Oslo

Saturday 24 August. Sunday 24 August and Wednesday 28 August

Saturday
This morning was overcast and Parisian grey - a sign perhaps?  After a quick breakfast and sadly  goodbye to Maree and Melanie (leaving for Australia this afternoon) we were shuttled to Terminal 2 by a very cheery driver, then caught the CDGVAL to Terminal 1 for our flight to Oslo.  It was only 2 hours in the air and we arrived to sunshine and a warm welcome from Jessica's friend, Synne who was to be our guide and interpreter for the week.  It was lovely to see her again and of course Jess was over the moon to be catching up with her uni flatmate.  As with France, there are heaps of ex-Bondies in Oslo so some rocking reunions are planned.


Our Oslo studio

We encountered Scandanavian design and efficiency right away with the extra smooth, high tech fast train from Gardemoen Airport  to Oslo Central and then with our uber-modern studio apartment just off the main shopping street, Karl Johans Gate, only a ten minute walk from the station.  "My City Home" looked rather ordinary from the outside but once inside we decided that the photos on the website did not do it justice.  We have a lobby with closets and an entrance to a swish bathroom (shower stall and heated towel rail - yay!), a large living room with kitchenette and bright orange sofas, French windows and a little balcony and off to one side in the L shape a stylish bedroom area with 2 comfortable beds and a slightly over-the-top orange wall. Wonderfully spacious and comfortable - we will be very happy here.
 By now it was late afternoon and we were in need of a meal  so we headed for a Thai restaurant recommended by the hotel receptionist - what a good choice.  The pad thai and curries were delicious and the price was reasonable by Oslo standards (although not by Aussie ones - but we knew that Oslo would be hard on the wallet).  Feeling rejuvenated we paid a visit to the supermarket for a few essentials as tomorrow the shops are closed.  Oslo was humming with people enjoying Saturday afternoon shopping and sightseeing.

Karl Johans Gate -early morning before the crowds

Jess and Synne were exited about a night out with friends and soon said goodnight and left for Synne's apartment, a bus ride away.  I was feeling like an early night so it was nice to chill out and enjoy the lovely surroundings.  With the windows open the noises of the city floated up to the 4th floor - mostly the rattle of trams and music and laughter from the little café/bar down the street.  Fortunately the double glazing reduced the volume to sleepable level with the windows closed.

Sunday

Breakfast was good - Norwegian seed bread, sweet juicy tomatoes and Norwegian cheese - delicious and another sunny day.  Jess and Synne arrived only moderately shattered from their night out and we decided on a day of culture and city sight seeing.  Synne, clever girl, had booked a rental car through her connections (she works at a hotel in between film assignments) for our trip to her parent's place tomorrow. She is very keen to take us there and her mum and dad have kindly invited us to stay.
We wandered along the Karl Johans Gate admiring the distinctive architecture of many of the buildings, including the Parliament.  Lots of activity around this area as Norway has general elections in two weeks time -  a ton of political parties all with booths and candidates trying to get their message across to the passing parade.

Sunday on the Karl Johans Gate

 We walked as far as the palace but with road works kind of messing up the approach we decided not to proceed but to take a bus to the other side of the harbour and visit a couple of museums.  The bus took us through attractive suburbs, the streets lined with shady trees, and we caught glimpses of the water here and there.  Oslo is not a large city and we actually ventured into the countryside before looping back to some more harbourside suburbs. Our first stop was to visit the Viking Ship Museum.  I was not sure what to expect but must admit to being blown away by the exhibits. The first ship, the Oseberg ship was built in 820 and in 834 was pulled ashore and used as a burial ship for two prosperous women.

Oseberg viking ship

 It was buried in a mound along with many artifacts and remained in this blue clay environment until 1903 when it was discovered by a farmer.  It is the most perfectly preserved of any Viking ship, as are items it contained which are also on display at the museum - they include a cart with wooden wheels, a couple of large sleighs and various household items.  The skeletons of the two women were also intact.

 Wonderfully preserved cart from the Oseberg ship

There are two other ships in the museum, the Tune ship which had partly decayed because it was exposed to the elements for some time, and the mostly complete Gokstad ship, both of which date from the mid 800's and were also used as burial ships.  The museum is fascinating and it is a wonder how these great vessels were built so long ago without the kind of tools we have today.

 Viking Ship Museum, Oslo

When we had seen all that was on offer in this museum we walked about a kilometre to the Kon-Tiki Museum which is beside the harbour and located next to the Flam Museum (Arctic expeditions).  It is a hilly area and quite affluent - beautiful white timber houses in large gardens, many with stunning harbour views.

 Oslo Harbour - beside the Kon-tiki Museum

The story of Thor Heyerdahl and his voyages has enthralled many over the years and it is amazing to see his reed and balsa wood rafts so beautifully displayed in this museum.  How brave these men were to sail the oceans in such flimsy looking vessels. 

Reed raft, Ra 11 which sailed the Atlantic in 1970 crossing from Morocco to Barbados



The story of the Kon-tiki and the lives of Heyerdahl and his crew are told in a mural around the walls of the museum, with photographs and display cases of items used on board.  It makes fascinating reading and in the final glass case is the Oscar that Heyerdahl won in 1951 for his documentary film about the Kon-tiki expedition.

 The Kon-tiki - expedition of 1947

After our visit to this wonderful museum we decided to catch the ferry back to the city and arrived at the docks in front of the city hall and the Nobel Peace Centre.

Nobel Peace Centre



  This is a pedestrianized area with lots of restaurants, boats coming and going and people out and about enjoying a sunny Sunday afternoon. 

Harbour view from City Hall



We had ice cream and then walked home as Jess and Synne had another night of catching up with friends planned and we also wanted to leave for Telemark early in the morning.  It was a wonderful day of learning about the history of Norway and enjoying the city which hugs the lovely Oslo fjord.

 Oslo Fjord - opposite the city center

Wednesday

Skip two days and we are back in Oslo after having had a fabulous time in the Telemark region.  Today we had a bit of a slow start and decided to go to the National Art Gallery to see the special exhibition that is on from May to October this year to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of the painter Edvard Munch - of "Scream" fame.  I didn't know much about Munch but have now learned how prolific he was as an artist, as well as how diverse in style.   On arrival at the gallery we toured the ground floor which has some wonderful works by Norwegian artists as well as some by painters such as Monet, Cezanne, Picasso and the like who influenced local painters.  There are certainly some magnificent and very appealing works on display.

Some of my favourites from the Norwegian painters

No photos permitted in the Munch exhibition



 The upper floor is devoted to Munch's work up until 1903 - the later works are on display at the Munch Gallery on the other side of the city. Some of the work is on loan from various sources for the duration of the exhibition. The works are displayed in a series of themes, some of them quite dark, in different rooms which have been painted in vibrant colours.  Whoever designed this exhibition certainly has a great eye - it is quite stunning.  We came away with a good appreciation of Munch, his life and his work. 
Jess had her eye on some black jeans so we did a little shopping and then jumped on a tram and went to an area of the city which Synne frequents (away from the tourist hotspots) to have lunch.  Plenty of restaurants surrounding a small park and a good choice of food.  Norwegian food is fresh and very tasty, although 20 euros for a glass of chardonnay is pushing it a bit!  This afternoon we were feeling the effects of late nights and all the travelling of the past couple of days so we went back to the hotel for a rest.  Last night in Norway so there was another big night out arranged for the girls.  I was more than happy to relax with a book and a toasted sandwich - early start for the airport tomorrow.  It has been marvellous to have the opportunity to visit Norway and to have been so well taken care of by Synne and her family.