Oslo

Well, we’re on our last night here, and I’m just getting around to posting about our first. I suck.

Oslo is lovely. It’s beautiful and easy to get around, and makes good use of its bounteous coastline and many hills. The architecture, whether civic, commercial or domestic, is pretty much all atrractive, with many stunning buildings, most of which I haven’t photographed, because other people will have done a better job of it.

First day, the weather was damp and got worse. This was the view from our hotel that morning.

We hit the Viking Ship museum, just ahead hordes of italian and chinese tour groups who had no manners. However, we got to see the ships and the fabulous grave goods, some of which are the best or only examples of their kind.

None of that stuff is recreated, by the way.

Our ticket also gave us entrance to the Museum of Cultural History back in town, and since it was now pissing down, we figured why not? It turned out to be a good decision, because not only does the second museum (which is otherwise a fairly unexceptional ethnographic collection) have a superior Norwegian history section which really complemented the Viking ship museum very well, the display of items was innovative and fun. They use little dioramas and art, even recreations of the graves in which things were found, to demonstrate the use of the things being displayed, so you got the meaning and sense without needing, except rarely, to consult a written description. I took dozens of photos but am trying to present the flavour here without overwhelming you

This is a recreation of the original cart from the ship museume

After that, as the weather was worsening and my stomach still troublesome, i returned to the hotel while Doug went out to the Vigeland sculpture park. Of course the rain stopped and the sun came out half an hour after he left, grrr, but we returned the next day for me to see what had impressed him so much

We rode the trams and ferries yesterday, and again today, (in glorious weather) as well as going to the National Gallery which is hosting a special 150th anniversary Edvard Munch exhibition, which considering I had little interest in Munch, I found surprisingly enjoyable. The highlights collection of norwegian and small number of Impressionists was also excellent. Oh and yesterday we went to the new opera house, which was hosting a number of loonies pretending to be photographs and asking for money (I suspect they were students)

View of the Radhus (townhall) from the ferry

A piece of the abundant public art

Attractive and unusual use of heather on a staircase

And finally a view of the fjord from a tram we took up a hill today

Off to Bergen tomorrow – seven hour plus trip!