WANDERINGS - NORWAY

Norway seems like a long time ago! I hope I haven't forgotten anything!!

I spent a few days at Sandefjord, about 140kms south-west of Oslo at a conference for work, then on Friday morning I took a train to Oslo from the town of Stokke - I had decided to spend the weekend to do some sight-seeing. The rain started about 10 minutes before the train arrived and did not stop until Sunday morning. My trip to Oslo was wet wet wet (as was I much of the time)!!!

Oslo seems to be an interesting city with lots to see and do. My hotel, the Thon Hotel Cecil was in a great central location close to the City Hall and waterfront, the Parliament and the Royal Palace. After leaving my bags at the hotel I set off for the pensinsula of Bygdoy on the ferry - where I met a couple of Americans who had been to an anthrax conference - sounds more interesting than a conference on European funding! It is home to many of the city's main museums and I visited most of them during the next day and a half.

On Bydgoy I visited the Viking Ship Museum;



the Maritime Museum with it's 20 minute aerial film of Norway's coastline; the Kon-Tiki Museum home to Thor Heyerdal's rafts, Kon Tiki and Ra II, that he sailed across oceans;



the Polar Ship Fram, that Amundsen sailed to the Antarctic and his journey to be the first to reach the South Pole;



and the Folk Museum with it's 155 buildings from all over Norway, including an apartment block from central Oslo with a number of apartments represented from various periods including the 1950s and 1970s.


Can you see the rain?

In the City Centre I also visited the City Hall where the Nobel Peace prize is awarded each year


and then the Nobel Peace Centre - one of the most inspiring places I have ever been, surrounded by the images and stories of people that have made a huge difference in the world.

Luckily on Sunday morning the rain stopped and I went for a wander before I had to go to the airport and got a sense of how amazing the City must be in the sun - trips on the fjord, the City's parks etc.



Stories from my trip:
1. At the Folk Museum I fell through an exhibit! Can't be many people who can say that!! I was standing on a step outside on of the buildings when the slate step broke in 2 straight down the middle and I ended up on the ground......jumped up, to make sure no one saw me (that would have been just too embarrassing) and then hobbled round the rest of the museum (after telling the staff of the incident!)


Can you see where I fell!!

2. On my flight home to Aberdeen via Stavanger, the King of Norway was on our plane!
3. I managed not to buy any wool!