whaling and deering

I could have extended the previous post a bit, but I thought this one would easily stand on its own. As I said, Oslo is a bit drab. Maybe that's what must be expected in November, but it was not the weather's fault. There was sun, some snow, not too much rain and temperatures right around freezing. Problem is, Oslo doesn't have too much to offer. It's a bit provincial. I visited two good museums and walked around in the pedestrian-friendly center, but with the sun setting before five, evenings were long, and I wasn't intent on spending them in bars with 10-dollar glasses of beer.

I did spend 10 dollars on a glass of beer the first night, but that was in a restaurant. The meal goes down as one of the best ever, right up there with quail at Lugäno in Salt Lake, lamb at Bistro Lyon in Grenoble and, of course, Massimo's magic in Mentana. It started with thin slices of raw whale meat topped with salmon roe and dill sauce, which I ordered because Norway is one of the very few places in the world where one can eat whale. I had heard nothing good about this meat, yet I had to try it. I was absolutely stunned by its strong flavor and incredible tenderness. Next time Greenpeace comes around I'll have to abstain from signing their petitions.

The main course was reindeer filet over Brussels sprouts and cranberries, another incredible delicacy. Unique and strong tasting meat and a perfect combination of the soft sweetness of the sprouts and the tanginess of the berries. My eating slowed down to a crawl because I didn't want it to end. No dessert or coffee to top it off because I didn't want the flavor to leave my palate. Oh, how it was good!