Day 9: Historic and Artistic Oslo
Petroglyphs, Muscles, and a Boat Ride
We left Verberg today and headed to Oslo. On the way, we stopped at the Tanum Petroglyphs World Heritage site which featured 4,000 year old carvings. We stopped at the most famous of the 1,500 carving sites. There was a nice observation deck that we could climb to get a good look, and they had painted the petroglyphs to make them stand out better against the rest of the rock. It was a cool look into the past. After that, we stopped at Grebbestad Bryggeri for a lunch of muscles and a boat ride. It was neat to take a boat ride through the rocky fishing waters, and we enjoyed hearing a bit about the local culture and history from our captain. The weather changed quickly at times, and we fluctuated between bright sun and rain. Raincoats on the boat were a must! |
Oslo and Frogner Park
Then it was on to Oslo. We were impressed with the city right from the start. It is booming and very modern. Discovery of oil off the coast has given the country an economic boost. They have built a new opera house and art museum, and both have become highlights. After checking into the hotel, Asa took us on a tour of Frogner Park. It included a super impressive display of 212 bronze and granite statues and fountains created by the artist Gustav Vigeland. The most famous statue is that of a little boy throwing a tantrum. The statues were all carved nude in order to emphasize the emotion depicted and to make them more timeless. Vigeland felt clothing would date the sculptures. It was one of the most impressive parks that we’ve seen. Then is was supper of reindeer and Salmon. |