I slept well last night, Penny less well. We were awaked in the middle of the night by a police car with siren wailing driving through our 7th floor room. We woke to a beautiful day in Oslo, Norway. The sky was mottled with white clouds that later turned gray and spit on us for just a little while. Breakfast was in a lovely glass ceilinged room on the second or first floor depending on which side of the “Briney” you live on. Americans start counting on the ground floor with 1 and go up from there. Here the ground floor is “the ground floor” and the next floor up is floor 1. The reception person, perhaps having had the conversation with many other confused Americans, told us the breakfast was on the second floor. The sign in the elevator said it was on the first floor. We found it and it was as previously described.
Penny had researched possible excursions last night so we had a list. We agreed that the Viking Ship Museum was atop the list. We decided to walk and it was quite pleasant walking the streets that on the previous night had been sardine-like. On Saturday morning around 9:00 it was more like a stroll through a quiet country village. We made our way to the City Hall and the Harbor that it overlooks.
In the area near the harbor people were setting up for an Indian festival (as in India). Oslo has a large immigrant population as do most every city I have experienced. In the festival area was a large Panel truck that was being decorated with glass and ceramic tiles or pieces. It was ornate bordering on tacky. But as I saw it I had this vague feeling that I had seen it before but as the sights and memories are running together, I asked Penny where we had seen it. She said yesterday. When we rode the tram back to the hotel we passed this. We could have taken the tram but then would have missed the lovely morning walk.
The public ferry at pier 3 from one peninsula to another where several museums are located was a short ride. As we waited we discussed which side to sit on for optimum photographic opportunities. I said right side, because it would be facing the shore and city. It was facing the city but the city view was largely obscured by the stacks and stacks of container ships and cargo lining the harbor shore. To the left were some beautiful views of Oslo Harbor and islands.
As I sat, on the right, waiting for people to get on the ferry, I saw one kid in a stroller approaching the ledge between the pier and the boat. He was looking over and eyeing the gap between the two. I thought of all the signs in London Tube stations that say “Mind the Gap”. This kid was minding the Gap with apparently a bit of apprehension. His father and older brother picked up the stroller by opposite ends and carried it and passenger across the gap. As he went over his eyes got real wide and he leaned over and looked down at the water. Once safely aboard he grinned from ear to ear.
From the ferry landing to the Viking museum is a lovely, but uphill, stroll though a tidy suburban community by the sea. At the museum we saw and learned some things about the Viking history. There are boats preserved there that are well over a thousand years old. They were discovered around 1900 in some burial grounds. Evidently they Vikings thought that you need to sail over to the other side of death and thus if you were wealthy they buried you with your ship and lots of provisions.
There were some other museums but we opted to return on the ferry and see The Royal Palace, The changing of the guards and tour the City Hall. It is official, we came to Oslo and they closed the city. We went to and all of the way around the Palace trying to find where to get tickets to enter the building. We could find nothing. We pulled out the book and read the fine print. We had seen the hours and prices what we failed to notice was that the summer tours ended on August 12. We did see what I think was the hourly, small ceremony, changing of the guards that is done regularly because otherwise the guards in their dark uniforms with the horse tail hats (See the picture) would surely die of thirst.
We then went to tour City Hall which is supposed to be very nice and a tribute to the labor unions and such. Penny climbed the stairs (I was taking pictures) and read the sign that announced that the Hall was closed until after the city elections.
Plan B. We decided to go back on the ferry to some of the other museums. While waiting on the ferry this time I saw and eaves dropped on, a mother from England and a father from Spain. The younger boy and older girl spoke both English and Spanish with fluidity that almost appeared like random switching. As we waited a boat pulled up from a radio station and began to through plastic water bottles to the ferry waiting crowd. The boy got one and immediately wanted to fill and use it with the water his sister was carrying. Dad told him he had to wash it first. This is where a problem solving skill came into play. Often people are hindered from seeing solutions by “functional fixedness”. An example might be: needing to unscrew a screw and not being able to find a screwdriver. The functional fixedness comes in if you fail to realize that the coin you have (although not usually used for this purpose) can be used to unscrew a screw. This kid was not to be trapped by this for he immediately realized that the drinking water could be used as cleaning water. He put some in the bottle and his father shook it up real well. This is where his problem solving came up short. After shaking the bottle he started to open the lid and drink form the bottle of “washing water”. His sister yelled “stop” and explained the problem and the solution was to throw out that water and refill it.
When back on the other side of the bay we stopped first at the cafeteria order one large cheese burger and fries to split and we sat outside overlooking the ocean and the parade of boats being propelled by, wind, petroleum products and even breakfast (one kayak).
The Fram Museum was fascinating. The Norwegians evidently do not get enough cold way down here just slightly below the article circle. Some of them wanted to spend more time above the arctic circle. The story of how Fredtjof Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen survived for over a year in the arctic without more than what they brought with them was amazing. The Fram is the ship they started on in an effort to reach the North Pole by floating along stuck in the ice pack as it moves (which I did not know about). They left their crew and went on by dog sled. They did not make the pole but they did manage to stay alive and returned home just 7 days before (all of this about 3 years after leaving) his ship and crew made it back. The museum not only has exhibits and pictures but also the actual ship and we were allowed on board to see what it was like.
After waiting on the return ferry for a few minutes the boat came but we were not allowed on because it was full. In my book, not over filling a boat is a good thing. A 70ish Norwegian lady was not pleased with the system of boats because they should have more runs on Weekends. She told this to the ticket taker lady and to the Boat hand gentleman and eventually to the Captain. She was not pleased. She had a bad leg and was attempting to sit on a rail that was far too high for a 70 year old even with good legs. She needed to sit down. She was about to leave the line to sit in a bench and I suggested she sit on the very substantial and lower metal gate. She thought that was a great idea and told Penny that she married a genius. I confess I got the idea for thinking outside the box from the kid and the water bottle.
The lady struck up a conversation and we learned of her grandchildren and children who live in California and have been to Hawaii. We also learned that she thinks Condalesa Rice is a beautiful woman but I am not so sure she likes her politics much. I refrained from talking politics. We also learned that she retired from working at the National Gallery and was working there (but not on duty) at the time the “Scream” paintings by Munch were stolen.
We rode the tram back to the hotel – we missed our stop because it was impossible to see out the right side of the tram because of all the people standing in the aisle. But we got off at another park with more music and we crossed the street and caught the tram going the other direction. We got off and we knew we were in the general area. I grabbed the map and located our position. We were just south of the North Pole. I was staring at the corners of the building trying to locate street names when I saw our hotel. All is well
We stopped at the hotel and grabbed our computer and walked to the train station and got our tickets for tomorrow. Penny has them and they are in her purse. Really! We then went to Burger King and Sat upstairs and used their free internet. Yeah.
We then went to the mall where we got cash, ate at our friendly neighborhood Chinese place. We like it. The food was good and the menu is in English and we did not have to walk far. We stopped at Menys and found food for the train tomorrow. We had been warned that although there is food on the train that it is very expensive. Which would mean “OUCH” so we opted for a picnic.
Off to bed and tomorrow we do Norway in a nut shell. I hope the connections all work out.
Ray
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