Oslo
At first glance late November may not seem like the perfect time to visit Norway's capital, but with the right weather conditions there is a certain charm to the scarce daylight hours. During the short day the light is warm and tender (unlike the temperature which is anything but tender). The late sunrise and early sunset burst with colours. In fact, there is such a warm glow to everything that if it weren't for the floating ice pieces, you'd definitely think you're somewhere more tropical. The Christmas markets are already buzzing and crowded, offering local produce such as woolen mittens, rabbit fur scarfs, alpaca sweaters, moose burgers... I'm sure of course that all animals involved in the local produce died of natural causes. After dark the temperatures became even less tender and I suddenly understood why there are almost no shops open after 6 pm... not that the locals showed any signs of weather-related discomfort. Many of them were sporting sandals, torn, flesh-peaking-out jeans, light open jackets and the kind of nonchalant smiles us south-eastern Europeans get on lazy summer nights. I wonder how summer looks like in Oslo...
