From the moment I arrived, everything about Lina's place exceeded my expectations. It's a very stylish apartment, with gorgeous touches everywhere, and the building still has the original stained glass and high ceilings. Despite being a studio, it has everything you could need: a great shower, a fully-equipped kitchen, a very comfortable bed, antique lamps, blankets, books, artwork, poems.... and somehow it always smelled amazing too! The view across Oslo was always changing, and the three sets of classical windows could be opened to let in the breeze but were almost completely sound-proof when closed.
Location-wise it was also perfect. It's right near a very frequent tram stop that's only 4 short stops from the main station in the centre (walkable in less than 30 minutes). There's a supermarket 100 meters away, and directly behind the apartment is a beautiful park with sculptures by Rodin, Renoir and Dali, to name just a few, and lovely wooded jogging trails. There's also a public sea-pool (free to enter) just a 10-minute walk in the other direction.
As hosts, Lina and her sister Tuve went far beyond what was expected of them. Not only did they respond to any queries I sent them, but when I first arrived, I realised I had left my bag on the tram... with my bank cards, passport and other important things in it. Tuve was a life-saver, coming with me to stand in the rain and ask every tram driver who passed if they had seen it, and even calling a friend who worked with the public transport system. Within 15 minutes, I had my bag back! You really could not ask for a better host.