Norway's National DayI was very fortunate to have been invited to visit my Norwegian friend. I spent the day with her and her family, experiencing at first hand, the traditions of another culture.
The morning was overc
... [more]Over 2005 and 2006, I was fortunate enough to be working in Paris and Amsterdam. Whilst building relationships with my French and Dutch colleagues, I was also able to work closely with others - Swedes, Germans, Belgians, Swiss and Norwegian.
I got on so well with Eva, that she invited me to visit her and her family in Oslo. However, knowing my love of avoiding the tourists, she invited me over National Day.
And so it was that I arrived in Oslo, after a delayed flight, just 5 minutes into the National Holiday. The taxi driver was most apologetic as he now had to charge double rate. However, I never used a cab after that, so it wasn't the end of the world.
I spent the next day with my colleague and after that, bought a ticket that took me all over Oslo. The photos tell the story!
Bygdøy - Vikingskiphuset - GokstadThis viking boat was found in 1880. It was build about 890AD and used 10 years later in the burial of an important chieftain. The man lay in a timber burial chamber together with three smaller boats,
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Bygdøy - Vikingskiphuset - GokstadThe detail here on the rudder gives evidence of the remarkable skills possessed by the Vikings. No wonder these chaps got to Greenland and probably much further.
"Et skip som må øses 3 ganger på 2
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FramThe Fram is probably Norway's most famous polar exploration ship. It was captained by Nansen on journeys to Greenland and across the Arctic. It was also captained by Sverdrup on his expeditions and, m
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FramI cannot imagine the skill and bravery of the men who went into polar waters for months and years on end, particularly when you consider that this was their main source of heat.
FramAt least they took their portable keyboard!
GjøaThis little boat was the first to go through the North West Passage successfully. Roald Amundsen and his crew of six took just three years.
Kon TikiBack in 1947, Thor Heyerdahl left Peru and drifted with the Humboldt Current, landing in Polynesia just over 100 days later. The trip was a forerunner of the Ra expeditions and was designed to determi
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Ra IITwenty years after completing his trip in Kon Tiki, Thor Heyerdahl set off again, this time to demonstrate that a reed boat could have reached the West Indies from Africa. Using wall paintings from Eg
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Norway's Flag
Map of Norway