Norwegians settled down Wednesday for the country's annual five-day Easter vacation. Most stores and businesses were to be closed Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday, as folks flock to the mountains, the coast and other holiday retreats.
Many Norwegians have started taking the entire week off, and Oslo was noticeably quieter as early as Monday. Hotels in the mountains are packed, as are flights to warmer climes, and many businesses (including Aftenposten) were operating with severely reduced staffing.
Police were nonetheless bracing for lots of traffic out of the city on Wednesday, and railway NSB was reporting full trains. Traffic on the main E18 highway west of Oslo was due to be disrupted throughout the entire weekend, starting at 10pm Wednesday, because of construction projects around the Lysaker intersection and train station.
Those opting to stay in the city could look forward to no shortage of parking places, cinemas that now stay open during Easter and a generally more relaxed atmosphere in town. The weather in southern Norway remains unseasonably mild, so opportunities abounded for urban walks and strolls along the fjord.
Most museums close for the long Easter weekend, but the Norwegian Folk Museum on Bygdøy was staying open every day, from 11am-3pm on Thursday and Friday and until 4pm on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The museum planned egg-decorating and pancake workshops for children in addition to its normal exhibits.
Boat enthusiasts have started viewing Easter as a fine time to get their pleasure craft back out on the water, and sunny weather also aided myriad boat maintenance projects around the Oslo Fjord.
While the vast majority of Norwegians still opt for traditional ski holidays in the mountains, many are using the holiday period on home remodeling projects and spring cleaning. Stores in the furniture and building business were reporting brisk sales earlier this week.
Many stores will re-open, albeit with shortened hours, on Saturday, for those failing to stock in enough provisions through Tuesday.
Nina Berglund
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