Final Day - Oslo, Norway

 Well, this is it - the final day of our Nordic Sojourn. 

After breakfast, we took the 8:30 shuttle from the B&B back to the airport to catch a train into the city. It's about 20 minutes by train to the city centre.

I love taking the train in Europe. This is the Oslo Central Station as well as Norway's main railway station. It serves as the main junction for both domestic and international trains. Over 150,000 people pass through its doors every day. 

The station extends beyond its functional role. Inside is a diverse range of shops from high street fashion outlets to stores selling Norwegian design and souvenirs.

It also stands out for its cutting-edge architecture. Its facades are largely covered in glass, allowing natural light to flood the interior.

One of the most striking architectural features of Oslo Central (and my favorite) is its large hall Østbanehallen. Formerly a train shed, it has been transformed into a modern food court.

Standing just outside of Oslo Central Station is a bronze sculpture, popularly known as the "Tiger" (wonder why?). Cast by renowned artist Elena Engelsen, it stands an impressive 4.5 meters (15') in length.

The sculpture was erected in 2000 to celebrate Oslo's 1000th anniversary and has since become one of the most photographed spots in the city. The tiger represents Oslo's nickname, "Tigerstaden" meaning Tiger City, which might seem peculiar as there are no wild tigers in Norway.

The nickname stems from a 19th century poem by Norwegian author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. He used the term to describe the city as a cold, aggressive, and unwelcoming place. The tiger metaphorically represented the city's struggle and battle against the harsh reality of life. Over time, however, the perception of Oslo has dramatically changed, and it's now universally heralded as one of the world's best cities in which to live.

Karl Johans Gate is the best known and busiest thoroughfare in Oslo. This 1 km (.6 mile) long historical artery is named after Karl XIV Johan, who was the king of Norway and Sweden from 1818-44 and is known simply as Karl Johan by the people of Oslo.

Originally a modest dirt road, Karl Johans Gate was transformed into a grand boulevard in the 19th century and the street is flanked by stately Neoclassical buildings.

The Oslo Stock Exchange (Borsen) is one of the most important financial institutions in Norway and a key architectural landmark in the heart of Oslo.

Although it only started functioning as a stock exchange in 1881, the Oslo Stock Exchange building was the first of the city's grand buildings and dates back to 1828. The facade of the building is brick and stucco, and its classical elements exude an air of authority and solidity fitting a financial institution. 

Located in the heart of the Bjørvika district, the Oslo Opera House (Operahuset) is one of the must-visit places in Oslo. Designed by the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta, it was officially inaugurated in 2008 and is now probably Oslo’s most famous building.

The Opera House’s design reflects a modernist approach with a distinctive Scandinavian touch.

Inspired by glaciers floating in the adjacent Oslo Fjord, the building’s most defining feature of the structure is the angular, iceberg-like exterior clad in Italian Carrara marble and white granite. This creates an illusion of a gigantic ice block emerging from the waters of the Oslo Fjord.

A defining feature of the Oslo Opera House is its sloping roof, known as the “carpet.” As Norway isn’t an EU member, builders in the country are not held to European Union safety codes, visitors can literally stroll up the incline onto the roof, enjoying panoramic views of the city and the fjord, which we did. They do have signs telling you to do so at your own risk.

Inside, the Oslo Opera House is equally stunning. The oak wood-clad horseshoe-shaped main auditorium seats approximately 1,370 attendees, while the glass façade of the cavernous foyer affords visitors breathtaking fjord views.

This swan posed for me...

...and not to be outdone, this gull did too.

If you zoom in you can see some crazy people just in front of the white building, swimming in the fjord. They sit in the sauna, then jump in the water to cool off.

close-up of the saunas

She Lies is a public sculpture by Monica Bonvicini made of stainless steel and glass panels, measuring approximately 12 metres (39 ft) by 17 metres (56 ft) by 16 metres (52 ft), next to the Oslo Opera House

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It is a permanent installation, floating on the water in the fjord on a concrete platform, rising 12 metres (39 ft) above the water surface. The sculpture turns on its axis in line with the tide and wind, offering changing experiences through reflections from the water and its transparent surfaces

The Munch Museum (Munch-Museet) is a testament to the life and work of Edvard Munch, Scandinavia’s greatest artist.

