of night life. I got a couple of night out though; at London Pub with the bar downstairs and the disco upstairs. Here I had a couple of drinks and the night we were there we were “lured” into playing gay bingo. And guess what, I won first prize! Bingo! Another night we were invited to the trendy gay night spot Elsker (the name means Lover), three floors of different kind of music, a bit younger crowd and some really crazy drag queens. I want to say hank you to Scandic Hotels too, you made my stay most enjoyable. With the lovely room, friendly staff and fantastic breakfast every morning. So Oslo, you have been fantastic, and I look forward to my return for your Pride this summer. – Matt