WEEK 18: For David Foranand Fintan Gillespie
It was hard to leave Stockholm, a city we fell in love with, but we tore ourselves away and hit the road for Oslo, the most northerly point on our drive.
This compact waterfront capital, which we came into past its striking new opera house, feels slightly run-down compared with Stockholm, but it retains its Scandinavian feel.
We visited Vigeland Park, with its remarkable walkway of more than 200 sexually entwined statues leading to the park's centrepiece, a pile of entangled bodies creating a giant phallus. Many funny, if immature, photos were taken.
The most overwhelming aspect of Oslo is its cost of living. We thought there was a mistake at first when a newsagent charged us more than €4 for a soft drink.
Heading south, we re-entered Sweden and stopped at Gothenburg, the country's second-largest city, just in time for Sweden's crucial Euro 2008 match against Russia, which was shown on a big screen on Kungsportsavenyn, the city's central boulevard. The Swedes lost, but there was still great craic as locals drowned their sorrows long into the bright night - this far north, at this time of year, it's dark for only about two hours.
We continued south towards Malmö, a buzzing city of lively bar- and cafe-filled squares. Its skyline is dominated by the 264m Turning Torso, a magnificent skyscraper that twists as it extends upwards.
Next week we hop over the eight-kilometre Öresund Bridge to Copenhagen, then head for Hamburg and Amsterdam.
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