Yesterday was a very interesting day for me. It was an absolutely gorgeous sunny fall day. But the real excitement started when I went out by myself to go look at an apartment that was available for rent (with a map in Norwegian, and instructions like “just go here, turn here, go straight, and around here, and then you will see it….yeah right!). So I just had my friend write down the address and I figured I could figure it out - at least with the help of some strangers along the way.

So I was walking past Oslo’s Parliament building and there is hundreds of military lining both sides of the street blocking it off and standing at attention. It looked like a parade or something. So I just kept walking down the street and the lines of the army and navy and all of the different kinds of military men and women were lining the street it seemed like forever. I was just hoping that I was on the right side of the street to get to the apartment.

But being a total tourist I decided to see if anything exciting was going to happen, and nothing happened for a while. So I just kept walking. I really wanted to know what was going on, I had a guess it had to do with the elections that happened on Monday, but the thing was that there were all these Brazilian flags.

In front of the university, there was a military band ready to play. Kept walking and still more military lining the streets. I had never seen anything like it.

Then I saw from way down the street (where I had started) police lights flashing. By this time I had made it all the way up to the palace which was where the military lining the street stopped - because that is where the street ends. And of course I don’t know if I am still even going the right direction. So I decided to see what was happening.

There is a small police-escorted motorcade so I decided to ask someone what was going on and I finally found out that the president of Brazil and his wife were here visiting Norway. And that this was to welcome him AND he was being escorted by the Royal Family of Norway.

There was another band up at the palace playing and everyone was getting out of their vehicles and being escorted down a red carpet to a place in front of the palace set up for what looked like an “official” reception.

There were many news cameras and reporters running around and trying to get pictures. But not so many that I didn’t get a great up-close view of Norway’s King Harald V and Queen Sonja. The Crown Prince Haakon and his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit. And the guests of honor the President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva and the First Lady of Brazil Marisa Leticia Lula de Silva (I hope I got those names right-I tried).

Needless to say, it was very fun! But the funniest part of the whole thing was when they went inside the palace and there were many people with Brazilian flags there and they started cheering. But not just any cheer…the “Ole, ole, ole, ole, ole,…” song that I thought they only sing at soccer games in Mexico! I thought it was so funny to be in Oslo, Norway and hear that soccer anthem being sung. It was great.

Oh, and, by they way, I was NOT on the right side of the street and it was quite a walk to get around the whole procession of people and military! I saw the apartment, it was gorgeous and in an awesome location….but a little too small for two people. So anyone out there know of any apartments for rent in Oslo?? I’m still looking! :)