Our Arctic adventure provided us with some amazing views of mountains, glaciers, icebergs, tundra habitats, and some incredible polar bears, walrus, foxes, seals, and birds.
We began with an Air France flight to Norway with a very brief wet and rainy stopover in Paris.
Following our arrival in Oslo, we checked in to the Grand Hotel along a main street called Karl Johans Gate. We did a little exploring and then discovered a wonderful restaurant for dinner.
We spent the day wandering along the main street, Karl Johans Gate, and enjoying the sights. There were some beautiful fountains in the park, a designer restroom, and some interesting statues, complete with pigeons. One statue was poet Henrik Wergeland, another was of Wenche Foss, and a third was resistance hero Gunnar Sonsteby.
Frogner Park covers 80 acres and is the home to 121 bronze sculptures created by Gustav Vigeland between 1920 and 1943. The theme of the park, the human condition, is evident in each statue. As we wandered through the grounds, we couldn't help feeling as though observing the human condition of all of the people in the park was also intended to be part of the exhibit.
The fountain is surrounded by 60 bronze reliefs and sculptures of children and skeletons in trees. On the ground around the fountain is a black and white granite mosaic floor that took Vigeland 41 years to design. The theme of the fountain is that from death, new life springs forth.
Vigeland's 46 foot tall monolith is made up of 121 figures and took 3 stone carvers 14 years to complete. The sculpture represents man's desire to be closer to the divine. There are also many groupings of statues around the monolith that are part of Vigeland's circle of life message.
Wandering through the park was a delightful way to spend an afternoon. The sun was bright, the air was brisk, and the scenery was beautiful.
We spent a couple of hours in a museum dedicated to the works of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch as well as works related to conservation and nature. There was a unique collection of diverse things on display that kept our interest as we moved through the museum.
The weather was perfect for a stroll through the botanical garden.
As we wandered through Oslo we found the parliament building, the national theater, Oslo University, and a block of offices above some small shops that was used by the Gestapo during World War II.
Oslo City Hall is an art gallery as well as a government building. It is most well known, however, as the site of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony each year on December 10. Many of the walls have giant murals by Henrik Sorensens. The murals show Norwegian history and legends.
