Final two days of holidays in Oslo working our way through the Lonely Planet ‘must sees’. It has taken a while to settle in to being city tourists after so much time out in the countryside- and our days were hampered by (very) heavy rain.
Overall liked Oslo – although not quite as walkable or attractive as Stockholm, but easy to get around on PT- although we were seen to nab a couple of taxis in moments of downpour.
Our favourites were:
Vigeland Sculpture park in Frognerparken.: This was my absolute fave for Oslo. The sculptures depicting the circle of life and family relationships were so moving- and the scale of the park amazing. All people, men, women, children young and old were totally naked (that is the statues not the tourists).Number one on our list by far.
Akershus Fortress, built in 1299. While the fortress buildings are not as majestic as others I’ve seen, the many little museums within were well worth a visit- and a great way to spend a few sightseeing hours when it pours with rain (which we are discovering it often does in Oslo)
Astrup Fearnley Musset – the museum of contemporary art was interesting but definitely challenged our definition of art. A different ‘take’ on contemporary art, works ranged from whacky (e.g., a painting of a penis hugging dog) to grotesque (e.g., a bisection of a cow and calf) – all very metaphorical – Which (I’m sorry all you creative family members) mostly went straight over the top of my head.
Did our best to visit the opera house, which is a really interesting structure- designed to resemble a glacier going down to the water’s edge – which I imagine is even more effective in the winter. Ordinarily you can climb the roof- however the whole area was closed off (looks like security for some sort of official function), so it will have to wait until next time.
Favourite cafes:
Didn’t eat out much in Oslo as our hotel included breakfast and dinner- which was a real find, as eating out is Incredibly expensive in Norway. We did have a couple of lunch faves though….
Skansen – old style pub down near the fortress- seafood chowder TO DIE FOR
Cathederal cafe – set among the outer cloisters of the Oslo Cathedral – great coffee, can sit outside under cover and watch the world go by (we frequented here to hide from bouts of rain).
Just spent a couple of hours packing and are now all ready to head home tomorrow. Bags a little overweight, but hopefully Emirates will be kind to us.