Oslo is the city of sophistication. It is a majestic capital of the North, graceful and understated, like an ice castle. From the country that brought the world Edvard Munch, Henrik Ibsen, and Edvard Grieg, Oslo shines like the North Star. The Karl Johan Gate (street) of Munch's imaginings is an accurate, if more somber, portrayal of this main thoroughfare in Oslo. The Oslo I found was sunny and bright in the crisp, glacial, northern sun. Despite the cold, tall, blonde Norwegians can be seen roaming the streets of Oslo in dead of winter, with thick scarves bundled under their chins while little children ice skate in the town center. The city is so safe and so accustomed to cold, it is not uncommon to find babies napping in strollers outside cafés while their parents dine, peacefully, inside.
