Day 4 Oslo, Norway

Thursday 25th April 2019

Oslo, the capital of Norway, sits on the country’s southern coast at the head of the Oslofjord. It’s known for its green spaces and museums. Many of these are on the Bygdøy Peninsula, including the waterside Norwegian Maritime Museum and the Viking Ship Museum, with Viking ships from the 9th century. The Holmenkollbakken is a ski-jumping hill with panoramic views of the fjord. It also has a ski museum.

This morning already berthed in Oslo when we woke up, right alongside the Ankershus Fortress and Castle.  Weather not looking too good, rather overcast and some light rain about, but wind very light.

Usual busy breakfast, maybe not quite so busy today - no queues to get in anyway.  Then time to get ready for a trip ashore.  Today it’s our plan to join the Hop-on-Hop-off bus for the sightseeing tour of Oslo.

A bit of a wait for the bus, a bit busy as you can guess, then quite a scrum to board but all’s well and we found a very good couple of seats.  Bus took us on a roundabout tour of the roadworks of the city incidentally passing most landmarks, like the National Opera House, the Munch Museum, the Norwegian Parliament, the Royal Palace, the Vigeland Sculpture Park (a very busy stop this one, a mad rush by hundreds of people pushing at the front and middle doors of the bus to get on and also people trying to get off at the same time (well it felt like hundreds trying to get onto a already standing room only bus)) and then the next stop Norsk Folkmuseum.

Fish drying rack being used for less odorous drying  

Opera House

Next stop was ours The Viking Ship Museum luckily a lot of people got off here.  Dutifully paid our entry fee and entered the Museum.  Housed here are the remains of three Viking Ship Burials, two in exceptional condition, along with many artefacts and grave goods.  Not to mention the remains of the last occupants of the ships on whom so much pomp and ceremony had been lavished.

The main exhibits being the ships and associated maritime items was accompanied with more items related to the burials.

A quite fantastic collection of original Viking workmanship very well preserved, many carved and decorated wooden items, wagons, sledges and domestic utensils. Even the remains of tapestries with a discernible image of the original designs of horses, wagons and warriors.  Also woven fabrics - wool, linen and silk - all about 1200 years old,  everything very well displayed and captioned.

Back on the bus for the continuation of our tour, passed the Kon-Tiki Museum, the Maritime Museum and the Nobel Peace Centre before returning to the start point.

Back on board ship in time for a well earned late lunch.

Back to an easy routine for the rest of the afternoon, just a few laps of the prom and catching up on relaxation.

Dinner in the buffet as we sailed away at dusk.  The channel out certainly was very narrow in places and the ship sometimes felt very close to the houses along the shore.