Oslo, like so many cities, is undergoing massive redevelopment around the waterfront areas. It lies on the Oslofjord....so there's plenty of waterfront! On tour, we stayed in the very modern area between Central Station and the Opera House. My choice for the return visit was the older centre of the city that runs between The Royal Place and Oslo Cathedral. The hotel was very grand in its day and is now undergoing major renovations. However, it's location in the centre of Karl Johans gt. was the drawcard! There's a pedestrian plaza running along one side of the street with a park in the centre between the Parliament and National Theatre. The hotel's on the plaza. In addition, the "price point" ensured plenty of money for retail therapy and great dining!
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| Parliament building with National Theatre at the other end of the pedestrian plaza |
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| Reindeer wandering outside the hotel! |
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| Wonder if the pigeon's been waiting for my return! |
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| Park in the centre of Karl Johans gt. between Parliament and National Theatre |
A five minute walk from the hotel was the City Hall where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded. Ten months on and renovations continue! Across the square and you're at the tourist ferry services.
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| Oslo City Hall - constructed between 1931 and 1950 with a very stark brick construction and more of those statues although I did find this lady quite charming! |
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| Preferred the ferry to scuba diving! |
A ferry takes you from central Oslo to Bygdøy which is a peninsula about 10 minutes trip from City Hall. It's mainly a residential area but also houses six specialist museums. We made a quick trip to the Viking Ship Museum before heading off to the Fram Museum.
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| Wouldn't mind a few street lights like this in Mosman! |
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| Horse chestnuts in full flower everywhere! |
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| Viking Ship Museum houses three ships used for burials in huge mounds from around 900AD |
The Fram Museum celebrates expeditions to the North and South Pole. There are two intact ships along with endless information on polar explorations and artefacts.
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| Fram Museum occupies the left and central building and the third houses the Kon-Tiki Museum. The Norwegian Maritime Museum is in the same area...so there are plenty of craft moored on the foreshore - some not as seaworthy as others! |
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| Fram is the strongest wooden ship ever built and still holds the records for sailing farthest north and south between 1893 and 1912 with expeditions lasting up to three years. |
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| You can clamour all over the ship. There's also a surround polar experience running that makes you realise how brave or foolhardy these explorers were! Think I'd prefer to fly to the moon than go on a polar expedition...or better still visit Oslo again. |
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| Gjøa was the first vessel to transit the Northwest Passage. With a crew of six, Roald Amundsen traversed the passage in a three-year journey, finishing in 1906. |
I always enjoy taking in a city from it's waterways. So on a very clear Oslo afternoon, it was a great opportunity for 2 hour of sightseeing from a small ferry.
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| Akershus Fortress |
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| Foreshore repurposing - Vippa Oslo is a newly opened food, culture and education centre |
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| The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet with the soon to be completed National Museum to the right with "She Lies" moored between the two. |
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| Oslo Museum of Contemporary Art in another foreshore redevelopment |
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| One of many striking foreshore buildings....Statoil Building - Oslo offices of Equinox ASA, Norway's energy company which is 67% owned by the Norwegian Government |
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| First foreshore residential development in Oslo |
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| Moving away from the built up areas of Oslo on a calm 18 degree afternoon was a treat of old wooden lighthouses and dwellings large and small. Here's a selection..... |
A flyer for a summer choral concert at the University of Oslo, between the hotel and the Royal Palace, at 19.00 hours last night seemed the best way to round out the stay! A wonderful 90 minutes with singers from the University and Cathedral choirs...even featuring a Percy Granger!
Then a delicious dinner at the Theatercaféen was the perfect end to the second Oslo stopover....I'll be back!
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| Another city, another manhole cover! Along with some fancy cobblestone paving.... |
And to end this trip to Oslo, more flowers and an Oslo seagull not to. be messed with....
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| Think it's a rose bush but not entirely sure...couldn't smell any perfume but that's indicative of sinus! |
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| Rhododendron - a new colour! |
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| Any suggestions? |
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| They make them big in Norway...this one's eyeing off the crumbs from my Norwegian bun this morning! |
