kerry-oslo

Monday morning bright and early I packed up my room to leave Cork. It was super sad, not only trying to fit everything I owned into 2 suitcases, but to end what had felt like an era. At one point, I got into a conversation with Denis as to how long an era actually was but whether or not 6 months classifies as one, I don't know. Anyway, Denis came and picked me, 2 suitcases, 34 extra bags full of random stuff, and 2 purses up and drove all of us to Kerry, where his family is from. That was really fun and his family was really cool.
The next day Denis drove me around Kerry to see the countryside and cities like Killarney, where I got some really expensive ice cream and visited a really pretty house in the national park (right). We also drove through this valley called Black Valley I think, but it was completely empty, except for beautiful scenery and random little houses. Apparently there was this one spot that he called the 'postcard shot' except the bridge was torn down and reconstructed so it wasn't as pretty, nor was the weather too great, but it was still really pretty. Near the end of the drive was a sweet lake (top left). The next night we camped out on Inch Beach (left), and made 1 hot whiskey. I think the plan was to make more, but we were so tired that we fell asleep immediately after pitching the tent so we made only the one. I had never had a hot whiskey before, and it was really really good. It also might have something to do with the fact that Denis added like 2 spoons of Irish honey to the little cup of diluted whiskey, but either way it was very good, especially with the lemon and clove details (see right).

We drove to Dublin the following day, where I was to fly to Oslo.
I flew with RyanAir and they did not let me down this time. The plane was like half full, so I had an entire aisle to myself. The plane ride was really short and I landed in Oslo, about an hour and a half outside the city since RyanAir doesn't fly to convenient locations. Therefore a bus was needed to drive into city center, where I sat next to a really interesting randomer named Richie. I think it's so interesting how complete strangers will tell you absolutely anything about their life. I got to talking to this guy, a 20-something soccer player from Dublin, and learned all about how his sister had a baby with his wife's brother, and how her at the time boyfriend then broke up with her and proceeded to get kicked out of his band due to all the scandal. Also, he was tired of living in Dublin, and wanted to move his entire family to Australia, but his wife has too many friends in Dublin to agree to the move. Details like that. Maybe I just have a friendly face, but he talked to me for an hour and a half and I had never met the guy in my life. I wonder if maybe I could travel on buses as a career and write a book about all the randomers who tell me stories.
When I got to Oslo, I was very proud of myself because I managed to find my hostel all by myself. Anyone who is anyone who knows me knows that I cannot navigate myself at all. At all. I run on gut instinct, in that if I feel that I need to turn left, then right is probably the correct route. Or straight, depending on the intersection.
I would just like to say that Oslo is the craziest most expensive city I've ever been in. The hostel charged me the equivalent of like 10 dollars to use sheets for one night, not to mention something small like a water bottle costs about 4 dollars. Lame. Anyway, that night I crashed almost as soon as I got in. For some reason, I had the room all to myself, which was nice but I got a bit lonely. I pulled out my diary that I started the first day of my travel- actually the entire diary consists of that one day seeing as how I abandoned it the next when I realized this blog was a more convenient alternative. But looking through it I realized that I had come a really long way since that first day I was sitting in the airport, freaking out that I was by myself and that I had to figure out how to get to Ireland. Little did I know, I'd be freaking out 6 months later when I had to figure out how to get around Europe all by myself.

Oslo Parliment Building

The next day I slept in a bit and then headed to city center. I was really proud of myself when this random lady came up to me speaking Norwegian, asking for directions to her hostel and I was able to help. Then again, the only word out of all of which I heard was 'Anker', which was the hotel right next to my hostel, but with very efficient hand gestures, I was able to be of service. With my renewed confidance that maybe I could survive after all, I grabbed a map and headed into town. First of all, it was soo hot! Being used to cold Ireland, I was wearing jeans and a thick cotton shirt, which was a bad idea. It was so hot and sunny that guys were walking around shirtless and girls were all in summer dresses. I proceeded to be way too hot for the next few hours until I got back to the hostel and changed into Norwegian attire. Female that is.

Apparently there was a music festival going on in Oslo today, and I saw a bunch of really cool bands. There was this one that was really crazy, and I took a video of it but I'm not sure if it turned out ok, so I'll upload it later if it does. But it was this like whoa white gangster Norwegian guy, who was really really good. The crowd loved him and was dancing and waving their arms in the air and singing along. I met up with this couple in Oslo who I would be staying with from CouchSurfing, and they were really cool and we got ice cream and sat on the pier (right). We sat there for a while, and it felt really cool to be overlooking the Oslo water, eating icecream, wearing a sundress and hanging my feet off the dock listening to the bands in the background playing music I could not understand due to the fact that they were all Norwegian bands. I was kind of worried about traveling all summer by myself, but sitting there on the pier, eating icecream was such a nice experience that I am really looking forward to the rest of my summer!