Glimpse of Northern Lights in Norway

Aurora is also known as Aurora Polaris, Aurora Borealis, Polar Lights, or Northern Lights. The word “Aurora” means the goddess of the dawn and “Borealis” means the god of the northern wind. Aurora Borealis appears when highly charged solar wind particles interact with Earth’s magnetosphere. 

Northern Lights is a natural light display in the sky that usually appears between 60 and 75 degrees of latitude (Arctic Circle) where the northern parts of Alaska, Canada, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and the southern part of Greenland are covered. 

It’s been my long-time dream to see Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights, that is why I wanted to visit Iceland, Finland, and Norway. I’ve been to Iceland and Norway but my visits are not an ideal season for Northern Lights. The best time to see the Aurora Borealis is between September to March between 10PM to 2AM when the sky is dark and clear. 

Over two weeks ago, we arrived in Norway to visit and celebrate my mom’s 60th birthday. Since it is not yet vacation time, my son needs to attend his online classes so we need to wake up around midnight. My mom told me that I might see Northern Lights since gising kami sa madaling araw and advised me to download the Aurora app. 

I downloaded the app without expecting anything because I know that Aurora Borealis is not an everyday event. Also, my mom lives in the central part of Norway so in my mind, there is less chance for me to see it because the best location for the Northern Lights in Norway is Tromso, Lofoten, and Kirkenes. But there is nothing wrong with checking the Aurora Forecast, so while my son was attending his classes, I’ve been checking the Aurora app. 

At 11:30PM, I received a notification “There is a 45% chance of you seeing the Aurora at around 11:57PM in your current location. You can find out more from the forecast tab.” Since then, I’ve been checking the window while I’m chatting with my husband. At 12midnight, parang wala naman. Ito lang nakita ko parang green sky so feeling ko, wala yata ko makikita kasi ang taas ng cloud coverage. 

But since wala naman ako gagawin, abang-abang lang ako. When I saw the 60% viewing probability, lumabas ulit ako pero parang same pa rin ang nakita ko. So pasok ulit ako because I was freezing outside.

After several minutes, the viewing probability is 71% so I just grab my jacket and went out again. I was so happy because I can already see a ray of green light so I just took photos and shared them with my husband. 

My husband can’t believe that I saw the Northern Lights and he even joked, sa Google lang yata galing pictures ko. Waah! How I wish, I’ve researched how to take good photos of Northern Lights kasi hindi makita yung Aurora Borealis kapag nagselfie ako so I look for our dolls for souvenir's sake. Unfortunately, hind na ganun ka-visible yung Aurora Borealis. 

Nevertheless, I’m so delighted about this unforgettable experience. Honestly, I have no idea that I can achieve this dream because Aurora Borealis Tour is so expensive. But like the quote said, “Be patient. The best things happen unexpectedly.” I’m happy because finally, I had a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis and I can now cross it out on my bucket list. 

It’s so surreal that I’ve seen the Northern Lights without traveling to Arctic Circle or Aurora viewing territory. I’ve experienced the Northern Lights even I’m just wearing pajamas. Sometimes it is really worth waking up early. This happened on my second day in Norway, after my stressful trip from Manila ito naman ang kapalit. Thank you, Lord, for the memorable experience. 

Read: Traveling to Norway in Times of COVID19

“I find that the more willing I am to be grateful for the small things in life, the bigger stuff just seems to show up from unexpected sources, and I am constantly looking forward to each day with all the surprises that keep coming my way” - Louise Hay 

The Best Place to See Northern Lights 

Tromso, Norway 

Lofoten, Norway 

Kirkenes, Norway 

Swedish Lapland 

Reykjavik Iceland 

Yukon Canada 

Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland 

Ilulissat, Greenland 

Fairbanks, Alaska 

Murmansk Russia 

After one week, Aurora Borealis was back but it fell on the weekend so tulog kami. But every weekday, I’m still checking the app and I’m praying that it will show up again so my son can also see it. Next time, kahit may class pa siya, palalabasin ko siya. Sayang yung experience. Hehehe! 

“Don’t forget to look up.”

National Waffle Day in Norway

National Waffle Day was originated in Sweden, it started with the religious celebration which is the Vårfrudagen meaning Our Lady’s Day or Feast of Annunciation. If you say it fast, the word Vårfrudagen is similar to våffeldagen meaning waffle day. Maybe because of mispronunciation, over time, the Swedes started celebrating the Feast of Annunciation by eating waffles. Then the religious celebration is now popular as Waffle Day. 

