|01-NOV-2014|  Note to travelers:  Scandic hotels have EPIC breakfast buffets included in the room rate.  And by epic I mean just about anything one could want for breakfast, and as much as you need.  Jeff assembled a traditional English breakfast while I went for ham and cheese on dense European brown bread with a side of fruit.  Not a bad way to start the day.

Since nearly everything is closed on Sunday, we headed out for some shopping today and reserve sight-seeing to tomorrow.  We wound our way around the inner harbor heading east for our first stop: Neseblöd.  It’s exclusively heavy metal and is apparently *the* place in Norway.  I’ve never seen so much stuff packed into such a small space. And dude must have had at least 1000 t-shirts.  And …. there’s a Black Metal “museum” in the basement.  Um, yeah, not really what I’d call a museum.

Meandered our way back through the pedestrian shopping arcades and took a break for b-day coffee and pastry. Happy Birthday, Mom! 🙂   Pleep selected a lemon custard pastry with vanilla icing topped with coconut.

I left Jeff at Råkk & Rålls, a HUGE record shop, and headed for some shopping myself. Stopped at GlasMagasinet, one of Oslo’s oldest department stores – it’s more like a collection of small boutiques.  I love the Scandinavian fascination with all things home: kitchen stuff, housewares, linens … beautiful!  I also stopped into DesignTorget, another shop full of unique housewares and gifts.

Met up with Jeff again at the record store and we headed up to the Palace.  Caught the changing of the Honor Guard – not nearly the ceremony we’ve seen elsewhere but maybe it’s the “off season”.

After a break to download pics and look at the record haul we headed back out, this time to Illegal Burger AS.  You know we don’t go anywhere without trying out the local burger joint.  When we walked in at 4:15pm, all 7 tables and the window bar were seated, the line had about 10 people in it and there were another 6 queued for tables.  Craziness!  We ordered then stood in the “queue” for a table which was secured before the burgers arrived. Illegal did not disappoint! Excellent burgers and potato wedges with the largest flakes of sea salt I’ve ever seen.  Glad I’ve put in 15,000 steps already today!

After dinner we hit another small record shop, Tiger, before heading back to the hotel.  The locals are out in force this evening – the outdoor seating at the pubs and cafes are all hoppin’.  The rain doesn’t deter them from sitting out in the covered outdoor seating areas – some even have heaters like home.

The Museum of Modern Art – across the inner harbor from where we’re staying.  More sweeping white facade.

Outdoor gardening.

Neseblöd – heavy metal record store and home to the “Black Metal Museum”.

Downstairs at Råkk & Rålls.

GlasMagasinet and the Cathedral. The flower market we saw yesterday is in the adjacent square.

Dinner at Illegal Burger AS.

Relaxing at the hotel bar after a long day of sightseeing …. from the dry comfort of Holly’s bag.