Oslo and the Final Days of Our Journey

The Opera House in Oslo

From Bergen to Oslo is a two-hour, non-stop flight. We opted instead for a 7-hour train trip that rewarded us well. The route took us once again to Myrdal, the same route as the we took the day before to go to Flam. We got another chance to travel along beside the inland fjords and rivers draining the snowmelt. Today the sun was shining rather than the overcast skies of yesterday. The rivers were rushing. We briefly stopped at Voss. We remembered from the day before that this town is known as extreme sporting capital of Norway. Everything is available from hang gliding to extreme skiing as well as whitewater rafting. I drifted back to my youth of kayaking and rafting rushing waters and could feel the adrenaline building.

 

Beautifully set in a snow-covered alpine setting. We could envision a winter vacation spent there. We then continued to Myrdal and stopped at the station. As we left we entered a tunnel into the mountains and when we came out, we found ourselves riding along the top of the mountain ridge. There was roof-high snow drifts enveloping the few houses we saw. Our sunglasses were coming off as we entered the darkness of tunnels and then immediately back on as we exited the tunnel into snow-white fields reflecting the bright, white light of the high sun.

Winter vacation homes in the mountains.

We descended from the mountain into farming country. The fields were plowed and planted. As we got closer to Oslo, the landscape slowly changed from rural to suburban to city. We passed new fjords.

The word of the day is energy. Every time I arrive in a big city, I’m reminded that the cities of today belong to the young and fit. Think of Denver or Austin.  It takes energy to navigate a city and the city returns the energy multi-fold. Cities thrive on the outdoors and open spaces and Oslo is no exception. We had the fortune to spend Saturday and Sunday in Oslo. With the arrival of spring and temperatures around 70 degrees, people flocked to the waterfronts, the islands and to the beaches. So much more fun than cold, winter streets.

The Oslo Opera House - a landmark

A unique sculpture of glass and stainless steel that is in front of the Opera House.

One of the art parks with statues.

Architecture throughout the city was beautiful

This is us in front of the Nobel Peace Center

We rented an apartment for two of the nights we were in Oslo. The rental company provided us instructions that were probably very clear, but we still failed to understand them. As we arrived on the train station, we did not imagine that there was an elevator directly from one of the train platforms that led to a small bridge ending up where the rental office was located. We spent most of an hour following Google maps and running into streets that were we could not cross. There was misdirection from Google maps. Remind us to pack lighter next time we plan a trip.

On Saturday afternoon, we randomly selected a boat and took a harbor cruise. The boat was surprisingly large and yet still electric powered. Like most of the cities in Norway, there is a coastal mainland and many islands, both large and small. There are areas, such as around the beautiful Opera House, where the new development has occurred and repurposed old warehouse and commercial land as apartments, restaurants, shops, and open spaces. The bus and train station were the hub of this area.

The saunas on the edge of the Oslofjord were full of people who would sit in the sauna until sweating and then jump right into the fjord. Temperature of the water was a balmy 54 degrees. Sunbathers who were enjoying the first few days of their spring.

The picture on the left is a floating sauna. Probably very unique to Oslo. On the right is a stationary sauna with bathers celebrating the warm weather.

A view of one of the beaches as viewed from the top of the Opera House.

On Sunday morning, we headed out into the city to see what was happening. We happened upon locals dressed in traditional Norwegian attire, all headed to the city hall. There is an event for 16 year old girls that celebrates their arrival at adulthood. It is for the family and friends and is a huge local event. 

Incidentally, the city hall where this occurs is also where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded.

On Sunday we took a longer fjord cruise that took us out to more of the islands and that had very good guided information about the city, its history and current facts.

Owning a house on one of the islands has become a family tradition and they are almost never sold, but rather passed down from generation to generation.

The end of the day found us on a train to the airport and one last night before heading out in the morning. There's still a lot to process from this trip but we both will say that it greatly exceeded our expectations. We're sure that there's not one word that tells everything in our hearts that we picked up from this journey. The people were wonderful. The scenery was unbelievable. We're both so happy we ventured out and we both grew so much. Our stories are different now with the addition of this trip to our lives.