Oslo Norway

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to spend a week in Oslo the capital of Norway.  Norway has a population of some 4,707,270 and Oslo has a population of just under 700,000.  It is very historical city with lots to see and do.  

There are many grand buildings.

As it was summertime there we many open street cafes surrounded by brightly coloured flowers.

While the are many Mercedes, Volvo's and Audi's on the roads there are also a number of smaller electric cars who plug in when they park.  The city streets a narrow and provide little opportunity  to park.

There are many beautiful old homes in various part of the city.

This is the University of Oslo named after Edvard Munch who was an artist and painted many pictures for the university.  This year celebrated his 150 th year and dotted throughout Oslo were examples of his art work.  To read more of Munch have a look at www.munch150.no/en/About-Munch-150

Oslo is also a city of statues.  They are everywhere as well as many beautiful parks and being summer there were hordes of tourists from may parts of Europe enjoying the sunshine.  Norway usually enjoys a very short summer of about 3 months duration so everyone was making the most of the good weather.

It is also a port and as well as the large cruise ships which birth here there are many elegant sailing ships to be seen.

 We took the opportunity to see and do as much as we could and we visited the cultural village which provides a look into a bygone era.

Here there are examples of old homes.  These being of the late 1940's.

Incluse of their underware

Service Station.

Traditional Folk dancing in front of the old school house.

Then there was the earlier days with buildings dating  to Circa 1300

The horse drawn carriage of the day.

Even the proverbial 'pig in mud'.

Norway is the home of the Vikings and no trip is complete without a visit to the Viking Ship Museum.

For more information regarding this part of history have a look at www.khm.uio.no/english/visit-us/viking-ship-museum

Dotted around the city there are fruit, vegetable and flower markets.

There are also several elegant churches such as the Kirkeni Sentrum Lutheran Church which was built in 1858.  On the weekends it serves food to the homeless.

Oslo is also the residence of the Crown Prince.  It was built in the first half of the 19th century and has 173 rooms.  To know more about the palace have a look at en.wikipedia.org/wik/Royal_Palace_Oslo

It is guarded by smartly turned out soldiers.

Oslo was also the site of a terrorist attack in 2011 when Anders Behring Brevik, 32 years of age at the time set off some bombs which killed 7 people and wounded another 209 then he made his way to an offshore holiday island and shot many people.  This took pace at the building you can see in the photo, a government building.

Oslo has many fine eating establishments.  One we frequented on several occasions is the oldest restaurant in the city having been built in 1700.  It is called the Gokslad Oseberg.

To know more of this historic restaurant have a look at www.stortorvets-gjestgiveri.no/en

One of the other restaurants we frequented had been a very old pharmacy.

It is called the Cafe Tekehtopa and is owned by folks from Turkey.  It had a great atmosphere and very friendly staff.

Here is  Shardi  with Ross on our last evening in this beautiful city.

Travelling is about going to interesting places, soaking up the culture, enjoying the food but mostly it is about the wonderful people you meet.

Best wishes to all,

Beverley and Ross