NEVER LEARNING

I partied all night and did the so-called "walk of shame" home this morning at dawn. (A phrase my fellow party companion Sophie taught me today - "Oh, so you did the walk of shame?") I'm not proud of this, but quite frankly I'm amazed at myself and the stamina I still possess, being an old woman. A Big Mama who should know better. Why do I never learn? This is fundamental psychology: You learn from your mistakes, and then you don't do them again. But oh no. I'm an exception - it seems I have complete memory loss from previous party time to new party time!

My daughter Sophie will soon be moving out of the flat she shares with two friends. This flat is in a very trendy and central area of Oslo, where new establishments appear more quickly than you can utter the word "restaurant". Just down the road from her flat is the new Food Hall, where we were meant to go for a glass of champagne last night, but it will have to be next time. (See - I've already forgotten about yesterday... hmmm... this morning)! Instead we went to the newly renovated restaurant Tranen, which used to be an institution in Oslo, but really old, brown and tired by the time it closed its doors last spring. New owners have tried to rekindle the unique atmosphere, but with a much fresher appearance. The food has received good reviews, and they've tried to maintain Norwegian-inspired home cooking. I had cod on a bed of bacon and white beans, with a dry Riesling, and cheese afterwards. It really was excellent!

We noticed a lot of guests moving upstairs after their meal, but we couldn't see where they were going. There seemed to be nothing up there. So we asked, and lo and behold! We discovered - behind a door that looked like it led to a storage room - what's got to be Oslo's coolest cocktail bar with Oslo's coolest bartenders. They were literally performing behind that bar counter!

Because I didn't want any sugary stuff in my cocktail, the bartender came over to my table in person and suggested some alternatives for me. Wow - he knew what he was talking about! I ended up with a cocktail of juice from one whole lime and Genever (Dutch gin). It tasted a bit like Caipirinha, but without the sweetness. I've forgotten the name of the drink, but the bartender told me it was an Ernest Hemingway-favourite. Suited me fine! Literary Big Mama!

The night was still young, so we continued to the next watering hole - Lorry - also an old institution in Oslo. It's known for its many hundred beer types, and older clientele. Big Mamas, like me. But it's beginning to attract younger guests for some reason - perhaps the popularity of the place gets people curious and talking about it. It's usually packed.

In a very short time my ego was boosted to enormous heights -  the bouncer said I looked young even if he didn't need to look at my ID. Two guys thought I was Sophie's sister. One young girl said she wished I was her mother. And so on.

Well, reality tells me that people have different eyes when they've had a drink - everyone looks nice!! Well, almost. And I think that if they could all have seen me today, they would have thought "Oh-oh. She definitely looks her age in daylight." But then again - they all probably do too. If not older.

And I've lost one bracelet and one scarf.

Photo NOT taken today