Norway is the “supermodel” of Scandinavia with peaks and fjords, the envy of their neighboring countries. Here you will find a rugged frontier with artists, photographers, outdoor experts seeking the best of the stunning wildernesses. Home to the midnight sun, you’ll marvel during the summer solstice when the sun never sets on the horizon. We have been blessed to see this phenomenon back in 1996, when we sailed to the North Cap above the Arctic Circle. Truly unbelievable. On the other hand, we cannot imagine what it is like living during the winter months with gloomy darkness most of the day. But to make up for dreariness, to see the ghost-like swirling of the northern lights must be beyond description.
The best time to visit Norway is from May to September for never-ending sunshine. Or December to February for extreme skiing and the northern lights.
Things to see and do are Oslo’s Vigeland Park with statues of screaming babies and entwined lovers. Lofoten Islands for fishing villages where they line-dry cod. You get the real feeling of what these folks are made of. Been there, and saw it, and loved it. Geirangerfjord with its jaw-dropping beauty and Bergen with timber buildings, museums, restaurants and shops are not to be missed.
Cruise the coastline to the North Cap to see Hammerfest and Honingsvag to visit the Laplanders and see their reindeer. Take the 7 hour Oslo to Bergen train ride, or spot polar bears in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, the ultimate polar adventure destination.
Eat laks, smoked salmon, or smoked minke whale meat, or try cloudberry jam with ice cream.
Trademarks are fjords, glaciers, midnight sun, high taxes, even higher prices, oil tycoons, polar explorers, skiing, stave churches, Vikings, and last but not least…trolls.
Random fact is the word “ski” is a Norwegian word based on ions-old rock carvings showing hunters traveling on thin wooden boards. Therefore, Norwegians claim to have invented the sport of skiing.
The capital of Norway, Oslo, is located up the long waterway of the southern part of the country. A city to be proud of, Oslo can boast about their economic success, cultural diversity, and many advances in science. Their wealth is reflected in the growing skyline of downtown’s modern high rises mixed with the wonderful historical icons. It is full of castles, fortresses, theaters, churches, and museums. The grand palace and gardens overlooks the city below.
The best way to see the sights in one day? We would suggest the ho-ho bus for first-time visitors. The cost for a 90 minute round trip coach tour runs about 360 krone or $42 USD for a 24 hour ticket. Using a credit card will give you a 10% discount.
Ship’s tours offered today included one seven hour excursion to see it all with a Norwegian buffet lunch. The other seven tours took in the major sights in the city, as well as traveling to a few nearby cities.
Once again, as in Copenhagen, the downtown area of Oslo was literally at our feet when we got off of the ship at 10am. No need for a shuttle, we had two maps in our hands within a minute of exiting the gate since there was no terminal building here. The superior map was the hop-on, hop-off bus guide.
We have visited Oslo twice in the past, so it looked familiar. However, we had taken tours which included two museums, the Holmenkollen Ski Museum and Jump Tower, and the 80 acre Vigeland Park with 200 far out sculptures. Today we had been gifted with such a warm and sunny day that a self-guided stroll through town was in order. Wearing our summer shorts, and layers of t-shirts and sweatshirts, we headed off of the ship with the nifty ho-ho map. Lucky for us, we ran into Nancy and Mike, who were also on their own tour. They had come prepared with previously down-loaded maps from home, and already had charted their walking tour. Since we had only seen these icons from the inside of a tour bus, being able to see all of it inside and out was by far better. Following their directions, we made a circle through town, which took most of the day.
Funny thing was there was a major imposing castle and fortress directly across from the ship. Coming out at the gate, the only thing one of us saw the was ancient stone wall of the fort’s base. This was the Akershus Castle & Fortress, built in 1299. Later in the afternoon, before we sailed away, we would get the best view of the grounds from deck nine.
Following the map, we turned left to the massive square at Radhusbrygge full of garden flower beds and statues. The Radhuset City Hall faces this square, and is the place where the Nobel Peace Prize winners are awarded. On one corner, stands the Nobel Peace Center, which is dedicated to the history of this prestigious award.
Heading up a busy street, we passed by some hotels, restaurants, and eventually reached the corner where the National Theater was built. Although it is an ancient building, it appeared to still be active. There was a lot of activity in this intersection, so we knew we were on the right trail.
