Day 9 (18 March): Mafra to Oslo

We may start in a city that’s likely to reach a top of 12°C, but that’s definitely not the case at today's destination! In 33 days, we will be waking up early in Portugal, jumping on a plane, landing in Spain (Madrid) for a little layover, and then boarding another and landing in Oslo. The Scandinavian part of our Scandinavian adventure will begin! We’ll arrive mid-afternoon, having lost an hour in transit. Norway, like most of Western and Central Europe, follows Central European Time (GMT +1). This will be by far the furthest north I’ve ever been. Oslo sits at almost 60°N - the same parallel as Bergen, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, and the Shetland Islands.

Norway has a chequered history with Denmark and Sweden. During the Viking Age, Norwegians, Danes, and Swedes raided and traded together but also competed. In 1380, Norway entered a union with Denmark, later becoming part of the Kalmar Union. While Sweden left this union in 1523, Norway remained under Danish rule for centuries and was essentially a Danish province. After Denmark’s defeat in the Napoleonic Wars, Norway was handed to Sweden in 1814. Norwegians resisted, briefly declaring independence, but Sweden forced a union. Growing nationalism led to a peaceful separation in 1905. Since then, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden have remained close, sharing cultural and economic ties. They’re all good friends now, which is nice.

The average top temperature on 18 March in Oslo is exactly 0°C. Might need that extra layer and snow boots! We’re not planning anything too exciting this day in Oslo, staying at a hotel very close to the airport because of our early flight to Kirkenes the following day, but one exciting thing is that we are meeting up with Drew and Cloe! They’ll have just arrived from Leonay via London, so won’t have had the advantage of a week already in Europe to sort out their circadian rhythms. Possibly an early night ahead of another early start. Jase is going to start loving mornings, that’s for sure!

Gardermoen Airport, Oslo. Space for 71 planes, with 50 air bridges.