20 Sept Oslo

We did manage to find our digs relatively easily, but I'm afraid charging up city streets toting a suitcase is really hard work and I was past having the energy for it by 11 pm. Our friendly host Cyril met us as we entered through 3 locked doors (it is literally in the middle of the City), and I guess we made bed by MN.

We enjoyed a slower start and left to explore about 9.30. The city seems to be full of people like us - tourists! (We later discovered that tomorrow is the Oslo Marathon, so that might explain the crowds.) There are a number of interesting buildings although we weren't overly impressed with the architecture or building materials generally. The Oslo Cathedral gives you an idea (it's Lutheran, of course).

The Parliament Building had more character though.

As did the Royal Palace where King Harold and Queen Sonya live.

We spotted a 'Hop on, Hop off' bus so decided that might be a good option for us. We hopped on, went upstairs, donned our earphones for the in-bus commentary, and off we went. Our hop-off was at Vigelande Park, with hundreds of sculptures by Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943). Here are some of the figures (the only clothed one is that of Vigeland himself).

Back on the next bus, and we next alighted at the Viking Ship Museum, where we refrained from paying to see the artefacts, but instead walked to the HL-Senteret, the Holocaust Centre. This was located in the Grande Villa, the home during the war of the Norwegian traitor, Vidkun Quisling, who seized power in a Nazi-backed coup d'état in 1940. Under his rule, hundreds of Jewish people were identified and deported to Germany for interment and in most cases, death. It was a moving exhibition, spoiled only by a large group of school kids who did not seem to understand the sadness of what some of their forebears had done.

We walked back to the Vikingeskipseret bus stop, and rejoined the bus, which went down to the Thor Heyerdahl (Kon Tiki expedition, among others) museum, before heading back into town.

It was very interesting to hear about Oslo's history - settled by the Vikings in about AD1000. There is a fortress beside the harbour which is over 700 years old and has withstood many sieges.

We left the bus and went to see the City Hall. This is where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded each year but sadly we were too late to go inside to see the Great Hall. There were many impressive wooden carved reliefs portraying Norse mythology around the walls on the outside. It was interesting but the building itself was not particularly beautiful, however we were very thankful for the lovely garden beside it with a seat in the beautiful sunshine where we rested for awhile. 

Dr Who just happened to drop by in a new Tardis...

This little buggy was 'filling up!' And notice the lovely granite cobbles. They are cubes and on many of the roads and paved areas. We've seen them here and in Bergen.

We went to Oslo Central Station to check up on the fast train to the airport...it does 50km in 19 mins, going over 200kph. Phew.

Dad very cleverly managed to find our way back to the Starbucks where we'd had a coffee this morning (and a few traumatic moments while we tried to check our seemingly absent flight to Swisse tomorrow...all is well thankfully.) There was a place opposite called Al Dente so we went in there for a nice dinner before coming back home to crash. Dad needed a dog lead for me almost!