We arrived in Oslo in late February after heavy snowfall — the train from the airport sped past a wilderness of pine trees shrouded in white. 

The following fog-filled days were cold and damp, and my partner and I struggled to find a rhythm in the winter gloom.   

Days were filled with bad coffee and good hot dogs.  

Even the iconic Oslo Opera house was a subdued silhouette - the reflected lights on the wet streets offering the only trace of cheer. 

Certainly not the overwhelming experience I anticipated on my arrival in Norway. 

Casting about for something to do, we walked past the popular quayside saunas.  

A discordant sight greeted us - sauna visitors in swimsuits plunged into the frozen Oslo Fjord . 

Something to try, we decided. Albeit without the icy plunge. 

Booking a slot was characteristically easy and a testament to Norwegian efficiency. 

The next evening, we arrived for our sauna.  

The wan winter sun had long fled the sky, and we were delighted to find the sauna burning hot  -  cheery red coals glowing in the brazier. 

We changed quickly into our swimsuits and entered the welcoming heat — it was the first time, since our arrival, that we had been able to shake the seeping Oslo cold. 

The temperature, however, crept steadily upwards. Initially comfortable, the mercury soon rose to uncomfortable levels.  

An urgent escape from the overwhelming, dry heat was needed, but to where? Surely our only option wasn’t plunging into the icy fjord? 

We resolved to stay a little longer… just 5 minutes more, and then we would make our decision.  

After the allotted time, it became alarmingly clear that there would be no other alternative but to find respite in the icy fjord. 

Gingerly, we approached the hole cut into the ice and, with a deep breath, plunged into the water. 

Visceral, mind-numbing cold embraced us as a thousand icy needles pummeled our senses. 

An instant physiological and emotional catharsis — every pore and cell in our bodies sprang to life.  

After the first plunge, it was clear — the next 60 minutes would be spent in the sauna , first becoming as warm as possible, and then once again plunging into the frigid waters of the fjord for respite. 

We shared our sauna with two other couples we had just met. Conversation quickly followed — the pleasant conversation you have with people with whom a profound experience is shared, but that you know you are unlikely to see again. 

At the end of the time slot, we reluctantly had a last plunge, dressed, and said our goodbyes. 

We headed home with tingling bodies, delighted to have finally found our travel groove after a memorable Norwegian experience. 

The city of Oslo had finally welcomed us into its embrace with a time-honoured Scandinavian ritual.