Sightseeing in Oslo

Oslo is a very different city from Stockholm. Stockholm seemed so clean and safe; Oslo seems a little sketchy. I admit I didn't feel completely safe as I walked from the Oslo central train station to the hostel where I would be staying. I had my iPad out in order to navigate, but I felt weird carrying it out in the open. I tried to hide it inside my coat and just check it every few minutes to make sure I was going the right direction. Apparently, I didn't check it often enough because I made a wrong turn and ended up a few blocks in the wrong direction. 

Finally, I arrived at the hostel and checked in.

As large as Oslo is, there isn't actually a whole lot to do in the city. The city is fairly large with a population of around a million people, but I only found a few activities I was interested in. Apparently, Oslo boasts a huge number of museums, but by this time in my trip, I was museumed out.

Founded in 1048 by King Harald Hardråde, Oslo has been the capitol since around 1300, interrupted only by the Danish-Norwegian union from the middle of the 14th century to the beginning of the 19th century. In the early 17th century, the city was destroyed by a fire. The city was moved to its current location near Akershus Fortress. At that time, the city was renamed Christiania to honor the Danish Kind Christian IV. In the early part of the 20th century, the city was renamed Oslo.

I spent some time walking around the city and seeing City Hall, Vår Frelsers Cemetery (where Edvard Munch and Henrik Ibsen were laid to rest), and the new opera house. My favorite sights, however, were Akershus Fortress and Vigeland Sculpture Park.

Akershus Fortress

Akershus Fortress (Akershus Festning in Norwegian)  was built in 1299 to protect the city of Oslo.  I was impressed with how well-preserved the fortress is. Still used for special events and military activities, Akershus Fortress is open to the public daily. I spent quite a bit of time wandering along the ramparts, through the drawbridge, and around the buildings. The view of Oslofjord from the fortress is quite amazing as well. As I left, walking down a path lined with orange-leaved trees, a couple was preparing to have wedding photos taken. I couldn't blame them. That area right outside the building was a beautiful sea of orange. And the fortress itself was an incredible sight.

Vigeland Sculpture Park

In 2006, I was planning on visiting Norway. I did some research and found Vigeland Sculpture Park. I decided that I would go to the unusual park. Unfortunately, my plans changed, and I did not visit Norway on that trip. I did not forget about wanting to visit the sculpture park. I made the park a priority on my list of sights to see in Oslo. Honestly, I'm not sure that the park lived up to what I had imagined, but I still enjoyed wandering through the sculptures.  I read that a sculptor named Gustav Vigeland donated these sculptures to the city of Oslo in exchange for granting him a building where he could work and live. Vigeland worked on these sculptures for the last twenty years of his life until his death in 1943; the culmination of his efforts was the Monolith featuring people attempting to reach the top of the sculpture. I only saw a small piece of the park; the sculpture park covers 80 acres of land.

Train to Oslo

The train from Stockholm to Oslo is quite long. The train departed the station at 8:29 AM, and it is scheduled to arrive in Oslo at 2.54 PM. I had reserved a seat thinking that doing so would ensure that I had a comfortable seat for the duration of the trip. I was seated next to the window in front of a table. There was a seat next to me and two seats facing me on the other side of the table.

Although not the train I rode on, the table and seats
configuration on the train I rode looked very much like this.

Unfortunately, I wasn't expecting an Eastern European family to join me. The family consisted of a teenage daughter, a plump husband, and a very plump wife. This woman had curly dyed-blond hair with dark roots, dark eyebrows, even darker eyeliner, and bright lipstick. I didn't understand anything this family spoke about, but the family dynamics were interesting. The mother seemed... whiny. Once, she infantilized herself, putting her head on her daughter's shoulder pleadingly. The daughter left and returned with a snack for the two of them. Seriously. The father was just as enabling. Later, the mom pouted and the dad went to the restaurant car and brought bad a bottle of juice for her! And as short and roly poly this woman was, she still managed to take up 3/4 of the precious leg space. Uggh.

If I had not reserved a seat, I would have risked being kicked out of my chosen non-reserved seat by someone with a reservation. G and I actually had that experience on a long-distance train we took earlier in our trip. A woman had a reservation for the seat I was sitting in, so I had to move. G and I sat separately until later when the woman I was sitting next to got off the train.

The train will soon arrive at Oslo Central station. My legs are cramped, but at least I only have to deal with these people a few more minutes.