Days 19 and 20 - Baltic Jewels & the Midnight Sun: Oslo, Norway
Oslo, Norway – Wednesday, July 13 - Thursday, July 14, 2022
Wednesday
As I type this, we are up in what I have come to call the Explorer's Hideaway. It is located on Deck 8, above the Explorer's Lounge, and it is one of the quietest spots on the ship. We are slowly sailing into Oslo Harbor on another sparkling sunny day under a sky full of fluffy white clouds. Ahead of me is the city of Oslo, sprawling out for at least 180 degrees around us. It is Norway's largest city and the capital. Docking in Oslo is scheduled for about noon today, and we have a shore excursion that begins at 2 pm. We will be in port today and tomorrow, leaving on Friday morning.
Oslo is the capital and most populous city of Norway. During the Viking Age, the area was part of Viken, which was the historical name during the Viking Age and the High Middle Ages for an area of Scandinavia that originally surrounded the Oslofjord and included the coast of Bohuslän. Oslo was founded as a city at the end of the Viking Age in 1040 under the name Ánslo. It was established as a kaupstad or trading place in 1048 by Harald Hardrada, king of Norway from 1046 to 1066. After being destroyed by a fire in 1624, during the reign of King Christian IV, a new city was built closer to Akershus Fortress and named Christiania in honor of the king.
The city functioned as the capital of Norway during the 1814–1905 union between Sweden and Norway. From 1877, the city's name was spelled Kristiania in government usage, a spelling that was adopted by the municipal authorities in 1897. In 1925, the city, after incorporating the village retaining its former name, was renamed Oslo. In 1948 Oslo merged with Aker, a municipality which surrounded the capital and which was 27 times larger, thus creating the modern, much larger Oslo municipality.
Oslo is the economic and governmental centre of Norway. The city is also a hub of Norwegian trade, banking, industry, and shipping. It is an important centre for maritime industries and maritime trade in Europe. The city is home to many companies within the maritime sector, some of which are among the world's largest shipping companies, shipbrokers and maritime insurance brokers. Oslo is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the European Commission intercultural cities program.
We did get to go on an excursion this afternoon, leaving at 2 p.m. Here's Viking's description of our tour, Oslo Highlights and Vigelund Park:
"Take in Oslo’s eclectic blend of contemporary flair, rich history and spectacular natural views. With your local guide, you will drive past the medieval Akershus Fortress, built in the 1290s by Norse king Håkon V. Pass Oslo City Hall, the Royal Palace, Parliament and the National Theater. Travel to the district of Holmenkollen, home to the world-famous ski jump set atop the most prominent hill in the city. This impressive structure dates back to 1892. Back in the city, you will tour Vigeland Park, named after the sculptor whose work adorns this expansive green space. Your local guide will accompany you on a stroll along its pathways to view some of the 200-plus fascinating stone and bronze sculptures depicting the human life cycle. Afterward, return to your ship via the affluent suburb of Frogner."
Akershus Festning (Fortress) is a medieval castle in Oslo built to protect and provide a royal residence for the city. Since the Middle Ages, the fortress has been the namesake and center of the main fief and later central county of Akershus, which was initially one of Norway's four central regions and included most of Eastern Norway. The castle has also been used as a military base and a prison and is currently the temporary office of the Prime minister of Norway. This is a place that I would love to come back to visit.
Our first "get off the bus to take photos" stop was at the Holmenkollbakken ski jumping hill. With a capacity for 70,000 spectators, Holmenkollen has hosted many ski festivals and World Cup events. It has also hosted the 1952 Winter Olympics and the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships four times. The hill has been rebuilt 19 times, and between 2008 and 2010, the entire structure was demolished and rebuilt.
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| Holmenkollbakken |
Brannvakten (the fire brigade), Karl Johans gate, located near Oslo Cathedral, was built in unpolished red brick in the neo-romantic style between 1854 and 1856. The tower was used to dry the water hoses.
The great city fire of April 14, 1858, destroyed 40 farms and 1000 residents between Prinsens Gate, Karl Johans Gate, Skippergata, and Kongens Gate. After that, progress was made in establishing a better fire service. The city's water supply was expanded, and the pressurized water came later that year, and a new fire brigade of 35 men and a chief fire chief was formed in the 1860s. Until 1902, the fire brigade had a lookout point on a 24-hour basis from the cathedral tower.