This tradition is also celebrated in other Scandinavian countries like Norway and Denmark every March 25. This is also spread to other counties too and it became a worldwide sensation. India celebrates it in July and United States celebrates it in August. 

Every country makes and eats waffles in different ways, I love waffles and I like them with Nutella or Cream Cheese + Whipped Cream. Sometimes I add jam and a scoop of ice cream. I already have my own waffle maker but I like the heart-shaped waffle maker in Norway so I asked my mom to buy one for me and I got it this year. 

Little did I know that after several weeks, I would be flying to Norway again and be able to celebrate National Waffle Day. Typical Norwegians, eat waffles with sour cream, jam, brown cheese, and savory toppings. Honestly, we really did not plan it, it just so happened that my mom decided to make waffles because we have leftover kremfløte. She knew that we liked waffles with whipped cream. 

After eating our waffles, she found out that last Friday was National Waffle Day. Since eating waffles is common here in Norway, you can find recipes even on TINE milk cartons. 

Vaffel or Waffle Recipe 

4dl hvetemel (wheat flour) 

1 ts bakepulver (baking powder) 

1/2 ts natron (baking soda) 

1 dl sukker (sugar) 

1 ts vaniljesukker (vanilla sugar) 

1 ts malt kardemomme (cardamom) 

1/2 ts salt I dl TINE Helmelk (whole milk) 

3dl TINE Kulturmjølk (cultured milk) 

2dl TINE Lettrømme (light cream) 

2 egg 100g TINE Meierismør (dairy butter)

Traveling to Norway in Times of COVID19

Norway was my last travel before COVID19 happened and it is funny because when the world started to open to leisure traveling, Norway is my destination again. For obvious reason, my mom lives in Norway and she can’t travel to the Philippines yet so kami na lang ang bibisita. My late sister and I were supposed to visit my mom last year but it didn’t happen because of the global pandemic and my sister passed away two years ago. 

So planning this trip is bittersweet, happy because I can visit my mom after three years but sad because my eldest sister is no longer here. I’m also sad because my husband cannot join this trip. He is so busy with work that he could not afford to take a vacation leave. 

For the last two years, I am patiently waiting for the opportunity to travel again so when my mom and youngest sister sent me the link that Norway is open to tourists already, it gave me hope that I can travel again. So last January, my mom sent me the documents that I need and I started getting our Vaccine Certificate, I searched how to get a Yellow Card, and other documents needed to process our Schengen Visa. 

Read: How to Get Vaccine Certificate in the Philippines 

How to Apply for Norway Schengen Visa in the Philippines 

I also took note of the Travel Restrictions of Norway 

* All travelers must present negative results from a PCR or an antigen test performed within 24 hours before departure. 

* All travelers must take a COVID19 test on arrival. 

* Travelers who are 16 yrs old above must complete a registration form before departure within 72 hours of their time of arrival. 

* Face mask is recommended to wear at all public places. 

Transit Through Doha 

Passengers who are transiting through Doha, and not leaving the airport, are not required to present any test results or certifications above the requirements of their departure or destination country. 

It took me a long time processing our visa compared to my previous experiences but as days go by, Norway is slowly lifting its restrictions. Hindi pa nga kami lumalabas ng bahay so we can pass the COVID19 test pero in the end, we did not take any test because all COVI19 entry requirements have been lifted for all travelers to Norway. Yes, no testing, no quarantining, no registration. 

But I was still nervous before and during our flight, I just felt relieved when we already passed the Immigration in Norway. It is true that “There are no longer special requirements for entry into Norway due to the corona situation. The same rules as before the corona pandemic apply now.”

Traveling from Manila, Philippines to Trondheim, Norway 

When we are planning for our Norway trip, I already knew that we will fly with Qatar Airways because we had a good experience last time. I’ve been checking the Clark-Trondheim-Clark flight but I don’t like the flight schedule because of the 8 hours layover in Doha, Qatar so a few days before our trip, I checked Manila-Trondheim-Manila flight and I finally changed my mind. The rate and flight schedule are better if we will fly from Manila. 

