Day 13--Oslo

The sun here always seems to be up. We cannot remember when we last saw the dark. This morning we were blinded by the sun and out of the hotel   looking for something to do around 7.30am, but it turns out nothing opens here until 10am!

The sculpture park was open though, so we took a tram and explored the larger than life stone statues. The artist worked a sweet deal with the city--if they supported him and gave him a nice studio, he would create art just for the city for the rest of his life.

We walked into the Town Hall just as the morning tour started, and it was more interesting that we had expected.  I am not a fan of Norwegian frescos, but they certainly fit a lot of history into them.  We saw the hall where they award the Nobel Peace Prize.  All the other Nobel prizes are awarded in Stockholm.

Cheryl and I split up because I wanted more history, so I went to the Norwegian Resistance Museum and the Ankershus Castle.   The Resistance Museum proudly chronicles how the country fought the Nazi invaders who were in charge here for 5 years.  I found an anti-Nazi  Christmas card I hope to include in my book.

the fortress

The medieval fortress, like many castles, has been renovated many times as needed. It sits here overlooking the harbor.  They had it decorated the way Christian the Fourth, the Dano-Norwegian king had it done. In Denmark they just call him the Danish king, so it is interesting to see different perspectives of history.  This fortress also served as the Nazis´  headquarters, but that did not get any mention in the museum.  

I ate a very traditional but very smokey and bleh smoked salmon open face sandwich with a huge helping of cold scrambled egg on top.  Lots of protein at least.  I have to say I was a little homesick as I walked around the city after lunch.  

Cheryl and I met up to view the cathedral, which we found a little garish with the Norwegian frescoes on the ceiling.  Then we took a relaxing ferry ride around the islands in the harbor.  Osloers go there for sun bathing and hiking, but we just ferried around them and enjoyed the gorgeous clouds.  We are having such beautiful weather here.  I hope it lasts tomorrow, since that is our chance to see some scenic beauty in the countryside.

Finally we took the subway to see the Munch Museum.  They pronounce it ´Munk´.  I saw The Scream, but it was not the highlighted piece. In fact, he really did much more with the female form and self portraits than the iconic Scream image that was simply painted on untreated cardboard--not even canvas!

Sorry girls, no animals today.   I look forward to being home soon, to celebrate Pearl´s seventh birthday with a series of celebrations, starting with a cherry picking party the morning after I get home.  

Day 12--Oslo

We spent 17 hours on the ferry, but it was pretty pleasant.  Cheryl and I found a nearly empty  wine bar on board, and the guy who ran it really knew his wine.  He refused to serve us the red that Cheryl picked out because it would not go with the cheese tray we wanted.  We enjoyed his devotion to his craft, and the wine he selected for us.

This morning our cruise ship chugged up the 60 mile Oslo fjord, which got very pretty as we neared the city.  We disembarked with the Oslo card in hand, which means we do not have to stop to figure out tickets or pay anything else, but we can explore whatever we want.  This is a relief after trying to figure things out in Copenhagen.

We dropped off the bags and headed down to the harbor for a quick local ferry to the Viking Ship museum.  You can see how grand this Viking Ship burial is above.  The ship was built in the 800s, then used as an elaborate coffin,  and they dug it up in 1904.  Some of the smaller wooden carts on board were originally  in 1000 pieces, and they are struggling to find a new way to preserve the old wood which is being eaten from within due to the 1904 preservation techniques.

We then went to the Folk Museum, which I loved.  I cannot upload photos here, but you can see the absolutely beautiful old stave buildings with turf roofs at this web site.  So pretty!!   The time just flew as I peered into these old farm houses from the countryside which had been moved here.  The turf roofs last for 50 years and help insulate.  I also had a chance to eat a traditional Norwegian Christmas bread baked by a wood fire.  A troupe of young folk dancers gave a sweet performance of the folk dances in their national dress.   This place just made me happy.  Now I wish I had Norwegian ancestors.

Next came the Fram Museum, a tribute to Norwegian exploration of the polar regions.  This caught my interest because the study Pearl and I did of Antarctic exploration two months ago.  I knew some of the stories, and here I had a chance to walk aboard the Fram, the ship that was designed to get trapped in the ice of the North Pole and drift close to that pole. That ´trip´took three years.  After that,  Amundsen took the Fram south to help explore the South Pole, and we saw artifacts and images from the race to that pole, and the Englishman Scott´s tragic failure of getting there days after the Norwegians, then dying before reaching safety.  Amundsen made it home and became a hero, and the ship now has a home in Oslo.

We took the ferry back to the harbor and hoofed it to a restaurant recommended in our guide book.  It was a traditional meal of Norwegian meatballs, potatoes, and mushed peas with gravy and lingonberry sauce.

Happy Fathers Day to all the dads! Love to you all.