Today is an expedition to find the sister salon of the spa in the Grand Hotel, Oslo. They can’t fit me in for a manicure before I leave, but their sister spa in Majorstuen can. Where is Majorstuen? Well, according to Google Maps, it looks like a 30-40 minute walk from the hotel. What the map doesn’t show is that following the tram line to Majorstuen, through the suburb of Homansbyen is a terrific walk along a street filled with homeware stores, boutiques, cafes and sports stores. It’s an easy and pleasant walk.

I’m always impressed by the ease by which Norwegians switch between their native language and English, so I take the opportunity to ask the nail technician when she started to learn English. She thinks about it for a while and says that she started to learn at age 10, but that English language content on TV is only ever subtitled (rather than dubbed), which means that she is constantly hearing English spoken, which makes it easier.

My urban disguise is still working….I’m approached by a charity worker from Unicef with an enthusiastic “Hei”. My “Hi” in return must sound close to ‘Hei” as he launches into his spiel in Norwegian. I apologise and tell him I speak English. I’m quite off the beaten track for tourists by now, so he recovers quickly and does what the other friendly Norwegians have done so far – wish me a nice holiday in Oslo.

Majorstuen is close to the Vigelandsparken Sculpture Park, so I decide to check it out while I’m in the area. This sprawling park is home to more than 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland, who seems to be Norway’s prolific answer to Rodin. His work concentrates on nudes – men, women and children, and the focal point of his work in the park is a huge phallic column made of a sculpted heap of bodies.

Shortly after I arrive, I’m button-holed by an American man, who points to an arch in the distance and says:

Him: “Do you think that’s the script of the sculptor?”

Me: “I’m sorry, the what?”

Him: “The script, you know, like a tomb”

Me: (you mean a CRYPT). “Oh right, no idea, sorry”. Back away quickly

I do go and check out the ‘script’ on the way out – it’s not a crypt, more of a triumphal arch, build to complete the perspective of the fountain in the distance.

I head back to the hotel in the same direction along Kirkeveien, back to Majorstuen. Kirkeveien is also a shopping strip, with more homewares and sport stores. It reminds me of what I noticed about Norway in winter – a strong focus on either being in a comfortable, nicely decorated home, or hurtling down a ski scope somewhere!