Oslo's southern fjord
I don't think that I could've planned to consecutively visit two more diametrically-opposed cities: Amsterdam and Oslo, Norway. Coming on the heels of Amsterdam's carefree embrace of life's more liberal pursuits, an afternoon in Oslo's equally graceful embodiment of order, cleanliness and peace provided a welcome contrast a short 90-minute flight over the North Sea.
It was as if its rippling surface turned the countless canals and red lights into rolling clouds and old cobblestone, cleared their smoky and propositioning atmosphere and replaced it with a calm dignity. Though I only meandered around a small corner of Norway's capital, each of its sites seemed to whisper a single word: peace. From the 700 year-old fortress meant to protect the southern coast to the center named after Joseph Nobel, there was no mistaking Norway's values. At the end of the day, a living tribute in memory of those who perished in the city's recent terrorist attack served as a sad reminder that achieving it is a never-ending pursuit.
Well, my "peace" tour consisted of three stops. The first was to the Akershus Festning (fortress), where I visited its three primary landmarks: the Armed Forces Museum, World War II Resistance Museum and the Slott (castle). My time was mostly spent in the Slott, a 700 year-old castle that is still used today for official functions.
The Armed Forces Museum in the Akershus Festning
Next, I visited the nearby Nobel Peace Center - my one "must-see" Oslo site. Tucked within one of the smaller buildings in the area, the center was tiny but efficient. Hosting two large refugee exhibitions, a high-tech display room for past laureates and an exhibition for the current laureate, Lix Xiaobo (China), the center had a little something for everyone but lacked a little in historical content (more on this later).
The quaint Nobel Peace Center
My final stop was to the National Museum of Art. One of at least three art museums within the city, I chose this one because it focused on Norwegian Art rather than single artists like the others. Touting the best floor plan of any museum I've recently visited, it was easy to get to works from Edvard Munch, Peder Balke and Harold Sohlberg, amongst others. Spanning some 2,000 years, the museum's works also had a little for everyone, but even Munch's Scream seemed serene.
The Museum's outer facade, lined with narrow gardens and life-size statues
A Hail of Photos (Akershus, Nobel, Museum of Art and other sites)
The Akershus Slott, exterior above and inner courtyard below. Construction began in 1299, and it is still used for festivals, receptions and royal functions.
Inside the Slott's vault lies the remains of the first two Norwegian Kings and Queens.
The Reception Hall, built in the 1930's, is the newest part of the 700 year-old castle.
Linen canvases hung through most of the halls and great rooms. Most of them exceeded 3m x 3m in size.
In the Slott's "Daredevil" room, the 20th-century rebuilding meets the 13th-century original foundation.
Typical 17th-century furniture and artwork throughout the castle.
King Olav V's courtroom, reconstructed after an 18th-century fire destroyed the northern part of the castle.
Inside the Nobel Center, the first floor held two exhibitions. The first was of Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen, who earned the award in 1922 for his humanitarian work with refugees.
The center's second exhibit focused on refugees today. Providing portraits and overviews of eight countries, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan all touched close to home.
In Syria, Iraqi and Palestinian refugees have swelled in numbers since the turn of the century.
On the second floor, an interactive display of all Nobel laureates sprouted from the floor amidst fluorescent-tipped stems that bent and swayed to the touch, like wheat in the wind.
Each display scrolled through the laureate's life work and famous words. More American Presidents have won the award than any other group: images of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama were scattered within the field.
I think I got 3/5. How many can you get right?
The most ambitious, yet underused (at least during my visit), was the interactive wall. Tucked away in the back of the center, the wall could link visitors to almost every facet of Nobel's history and news clippings of Nobel laureates. But no one was using it! After a few minutes of thumbing through the digital archives, I left unimpressed.
Scream! Edvard Munch, Norway's most famous artist, worked on this copy c. 1893. One of several that he painted after hearing "the scream" pierce his ears one unassuming day.
My favorite piece in the art museum, Munch's The Girls on the Bridge, c. 1901. Great balance in color; foreground and background effortlessly blended together in a surreal sort of way.
My next favorite: Munch's Madonna, a work that he completed in 1895 as a testament to finding an object's most holy form. According to the audio-guide, this occurs within a woman at the moment of conception and egg meets sperm. It was also pointed out that this piece was initially entitled something quite different.
Rounding out my top three was Peder Balke's Stetind in Fog. Completed in 1864, this work set itself apart from its naturalist peers, but I can't say why.
This is Christian Krohg,'s Struggle for Survival, c. 1889. Hanging in the opening stairwell, I felt that this was an interesting piece to begin with.
More Sites around Oslo...
The National Opera House and Theater overlooked the fjord as adults and kids alike ran up and down its roof.
Max Manus, one of Norway's most decorated war heroes, led the resistance effort against the Nazis in World War II.
The Royal Palace (with the 50-foot woman in front)!
The National Theater
A Lasting Call for Peace
As I made my way back to the train station, I happened to pass by Oslo's Cathedral. Looking around, it was easy to remember that I've seen this site before on the news. Each of the cathedral's yards were filled with layers and layers of flowers to remember those who were killed by a terrorist's hand just weeks before. Mourners still gather, while their flowers weep with them.
The Oslo Cathedral
Flowers...
...and Mourners...
...weep.
I have never really thought much about visiting Olso other than recently when the temps here have been over 100 for more than 40 days without rain.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see Munch's "Scream" and his "Madonna" - both seem very interesting. I sometimes wonder if an artist really put so much thought into his painting as Wiki and art historians would have you believe. Maybe the artist just painted for the hell of it and for the fun and maybe for the shock value. You are right about the "Three girls on the Bridge." It is just a fun painting.
Let me know if you go to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg - that is high on my list of things to do.