Monday, August 17, 2026
Oslo, Norway
63F and sunny
Sunset sailing out of Oslo
Sunrise today from our balcony
Sailing into Oslo
Approaching Oslo on the Oslofjord
Oslo, the capital city of Norway and another cosmopolitan city! Our
cruise ship docked near the center city, so we had an easy “on our own” walk
into the hub. Of course, we stopped for coffee and shared a delicious cinnamon
bun first. Oslo has a population of
about 700,000—and Norway—5.5 million.
Oslo Opera House
The Munch Museum (The Scream)
We couldn't do everything, but next time!
She Lies
The She Lies sculpture in the harbor is a
floating glass and stainless steel structure that resembles an iceberg—created by
artist Monica Bonvicini to evoke the power of ice and water in the high north. It
rotates due to the influence of winds and tides. This sculpture is astounding!
Our first stop was a sleek train station, the largest one I
have ever seen, that incorporates a huge mall with another huge mall right
across the street. We were looking for Starbucks! We could not resist walking through the mall,
clothing stores, cosmetics shops, at least 5 grocery stores—3 small ones and 2
large ones), florists, furniture, vitamin shops. It was just like any mall but
multiply Erie’s mall by at least 5. It actually seemed like the train station
morphed into a mall—I didn’t get a photo!
[Aside to Ann and Jim—this is a train station to love!]
Traveling Man statue
outside the train station
Entrance to the train station
One of the smaller grocery stores
Three level mall
Men's fashion!
Outside-I do like public art!
We found Starbucks in the huge mall across the street,
purchased our Oslo mug--
Why not Troll Coffee to fill the
Oslo Starbucks cup!
TK is always thinking
We decided to Uber to the Kon Tiki museum, 3 miles away. We
were not going to walk that far. When
Janie was in her early teens, she read two books by Thor Heyerdahl—one was Kon
Tiki. Briefly, the Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl theorized that early people
could have sailed on a balsam log raft to the Polynesian Islands and he set out
to prove it in 1947. Heyerdahl and five
other men constructed the boat and sailed for 101 days before smashing into a
reef at Raroia, an atoll in French Polynesia in the Tuamotus. All survived and returned safely. This book must have piqued my sense of
adventure as a 13 year old! As it turned
out, DNA has proven a link between Peruvian natives and those of French Polynesia.
Aku-Aku: The Secret of Easter Island was written in 1957 by Thor Heyerdahl—and describes
his investigation into Polynesdian history and culture on Easter Island and
other areas. He studied the "moai," thousands of stone statues on one of the most isolated islands in the world. Obvioulsy there is more to
both books, but that is enough to possibly pique your interest. I am definitely
going to reread those books. I surely never dreamed I would see a
reconstruction of the Kon Tiki!
I am sure this is not a real
"Easter Island maoi"
A replica of the Kon Tiki
I can picture 8 days on the
Atlantic Ocean on the U.S. Brig Niagara
I cannot picture 101 days on the
Kon Tiki on the Pacific Ocean
(closeup)
Kon Tiki--aft
There is actual footage of
the voyage---
On the high seas-count me in...
Heyerdahl built the Ra (made of reeds)
for a voyage across the Atlantic,
but it was not successful
Across the street from the Kon Tiki museum was the Fram Museum. Why not learn about Norwegian exploration
into the Arctic and Antarctic? This museum honors the polar exploration of the
three great Norwegian explorers, Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup, and Roald
Amundsen.
The Fram—“forward” in Norwegian—is a ship that was
used in expeditions of the Arctic and Antarctic regions between 1893 and 1912.
The Fram
The Fram, a 3 masted schooner
Janie on the 3 masted Fram
We toured the original Fram inside the museum, 70 ft.
length and 20 ft beam. Its sides 4 ft. thick made of oak. There was lots of information about the journeys,
the preparation, the sled dogs, the crew, the cold. We walked through an area
that was like a freezer to experience the chill of an Arctic trip—although I am
sure it wasn’t as cold and certainly not the length of time these men endured. Roald Amundsen is also known for the three year
journey he made with a crew of six on the Gjøa, the first vessel to transit the Northwest
Passage.
We salute Norwegian explorers and their passion!
On the Uber ride back to the center city, we saw cows in a
meadow, rolling hills, trees, and suburbs with apartments and single family
homes.
Karl Johans Gate (street)
We walked one more street near the train station and found
Vaffelvogna! We enjoyed a folded soft waffle stuffed with strawberries, ice
cream, and whipped cream (not from aerosol can). I hope we find such a treat in Skagen,
Denmark tomorrow!
Vaffelvogna
TK captured this amazing image
as we were sailing on the Oslo Fjord
10 p.m. Central European Summer Time
or 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time
TK’s Takes: He wished he had tried the
brown cheese at the Vaffelvogna (like caramel).
He saw a large firehouse near the ship.
He bought a troll on Karl Johans Gate (street). He said he really liked the Scandinavian
countries, too bad there is a lot of winter.
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