NORWAY 3

After a large buffet breakfast designed to minimise the need for lunch(!) we walked towards the city centre and found the Tourist Information bureau where we purchased two Oslo Passes which allowed us free entry into all museums and exhibits and free trsansport travel for 24 hours.We certainly got our moneys worth.
Starting at the City Hall, we saw the magnificent main hall where the Nobel Peace Prize is announced annually. The decoration in this hall is a work of art. Next we took a bus across to Bygdoy where we went into the Norse Village Museum and saw an amazing 12th Century church constructed of timber and with hardly any windows.Other buildings such as a farmhouse,barn,drying hut/storerooms were preserved in their original state. A separate section had replica village street scenes of the 18th/19th centuries.

A few meters away we visite the Viking Ship Museum, a most impressive display centred on the restored relics of two V iking Ships which were discovered in the 20th century in burial sites. The total covering of earth had preserved the ships and a lot of their contents and they had been painstakingly restored.

Then a short walk to the Kon Tiki museum where the actual Ra2 was on display and a detailed explanation of the construction and voyage of this craft made interesting reading.The original balsa wood raft "the Kon Tiki" was also on display.

Another short walk into the Fram Museum.The Fram was the Polar exploration ship which was purpose built as the strongest vessel in the world to withstand ice pressure. It made three voyages t o the Artic, the last with Amundsen in 1910-12.It is exhibited as the original with interior and objects.Surrounding the ship are pictures/models of the history of Norwegian Polar exploration.

We went back to the city by ferry across the har bour and found ourselves talking to a couple from St Neots (about 15 miles from Ramsey) -they were on a cruise ship heading for Russia. By this time breakfast was a distant memory and quite by accident we saw a sign for a Sushi shop.Needless to say we went in and enjoyed excellent sushi and green tea. Thus refreshed we headed to Oslo castle.This medieval castle from the 14th century was rebuilt in the 17th century and is still used today by the goverment for representation.There are magnificent halls and dining rooms which regularly host Government functions. It also contains the Royal Mausoleum a Norwegian Westminster Abbey.In the grounds of the Castle there is a museum dedicated to the Norwegian Resistance during World War II. Models,documents,posters,recordings and historical artifacts make for an unforgettable experience of the extent of resistance to the German occupation.

We had been told by the chap in the Tourist Information bureau to take a train ride up to Frognersetered from where we would get a panoramic view of Oslo. He also told us that while up there we would be able to get the best pastries in Oslo!Alas when we reached the place,which was the last stop on the line, we found nothing to see or eat!! Apparently we should have got off at the previous station where there was a television tower which provided the scenery!.He had also told us to walk down to Holmenkollen where the Olympic Ski jump is situated. This got a bit confusing as the signs gave alternative trails leading through the woods and eventually we took to the highway.Then we could not find the railway station and your correspondent was starting to feel all of his 75 years so things got a little tense (who's bloody idea was it to walk down?) but at the car park near the ski centre we saw a group of young people getting into their cars, and Carol asked them if they could direct us to the station.They gave her the instructions and as we were walking away they called us back to ask if we were Australians.One of the girls was a Chinese lass from Sydney. So then they offered us a lift to the station, and as we said we were going down as far as Majorstuen to see the Vigeland Park, they kindly drove us down to a much more convenient station.

Got on the train and then managed to geet off at the wrong station, so had to wad 15 minutes for the next one to finally get to theVigeland. This park is full of statuary created by Gustav Vigeland -all portraying man woman and child as family.Quite remarkable and enhanced by a group of musicians who, obviously a voluntary group of players, were conducted by a convivial fellow who made the whole thing both good to the ear and amusing at the same time.

By this time it was 8pm and even C arol was admitting to a degree of sightseeing burn out, so we trammed it back to our hotel. Much to our surprise and great relief we found that the hotel cost included a light dinner.So with this bonus presenting itself, we lashed out on a couple of glasses of wine each which cost what we would have anticipated having to pay for dinner!!

Our train to Stavanger left at 7.10am and we decided against getting a taxi as we still had valid Oslo passes, and caught a tram to the station and so onto our train. The journey of 7 1/2 hours passed quickly enough and Sarah and Baard were there at the station to meet us.

And so we had a pleasant dinner with them (the Leg of Lamb we had taken over) and then up the next morning to catch our flights back to London. A wonderful experience.

PS the camera batteries were low in Oslo and I had forgotten to take the converter plug for recharging them - so no pictures of Oslo. .