Another Short Norweign Saga day one 16th September 2015

We decided to stay overnight in the distinctly mediocre Ramada Hotel which at least had the benefit of giving us free parking in the long stay park at Stansted. Premier Inns have really set the standard for budget hotels and the rivals tend to be inferior and more expensive.

Despite setting two different alarms for 5 am neither worked. Operator error of course, so when I awoke to the see daylight outside it was time to go into controlled panic mode. We left the hotel at 6-45 and got to the gate with about 10 mins to spare. Easy.

There were plenty of spare seats on the plane so we spread out without having to play the old Ryanair seat monopolising games. Onward travel to Oslo which we had done not long since was easy in this most efficient and interconnected of countries.

But today is all about the opera. Last night of Don Giovanni in this most iconic of buildings.

The building is clad in Carrera marble and the public can walk all over it. The panoramic view you can see next is taken from the top of the huge vertical glass wall at the front of the building. Please expand this on your tablet to get the full effect. 

A couple of indoor scenes to get you in the mood. Why don't you join us in a drink before I go on to describe something of the opera itself. 

In this opera Mozart and Da Ponte got together to construct the usual complex and wholly unbelievable tale of dastardly do and comeuppance including the usual identity swapping. Although written in 1787 this production is set in present times. We see a lot of the police, paramedics and other "street servants ". At one point the orchestra play the "Nokia " tone  (itself derived from a piece of Finnish classical music ) and a duet is sung via mobile phones across the stage. When the Don beats up Masetto who is a policeman, he ends up tasering him. The real star of the show is Donna Anna  (isn't she always? ) who, of course gets the best songs. Thanks Helen for the tickets for my birthday. This is the kind of experience that stays with you for the rest of your life. 

I must say a little more about this wonderful 21st century Opera House.  No doubt you are all aware of subtitles and you opera goers will be familiar with surtitles but this house features "seat titles " whose language you can control yourself. See below, these are built into the back of the seat in front of you. 

I can't leave the place without some mention of the toilets. Rightly described in the Lonely Planet guide as being some of the poshest public toilets in the world and likened to a modern art gallery. I have to agree, without wanting to sound Philistinific, they are also a lot more useful. I include some photos to give you a flavour, as it were.

Notice the discretion with which these pictures were taken. Let's finish with a night shot of the Opera House. Tomorrow is the "Norway in a Nutshell " day.