Oslo visit

July 1, 2023 to July 4, 2023

Oslo for three days was the reward for everything working out and our ever changing train hops getting us here quickly. It felt good not to be moving every night and we were looking forward to visiting this icon of a modern, progressive, fashionable and exotic city. Of course we rode our bikes and did about 25km each day exploring the downtown with its modern architecture, venturing out to hipster neighbourhoods for street food, touring the waterfront and castle areas. The cycling infrastructure is good, not quite as extensive as Copenhagen, but generally well signposted and paved. Here is an overview of our Oslo experience.

Vigeland park was certainly a highlight. This huge park is a 20 minute ride from downtown, spread out over hills with masses of flowerbeds full of roses in bloom. The main attraction here is a collection of over 200 sculptures by Oslo artist, Gustav Vigeland. The works in bronze, granite and iron are of human forms displaying an impressive array of expressions. The statues are mostly nudes, unabashedly posed, which must have been a shock to prudish English visitors when it opened in 1907.

Deichman library is one of a trio of new buildings on the waterfront. Its open atrium and endless windows combine with the books and decor to make it a welcoming place full of families on a rainy Sunday with no one telling the children to “shush”. We ended up sheltering there for almost an hour waiting for the rain to let up, taking advantage of the wifi, bathrooms, comfy chairs and books in English.

The Opera house, looking like an iceberg rising from the sea, its white marble, angular form is a gem of new architecture on the waterfront. Rather than visit the inside, we joined the crowds walking around outside on the slanted roofs.

Radhus, the art deco City Hall, designed in the 30s but built in 1950, in part to celebrate Norway’s sovereignty after hundreds of years of occupation and domination by Sweden, Denmark, Russia and Nazi Germany. The main hall, where the Nobel prizes are awarded, is majestic with huge frescoes depicting working Norway.

As part of our training regimen for the fjords, we (inadvertently) chose a campground and an Air BNB on top of the high hill overlooking the city so we did plenty of uphill while in Oslo.

On the third day, we caught the 16:30 train (reserved ahead with space for bicycles) to Geilo, a resort town in the mountains half way to Bergen. From the train window we saw forests, lakes, and rushing rivers all making us more excited to be starting the fjords adventure part of the tour. Getting off the train was a dose of reality as it was about 12C and windy, so we dug out the puffy down coats and headed for the campground. For the next few days we will be traversing some wild terrain!