A must- see icon has to be the Royal Palace, which was a long walk uphill to the impressive home built for King Charles III and his family in the mid 1800’s. Surrounding gardens include many varieties of old growth trees of maples, lindens, horse-chestnuts, evergreens, as well as flower beds of spring bulbs. With the Norwegian flag flying over the rooftop, we assume the family was home today. Although the palace was not opened for visitors today, we believe during the summer months, it may be opened to tour. There were armed guards surrounding every entrance, and they did not hesitate to keep people from getting too close to any doorway. However, they did not object to individuals or family groups to pose with them for a photo.
Going straight ahead, we passed by the Oslo University, which is free to all who choose to attain a degree in their coveted field. That is how a socialist government works, as most everything is free. Well, not really free, but it comes with some of the highest tax rates in the world. We can only assume that wages are in line with those taxes, or else no one would choose to live here. While we were taking photos of the college grounds, a walking tour group from the ship passed by us. They were on their way to Oslo’s Ice Bar, a unique café where the walls, bar, counters, furniture and decorations are made entirely from ice…..60 tons of it to be exact. The tour description said that warm clothing would be provided while the group was in there tasting a drink…with ice.
Across the wide street was the Norwegian Parliament, a building that caught our attention because of the architecture. The real name is Stortinget and was erected in 1866. Gardens in front of this imposing building were full of roses and blooming tulips, as well as shallow ponds and fountains under restoration at the moment.
We had been hoping to find the Hard Rock Café to get some city t-shirts, and that was the first restaurant we saw as we crossed the street. This was the start of the Karl Johans Gate, which is the mostly pedestrian street full of high end shopping, boutiques, stores, cafes, restaurants, and souvenir stores. It was already 1pm, so we decided lunch here would work out perfectly. This restaurant was inside another historic brick building, and had two floors. The Rock Shop was on the bottom floor which connected to a full bar and small eating area. First of all, we easily found some city t-shirts, more expensive than in Copenhagen’s HRC, but who knows if we will ever be back here? We have said that more often, then found ourselves back again. This shop was impossibly small, but we found the right shirts with the help of a very nice salesgirl. A flight of stairs took us up to the second floor, and a very spacious dining area with views of the street below.
The menu had our most favorite salad, the Haystack with Tupelo fried chicken. Most all of the HRC have eliminated this entrée, much to our disappointment. But not here, because our waiter said it is the most popular one on their menu. With one beer and one Pepsi, we treated ourselves to a brownie sundae complete with ice cream, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. No dessert for us tonight at dinner.
Right next door was the Dale of Norway woolen shop with their beautiful knitwear associated with Norway. Years ago, we purchased some traditional sweaters, and were happy we did, since it appeared that the prices had doubled since then. Stopping at a small produce market, we picked up a large bag of mixed nuts with the intent of using our remaining krone.
From here we took a peek into the Oslo Protestant Cathedral, called Domkirken, built in 1697. The Oslo Sentralstasion or Central Station was located behind the church. We happened to see the Hilli Hanson shop, the name of the jackets with the 2019 GWV logo on them that were sold on the ship. Comparing pricing, we were happy to see the store price was about identical to what we paid onboard. Actually, even better for us, since we got the 15% discount.
From here, we could see the National Opera House, built in 2008, a very futuristic marble structure where people can actually walk on the roof. Running into friends Greg and Heo, they said they had been all over it, as they love the arts and architecture so much.
Continuing around the waterfront, we passed by the Armed Forces Museum, and the ferry terminal on the left. Many passengers from this ferry were making their way back, because they were leaving soon. The Amsterdam was docked around this corner, and we had made it back by 4pm.
Sail away was at 5:30pm, and was held once again in the Crow’s Nest. Out by the Seaview Pool was the place to be. Not only was the weather still warm, as the ship turned and headed out of the fjord, the sun was perfect for taking photos back at the city. The scenery was way better than coming into the port early this morning, because the skies were clear and the color was about perfect. It ended a most perfect day, our first stop in Norway.
The dining room was half empty. We think these ports being so close together has taken a toll on everyone’s energy levels. Since Greg and Heo were dining at the Canaletto, we were a table of three, and finished dinner by 9:30pm. We were treated to a most beautiful sunset, which happened at 9:08pm. Of course, we did not have a camera with us.
Really looking forward to a sea day tomorrow, as we all need it.
Bill & Mary Ann
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Report #101 Oslo, Norway April 29, 2019 Monday Mostly sunny & 70 degrees
