Visiting the Museums (July 3rd and 4th, 2010)

Saturday was spent boarding our bus again and getting a tour through Oslo. Visiting Frogner Park where Gustav Vigeland's 193 bronze and granite sculptures are situated was very, very impressive. The statues depicted life's various stages from birth through a person's elderly years. The statues are unclothed because Vigeland wanted the story of a person's passage through life to be without tether to a specific time in history, a timeless recounting of the relationships between one person and another and the relationships among family members. A wonderful walking tour through the park.

We also stopped at the current City Hall, and had an opportunity to see the National Theater, Parliament, and the Royal Palace pointed out to us.

In the afternoon we visited several museums highlighting how the history of Norway has been intertwined with the seafaring nature of its earliest explorers. We saw a 1000 year old Viking ship which was very much intact. When you come from a country whose history is only a few hundred years old, it is so very amazing to see a ship that carried some of our first explorers over a thousand years ago. Not only was the ship there a available for viewing the handcarved decoration adorning the ship made it even more incredible. We also had a chance to see the FRAM, a 100 year old primitive ship made for Arctic expeditions. Amundsen's life history was also shared during this time. Finally, Thor Heyerdahl's vessels, RA and KON-TIKI, were also available for viewing. Definitely after visiting these museums, it seemed very clear the Norse have always had a proclivity for adventure and exploration.

Finally, on Sunday we walked over to the Nobel Peace Museum, where the Peace Prize is awared annually. There was a special exhibit regarding Barack O'Bama because he is the most recent honoree. This was something that Karrah very much wanted to do. Everyone agreed after visiting this museum that the tour and the museum itself was very impressive. Understanding how the Nobel Peace Prize originated and its purpose made me even more proud that our current president had had this high honor bestowed upon him.

We had a lovely dinner with Oevind and all of our tour companions on Saturday evening. And once again the buffet dinner did not fail to satisfy and impress.

On Sunday after visiting the Nobel Peace Museum we walked around the City Centre, had a delightful meal at a sidewalk restaurant with a mediterranean theme. We decided to take a taxi to the airport tomorrow instead of the express train because it would be less hassle with all of our luggage. It is hard to believe our time in Norway has come to an end, but returning home certainly has its appeal as well.