The end of my stay in Oslo - Eve of Travel Home

I had a really reflective day today.  I spent the day alone, alternating between reading in my room and wandering around the city.  My photos today are at: http://picasaweb.google.com/nundabud/OsloLastDay?authkey=Gv1sRgCNWy5rL72YnROg#http://picasaweb.google.com/nundabud/OsloLastDay?authkey=Gv1sRgCNWy5rL72YnROg#

It's a wonderful city.  I found a deli early and got some raisin buns flavored with cardamom and some cappuccino and a smoothie made from blueberry and lingonberry (a fruit used often in preserves eaten with meat).  I wandered in and out of stores, enjoying the sunshine, marveling at how hardy Norwegians are.  It was about 30 Fahrenheit today and some were just in light sweaters.   I was amazed at how many people were sitting outside at coffee shops.  One of the photos shows blankets on chairs at one coffee shop.

I also walked down to the train station to get my ticket for my 04:45 train in the morning to the airport.  I'll leave the hotel around 4:30.  It will, of course, be a very long day of travel.  4:30 Wednesday morning translates to 10:30pm Tuesday night (NY time), so my trip will go from 10:30 Tuesday night to 6pm Wedneday touchdown in Rochester (if everything is on time.)

At 3:30 today, I went to Mass in the Oslo Domkirke (Cathedral).  It was four of us and the priest.  The whole thing took 15 minutes.  It was nice, though, to receive communion and to pray for all my new brothers and sisters, many of whom are priests in the Church of Norway (Lutheran).

I lay down and read for a while and then went out to supper at a Lebanese restaurant I had seen.  It was nice to speak Arabic.  I had been to the village in Lebanon where my waiter grew up (Bikfaya).  I had a mixed grill (chicken and lamb kabobs and beef kufta) with roasted vegetables and bulgar wheat.  I had baklava and Arabic coffee flavored with cardamom.  Seems strange to have a spice twice in one day when I haven't used it in my own cooking in many months.

Now I'm back at my hotel and will rise early to make my train and say good-bye to Norway.  It has been a wonderful time, full of prayer and fellowship, steeped in the rather stark beauty of Norway.  I won't soon forget.