The museum, which was designed by Estudio Herreros, a Spanish architecture firm, and opened in its new waterfront location in 2021, is home to the world’s largest collection of Munch’s art, with a collection exceeding 28,000 items.

At over 26,000 square meters (280,000 square feet) the new Munch Museum is one of the world’s largest museums devoted to a single artist.

The building’s exterior is characterized by a shimmering façade clad in recycled and perforated aluminum panels, designed to imitate the strokes of a paintbrush. The unique configuration of these panels allows the building to capture and reflect the changing Nordic light, creating an ever-changing aesthetic that mirrors the dynamism of Munch’s artwork.

Akershus Fortress (Akershus Festning) is a significant historic site that has stood as a silent guardian over Oslo since the 13th century. It’s a complex of dozens of buildings, including a castle, barracks, a mausoleum, administrative buildings, and public areas.

Akershus Castle (Akershus Slott) forms the core of the fortress. King Haakon V commissioned it in 1299 as a defensive stronghold to ward off all attempts to invade the city from the sea, and it has withstood numerous sieges throughout its history.

The fortress displays an intriguing blend of architectural styles, reflecting its evolution over the centuries. Initially, it was built in the Gothic style but later the fortress underwent a significant transformation with the changing nature of warfare and the influences of Renaissance architecture.

Akershus Fortress wasn’t just a military stronghold; it has also served as a royal abode, a place of government, and a prison. Now the Norwegian government primarily uses it for stately dinners and visits for foreign heads of state.

Today, this well-preserved fortress serves as a public park and cultural site, housing museums, including the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum and the Resistance Museum.

There is also a national monument in honor of all who have served in international operations for Norway, and in remembrance of those who gave their lives.

This memorial is in memory of all Norwegians who died in the years 1940-1945 in the struggle against fascism.

The 'National Monument to Victims of War 1940-45', also referred to as 'The National Monument', is a monument in memory of Norwegian fallen during World War 11 and is designed by Gunnar T. Jansen.

The monument is a bronze sculpture group depicting two deed figures, a large woman and a smaller man, in front of a stylized depiction of a vaulted boat in a sea of boats. The sculpture is considered the main work of the artist. I've decided clothing must be difficult to sculpt because I haven't seen a clothed sculpture in Oslo.

On the day of liberation on May 8, 1970, the monument was unveiled by Crown Prince Harald in King Olav's absence. On the same day, the 25th anniversary of the post-war liberation was marked with two minutes silence across the country, and a two -day celebration was concluded with, among other things, a supper for 800 guests at Akershus.

Solemn wreaths are common at the memorial on Constitution Day, May 17, and during state visits".

Trash cans in Oslo are a little nicer looking than the ones at Bowie Park.

jumping on a trampoline

You can't really tell that I'm up in the air until you see the photo below, and see how deep it is.

The following pictures were taken as we walked two miles up to Vigeland Park. It was starting to rain and the forecast was for rain the rest of the day so we decided we better pick what we really wanted to see and get there. Terry and Elaine told us we needed to see the sculptures at Vigeland so that's where we headed.

the fortress from across the fjord

I misspoke. Here are some clothed sculptures.

National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design

On 12 February 1994, Edvard Munch’s infamous painting, The Scream, was stolen in only 50 seconds during a break-in. Two thieves broke through a window of the National Gallery—the museum it was kept at the time and used wire cutters to detach the painting from the wall before making a swift getaway in less than a minute. They left a taunting note before they made their departure, which read: “A thousand thanks for the bad security!” Luckily, the painting was recovered almost three months later in a daring joint undercover operation by Norwegian and British police.

The MS  Fjordfart

The Nobel Peace Center is, as the name suggests, a significant cultural institution dedicated to peace, conflict, and human rights.

Housed in Oslo’s former 19th-century railway station of Vestbanen, the center’s striking façade features an innovative and artistic light installation.

The center presents the history of the founding father of the prize, Alfred Nobel, “the dynamite king,” and the biographies and careers of Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

Oslo City Hall (Oslo Rådhus)

This twin-towered building, completed in 1950 to commemorate Oslo’s 900th anniversary, is the administrative center of Oslo and is filled with mid-century tributes to Norwegian cultural and working life.

