Belgium stun Brazil (and Jeffrey) in maiden Oslo Visit

Day 39, Friday 6th July, was another day I had been anticipating for weeks as I'd arranged a rendez-vous with good old Jeffrey Newcombe in Oslo. It also would be my first visit to Norway, so clocking up my 62nd country and it also marked the start of the World Cup quarter finals.

Algissen and Jefferssen

It was another early morning wake up in Helsinki. I got up at 5am a bit too early as I had to wait downstairs 30 minutes for the first tram to arrive. I caught it with a sweet old Japanese couple and we all went to the airport together. So tram to the station and train to the airport. It is all very efficient.

I had a bit of a scare at the airport having got through a big queue at security with only half an hour to go I was relieved to wait at gate 27 for the Oslo flight but when it was time to board my boarding pass was rejected. Oops! This was the Finnair flight to Oslo my flight was Nowegian Air. I'd done this before when catching a flight from Kuala Lumpa to Amserdam. I missed the flight that time, but in Helsinki I managed to leg it over to gate 17 in the nick of time to board the plane.

Phew!

Anyway, arriving in Oslo an hour and a half later, marked my 62nd country visited. I got some Kroner and caught the train to the city center and the very conveniently placed CityBox hotel where Jeff and me had reserved a room.

Having settled in I found a pub for us to watch the France v Argentina game and then went to the station to meet Jeffrey.

It's always great meeting up with Jeff. He's the nearest thing I have to a brother but we are a bad influence on each other when it comes to drinking.

We had a nice meal before watching the two games. My three star hang over is preventing me writing much more here so I'll just post the photos and some stats.

France 2 Uruguay 0

I was pleased to see Uruguay get eliminated although France hardly looked like world beaters.

We watched it in the Sir Winston pub, just around the corner from out hotel and served by two very aimiable Swedes. I'd chatted earlier in their bar to an English chap from Bristol over to meet his wife who's working over here and later to two crazy West Ham fans, one is a season ticket holder.

Anyway, France through to the semis as most people predicted.

Belgium 2 Brazil 1

We went to the Bohemen to watch the big game of the round, the clash of Belgium and Brazil.

Belgium were fantastic in the first half and powered into a very impressive 2-0 lead by half time before Brazil came back at them a bit in the second.

I was very pleased but Jeffrey seemed to think that the better team had lost.

So, next week it'll be France v Belgium in the first semi final

As I said we're a bit of a bad influence on eachother and it's no surprise that yesterday I had the most alcohol of the tour so far - a double skinful, no less.