26 September 2026
Every time I am going on a trip I do the same – wake up an hour before the alarm and don’t manage to fall asleep again. 4:45 this time. Only thing to do is relax in bed.
All my bags have been packed during the week and are standing at the door. Flowers are watered (I have some hope 50% of them survive), and all I need is the taxi to arrive at the ordered time at the right address – which was a little difficult, because my order was placed in the neighbouring municipality on Wednesday. Needed to call to fix that.
I was waiting outside for the taxi, something the driver told me doesn’t happen often. The 10-minute drive to the airport costs “only” 280 NOK (25 EUR).
My first leg is only to Oslo, since my flight leaves from Oslo tomorrow. On long-haul flights on separate tickets, I like to have a security buffer. The only flight this Saturday morning is Norwegian with a B737 Max 8. Flight time 50 minutes. Booking group A gets me on board early, but the flight is far from full.
Oslo on time, and I booked the little luxury of the Radisson Blu hotel directly at the terminal. I could have used a cheaper hotel, but I want a good bed, a great breakfast, and no shuttles tomorrow.
9:20 is a little early to check in, so it’s just locking up my luggage and going to the to get down to Oslo city. With half of the train drivers on strike, I had little hope of catching the cheap train – but luckily I hit one of the trains still running. Same time to Oslo, and costs 10 Euro less.
All timings are fitting today. Out of Oslo Central Station and onto Tram no. 15 to Aker Brygge. My plan for the day is a trip to Hovedøya in the Oslofjord, all on the same ticket from the airport. Arriving at Aker Brygge, there are still 10 minutes to get on the boat. Really perfect.
Why Hovedøya? It’s only a 5-minute ferry ride from Aker Brygge. I’ve been in Oslo so many times but never made it to the islands. In summer the ferries are packed with people, so it must be nice there. On top of that, there are some geocaches I hadn’t found before. And it’s sunny, which is a great change from the terrible weather we’ve had in Molde the last few weeks.
On Hovedøya you find beaches, a nature reserve, a monastery ruin, and some 19th-century military installations. And as mentioned, it’s part of the normal bus ticket you use for central Oslo.
I follow the path of the geocaches around the island. Forest areas, old buildings, marinas, and paths around the whole island. I found, of course, the steepest way up to the highest point with a geocache. Good training for walking Tokyo. But some nice viewpoints on the way up. The usual hiding spots when you’re a seasoned geocacher. Good for the step count this round, though. The good weather makes it easier, but I definitely should have eaten more than an apple and a banana at 7 in the morning.
About a 20-minute wait for the ferry back. Single ticket costs 46 NOK (4.25 EUR). I thought about lunch at Aker Brygge, but being a Saturday with good weather and crowds of tourists, the restaurants there were packed. Decision time: no lunch there, saving some money and finding another place.
Two quick virtual caches, then a Voi scooter to the city centre. My standard mango milk tea without added sugar, then walking down Karl Johan to the station. A boring sandwich toast from Deli de Luca – edible, but no culinary revelation. Best to go back to the hotel now and enjoy the afternoon with some last reorganising, TV, and writing my first blog post. 134 NOK (12.37 EUR) single ticket back. Money is already flowing out of the bank account. 😀
Hotel check-in smooth. 1950 NOK (180 EUR) for a night with breakfast is the highest non-suite price at the airport as far as I know. But the staff is friendly, the rooms are spacious, the bed is great, and they have working AC – no warm room impossible to sleep in. Only downside: I don’t like bathtubs as a shower. A little old-fashioned. Otherwise no complaints.
Cables out, all electronics back on the charger (my watch had discharged some way – I hope it’s not a bad battery). Writing the blog, taking a nice warm shower I didn’t get this morning.
Dinner is boring Burger King from across the street at the terminal, and a round of Alle mot 1 on NRK tonight. Tomorrow will give me my single longest flight on the same plane. I also see that a new typhoon is forming near Japan, and Tokyo could feel a little of it on the 30th. I’ll report.