Read: Qatar Airways Flight Experience 

Thank God, we don’t need to travel to Pampanga. We left early because I was thinking about the Friday traffic but we arrived in NAIA 3 after an hour. Himala, wala traffic, maybe because of the gas price increase. 

Prior to our trip, I downloaded Qatar Airways App so I already knew the onboard menu and I was able to check in and choose seats before we went to the airport. I thought checking-in would be easy but I was wrong, ang dami pala pila. We fell in line for Vaccine Certificate Check, Visa Check, and lastly to drop off our bag and get our boarding pass. 

And I don’t know if it is because of the COVID19 situation because this was the first time that the Immigration Officer asked for our Travel Insurance so it is really important to travel with insurance whether it is a mandatory requirement or not. 

Manila to Doha 9hr and 45min 

Connection time 3hr and 10min 

Doha to Oslo 7hr and 10min 

Connection time 3hr and 55min 

Oslo to Trondheim 55 min 

Aside from the usual Travel Kit, Qatar Airways also provided Protective Kit, this includes gloves, face mask, and hand sanitizing gel. There was no longer a paper menu, good thing I already have an idea of the onboard menu.

Manila to Doha Onboard Menu 

Snacks - Chicken Fajita Breakfast - Choice of Yellow Curry Fried Rice with Bean Stew Tofu, Plain Congee, or Wild Raspberry Brioche with croissant, seasonal fresh fruit, and yogurt. 

Doha to Oslo Onboard Menu 

Brunch - Choice of Herbed Scrambled Egg with Chicken Sausage, Vegetable Ratatouille and Curry Chicken Rice with a bread roll and seasonal fresh fruit 

Snacks - Chicken Fajita 

Three years ago, Qatar Airways has FREE WIFI for 30 minutes but I was not able to connect. But with our recent trip, I was happy because I was able to use the COMPLIMENTARY ONE HOUR of SUPER WIFI during our flight to Doha and Oslo. And because of this, I can message my husband and my mom above the clouds. Qatar Airways has flight entertainment but I prefer watching the views outside of the plane. It is nice to see the take-off and touchdown of our plane. 

Traveling to my mom’s place is no joke because I need to take 3 planes and 1 ferry boat so I was happy when I was able to book the shortest trip. But little did I know that this would be our longest travel experience, it took us 43 hours just to reach my mom’s place because of 2 delayed flights, missed connecting flight, and missed ferry boat trip. 

It was indeed a tiring trip but I am still happy because finally, we are here in Norway. It feels good to be able to travel again and life here is back to normal; no face mask and no social distancing.

Watch the video here

How to Apply for Norway Schengen Visa in the Philippines

This was my third time applying for Schengen Visa at VFS Global Norway but every time I apply for a visa, there are always minor changes so I always feel like a first-timer. The visa fee is now 80EURO compared to 55EURO and the Royal Norwegian Embassy is now located in Bangkok Thailand so visa processing takes time. 

I am applying for a Visitors Visa because my mom lives in Norway so if you have family or relatives in Norway, this post might be helpful. 

Read: Where to Buy Schengen Travel Insurance with COVID19 

How to Apply for Schengen Visa via VFS Global Norway 2017 

How to Apply for Schengen Visa via VFS Global Norway 2019 

3 Ways to Get a PSA Birth Certificate and Marriage Certificate 

Steps in Applying for Schengen Visa 

1. Identify visa type 

Visitor's Visa 

A visitor's visa allows you to stay in Norway or other countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days over a period of 180 days. 

Citizens of the Philippines must apply for a visitor’s visa. The Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok is responsible for processing applications from the Philippines. 

I downloaded the checklist here, this is the only checklist I used so I was shocked when I found this checklist while I’m writing this blog, I’m not sure if this is already available when I downloaded the checklist last January. Upon checking, I was not able to submit the C-Visa Questionaire, good thing that our visas are still approved. (Update: My brother informed me na yung first checklist ang tinatanggap ng VFS hindi yung may C-Visa Questionaire)

“Print and answer all questions in the questionnaire for C-visa and submit it with your visa application.”

