Oslo

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Unlike yesterday, today was a gorgeous sunny day in Oslo. I was out walking a good portion of the day and I enjoyed the weather. My first stop was to City Hall. I had tried to see the interior on my first day, but it was closed for some function. Today the main hall was open and I was there early so it wasn’t too crowded with tourists. The largest mural is from the 1930s and its central portion depicts typical Norwegian workers - fisherman, farmer, miner. I also liked the ceramic medallions in the entry hallway, especially the one depicting (I guess) Mother Norway looking after the people. Next I walked to the Historical Museum to see the Viking exhibit. I had read up on Vikings before the trip (that’s one reason I was so interested in the Viking Ship Museum yesterday) and I enjoyed seeing the artifacts, including a helmet and swords. My next museum was the one devoted to telling the story of the Norwegian resistance to the Nazi occupation of WWII. It was a thorough and engaging display. I particularly liked the clever concealment of items in a loaf of bread, a tin of meat, or the heel of a shoe. After the museum I had a sandwich for lunch and then decided that I should take full advantage of the fine weather, so I caught a tram to Vigeland Park. It is a large public sculpture park with hundreds of works by one man, Gustav Vigeland. He was a Norwegian artist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and I remember seeing this park when I was here 42 years ago. I find the sculptures fascinating and I’m not sure why Vigeland Park is not considered one of Europe’s top artistic sights. There were lots of other people strolling in the park today and the place had a festive mood. I’m sorry the photo of the crying baby isn’t better, but I couldn’t get a better shot with so many others crowding around it. That particular sculpture is a sort of symbol for the park and is the most famous individual piece, I think.

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