Oslo, Norway

Monday, April 29, 2019

WHERE AM I?

What’s been happening

I woke up this morning well rested and ready to resume my roll as a tourist with a renewed energy and the events of the day in Copenhagen well behind me.

I was up early and just in time to watch us sail into the harbor in Oslo, Norway.

In my planning for this trip I did not develop any real plans for Oslo. I spent so much time considering what I’d like to do in places like Petra, Mont-Saint-Michelle, and the Rijksmuseum that I didn’t even consider what joys I might find in places that are not as world famous. As a result, I was greatly surprised with the beauty and culture that surrounds Oslo.

For my shore excursion today, I simply signed up for something that would give me a little exposure to a place that I knew so little about. The outing I chose took me to two places I’d never heard of, so I guessed that met my needs. The two places were the (very) little town of Dröbak (just south of Oslo) and Frogner Park in Oslo.

When the time came, I piled into the bus with one of my travel buddies (Kathleen, whom you might remember as the one who bought the Belgian Fries in Zeebrugge) and we headed off to Dröbak.

Dröbak

After a scenic drive of about half-an-hour we came into Dröbak and were simply allowed to wander about on our own for a couple of hours. And, as it turns out, that is the very best way to get to know this little town and the people that live in it.

Kathleen and I decided that the first thing we needed to do was to visit the local coffee house to gather up some caffeine and learn what we needed to be sure to see before we left.

While enjoying our coffee we learned that Dröbak is full of shops where one can buy art, clothing, food (both market and café types), and some of the best Christmas “stuff” you can imagine. So, as soon as we finished our cappuccinos, we headed off to see about Christmas “stuff.”

The Christmas store is a place called the Julehuset. Inside is an incredible array of Christmas items, and a big surprise to go with it. The Julehuset is open all year round, which is wonderful for “whovillians.”

As it turns out, Christmas is celebrated a bit differently in Norway than it is in the US and the decorations in the store show it. We saw not only Santa, but all of his family and some of his descendants! Everything in the store seems to be red including red-clothed reindeer, elves, and even a Christmas troll. (Actually, they only had a single Christmas troll. I loved it and asked its price. As it turns out, the troll was the only object in the entire store that wasn’t for sale! Bummer.)

After taking in both floors of the Julehuset (and buying nothing as the prices seemed quite steep) Kathleen and I proceeded to simply walk around town an check out the stores, markets, and galleries. We saw lots of great art, including some that seemed directly targeted at people from the southwestern US! We ran out of time before we ran out of things to see and it was, too soon, time to return to the bus. I really felt like I was not yet ready to leave. This friendly little town had stolen my heart and if I get a chance to return I most certainly will!

Frogner Park

The bus took us back into town for the second half of our trip which was a visit to Frogner Park. The park was practically walking distance from the cruise ship terminal (about a 45 minute walk.) I’d never heard of Frogner Park and perhaps you never have either.

As I learned, Frogner Park was once a smaller park centered around Frogner Mannor. The City of Oslo bought the property just before the turn of the 20th century. A few years later, they turned the property into a public park.

In the 1920s, the Norweigian artists Gustav Vigeland was given a studio and a home in Frogner park. In exchange, he promised to donate all of his future work to the City of Oslo and today Frogner Park has over 200 of Vigeland’s marble statues.

I learned this background information just after entering the park and walking past Vigeland’s old studio. I still knew nothing of the work Vigeland donated, but it didn’t matter to me at that point. It was a marvelous day in Oslo with unseasonably warm temperatures in the low 80s! A great day to be visiting a park.

When we reached the part of the park where Vigeland’s statues could start to be seen, it took my breath away! I really can’t describe in words how striking and beautiful it was to see marble carved the way Vigeland had done. Each piece was nearly life-sized and there was so much expression! Here’s a little gallery of some of the statues I saw. Be sure to click on the images to see them in a larger format.

Once again, the end of our turn came far too soon and long before I could take in 200+ sculptures. Frogner Park will remain in my memory for the rest of my life. Again, if I’m fortunate enough to visit this park again, I will allow myself adequate time to really soak it all in. How could I have not known this place existed?

The end of the day

So, back to the Amsterdam. I was done touring for the day, but I was still hyped and not ready to call it a day. Before boarding the ship, I did a little shopping to try to find great souvenir items for myself and my friends.

At a shop on the pier, I was welcomed by this little guy.

After a bit of souvenir hunting success it was time to call it a day an board the ship. Once everybody was aboard we started to sail out of Oslo and on to our next stop. What amazing things might I find there? I was most certainly surprised by what I found in and around Oslo, and there was more Norway yet to come. I was so excited at the possibilities, I needed a sunset and a drink to calm me down.

SO, WHAT’S COMING UP?

Tomorrow, a day at sea and then a visit to Flåm, Norway.