I’m a full-time mom so I submitted the following documents 

Original passport + printed copy of bio pages and used pages of passport

Passport photo 

Cover letter from the Application Portal Norway

Travel medical insurance 

Reservation of a round-trip flight ticket 

Proof of funds (UDI forms) 

Proof of ties (PSA Marriage Cert, Birth Certificate of my son, and Bank Certificate) 

Invitation Letter 

Proof of relationship (PSA Birth Certificate) 

Copy of the reference’s passport 

For my son who is still a student, I added 

Copies of both parents’ IDS with signature 

Legalized letter of parental consent (traveling without parents or one parent only) 

Certificate of Enrollment 

Copy of School ID 

My PSA Birth Certificate 

2. Begin your application 

Go to UDI Application Portal to register and submit your application form. You can apply for individual or group applications. 

3. Book an appointment 

“If you are part of a family or group, you’ll have to book individual appointments for each member of the family or group.” 

After submitting our visa form online, we can already book an appointment. There is no group appointment so we have to book individually but we can submit our application together. I did not check the appointments before because, from my past experiences, lagi may available slots. Unfortunately, last month, I waited for more than two weeks before we were able to submit our documents and because of that, nadelay din visa namin. 

Book your appointment here

Create an account and choose your schedule. 

Download and print the Letter of Appointment from your registered email. 

4. Pay your fees 

Pay your visa application online (Visa and Mastercard) 

80EURO - Visitor’s Visa for adults and children over 12 years old 

40EURO - Visitor’s visa for children between 6 and 12 years old 

NO FEE - Visitor’s visa for all children under the age of 6 

Download and print the receipt. 

I paid 160EURO or PHP9,642.97 

5. Visit the Visa Application Center 

There are 2 Visa Application Centers for Norway, one in Makati and one in Cebu. Of course, I chose Makati. We arrived before 7AM, the office was still closed but the line was already long. From the time na tinawag kami, it took us more or less an hour sa pagsubmit ng documents and biometrics.

For my past applications, I only paid for VFS fee but now, ang dami na additional and the staff did not ask if for pick up or deliver, he just gave me LBC shipping form so I guess it is mandatory already because of COVID19. Pero Yung SMS, sinama pa rin niya sa babayaran ko, nakatotal na agad sa receipt. 

PHP1502 - VFS Service Fee 

PHP175 - Courier Fee (Bangkok) 

PHP140 - SMS 

PHP370 - LBC Courier 

Total is PHP4374 (2 persons) 

Visa processing is 15 calendar days starting from the time the embassy received the documents. 

6. Track your application 

For our previous two applications, we did not avail of the SMS but we received an email update that our visas are already approved and we can already pick up our passports. I can also track our visa application online.

On the day that we submitted our applications, we received an email stating “Your visa application ref no. 123 will be forwarded to the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok on the next working day from ___." But after that, I no longer receive any updates. I paid PHP140 x 2 for the SMS but I’m not getting real-time updates and the online tracking is useless too. 

After 10 days of no SMS update, I finally emailed VFS regarding the status of our visa and after few hours, sunud-sunod dumating yung email update. Ang weird lang kasi pare-pareho yung date, kung anong date ako nag-email. 

Your visa application ref no. 123 has been forwarded to the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok on ___ 

Your processed application ref no. 123 has been dispatched from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok on ___ to VFS Norway Visa Application Center in Manila. 

Your processed application ref no. 123 is now ready for pickup at VFS Norway Visa Application Center in Manila. 

So lahat ng yan, nangyari sa loob ng isang araw. I was happy that our passports arrived in Manila but I was disappointed because we paid for SMS update but there was no real-time update. Kung hindi pa ako nag-email, hindi ko malalaman status. 

After a few hours, VFS replied “Please be informed that as per VFS Norway Visa Application Centre, Your passport arrives today at VFS Global Center and is handover to LBC Express. Please visit the LBC website for tracking.” 

7. Collect your passport 

I started tracking our package pero nakatulog na lang ako wala pa rin status sa LBC but when I woke up, I was surprised na nasa area na namin yung package and I received our package within the day. 

For our past two applications, we usually received an email regarding the visa decision, so alam na namin kung approve or hindi but this time, nalaman ko na lang nung natanggap namin passport. We got an approved visa and we got a MULTIPLE SCHENGEN VISA but when I checked the date, multiple lang siya within our travel dates (3 Months). Toinks. Akala ko pa naman makakatipid na ko sa pag-apply ng Schengen Visa. 

Processing time is 15 days, we got our passport after 11 days while my cousin received her passport after 14 days. So matagal siya compared sa dati nung nasa Philippines pa yung embassy ng Norway. 

