Blogs from Oslo, Eastern Norway, Norway, Europe - page 3

Our second day in Oslo, well actually half a day, and I was on a mission to find and photograph some of the city's street art. The Visitors Centre yesterday had referred me to their website, where there was an interactive map with the location of various murals and details of the artist https://www.visitoslo.com/en/articles/urban-art-in-oslo So we set off towards Toyen, where the map showed quite a few murals were located. Along the way, we saw a few sculptures worthy of a photo, but unfortunately the urban art I was in pursuit of was difficult to locate and it didn't help when Google Maps decided not to co-operate either. Rather than wander around aimlessly, we headed back into town and made our way to the Opera House. Our guide from the City Discovery Tour yesterday had recommended ... read more

Oslo is wonderfully laid out for sightseeing. After breakfast, those of us interested in the museums, hopped the ferry to cross the harbor. The sun was shining and we were all excited to get our day started on the water. The ride over was perfect. There were already quite a few people out on boats and we even saw an 80ish year old woman and her friends out rowing. Water is life in Norway. The ferry dropped us off right in front of the Fram museum. The Kon Tiki and the Maritime museum were just steps away. We started with the Fram which is dedicated to polar exploration. Again, I wasn't sure I would find it interesting but I should really learn to keep my mouth shut. Ha! Right. Anyway, it was amazing to realize that ... read more

Today was my last day in Oslo. I started the day by going out of the downtown area to see the Munch Museum. Edvard Munch is Norway’s most famous artist, best known for The Scream. The emoji that Apple uses for the word “scream” is derived from Munch’s painting. ?Afterward I had lunch in the museum cafe and then came back to town so I could go on the tour of Norway’s (relatively) new opera house. It is an architectural wonder with a long sloping roof made of white marble that runs right down to the water. And it’s constructed so that people can walk all the way to the top. Inside there are three performance spaces and we got to go into the main hall. We also got to go back stage and we saw ... read more

It was a rainy day here in Oslo today. I was out in it a number of times, but never got TOO wet. The hotel provides umbrellas and I gave mine a good workout! First thing after breakfast I took the ferry to Bygdoy, a peninsula near downtown Oslo where there are a number of museums. I most wanted to see the Viking Ships Museum and it didn’t disappoint. It was a visceral thrill to see them in person, especially the well-preserved Oseberg Ship. The three main vessels on display were all recovered from Norwegian Viking burials in which prominent persons were sent to the next world in a ship loaded with a variety of goods, animals, and even vehicles (small sleighs and carts). My next stop was the outdoor Folk Museum which is a sort ... read more

Friday was a 300 km local bus trip to Oslo, Norway's capital and a 3 night stay at the Hotel Anker. The bus was super smooth & comfortable & we arrived to a warm 28 deg. afternoon. After lunch & a quick check-in we took our usual guided orientation walk to get an understanding of the layout of the city to best plan the rest of our free time. The main landmarks seen among others were the Royal Palace, Parliament, University & the National Theatre. Next day was hot again. We bought a 24 hr Oslo Pass which allows free admission & transport to numerous museums & other attractions. First off we caught a local bus to museum island. Although technically not an island 5 amazing museums are located within walking distance of each other on ... read more