The building’s blunt corners and red-brick functionalist exterior are polarizing and it has been called everything from “hideously ugly” to the pride of Oslo. Look closer though and you’ll find that it is richly decorated with sculptures and bas-reliefs made by famous Norwegian artists.

We arrived at Vigeland Park and the fall colors are simply stunning. What a gorgeous backdrop for all the sculptures.

The sculpture park is Gustav Vigeland's life's work, and consists of over 200 sculptures in granite, bronze and wrought iron. It was built mainly in the period 1940-1949, but is the result of over 40 years of work. The start of the park is Vigeland's Fountain, which was originally supposed to stand on Eidsvoll Plass in front of the Stortinget. These plans were never realised, and the fountain later became part of Vigeland's park plans.

In 1924, the city council decided that the sculptor could build the Fountain in Frogner Park. At that time, the project had been extended with the Monolith and a sculpture-rich bridge.

The Bridge

The bridge's 58 bronze sculptures show a rich variety of children, women and men of different ages. Among other things, the iconic little boy Sinnataggen can be found here . The bridge sculptures have in common play, lust for life, energy and vitalism.

Vigeland modeled the bridge sculptures in the period 1925-1933. They were some of the first sculptures to be installed in Vigelandsparken in the early 1940s.

There are close-up photos below of the bridge but I loved the 

waterfall and bridge from this angle.

The Bridge

The Fountain

Vigeland's Fountain is the oldest sculpture part of the park.

In the center of the basin, six giants hold up the large saucer-shaped bowl. The men are of different ages, and also hold the giant bowl up in their own way. The fountain has been interpreted as an expression of man's struggle with life's burdens.

There are 20 groups of trees around the Fountain. The tree is seen as a symbol of regeneration and eternal life both in mythology and religion, and perhaps has a corresponding function in this series of Vigeland's sculptures. They are grouped in groups of five according to the stages of human life; childhood, youth, mature age and old age. The fountain wasn't in operation today.

a couple of close-ups of the sculptures around the fountain

The Monolith

"The pillar is my religion"— Gustav Vigeland

At Vigelandsparken's highest point stands the roughly 17-metre-high Monolith. The sculpture is (unbelievably) carved out of one stone block, which was originally shot out of the quarry in Iddefjorden.

The sculpture shows 121 human figures of all ages huddled together. The figures are in an almost dream-like state, and the sculpture has been interpreted as a kind of resurrection vision. Here, people's longing and striving for the spiritual is shown.

In the axis west from the Monolith, the bronze Wheel of Life, modeled in 1933-34 and built in 1949, can be seen if you zoom in (top center).

The wheel is a symbol of eternity and here it is designed as a rotating wreath of women, men and children holding each other for eternity. This is how this sculpture summarizes the park's entire dramatic theme: A sculptor's reflections on man's journey from cradle to grave, through joy and sorrow, through dreams, imagination, hope and eternal longings.

The wrought iron works (gates) in Vigelands park are independent works of art. Many people do not always think that this is also part of Vigeland's art.

The story

Gustav Vigeland's work with wrought iron for Vigelandsparken started in 1923-24 when he contacted the company Bilgrei. Blacksmith Alfred Mikkelsen took on the task of making the first four kite fields for what are today parts of the main gate to Vigelandsparken. The dragon medallions were exhibited at the Museum of Art and Industry in 1927.

In 1928, Vigeland established a forge outside his studio, close to what is today the Vigeland Museum, between the studio and Solheimsgata. Art blacksmith Alfred Mikkelsen became head of the forge. Vigeland first drew the composition on graph paper in size 1:10, then a craftsman drew the drawing in full size. Vigeland then made his adjustments, and based on these, the blacksmiths made their own working drawings by transferring them onto tracing paper.

The forge was furnished with traditional equipment, anvil and axe, but modern equipment was also used, such as drilling machines and welding equipment. In the forge, all types of industrially produced standard iron were used. Forging and welding were used interchangeably. To protect the iron from rust, all the wrought iron gates were sandblasted and painted with lead fringe and black lacquer. They were then installed in Vigelandsparken. In 1928, there were five blacksmiths working in Vigeland's forge and a total of twelve craftsmen who worked directly under Vigeland's management in his studio, who worked, among other things, as plasterers or stonemasons.

