facts about finland

1. There is one lake for approximately every 28 people.

2. Nokia is a place.

3. Gloves are suitable attire for May.

4. Shops close for Mothers Day.

5. You can buy your tram ticket by SMS.

skywalking

We gave the day the duration of this film and a couple of bike repairs to dry up, and dry up it did. So instead of a May Day march we went for an Opera roof wander. A great idea! Giant slabs of white marble sloped back and forth leading skywards. Once at the top, despite the metal-grey sky, the high clouds gave us a good view over the city and both up and down the Oslo fjord.

The monotony of the white roof surface was broken up randomly by little steps and edges (though Bobby the Preacher did trip over one, so watch your step!). And Mr. Snow is already planning to race up and down next winter on cross country skis (he’s not Mr. Snow for nothing after all).

The one feature that few have been talking about and which made the building for me was the warm cylindrical Baltic oak core which houses the concert hall proper, encased in glass and marble. Speaking of which, yes, some of the latter was sadly very yellow indeed.

The programme seems more inclusive than the name an Opera would suggest, with both modern dance and concerts by PJ Harvey and Norwegian rock band Seigmen on the menu in the coming months. Finally, the champagne bar and restaurant in the main lobby don’t seem exceptionally overpriced for Oslo, where the latter has a great view next to the water. Reader, I approve!