After landing at 10:45pm on the July 23rd, our first full day in Norway was Leon’s birthday. Norway has been having record high temperatures this summer and the house was super stuffy inside when we arrived. However by opening the windows, we managed to get it to a somewhat tolerable sleeping temperature by 1:15am or so. Megan and I woke up wide awake at 4:30am. Leon managed to sleep until 6am.
We decided to take it easy the first day by going to a small scenic coast town (Drobak, a 20 minute drive from our place) and then taking the Drobak-Oslo ferry into Oslo after lunch. Evidently one of the reasons people come to Drobak is that it purports to be the birthplace of Santa Claus.
It’s also known for its well-preserved wooden buildings from the 1850s and its beautiful view of the Oslofjord.
Before catching the fairy, we had a celebratory birthday cake for Leon at a cute bakery. It was a layered white cake with strawberries and blueberries that tasted a lot like strawberry shortcake. The other interesting food item that we were very amused to see the first day in Norway was the fabled “bacon wrapped hot dog”. While researching Norway, I had read a blog on traveling on a budget in Norway – the blogger advised that the most reliable strategy was to dine exclusively on bacon-wrapped hot dogs which are available at almost all gas stations. We found them in Drobak without even going to a gas station. They are truly popular here! The bacon wrapped dog is the one in back.
Balents Trip Blog 