This was the route taken by us on our epic land journey to Oslo:
Red: Journey there (15hrs)
Blue: Journey back (8hrs)
The trip started off well! We were all eager to embark on this journey to Oslo. We had planned to stop by Hardangervidda on route to Oslo.
Hardangervidda
A mountain plateau ("vidde" in Norwegian) in the Hardanger region of western Norway. It is the largest such plateau in Europe, with a cold year-round alpine climate and is the site of one of Norway's largest glaciers. Much of the plateau is protected as part of Hardangervidda National Park. (from wikipedia)
The main town that we passed by was Rjukan.
Rjukan, (175 km northwest of Oslo). In the early 20th century, the Norsk Hydro and the industry arrived and changed life in Vestfjorddalen dramatically. Between 1907 and 1920, the farms of Bøen and Saaheim were transformed into the town of Rjukan. The population increased from 369 to over 9,000 in 20 years.Norsk Hydro commissioned Norway’s leading engineers and architects to design the entire town. Rjukan is home to Vemork, where famous saboteurs destroyed 500 kg of heavy water during 2nd world war. Today, about 3300 people live in the small town, which is applying for UESCO World Heritage status. (wikitravel)
We visited the cable car station at Krossbanen. Unfortunately, it was already closed. Pity...
Krossobanen, (2,5 km from Rjukan town centre). In the depths of the valley, Rjukan is overshadowed by Gaustatoppen throughout the winter. Since 1925 the townsfolk have celebrated the sun's return in March with Solfesten, a lively carnival. Why shouldn’t these sunstarved people enjoy easy access to some winter sun? In 1928, Norsk Hydro granted them their wish, opening the Krossobanen, a 5-minute aerial tramway ride into the mountains. Today, you can ride the “sunshine car” up to Hardangervidda daily all year round, and enjoy the magnificent view of the valley and Gaustatoppen. (wikitravel)
Then we ascended to Gaustatoppen. However, we didn't get to see much of the mountain as there was heavy fog that day. Pity. In addition, the temperature dropped to a low of 6 deg. I'm glad we were prepared this time with gloves and scarfs. There wasn't much to see at the top of the mountain because of the fog. (We couldn't see 10m infront of us)
Gaustatoppen, (15 km from Rjukan). Gaustatoppen is 1883 m elevation and one of Norway's most majestetic mountains. You can admire it from a distance on your way to Rjukan or one of the villages nearby. You can also do like 25 000 others do each year: Climb it. It will take you about 5 hours both ways. You will get your reward on the top, where you can see one fith of Norway on a sunny day.
Next, we started our journey to Oslo...
We reached Oslo late at night and headed to Yin Hao's friend, Jason's apartment. Jason was really nice and accommodating. Thanks! It feels really good to meet another Singaporean overseas. =)
The next day we were up early and started to explore Oslo city.
First stop, Frogner Park.
Frogner Park and the Vigeland Sculpture Park is a large park just 10 minutes by subway from the city center. There are huge green recreational areas for picnics and for people to walk their dogs (we saw lots of dogs there), it is also decorated with hundreds of sculptures by the Norwegian artist Gustav Vigeland. The statutes were really intriguing. The different poses that the statutes had really made me wonder what went through the mind of Gustav Vigeland.
The atmosphere in the park was relaxing, except for the fact that there were throngs of tourists. There was also a childrens playground.
What I liked most about the park was the flora and fauna. Actually, more of the flora. There were many different types of flowers in the park, roses, lilies, etc... I had a blast taking photos of the flowers. However, it was less than ideal as the sky was cloudy and it started to rain after awhile. (It rains a lot in Norway) We reached the top of a hill with a giant totem pole in the middle that was surrounded by more sculptures.
What I saw next was... hmm... intriguing. I remembered that I had a dream about this place in Frogner Park. It was a little hill at the far end of the park. It had a sculpture. The sculpture was a ring of people. I remembered the green gentle slopes of the hill and that bronze sculpture. It was a Deja Vu. After walking around the sculpture and examining it. I still couldn't uncover the reason for my dream so many years back... oh well... some mysteries are meant to be left unanswered.
Next stop, the city hall...
City Hall (Rådhuset). It has a spectacular main hall featuring huge murals with typical Nordic socialist themes. There are also some displays of historical artifacts in the side rooms upstairs. This is where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented to its winner every year. (wikitravel) We didn't go in to see the city hall. Just took photos outside.
Then we walked from the city hall to the National Gallery (Museum)
National Gallery. featuring Norwegian art from the national-romantic period, as well as some art by international artists. Adults: NOK 50, Students: NOK 30, Pensioners/concessions: NOK 30, Children (under 18): Free entrance. Sundays: Free entrance for all. We arrived on a Sunday, so we figured that we got a good deal. The best in fact. It was suppose to be FREE! However, the museum's main exhibit was closed for maintenance works. And we could only visit the Egyptian pyramids exhibit. It was really small and pathetic.
Then we continued to take a stroll to the Oslo opera house.
Opera House. Norway's first entry into the top league of modern architecture. Awarded the 2008 prize for best cultural building at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona, and the prestigious Mies van der Rohe award for best European contemporary architecture in 2009, its appearance is stunning. Shaped as a glacier or a ship, the amazing building seems to float by the inlet Bjørvika, giving a stunning impression. Climb the building on the marble slopes (summer only) for a unique Oslo view. Shame, however, with the main highway currently passing close to it. (wikitravel)
We climbed the marble slopes of the opera house. The view was unique. It overlooked the Oslo city centre. My first thoughts about the view was that it quite messy. It is like any major city in the world. Lots of buildings. However, there was a mix of old and modern buildings. Adding to the already messy skyline was the construction work around the area. I had fun taking and chasing after seagulls that rested at the edge of the building.
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