At the bottom of the page click on the YouTube link to see the photos.
8.00 AM. Good morning Oslo Oslo
Back on the waterfront, the City Hall and the new Nobel Prize Peace Center are “must-do-attractions”. The Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies are held annually at the City Hall, which has a fantastic series of murals portraying everything from real life to exciting glimpses of resistance efforts during World War II. We then walked along the pier to one of the most beautiful old sailing vessels in Norway. The water acted like a giant mirror, intensifying the cool northern light and enhancing the fanciful skyline.
The Hop on Hop off Bus took us to the Bygdoy Peninsula where the Vigeland Sculpture Park is located. This outdoor sculpture garden is the largest collection of sculptures executed by one single artist - Gustav Vigeland. There’s a sign at the entrance, which reads: “The dramatic theme of the entire Park is a Man’s journey from cradle to grave, through happiness and grief, through fantasy, hope and wishes of eternity.” I think this sums it up pretty good.
I love the sculptures, some are playful, some are dancing, some are sad, some are protecting their children, some are angry, etc. By the way, Gustav Vigeland himself never got to see the park finished before he died in 1943.
Next stop was the Viking Ships Museum, where three long boats, found at ancient Viking tombs, are displayed.
To sum it up: Oslo is green, spacious, and vibrant. I enjoyed the cobbled streets in old-town, and the animated mix of ferries and sailboats. But let’s face it. It isn’t the prettiest city in the world. Overall, there is much to be desired. But that’s ok. Most Norwegians know this. And in fact, they take a little pride in their capital city not being a world class looker.
A local told me that Norwegians just don’t care much about the way the buildings look compared to what nature has to offer. Also, that they’d rather see the mountains, that’s why there’s a height limit for the buildings. I think that’s fantastic.
After sail-away, we were invited to a traditional Scandinavian Smorgasbord. I learned that the key is to take small portions and pace myself. I began with the herring dishes, along with boiled potatoes and knackebrod. Next, I sampled the other fish dishes (warm and cold) and more potatoes. Then I moved on to the salads, egg dishes, and cold cuts. More potatoes and knackebrod! Now for the meat dishes – it’s meatball time! They were the size of a small child and melted in my mouth. Other roast meats and poultry, and of course the famous lingonberry sauce! And heaps more potatoes! Still hungry? Apparently Dickie was. His dessert plate was loaded with several small cakes and ice cream. One thing is certain, we didn’t go to bed hungry on our first night in Norway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF7124vdaWw
Next stop was the Viking Ships Museum, where three long boats, found at ancient Viking tombs, are displayed.
A local told me that Norwegians just don’t care much about the way the buildings look compared to what nature has to offer. Also, that they’d rather see the mountains, that’s why there’s a height limit for the buildings. I think that’s fantastic.
After sail-away, we were invited to a traditional Scandinavian Smorgasbord. I learned that the key is to take small portions and pace myself. I began with the herring dishes, along with boiled potatoes and knackebrod. Next, I sampled the other fish dishes (warm and cold) and more potatoes. Then I moved on to the salads, egg dishes, and cold cuts. More potatoes and knackebrod! Now for the meat dishes – it’s meatball time! They were the size of a small child and melted in my mouth. Other roast meats and poultry, and of course the famous lingonberry sauce! And heaps more potatoes! Still hungry? Apparently Dickie was. His dessert plate was loaded with several small cakes and ice cream. One thing is certain, we didn’t go to bed hungry on our first night in Norway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF7124vdaWw
Click on the above YouTube link to see the pictures.