Sometimes I just wake up feeling like a kid. On these days I forget the scholarly pursuits and the to do lists and just look for pure fun. We decide to check out Viking World. This small attraction behind Oslo City Hall is a series of video and vr experiences. Interactive computer simulations explain the history of the Vikings with video and photos to swipe and move about on large screens.

There is a 360 degree surround movie that puts you in the center of a Viking Village. It reminds me of the 360 degree theater attractions that used to be popular in American theme parks. This one has stunning views of Norway and Viking life.

But the biggest draw is a virtual reality simulation in which we participate in a Viking raid. I am in a boat, rowing silently up the fjord. We are attacked. Suddenly, arrows fly. Villages are burned. But I emerge unscathed, unlike many of many of my fellow boatmen.

After the raiding, we get up close and personal with hologram Viking villagers. We see ships and swords and helmets. We read numerous timelines until we are saturated with all things Viking.

By the end of the Viking experience we have worked up an appetite and decide to stroll the dock lands near Aker Brygge. There are several restaurants with outdoor seating, but I am intrigued by Lektern. The restaurant is situated across two boats. Music is playing and people are everywhere enjoying the cool but bright afternoon. It looks like my kind of place (outdoor eating and music). I order the truffle fries and am rewarded with the yummy goodness.

After our snack, we continue down the pier to The Salmon, a restaurant and interactive display area that explains the importance of the Norwegian salmon farms that dot the coastline. We are informed about the industry including the need to protect against the fish against salmon lice. We also learn that the fish are humanely sedated prior to being killed. I guess the fish simply fall asleep and never know they are headed to my stomach.

A small park near the Astrup Fearnley museum is the perfect place to take in the setting sunlight along the fjord. It is amazing how much we do on days when we do nothing. If I really were a kid, this is the part of the day when mom would be standing on the porch yelling for me to come home…..