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Published: July 23rd 2008
Gokstadskipen
A very sea worthy vessel, this is what the Vikings would have used to reach Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland!Today we had quite the adventure getting into the city! We were trying to follow directions from my relative Tim, but we got confused on the bus to go to the Viking Ship museum and the Norwegian Folk Museum. At one point we asked a bus driver for help, and she pulled the bus over to talk to us (with about a half dozen other people on it!) and even involved 2 other passengers while trying to figure out how we should get there. It was quite the scene! Needless to say we got off that bus quickly, embarrassed about holding everyone up, and still not quite sure how to get were we needed to go. Fortunately I married a resourceful woman, and Chelsea was able to figure out which bus to get on (my brain hurts when I try to read bus schedules) and we eventually made it into the city.
After checking our baggage into lockers at the train station (I had to change my shirt because it was so soaked with sweat I could wring it out, gross!) we headed to the ferry to go out to the peninsula where they museums are.
The Viking Ship
Museum blew me away!!! They have the remains of 3 ships, 2 are VERY well preserved, and one is not. I studied these ships while taking Viking history classes at the UW, but I was not ready for how big they were, how impressively constructed they were, and how intact they were! These are 1200 year old wooden ships, and they look almost seaworthy! One interesting fact I read was that Viking shipbuilders did not use tools to measure, they took all measurements with their eye! If you ever go to Norway, you must see these ships.
The Norwegian Folk museum was also surprisingly interesting and fun. It is very large and laid out with a combination of outside areas displaying old ways of life, and inside areas with art and artifacts from Norway's past. The most impressive item there is definitely the Golstave Church. It was built in 1200ad, and is made entirely of wood but is very very intact. It was amazing to see a wooden building from 800 years ago looking almost as it would have when it was built. Also interesting was the intermingling of Norsk/Viking style art with carved wooden sea serpents next to
Stavekirken
A 1200 year old church made of wood! the Christian cross.
After all that history, we headed back to the city's central station to board our train to Jevnaker where some relatives (Knut and Inger) from my dad's mom's side live.
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Mary, mom
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more of Oslo
Hey, more great pictures of your Olso experience!! Looking forward to the Jevnaker scenario with those great relatives!!! xoox