This time last week, we were loving life in Oslo

The trip was my birthday present and I had been counting down the days since December until I jetted off to the capital of Norway. I'm not much of a resort-holiday-kind-of-guy; I'd much rather be pounding the streets of a city than getting sand in places it shouldn't.

I've had a long love affair with the Scandinavian countries, the style, the culture, the design and the stories all speak to me.
Despite being a bit of a hoarder, I secretly wish I had that pared back look that comes to mind when you think of Norwegian style. Functional design with unrivalled craftsmanship.
(I'm also a bit of a mythology geek, I remember one of my favourite books as a kid was a book of Norse mythology)

draw me like one of your french girls

Oslo is just a 2hr flight from Dublin and we arrived around dinner time on Monday evening. Our hotel was on the edge of the trendy Grünerløkka suburb; think a Scandi-Shoreditch. What was once a traditional working class area has been transformed with a host of restaurants, bars and cafes making it the destination for the modern urbanite.
We headed to the Vulkan complex for a bite and a nosey, the complex itself is a mix of shops and restaurants in the middle of an industrial estate, centred around a huge indoor food market offering a wide selection of traditional and modern Norwegian fare.

Vulkan

Be advised, food can be quite expensive even for the most modern of meals and alcohol is even pricier. 2 spirits and mixers will set you back just under £20...

Oslo itself is relatively compact, most areas can be walked to in less than 30 minutes but the city boasts a great tram and bus system if you're not feeling that pedestrian. I recommend packing a pair of comfortable trainers and get exploring, I find you always see so much more of a city on foot.

Ode To Osaka installation in the Oslo Museum of Architecture. The internal structure literally breathes, expanding into the room; filtering out external pollutants.

I'd highly recommend picking up an Oslo Pass, this little ticket will allow free entry to many museums and galleries in the city AND it allows free use of public transport. We bought 48hr passes which cost around £50 each. This might seem steep, but most museums have an entry charge between £8-10.

The Barcode Holmenkollbakken Ski Jump

We topped off our trip with the grand tour, a guided tour of the highlights of the city finished with a 2hr cruise around the fjord. In hindsight, we should have taken this tour on our first day as it gives you a great idea of the city's landscape you can revisit areas later in your stay. We missed out on the Munch exhibition as we thought this was included on the trip and didn't visit it in our free time. You also get a discount on the Grand Tour if you have purchased the Oslo pass

Caelan is wearing a Farah short-sleeve Oxford shirt courtesy of House of Fraser

• Must See

Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art Set in the heart of Tjuvholmen, a revitalised dockside. The area hosts mix of apartments, shopping and restaurants but the highlight is the museum. Among the current collection are pieces by Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin.




Vigeland Museum This sculpture park is a vast garden filled with the works of celebrated Norwegian artist Gustav Vigeland. 

The Monolith

Oslo Opera House Whether you are a culture vulture or not, the Oslo Opera House is an amazing piece of architecture. It also has an open roof that offers great views of the city and surrounding fjord.

I opted for Oxford cotton shirts for most of my day-time outfits as I think they are always that bit smarter. They work equally well with jeans or shorts (in the event of an unexpected heatwave such as we had) and you will still feel cool and comfortable. I packed the classic combination of white, navy and baby blue as this trio of tones will work with most outfits.

My trip was over all too soon but we are already planning our next Scandinavian trip. Copenhagen anyone?