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28 | Viking Explorer Society News to be that Mum and I take our lunch up to the Sports Deck on top of the ship where I'm surprised to find we're the only two soaking up every moment we can with that uninterrupted view. QUAINT VIBES Our Norway days also include Stavanger, where I'm completely charmed by the white, wooden 18th-century cottages and pops of tulip colour in the Old Town. I press my face up against the glass of fabulous vintage shops that are sadly closed as I take in the joyful vibes along Fargegaten, one of Norway's most colourful streets. Back on board, I do a double take at an unexpected face. Viking's Chairman and CEO, Torstein Hagen, has come on board and is smiling and chatting to people as he walks around the ship. After starting his shipping career in these waters, he knows them better than most, and it feels good to know there's a Norwegian behind it all. I walk from the ship past the Oslo Town Hall and Parliament, where the circular Storting Chamber sits proudly at the front of the building, before heading along the main shopping strip of Karl Johans gate and beyond. We make endless stops along the way to capture photos of sculptures, street art, and even a lobster-themed playground where children climb inside the crustacean and bounce on springy shrimp. In Oslo, the excursion options include a pre-opening visit to the National Museum and a walking tour through the city's gastronomic scene. For me, going back to Frogner Park to Bryggen, Bergen Villa d'Este, Tivoli see the more than 200 sculptures capturing the cycle of life by Gustav Vigeland is top of my list. Fortuitously, it's on the complimentary tour list along with a visit to the Holmenkollen ski jump, and a drive past some of city's most notable sites. NORWEGIAN COOKING STATION Back on the ship, the Aquavit Terrace has been turned into a Norwegian hot dog cooking station where sausages wrapped in soft potato flat bread and topped with crispy fried onions, mustard and tomato sauce immediately become my top (hot) dog. The ever-changing local specialities in the main restaurant and at the buffet provide plenty of opportunities to try Scandinavian fare on our cruise. No matter where you are in the world, on a Viking ocean ship you can still get a taste of Norway in Mamsen's, including open-faced gravlax sandwiches and the caramel brown goat cheese known as brunost on heart shaped waffles. Explorer's Lounge, Viking Star