Start: Holmlia
Finish: Oslo, Norway
Distance: 8
Total: 2314
I MADE IT! I walked the last eight miles into Oslo this morning and it felt amazing!
With only a short distance to walk to the finish line today, it should have been a piece of cake. Just sleep in late, have a nice breakfast, then go out and enjoy the stroll. I wish it had been that easy. But with rain forecast to begin at 10:00, I was up at 5:30, breakfast at 6:00, and on the train at 7:00 to get out to Holmlia where I stopped yesterday. The train ride was only 20 minutes, so I was on the road at 7:20. The weather was beautiful to start the day with the temp at 43.
My route was all on sidewalks, walking through neighborhoods in the outskirts of Oslo. I had a steep climb to start the day, and I stayed up in the hills away from the shoreline until I was a mile from downtown Oslo. As I got close to the city, there were some clearings where I could see the port of Oslo, downtown, and the hills that surround the city. There were several cruise ships in port. Also, I could clearly see the Olympic Ski Jumping venue on a hillside north of town. Oslo hosted the 1952 Winter Olympics and still hosts the World Championships in Ski Jumping on occasion.
As I got close to the Central Train Station which marked the end of my walk, the skies turned gray and shortly after I got inside the station, it began to rain lightly. After eating a light lunch, I took a 30 train ride to the town of Gardermoen where Oslo International Airport is located. I’ll be staying here tonight and flying out early Thursday morning bound for Texas.
I plan to post an Epilogue to capture the highlights of my walk after I’ve been home a few days. However, it goes without saying how amazing this adventure has been. From its beginning in Athens, Greece in January to the end today in Oslo, Norway, I can only say great things about my experiences with the people of Europe. They have been welcoming in every way. And the incredible scenery I’ve seen from the highest mountaintops in Italy, Austria, and Germany, to the scenic sea shores of Greece and the Scandinavian countries, I could never describe it in words. You just had to see it to believe it. But now it’s back home to see other sites that are just as amazing, like the faces of my family, who I haven’t seen in three months. I can’t wait to get home.
So in closing, thanks to all of you for following along with me. I have tried to put a touch of realism in my posts; not to try to impress you, but to let you share some of my experiences from day-to-day. It’s been my honor to have you tag along. I have been motivated by knowing you were out there. So watch in a few days for my last post where I’ll give you a few thoughts on some of my observations over the last few months. Thanks. JB.
PS. I posted a final video. Click on Videos to watch.