Read: Understanding Your Visa Sticker 

Where to Buy Schengen Travel Insurance with COVID19

For the past two years, COVID19 affected our lives and because of this virus, we have had additional expenses every time we go out. We need a face mask, face shield, antigen test, and other stuff that we need to protect ourselves from the virus. Traveling is not cheap but we have no choice but to add this cost to our travel expenses if we want to travel again. 

Two months ago, I started processing our Schengen Visa Application and one of the mandatory requirements is Schengen Travel Insurance but this time, the insurance must cover COVID-19. You must have valid travel insurance as below:   

• must cover necessary medical treatment and emergency hospital care 

• must cover repatriation because of illness, injury, or death 

• must cover at least EUR 30,000 

• must be valid throughout the Schengen area 

• must cover Covid-19 

• must be valid for the whole period you plan to stay in Norway or in the Schengen area. 

For our past travels, I’ve been purchasing our Schengen Travel Insurance at Malayan Insurance Company because I can buy it online. So in my mind, I won’t have any problem but when I checked Malayan website, there was a pop-up box stating. 

“Due to system improvements on our eCommerce site, the TravelMaster with Covid- 19 Coverage may be purchased from a Malayan Insurance branch near you. You may also get in touch with us through email at travelchannel@malayan.com or call us +639189457302 to apply.” 

Read: Where to Buy Travel Medical Insurance for Schengen Visa Application 

How to Apply for Schengen Visa via VFS Global Norway 

Where to Buy Travel Insurance for your Asian Adventure

And because of this, I started checking other insurance that I can buy online but I was informed that their travel insurance with COVID19 coverage is not available online too. Since I tried Malayan before, I want to try other insurance companies and among the 3 new travel insurances that I inquired about, I settled for Pacific Cross. Simply because they have the cheapest rate but it took me almost a week just to buy our Schengen travel insurance. Matagal kasi ang reply nila sa email, sometimes I need to text pa na nag-email ako. If mabilis reply nila, tapos siguro within the day. 

January 31 - contact Pacific Cross via an online form

February 2 - submitted our travel insurance application forms 

February 4 - paid for our travel insurance online. (They gave me an instruction and link where to pay). I emailed the proof of payment. After a few hours, I received our travel insurance. 

PHP6307 for 90 days/per person

My documents were complete so I thought I could already submit our application last February 7 but I was surprised kasi last week na ng February yung available schedule. Waah! We were supposed to fly first week of March so I can attend my mom’s 60th birthday but it did not happen because of the delayed visa.

And because of this, I have to email Pacific Cross to Change my Travel Period (Subject to approval). 

March 4 - emailed Pacific Cross to change the date of our insurance. 

March 7 - submitted our OCC Cancellation/Refund Forms 

March 10 - I received our updated travel insurance. 

Good thing that I always have a printed copy of our travel insurance because, during our trip, the Immigration Officer asked for this document. This was the first time that IO asked for a copy of our insurance, most of the time return ticket ang tinatanung.

Note: In case of visa denial, we can also refund the travel insurance “The Policyholders may request for refund of the premium but the refund will be approximately 80% of the paid premium only (less cancellation & admin charges) and subject to approval.

Asian Box

Two weeks had passed since I updated this blog, my last blog post is about our Day 3 in Oslo Norway and now I’m back in Norway. I forgot to blog about Asian Box because for the past two weeks I got preoccupied preparing for our Norway trip and by the time we arrived, I’m still adjusting with our new schedule. With all the happenings and events these past two weeks, I don’t know where will I start. 

I mentioned before that we stayed at Cochs Pensjonat so we also saved money on food because we cooked our own food. So Asian Box is the only restaurant that we’ve tried in Oslo Norway. Asian Box started its business on April 15, 2016, it is the first Asian restaurant inspired by Asian street food. This restaurant serves Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Indian, Korean and other flavors from all over Asia with a crossover to French Cuisine. 

The restaurant has two floors with urban design and the second floor is perfect for small or large parties. We stayed at the first floor and upon seated, the staff gave us the menu. There are few choices so my husband ordered Tom Kha Ghai and the rest of us ordered Pork Belly and extra rice. 

Tom Kha Ghai is a “fresh Thai soup with chicken, park choi, galangal, mushroom, coconut milk, lemon and lime leaves”. 

