By 4:30 PM on July 23, 2014, we arrived at our train stop near the National Theater in downtown Oslo. Pulling our bags, we emerged with the masses through a tunnel and stopped to soak in our first glimpses of the city. In many ways it could have been any city. The hustle and bustle of people, passing traffic, buses, trams, kiosks with posters, and a stand selling coffee and treats all looked familiar. The charm of the city shone through the familiar revealing elements that are distinctly Oslo, beginning with the clanking of our bags on the cobblestone plaza and the commanding view of the National Theater.
Picture of the National Theater from
Our first challenge? Locate our hotel. We knew the address and that it wasn't far, but were totally disoriented. Tom charted our course and we took off for the three block walk. It got comical as our "gypsy" loads shifted and we had to stop and readjust several times. We discovered only block numbers are posted, not individual addresses. Tom had previously looked for the hotel with Google street view, so we knew approximately where it should be. Studying the movie theater at our Google destination, we realized that it was also the entrance to our hotel. We checked in and were delighted to learn that "appetizers" would be served later that evening. After the tiny, nondescript lobby, hotel desk, and elevator, we were surprised when the elevator doors opened on a classically appointed older hotel with maze-like halls adorned with rich dark woodwork, beautiful mirrors and artwork. Our room was even better! Without even knowing to ask for it, we were given one of the rooms that had been recently air-conditioned. What a godsend in the unseasonable heat of this Norwegian summer! As a part of the renovation, our room and bath had been beautifully decorated. The room overlooked a park. Score!!!
Adventure awaited, so we wasted little time settling in before hitting the streets. Guided by our quest for our first Norwegian geocache, we took off toward the docks.
Score! These pictures show the view from our first geocache find.
Classic and modern architecture blend nicely.
The Norwegian parliament building is to the left of the classic building.
With a geocache under our belts, we wandered onto a side street on our second quest. Kim Nugent had requested that we bring back a troll for her collection. We had no idea if this would be readily available or an insurmountable task, so sought to find out. We were lured into a promising little shop by a display of trolls, Norwegian sweaters, and t-shirts. Ann realized that because Kim had a collection we might possibly duplicate a purchase, so tried to take a picture of the trolls. A young lady stopped her, explaining that they did not allow pictures. No amount of begging moved her, so Ann went stealth to write down product numbers. Meanwhile Tom was exploring the store when he found the real troll, the shop owner. She took a liking to Tom and decided she would like to keep him. When Ann finished her covert activity, she came to reclaim Tom. We weren't sure the "troll" was going to set Tom free, or if she did if it would involve a curse. We finally broke away with promises to return the next day to make a purchase. She's still waiting for his return.
Waterfront Oslo beckoned. We so enjoyed viewing the fjord and exploring the docks. Many Norwegians were on holiday, so few others were with us.
City hall
Gotta go?
Akershus Castle and Fortress beyond the docks
Christiania
City Hall dominates the waterfront.
Regretfully, we had to leave the waterfront to return to the hotel in time for appetizers. We took a different route back and made some more discoveries. On this busier thoroughfare near the waterfront, we found that tourist shops abound and trolls are a main feature. Most gratefully, we found no living trolls running those shops!
The back of City Hall
Stepping into hotel breakfast bar, we found that these Norwegians take "appetizers" to a new level. The spread was most impressive and appreciated. Homemade soup, hearty breads, pasta dishes, salads and fruit were all beautifully presented and delicious. We sat at a table by an open window overlooking the park and dined while enjoying watching the people mill past. It was the perfect ending to a very long, exhausting day for two weary travelers who had not seen a bed for 36 hours. Blessed sleep came easily in our cozy quarters.
Ready or not we were now on Norwegian time, so we peeled out early to take advantage of our one day in Oslo. Breakfast, our first treat of the day, was a much needed eye opener. Hearty fresh bread, fresh and smoked salmon, a variety of cold cuts and cheeses, hot and cold cereal, fresh fruit, relishes, and traditional English breakfast fare set the stage for many delightful Norwegian breakfasts to come. With plenteous salmon free for the taking, Tom's Viking heritage began to overtake him. In addition to worrying about the troll lady kidnapping him, Ann began to fear that Tom was going to emigrate to Norway for unlimited salmon.
Our priority of the day was to visit the National Library to research Tom's ancestors in bygdeboks (farm books), but we decided to spend the morning visiting museums on Bygdøy. We boarded a bus and sat down next to boy who appeared to be about 11 or 12. He was engrossed in conversation on his cell phone until we got excited about spotting the National Library. He promptly interrupted his conversation so that he could speak with us in English. What a delightful young chap! He was very proud of his county and was eager to show us points of interest including the king's summer home. He was headed for a day at the beach and urged us to join him, but we had to disappoint him so he helped us get depart at the proper bus stop. Hearts warmed, we felt very welcome in Norway.
Looking around Bygdøy, we heard of this place that has used boats, so we checked it out. They had some old classics, muscle boats you might say. Tom looked them over, "kicking the tires", so to speak. But he just couldn't find one that was in his price range that wasn't going to need a lot of repair. But it was fun to imagine what it would be like to take one for a test ride.
Oseberg ship
Gokstad ship
The tire kicker
After striking out on the boat purchase, we moved on to the Norsk Folkemuseum. Time was running short, so we went first to the stave church (stavkirke).
Gol Stave Church c. 1200
The stave church is one of five medieval buildings purchased and moved to his summer home by King Oscar II in 1881 and opened to the public a year later. They were added to the folk museum in 1907.
The Hove house was built in 1738 as a guest house and "fine" room for important events, and is therefore larger and more luxurious than most houses. However, the floor plan and furnishings are basically the same as other houses in the area.
This delightful lass told us the story of the house
and life there.
Many memories were surely made
around this table.
The family recorded the baptisms of their children on the woodwork.
Tom was disappointed that the boat deal didn't work out,
but Ann found a nice little summer cabin to console him.
We enjoyed the buildings from Setesdal in Aust-Agder
Even the outbuildings from Telemark had decorative carving.
Library research called so we had to leave this museum much too soon. We hope to return with plenty of time to explore the 160 buildings.
The walk to the ferry was picturesque.
One of the best ways to see Oslo is from the fjord.
After a lovely morning, we spent the afternoon in the national library researching Tom's ancestors in their extensive collection of farm books. We worked until it closed, then made the ten block dash back to the hotel, dodging rain. We enjoyed another delicious buffet dinner. Tom made a twenty block round trip trek to the train station to pick up our Norway in a Nutshell train tickets while Ann did laundry. We hit the sack early to prepare for a very early wake up call. We needed to pack, eat, check out, and catch a taxi to board our train scheduled to depart at 8:05 AM.
Most of our travel planning was very effective, but we could have made this leg of journey more enjoyable. If we have the privilege of returning to Norway, we will spend more time in Oslo. Wherever we arrive in Scandinavia, we will allow more time at the beginning of the trip to adjust to the time change before beginning major tours.
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