There was great mutual respect between Vigeland, who was called the master, and the blacksmiths.

close-up of the monolith

hooded crow - they were dropping walnuts onto the pavement to break them open - clever creatures

colorful buildings

and plants

and macarons

these trimmed up trees reminded me of the sculpted trees at Vigeland's Park

grounds at the Royal Palace

Designed by renowned Danish-born architect Hans Ditlev Linstow, the palace’s construction began in 1824 and was completed in 1849. It was never occupied full-time until Norway became an independent nation in 1905, when King Håkon VII, originally a Danish royal by the name of Prince Carl, was installed, along with his wife, the new Queen Maud.

Equestrian statue of Charles XIV John of Sweden

One of the first things you’ll notice about the palace is that its pale-yellow brick and plaster Neoclassical design is completely free of bombast that is characteristic of other royal residences.

The palace’s symmetrical facade and columned entrance evoke a sense of majestic grandeur, while its relatively modest size reflects the Norwegian monarchy’s approachable and understated nature. A statue of Karl Johan stands in front of the palace.

The palace’s interior, which can only be seen on a guided tour (only offered from late June to mid-August), showcases a wealth of artistic and architectural treasures, from magnificent frescoes and ornate stuccowork to beautifully preserved historical furniture. The grand staircase, the stunning banquet hall, and the elaborately decorated Bird Room are among the highlights of the guided tour.

The changing of the guard, albeit a pale shadow of the changing of the guard at London’s Buckingham Palace, takes place daily at 13:30.

Today they were having some sort of sit-in or protest of some sort. There were some very unsavory characters.

The National Gallery

We met a woman walking her dog and asked about a good place to eat Norwegian food. She was a talker and wanted to talk politics. What did we think about Trump and Biden and did we not have anything but old men? 😂 Very long story short, she recommended this place.

We went in and were seated, and sat, and sat and finally got up and left. These photos are of the ceiling.

Stortorvet is a square.

They had a few vendors out on this cold, windy, rainy day.

these two fellers look like they could use a nose job and hairdresser

The Barcode Project in Bjørvika is another set of buildings that cements Oslo’s reputation as an avant-garde architectural hub. Designed by a consortium of Norwegian and international architects, the Barcode Project comprises a series of 12 narrow, high-rise buildings varying in height and width.

When seen from afar at certain angles, the twelve buildings together form an eye-catching composition with the gaps between them creating the impression of a “barcode.”

We ate lunch in one of the Bar Code Project buildings at a place called Vaaghals. I'm so glad we left the other restaurant and came here for our final Norwegian meal. This is Kim's sack of homemade bread.

This is my homemade gluten-free bread - the best GF bread I have ever eaten.

I had Salat Med Kalveroastbeef, holtefjell xo og kapers. 

In other words, mixed frisee greens with roast beef of veal, Holtefjell goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, toasted seeds, and walnuts. It was divine.

Kim had Fritert Lammeside

Fried lamb shank, beans from Thorbjernred gard, creamed potatoes and capers, served with lamb sauce (gravy). He said it was delicious and the service was exceptional. The entire restaurant (including chefs) was staffed with young people and they were very friendly.

It was definitely a more modern, Scandinavian look than the restaurant we left.

We are at the station to take a train back to Oslo airport where we will call our B&B for pickup.

a final cardamom bun

7-Eleven clothes anyone? 7-Eleven is huge over here. They are everywhere and sell Norwegian food and pastries.

Just a few people

checking out the departure board

a final train ride

a study in Oslo's manhole covers by Kim

Today's stats

Steps - 25,658

Miles - 11.4

Floors - 17

Some total stats for you:

Distance driven - 4,846 km, 3,011 miles

Steps walked - 263,499

Miles walked - 119.9

Floors climbed - 295 (equals roughly 2,950')

We're up early tomorrow for our flight home. It's been an incredible sojourn through the Nordic countries and Estonia. Thank you for following along and all of your comments. It's always so great to hear from home when we're away. I'll leave you with a final quote:

"You cannot confess what you haven’t grieved. You cannot grieve what you do not see and you cannot repent of what you have not confessed." PDT