Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Redux: Oslo, Norway



Okay! This wasn't my initial plan for the retelling, pictorially, of our recent cruise, but I've decided to do this piecemeal as each photo album is finished. It'll be easier for you, if you want to take a look, rather than having all 6 albums at once. And it'll give a break in-between albums. I do NOT expect anyone to go through all the photos because there are too many. This Oslo album alone is 225 pics! My suggestion is to open each album as it comes and just scan the thumbnails or pick-n-choose what you want to see. This is really more for Donica and me, as a memory of our trip.


We first went to the Holmenkollen Ski Jump (on our shore excursion) and got a panoramic view of the city. But from there we immediately went to Vigeland Park, the culprit for so many of my photos. I've chosen this one scupture to give you a taste of what this incredible artist (Gustav Vigeland,1869-1943) did in his lifetime. One section of the park is in granite sculptures and the other in bronze, depicting the cycle of life. On the 80 acres, there are 192 sculptures with more than 600 figures, all modeled in full size and all nude. I would go back to Oslo for this park alone. It absolutely stunned my Soul!


From the Vigeland Park we went to the Viking Museum, where you'll see a few pics of the 2 ships. Literally next door (we could have walked there!) was the Open-air Folk Museum where you'll see a whole set of buildings from various districts around the country, depicting what life was like hundreds of years ago. The Gol stave church,orginally built in 1200 AD, is the museum's greatest national treasure. The house pictured here, with grass on the roof, is a typical dwelling.


After our excursion, and while Donica headed off to the Hard Rock Cafe, I went back to the pier and did my own tour of the City Hall area at the neck of the port as well as of this Akershus Fortress across the street from where our ship was docked. It's the fortress that has never been conquered and was built circa 1300 AD. I actually took this photo from the balcony of our room on the 10th deck of the ship shortly after we docked in the morning. It made sense, then, to take pics of the ship from the fortress, which was just as fun, later in the afternoon.

One of my favorite photos of the time in Oslo was this one of these two girls at the fountain. I don't know if they're school girls or sisters but I like what they symbolize: standing side-by-side, both looking in the same direction, viewing the same thing. Whether it's all of us around the world watching the same soccer/football games, or the same world news, or the same full moon, I like that we are brought together by common threads that show how similar we are than different.



One last thing: I heard on the news last night that Norway has created a "doomsday vault" that will hold 3 million of the world's crop seeds, carved into a frozen mountainside. "Its purpose is to ensure the survival of crop diversity in the event of plant epidemics, nuclear war, natural disasters or climate change, and to offer the world a chance to restart growth of food crops that may have been wiped out."

I knew I loved Norway the second I laid my eyes on her! Enough reasons to last a lifetime!

17 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. I'd agree. I love Norway too but I have never visited. I want to go back and see my roots. Some day I hope P and I go! Lovely pics. :)

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  3. StopSpamming: You left a great comment ["I haven't explored your album yet, but these photos are wonderful...I just LOVE that statue in Vigeland Park!! That Viking house is so picturesque too, and blends into the surroundings beautifully with that grass roof. OK, now I'm off to feast my eyes on the rest of your pics :)"] that you then deleted, but I'm not sure why?? If you thought I'd be offended by your blog, you're very wrong!

    ET: Ahh. So you have Norwegian roots! Yes, I hope you can make it there some day. You won't be disappointed!

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  4. The two girls at the fountain are sweet. And I love what they symbolize to you...and now to us, your readers! :)

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  5. My PC isn't cooperating, and even though I have pop-ups unblocked, it won't let me view your album as a slideshow. But I picked and chose. I love the orange door, the wooden buildings and the views of the village from the bay. Great photos.

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  6. Thanks for capturing my visions of Oslo through your photos. Since you take all the photos, i am free to wonder around and gaze at everything while you are hard at work! Thanks!! The pics are great... they bring back all the sights, sounds and feels of the city.

    I can hardly wait for the next ones...

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  7. Mad: Thanks.

    Ruth: Hmm. Donica was just able to view it as a slideshow in Germany so I don't know what that means. But thanks for trying.

    Donica: THANKS. These really are for US--you and me! It's an added plus if anyone else sees/likes them :)

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  8. WOW what an album! I'm going to comment on a few... first the greenery. I always imagined snow. The monolith at Vigeland Park is creepy! Reminds me of Dante's purgatory. The other sculptures, however, are awe-inspiring. I can't imagine standing there with them all. Were they very large? I especially liked the figures in the trees. Bronze? The Viking ships I always imagined bigger. How else to fit all those large Nordic men except in a large boat? Maybe the Vikings travelled in smaller groups or were smaller people than I imagined. And the fountains - lovely! American needs more fountains. At least my part of it did. The shots of the Open Air Folk Museum reminded me somewhat of Kentucky. Kentucky without the wood-carving skill, that is. My favorite picture so far, the two little girls in the red dresses, hands down one of the best shots you got. The Jewel of the Seas, Titanic ruined me... I'm counting the lifeboats.
    Great show, Ginnie! :) Thanks for sharing.

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  9. Stunning photos, as usual, and I haven't even gotten to the album yet! I'll have to take a chunk of time and have a good look.

    The photo of the two little girls is precious.

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  10. Elle: Wow! Thanks for the time and energy spent in responding to my album. That means a lot. I sure do like your sense of taste...and humor :)

    Christina: You, too. Thanks.

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  11. Thank you very much for sharing this super set of beautiful images. Very impressive! Thanks also for the stories behind and your thoughts. Visiting your blog is always a most pleasing time.

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  12. Great pictures! I haven't had time to go to the album, but did you get to any of the olympic facilities? What are they being used for now?

    I experienced similar thoughts about the earth really being the same everywhere. It's the people and cultures that make the difference.

    My favorite of the posted pics is the troll showing his natioal pride!

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  13. KPK: You're such a sweetheart, Peter. Thanks.

    Mrs. M/Shari: No olympic facilities, no, but just the outside of the ski jump. It was weird to see it so up close and personal! It's sooo high!

    The trolls are so fun. We learned a bit more about them, how they live in the woods and are more mischievious than anything else. And yes, we bought one that was on skis :)

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  14. I loved Vigeland Park with all those interesting sculptures, but that 1,200 year old viking ship with that amazing carving! Incredible to be so well preserved.

    I loved those shots you took through the branches of that gnarled looking tree at the Open Air Museum...and loved the museum. That photo of the little bird !! OK, I loved the whole album :) Thank you so much for sharing that with us :))

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  15. DW, you're so easy to please! Thank you, thank you!

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  16. I still have to check out the photo album, but the ones you posted are really great. The first thing I thought of when I saw the house (with the grass on the roof) was the comic figure, Hägar.

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  17. Mr. Fab: Yes, of course I remember Maura! The one one who was making the necklace I wanted to buy off of her! Maybe you can plan a trip to Europe some day before you decide you're too old for it! I hope so.

    CS: Hmm. Not sure I know about that Hägar. If he/she's comic, I'm sure I'd love him/her.

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