Roger:
Saturday 16 May
Landing in Sydney around 10 am I took the opportunity to go and see an old karate mate. Joe now runs “Joe’s Boxing” at Five Dock.
Sylvia flies in from Wodonga around 3pm. After checking in we head to the lounge to await our 9 pm flight to Dubai.
On board the A380 it is all pretty flash. We are in first class. It is made up of capsules of about 1.5 m wide and 3m long.
Our capsules are side by side with a wall that drops down between us. The seat which turns into a bed also has a massage function. Large TV, pop up drinks bar, make-up mirror and products to name a few. We are handed PJ’s and head off to the bathroom to get changed. The bathrooms are huge with shower included. In spite of the size “one person at a time” the hosty who is always stationed outside tells us. What are they thinking we might get up to in there ?!!!!!
The flight under way, Dom Perignon is served and dinner order taken. Couldn’t resist the Caviar entrée. A piece of baramundi was cooked to perfection for a main. Sylvia had a thai prawn salad, rack of lamb and a chocolate caramel bombe.
The bed is made, the electric doors close for the best aeroplane sleep ever.
2 hours out from Dubai we are called individually for our shower – “what ever happened to saving water?”
A great breakfast is served prior to us arriving feeling fresh and ready for the flight to Oslo.
A bus with large leather armchairs takes us on a long drive around this massive, busy airport. Planes are stacked in all over the tarmacs – know anyone who has lost an aeroplane its probably here.
Sylvia:
Sunday 17 May
We had a very short stopover in Dubai – really only time to buy a few cigars and find the lounge before we had to board – right from the lounge. This time a 777-200 but first class configuration with the same – eight seats but we were the only two passengers with three crew to look after us! A pretty straight-forward 7-hour flight, some movies, more Dom Perignon for Roger (the crew were very attentive and kept his glass well-filled), a delicious lunch and we landed in Oslo.
We caught the express train into the city and walked out of the station into crowds of happy people, many in traditional dress, celebrating Norway’s national day. There was a huge parade with lots of bands and we could even hear cannons firing in the distance. It was quite interesting hauling our cases over the cobblestones and trying to navigate our way to the hotel through the crowds – we even had to dash across the road in a gap in the parade at one stage.
A quick rest at the hotel and then we headed out to wander the streets, enjoying the crowds and the sites. We wandered up to the palace to where the obligatory guards were being photographed, then through some beautiful parkland – displaying wonderful spring greenery and some gorgeous tulips – and around the city before heading back to the hotel. I was quite taken with the national costumes. Women in their dresses with lace up bodices, aprons and bucked shoes and men in “lederhosen” style pants, long socks and velvet jackets, some with tails. Those not in national costume were generally smartly dressed with many of the men in suits and ties. The dresses and suits are in different colours depending on where people are from.
We retired very early as we were both feeling the effects of jet lag.
Click here to see video of parade