Pork Belly is “braised thin ribs that have been marinated in 5 spice sand garlic for 3 days, then slow-cooked. Topped with coriander, spring onions and sauce. Served with stir-fried vegetables and rice”. 

They aimed to serve simple and balanced meal but at the same time aesthetic. And looking at the food and after eating our meal, I can definitely say that they have achieved that. After our lunch, we went back to our hotel to pack our things, end of our Scandinavian Trip.

Day 3 in Oslo Norway

My brother’s family is currently planning for their Norway trip, they were supposed to visit two years ago but unfortunately, the COVID19 virus happened so their Europe trip plan was canceled. Almost three years ago, we were able to visit Oslo, Norway so I’ve been getting a lot of questions regarding our trip so I decided to finish my Oslo Norway Trip series. 

Sharing my Oslo blog posts for reference. 

Traveling to Oslo Norway from Stockholm Sweden via SJ Train 

Where to Stay in Oslo Norway: Cochs Pensjonat 

Day 1 in Oslo Norway 

Day 2 in Oslo Norway 

Day 3 in Oslo Norway 

We were able to save money during our Oslo trip because we did not purchase Oslo Pass. We just visited the FREE ADMISSION tourist attractions that were open during Holy Week. In addition, we also saved money on transportation because we explored Oslo city on foot. We stayed at Cochs Pensjonat which is just 20 minutes walk from the center and about 2km walk from Oslo Central Station. 

Our third day in Oslo fell on Good Friday so the majority of the tourist spots, shops, and restaurants were already closed. Good thing that there are still tourist spots that we can visit like Frogner Park and Vigeland Sculpture Park which is open 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. 

Frogner Park 

According to Google maps, the park is about 4 minutes away by car and 35 minutes walk from Cochs Pensjonat. We started our walking tour after breakfast and we just kept on walking until we reach Frogner Park. This is the largest park and popular recreational area in Oslo central and it also houses the famous Vigeland Sculpture Park and Vigeland Museum. 

Frogner Park has the biggest collection of roses in Norway, it has a total of 14,000 plants of 150 different species but we visited during the early Spring so we did not see any flowers. The park is big so you can go here for a walk, run, play or picnic. There is a cafe, restaurant, playground, stadium, and open-air pool but we were not able to visit those places anymore because we focused our energy on Vigeland. 

Vigeland Sculpture Park 

Vigeland is one of the top tourist attractions in Norway so it seems that our Oslo trip is not complete if we haven’t visited the largest sculpture park by a single artist in the world. Gustav Vigeland is an acclaimed Norwegian sculptor who was very involved in designing, planning, and creating this park but unfortunately, he was not able to witness the completion of the outdoor park because he died already.

This park houses his 212 sculptures that are made of granite, bronze, and wrought iron. Among the statues, the following are famous so don’t forget to look for these statues. 

The Angry Boy (Sinnataggen) 

The Monolith (Monolitten) 

The Wheel of Life (Livshjulet) 

The Bridge 

This is the Bridge where you can see 58 bronze sculptures of children, women, and men of different ages. These are some of the first sculptures that were positioned in the park with the theme of play, lust, energy, and vitalism. Among the 58, you can find the iconic little ”Angry Boy” or Sinnataggen.

Vigeland’s Fountain 

Vigeland’s Fountain was supposed to be placed at Eidsvolls plass in front of the Parliament but it became part of Frogner Park. This is the fountain but there was no water during our visit.

The six giant men holding a large basin can be interpreted as six different men struggling with the burden of life. You can also see human trees “tree of life” around the fountain. It represents the relationship of man to nature and the different stages of human life from childhood to old age. 

The Monolith (Monolitten) 

From afar, you can already see the Monolith which is located at the highest point of Vigeland Park. This sculpture is carved out of one stone block from Iddlefjord Norway and measures 17 meters above the ground. This is 14 years of hard work. 

The sculpture shows 121 human figures clinging and floating together. There are women, men, and children of different ages. The sculpture can be interpreted as our longing for spirituality. 

The Wheel of Life (Livshjulet)

The Wheel of Life is a 3 meters statue of intertwined people. It represents the vicious cycle of human life.

Vigeland Museum 

The home of Gustav Vigeland turned into Vigeland Museum, this is where you can see his almost complete collections, the story behind the park, and how the sculptures were made. There is an entrance fee for this so we did not visit the museum anymore.

