Scandinavia Journey 2011

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Oslo Instagram Diary

Snapshot from Oslo

Hanging on at the University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

What do I buy in Scandinavia: Other things

So besides buying amazing totes in each city, I did actually purchase other things.

Once again, I tried very hard not to buy things that looked like souvenirs. I wanted to buy things that were functional, memorable, and cute.

1. Vintage clothing

 Iceland in particular, has some amazing vintage stores. Not only were they abundant, but also extremely cheap. I brought a tiny suitcase with me, so I really had to hold buying everything in the store.

A dress way too summery to ever wear in Iceland.
Costs only $25 USD from a store in Reykjavik

My splurge in Oslo. Almost $80 USD from a
 vintage store in Grünerløkka.

2. Stationary

There was so much cute stationary in Scandinavia. I have too much of it as it is, but I couldn't resist a few more items.

Ording & Reda Pen case from Sweden

Notebook and pens at Tiger at Reykjavik.

3. Accessories

Just a few cute impulse buys from various places.

Barrett from the gift shop of the Louisiana Museum;
Ring from a thrift store in Reykjavik.

Tim Wendelboe

My American friend in Oslo told me that Tim Wendelboe boasts the best coffee in all of Scandinavia, so of course, I had to make a detour there while on my brief walk along the Akerselva. I must say, I was not disappointed. Tim Wendelboe is the kind of place that coffee aficionados go to for a fix. The coffee was so rich, so creamy and frothy, so not flavored with gross sugary syrups. The kind of place that makes you embarrassed to ask for a Vanilla latte, or even a latte in general. Not me... 

Baristas at work

The roaster

Minimalist seating

What do I buy in Scandinavia: Origins fo the Tote Craze

In a follow up to the  post I did on Japan, I thought it might be good to talk about some of the things I bought on my trip to Scandinavia last year. 

I basically shopped my way through Scandinavia. No, it wasn't that bad,  but pretty much after one day in Iceland it became very obvious that there would be a reoccurring theme through my shopping adventure: totes. They were everywhere! And in so many cool designs! At such affordable prices! I decided that it would be cool to buy a tote (or two) from each city to commemorate my experience there. Not only did they fold up nicely in my tiny suitcase, but I also used them to haul things around. See, practical and memorable.

Ordning & Reda tote, Stockholm, Sweden: $15

Marimekko tote, Helsinki, Finland: $15

Astrup Fearnley Museet Gift shop tote, Oslo, Norway: $10

Tiger tote, Reykjavik, Iceland: $3

Torpedo tote, Oslo, Norway: $5

Design Week tote, Copenhagen, Denmark: Free

Tiger Tote, Copenhagen, Denmark: $3

A Walk Along the Akerselva

When we were in Oslo last fall I made a point to contact an old friend living there and get the inside scoop on the city. The friend, an American living in Oslo (and fluent in Norwegian), went above and beyond that request and provided us with not only a list of things but also a map! Although we didn't get to see her in Oslo (she was, ironically, vacationing in the U.S. at the time) I am ever so grateful for her guidance.
After going through it and narrowing down our options for a relaxing three day sojourn to the Norwegian capital, I decide that a walk down the Akerselva was one thing we must do. 

The Akerselva is a tiny river running through the city.  It provided the most picturesque walk for us and we explored the city. We began at the very southern base of the river, which, coincidentally, was right by our hotel. I thought the river walk would be full of tourists or locals at least (walking up and down the Willamette River is a popular pastime in Portland) but for the most part we were the only ones.  

Around this area we still had a very metropolitan view. Further up the river emerges several sprawling parks to both sides, and the view of city buildings all but disappears.

At a certain point, things get a little bit, well, artsy. I mean the Oslo trademark  graffiti starts to reveal itself and random art projects pop out from the trees. 

About halfway through the walk,  you end up being right in the middle of the amazing coffee of Tim Wendelboe, and the Oslo School of Design. So, coffee in hand, we took a nice little tour around the design school. 

At the information desk we asked if there were any art bookstores in Oslo, and the man told us to check out a place called Torpedo. Torpedo is really worth it's own blog entry so I won't go into that here. It's just funny how one journey leads to another.

We ended our walk around the Grünerløkka, which is a fancy little neighborhood littered with vintage shops and restaurants. In one shop we met a Norwegian girl who grew up in Portland, Oregon. So in a way, the end of the river took us right back home. There the three of us, a Greek-American, her Chinese boyfriend, and a Norwegian salesgirl, stood around a pile of vintage purses and shoes discussing the things we love most about Portland.

Deli de Luca, Coffee in Oslo

It's no secret that Oslo is one of the most expensive cities in Europe, and the world, for that matter. A latte at a typical cafe could easily cost $8-10 USD.

That is why I rejoiced when I discovered Deli de Luca.

Well, "discovered" might be the wrong word...there is basically a Deli de Luca on every street corner of the city, so I don't know how anyone could miss it.

From the outside, it looks like it could be another 7-11 so it is easy to write this place off as another convenience store, oh but it is so much cooler.

So the coolest thing about Deli de Luca is the $4 USD self serve latte section. The machine there can make them as good or better than some cafes, and for half the price. 

The machine could make hot and cold drinks.

Deli de Luca also served food, though these cupcakes looked better than they tasted...

All in all, if you happen to be in Oslo and on a seriously tight budget, you will probably be living in Deli de Luca. Though, a couple sandwiches and some drinks could easily cost you $30 USD.

They also had an assortment of lunch items of Chinese, Italian, and Middle Eastern variety.

Vår Frelsers Gravlund, Oslo, Norway

This cemetery in Oslo is just a twenty minute up-hill walk from Central Station. Due to a rare sunny day in Scandinavia, the colors were brighter and move vivid than usual.Apart from a large, steep hill in the center, the cemetery was on a flat plot of land. The grave markers were all fairly low to the ground, with wide spaces in between. 

A broken cross hides behind an old tomb.

A laminated photograph and bouquet of flowers are all that marks this resting place.

This grave marker was completely covered by vines.

Rather than being sectioned off form one another by small gates or shrubbery, tombs were instead places in elevated pens of gravel.

These are photos I took via the Hipstamatic on my iPhone.

Vines overtake the walls of the cemetery.