Goodbye Norway, hello Netherlands

The cabin covered in snow

Packing and cleaning were the first two orders of the day yesterday. Pack my suitcase and clean the cabin that is. After I had finished both, I had to take the key back to reception, where of course nobody was present (is that why she offered me a job: to actually have somebody present?). So, I left the key in the same place I got it from: the mailbox. I threw out the rubbish I had gathered over the course of my stay and then drove down the mountain for the last time.

Hey, that's me!

Once I got down the mountain I stopped at the local supermarket (well, one of several) to get some really nice and sweet breakfast. Literally sweet: it was screaming with sugar! And then I started on my way back to Oslo. I had wanted to visit a museum in Kongsberg, but I got the museums mixed up and the one I went to wasn't open yet and I drove straight past the other one! Museums in Norway seem to open some time in June and close again in August: tourist season only. So, I drove on and decided to go native. Well, Viking native that is! If you remember (of course you do, you lot are clever), I went to the FRAM museum on Saturday and that was only one of six I could have visited. This time I visited the Viking ship museum.

The biggest Viking ship with beautiful decorations
It was probably used for pleasure only before it became a grave

The Viking ship museum is housed in a large quite unassuming building and is the home to three Viking ships found in the late 1800's and early 1900's. All three ships were used as graves for wealthy people and in the past there had been gold, silver and weapons as well, but graverobbers had gotten hold of that long before they were excavated. One of the ships was put back together again as much as possible and most of the things found in it were on display as well. I had hoped to have a bit more information about Viking life and stuff, but alas, the three ships and their contents were all there was. A missed opportunity I feel.

One of the many things found on the ship above
Other things were sleds, sewing and cooking implements,
food, furniture and horses and dogs

After the Vikings I left and headed towards the airport. I arrived way too early and had to wait nearly three hours before boarding began, but I was a bit worried about traffic out of Oslo, so didn't dare be later. It was very busy at the airport though (there are a lot of national flights as well as international flights), especially since it's not very big. At one point I felt as if I was waiting to go on a rollercoaster: there was a sign saying the waiting time from that point was 6 minutes. I had already been in line for about 5 as well! Again (as in the Netherlands) no sign of passport control. Must be new!

The flight itself was fairly uneventful, until the last part when the baby in the seat in front of me started howling and wouldn't stop. The headache that had been building already, now came on with a vengeance! Fortunately we were nearly there and I could get off and away from screaming baby. I had asked my parents to pick me up from the airport and they had dutifully arrived to do so. My parents are the sweetest! Thank you mama and papa!! They dropped me off home and here I am again. Back to normal life again.