Aside from the sculptures at the park, you can also see other Vigeland’s work in other parts of Norway and even Sweden. Three of his monuments can be found near the Royal Palace: The Abel Monument, Camilla Collett and Rikard Nordraak. In Trondheim, Norway, there are 44 sculptures that he created for Nidaros Cathedral. 

Read: Day Trip in Trondheim Norway 

Oslo City Hall 

After exploring the park, off we went to Oslo city center so we can eat our lunch and to check other tourist spots that we missed. We stopped by at Oslo Rådhus or Oslo City Hall, which was opened in the year 1950. 

Nobel Peace Center 

We already visited the Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm, Sweden but there is also Nobel Peace Center in Oslo Norway. We did not visit this anymore but this showcases the work of Alfred Nobel and Nobel Peace Prize winners. There are also exhibitions related to war, peace, and human rights. 

Read: Day 4 in Stockholm Sweden 

Aker Brygge Wharf 

Aker Brygge Wharf is popular for pop-up events, shopping, and a variety of restaurants. From exciting street foods, traditional Norwegian cuisines, and other world-class gourmet restaurants with great views of the Oslo fjord. 

There are a lot of people in this area so it took us a while to look for a restaurant. We ate at Asian Box, this restaurant offers Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Indian, and Korean with a crossover to French cuisines. 

Lorry 

Lorry is just in front of Cochs Pensjonat so I always see this restaurant but I had no idea that this is one of the most popular and mythical restaurants in Oslo with a history dating back to 1880. This restaurant serves traditional and international menus in generous portions. Too bad, we were not able to try their menu because this was the end of our Scandinavian trip. 

And we need to finish all the food and drinks that we bought at the grocery so we don't have to bring those stuff. The following day, my husband went back to the Philippines while my son and I travel to Trondheim with my mom. 

Read: Oslo Central Station to Trondheim Central Station via NSB Train (now VY Train) 

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Easy to Prepare Classic Corndog

A corndog is a street food that originated in the United States. It is a hotdog/sausage on a stick with a coated cornmeal batter and deep-fried. It is also popular in Argentina, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea. These countries have their own version of corndogs. 

I’ve never tried cooking homemade corndog because I don’t know where to buy cornmeal so over a decade ago, I just bought a hotdog waffle maker so I can make my own waffledog. I’ve used my waffle maker for few times and I totally forgot about it. A few years ago, I already let it go. 

I’ve watched a lot of Korean drama series and one of their favorite street foods is corndog. It even became more popular because of the StartUp drama series; Seo Dal-mi’s grandmother has her own corndog kiosk. I’m not really craving for Korean corndog but last year I discovered that San Miguel is offering frozen corndog so I immediately added it to my cart. 

Just like the Purefoods Shrimp Tempura, lagi sold out ito. Panay add ko lang sa cart but every time magcheck-out ako sa San Miguel Frozen and Chilled, sold out na. I always wait for vouchers or free shipping kasi kaya ang tagal magcheck-out. Hehehe! 

Anyway, this is available in the supermarket so I bought one pack last December so I can try it. You can choose Classic Corndog or Korean-Style Corndog but I only see the Cook Express Classic Corndog PHP272.75 at Landers. Ten pieces of corndog in one pack. I forgot about it so it was only last week that I’ve cooked this, hindi pa naman expired. 

Corndog Heating Instructions 

To thaw: 

1. Thaw inside the chiller overnight or 

2. Microwave 3 pieces of corndogs for 30 seconds at a medium setting. 

To reheat: 

1. Stovetop: Deep fry thawed corndogs for 3 minutes at 180C. Drain excess oil and serve. 

2. Oven Toaster: Preheat oven toaster to 175C. Place thawed corndogs inside the toaster and bake for 10 minutes. 

I was contemplating whether to use my air fryer or oven toaster for this pero I ended up using the oven toaster para konti hugasin. Hehehe! Also, I did not follow the temperature kasi feeling ko hindi umiinit yung oven toaster ko sa 175C so I chose the 200C temperature setting, and cooked it for 10 minutes. 

I can cook 5 pieces of corndog in one batch so we have instant merienda after 10 minutes. We are satisfied with the taste so yesterday, I bought two packs. :)