Frogner Park is a public park in the West End borough of Frogner in Oslo, Norway. The park is historically part of Frogner Manor, and the manor house is located in the south of the park and houses the Oslo Museum. The park, the entire borough of Frogner, and Frognerseteren derive their names from Frogner Manor.
Frogner Park contains, in its present center, the Vigeland installation, a permanent sculpture installation created by Gustav Vigeland between 1924 and 1943. It consists of sculptures and larger structures such as bridges and fountains. The installation is not a separate park but the name of the sculptures within the larger Frogner Park. Informally, the Vigeland installation is sometimes called "Vigeland Park" or "Vigeland Sculpture Park"; the director of Oslo Museum, Lars Roede, said "Vigeland Park doesn't really exist" and is "the name of the tourists," as opposed to "Oslo natives' more down-to-earth name, Frogner Park."
The park of Frogner Manor was historically smaller and centered on the manor house and was landscaped as a baroque park in the 18th century by its owner, the later general Hans Jacob Scheel. It was landscaped as a romantic park in the 19th century by then-owner, industrialist Benjamin Wegner. Large parts of the estate were sold to give room for city expansion in the 19th century, and the remaining estate was bought by Christiania municipality in 1896 and made into a public park. It was the site of the 1914 Jubilee Exhibition, and Vigeland's sculpture arrangement was constructed from the 1920s. In addition to the sculpture park, the manor house, and a nearby pavilion, the park also contains Frognerbadet (the Frogner Baths) and Frogner Stadium. The Frogner Pond is found in the centre of the park.
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| Frogner Manor |
Gustav Vigeland is most widely known for the Vigeland installation, a permanent sculpture installation in Frogner Park in Oslo.
In 1921, the City of Oslo decided to demolish the house where Vigeland lived and build a library. After a long dispute, Vigeland was granted a new building in the city where he could work and live; in exchange, he promised to donate to the city all his subsequent works, including sculptures, drawings, engravings, and models.
Vigeland moved to his new studio on Nobels Gate in the borough of Frogner in 1924. His studio was located near Frogner Park, which he had chosen as the definitive location for his fountain. Over the following twenty years, Vigeland was devoted to the project of an open exhibition of his works, which later turned into what is known as Vigeland Sculpture Arrangement (Vigelandsanlegget) in Frogner Park. The Vigeland installation features 212 bronze and granite sculptures designed by Gustav Vigeland. The sculptures culminate in the famous Monolith (Monolitten), with its 121 figures struggling to reach the top of the sculpture.
Our feeble attempts to capture the magnitude of the park follow.
Back on the ship, we finished our day with another fantastic dinner and then a lecture in the Star Theater.
Thursday
We are excited today to see Oslo by Sea on our extra excursion. Viking's description:
"Board a traditional wooden boat and sail past idyllic islands into the sheltered bays of the Oslofjord. Oslo has a stunning setting at the head of the fjord, with fine views of Akershus Fortress and the two towers of City Hall from its harbor. On board your fiskeskøyte (traditional Norwegian fishing boat), cruise past numerous islands, including Hovedøya and the Dyna Lighthouse, through narrow inlets and into sheltered bays, enjoying Scandinavia’s oldest capital from all angles. Your boat passes close to the peninsula of Bygdøy, with its many museums and beautiful beaches. Here, the Norwegian Maritime Museum has veteran sailing ships moored outside, and the impressive Fram Museum houses the polar ship of the same name. Snack on shrimp pulled fresh from local waters during this delightful cruise enhanced by the majestic fjord scenery, idyllic islands, and picturesque bays."
During the night, we had to leave our portside dock and anchor offshore, requiring the use of alternating tenders, which we carry with us. They are lowered from the port side of the boat.
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| Our tender |
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| Our Tender Crew |
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| The sky on this trip has been magnificent! |
As king, Haakon gained much sympathy from the Norwegian people. Although the Constitution of Norway gives the King considerable executive powers, in practice, Haakon confined himself to non-partisan roles without interfering in politics, a practice continued by his son and grandson.
Norway was invaded by Nazi Germany in April 1940. Haakon rejected German demands to legitimize the Quisling regime's puppet government and refused to abdicate after going into exile in Great Britain. As such, he played a pivotal role in uniting the Norwegian nation in its resistance to the invasion and the subsequent five-year-long occupation during the Second World War. He returned to Norway in June 1945 after the defeat of Germany. Haakon died at the age of 85 in September 1957, after having reigned for nearly 52 years. He was succeeded by his only son, who ascended to the throne as Olav V.
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