Baby, the Rain Must Fall!

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Well, the trip to the Summit Bar in fact did not hurt. The wallet perhaps, but the overall spirit and mood of the day. Absolutely NOT! The bar opens at 6. We arrived at 6:30. The place was PACKED! Who knew? Children. YES. Children are allowed in a bar… and the world didn’t come to an end. They are able to sip juice (or some other virgin libation) while their parents enjoy an adult beverage. Diminishes the allure, don’t you think? Well, I do. Each and every child in the bar was well behaved. One particular cutie, a toddler boy with ringlet blonde hair and striking blue eyes, stole the show. He was a gadfly. Adorable. Mom and dad weren’t too shabby either; perhaps too many tattoos but a handsome couple. We hit it off, the toddler and me. He has a smile that would melt even the coldest of hearts. Hey toddler guys and gals…he’s gonna get ya.

One of many observations….doors here open out. Even our hotel room door. What’s up with that?? Just a question…NOT a judgement. No, really….not judging!

We woke up this morning, after sleeping with the sliding door open(shush….don’t tell anyone). No other way to get fresh are (or ANY air) into the room. One does what one must. We finally got a “decent” night’s sleep…probably the fresh air.

Once at breakfast, the strategy was to find a table…This Place is PACKED with families from all over the globe. Took a bit to find a table. We both experimented with the Brown Cheese. I can now say I’ve tried it – a mix of Cow & Goat milk; it has a sweet almost caramel like taste. Will have more – perhaps on a sweet style bread – although it tasted great on the multigrain bread. Filled my “asobu” refillable water bottle (which allows for fruit infusion…a gift…from Neiman Marcus no less) with sparkling water ans a lemon slice. Should have done this earlier. Saves a BUNCH of NKR. There’s a water fountain station with both still and sparkling water in the Breakfast room. I never thought I’d use this thing. Now, I LOVE it!

Today, our plan is to pick up the Oslo Pass, take the tram and head over to Vigeland Park. Gustav Vigeland designed this park as a place to feature his art – which I must say is just beautiful. A celebration of “Mankind” – with a few flower beds and fountains thrown in for good measure. We took the #12 Tram towards Majorstua where we were dropped off at the entrance to the park. At the apex of the Park is a stunning monolith of a sculpture carved out of stone of bodies intertwined. It’s as if each body supports the one above while embracing yet another body, which is supported by yet another body. We all must work together to make this work, is the message I got from the sculpture. One crosses a bridge on the approach to the apex of the park where man, woman, child are celebrated in various stages of play and life. Exhilarating! On the landing just below the spire of bodies, a gorgeous cauldron fountain supported by muscled men (Bronze?, Black Marble?) forces the water over the edge of the cauldron…their cup runneth over? Perhaps. The fountain is beautiful. The human body is celebrated throughout the park. Prudes need not attend!

On our way to the apex, we heard rumblings of thunder in the distance. As the thunder got closer and the rain started to fall, we made the VERY WISE choice to seek shelter at a café. Upon arrival at the café, the heavens opened up in a squall of rain, wind and thunder. I’m guessing it lasted about 15 to 20 minutes. The aroma after a big storm is so refreshing.

The storm over, we finally made it to the top, took some pictures and then went back down and behind the tall sculpture to another garden – where 4 entwined bodies form a circle. This beautiful bronze sculpture seems to be the perfect coda on an otherwise gorgeous day, even in the rain, here in Oslo.

We took the #12 tram 2 stops to Majorstua, where the #12 becomes an #11 – which stops directly in front of our hotel! Convenient!! We picked up a sandwich, some nuts and water (drank all my “asobu” – needed a refill)! Back in the room for a bit of a rest, some lunch, dry out and make more plans; at this point it is already 2ish of the day.

So…off to the Munch Museum (Munchmuseet). We walked down to the National Theatre stop and took the T (subway) to the Toyen stop and walked uphill to the museum. Well. Whatever you may have thought of the Scream…it is SO. MUCH. MORE! Breathtaking. The colors so vivid and yet so muted. Such turmoil, so much emotion. I fell in love with a few other masterpieces by Munch: Madonna, The Vampire, and Death of Marat and Dead Mother With Child (which depicts a screaming child reminiscent of the Scream – painted 11 years PRIOR to the scream). Each and every image was compelling, filled with the emotion of life (and death). Spectacular!! We must have spent a few good hours in the museum, which is not that large. A new Munch Museum, designed by Juan Herreros, will open in 2020near the Opera House. The new building is GORGEOUS! Opening in 2020.

Museum done – bodies done in – back to the hotel for a regroup and perhaps a nap.

Christopher napped. I wrote.

Observation. We have seen more electric cars here in Oslo than I can remember seeing anywhere else…Tesla, Mercedes, Hyundai, BMW, Audi, Nissan, etc… Fascinating. With petrol at $15.00/gallon – makes sense! The Polaris – eagerly anticipated from Volvo comes out soon.

Dinner. It seems as though we go through this angst each and every time we travel when it comes to the evening meal. Where to go and what to eat. We got several suggestions from the front desk; some too far, some too expensive. We wanted a nice meal that wouldn’t break the bank and we could walk to. We decided to walk to Akers Brygge, along the waterfront promenade. So. Many. Choices. This was NOT going to be easy. We noticed what seemed to be a nice place and decided to take a chance. BINGO! Good choice. We settled on Albert Bistro. I had the Lemon Sole, Christopher had the Baked Salmon. Both were winners. We washed the fish down with a French Sauvignon Blanc, very nice. My sole came with pureed carrots, an assortment of grilled vegetables (fennel, asparagus, cluster tomatoes) and grilled lemon (which, by the way is my NEW favorite way to enjoy lemon) with which I generously bathed the sole. So. Good. Christopher liked his salmon…a lot. Pureed beets, potatoes, cabbage and horseradish. We ate as much as we could. Finished dinner at 9:30 (also a “situation” when we travel).

Walking back to the hotel under brilliant sunshine…did I mention it was 9:30pm?

We are done in. Walked a lot today and enjoyed each and every minute.

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