The first port on our cruise to Norway was Oslo, the beautiful capital city of Norway. I had chosen an all day tour that highlighted some of the most famous parts of Oslo. Our first stop was Vigeland Park which is the largest park ever created using just one artist’s work. The beautiful sculptures of bronze, granite and wrought iron were all made by artist Gustav Vigeland over a 40 year span and it is truly something to behold. The giant monolith he sculpted depicts 121 different human figures and all the statues surrounding it show humans in varying stages of life. In fact, you will find that theme throughout the park, with the fountain depicting the various stages of life and family from birth until death and the Bridge illustrating moments that exist between members of a family, including the famous Angry Boy statue that many feel depicts a toddler having a fit of anger. The park itself is also quite beautiful with ponds, trees and colorful flowers everywhere. I am so glad we got the chance to experience Vigeland Park and I hope you have a chance to do so as well.

Our next stop was at the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History. This museum is massive and filled with the past and culture of Norway. Think Williamsburg, Virgina. It is just like that. It is an open air museum featuring over 160 buildings from Norway’s past, including the famous Stave Church which was built in the 1200’s. Many of the old buildings have volunteers there who are dressed in clothing from the era of their particular building and some are even performing typical tasks from that time, like cooking reindeer stew. It was such a neat experience and it was truly like turning back the hands of time to see a glimpse of life in Norway’s past.

Our next stop was going to be the Viking Ship Museum but sadly it is closed for renovations until 2026/2027. So we stopped at the Norwegian Maritime Museum instead. While we weren't able to see any of the original Viking Ships we had hoped to (they are all at the other museum) we did watch a film on Viking Ships and get to see a cool ship building demonstration by a grad student from the University of Oslo. The gift shop there also had some very nice wood carvings and art pieces that my son was interested in. It was a great place to stop even if it wasn’t the museum we had been hoping to see.

Another stop on our tour of Oslo was the Holmenkollen Ski Jump. It is truly a piece of artwork in and of itself and has a history that spans over 100 years. The views from the top are truly something to behold The observation area sits about half way up the slope and also has a gift shop as well as a simulator machine that allows you to experience what it is really like to ski off the jump! There is also a zipline that you can ride from the very top of the ski jump to the bottom, a distance of over 1,184 ft! We didn’t have the option to do that due to time constraints but if Im being honest, my fear of heights would probably have stopped me from doing that anyway. I have done some ziplines before but this one was way too high for me!

We saw some truly wonderful and amazing things but I have to say my favorite part of our time in Oslo, was our tour guide, Ingrid. She was born and raised in Oslo and her love for her beautiful city just shone brightly throughout the tour. She was a recent widow and shared with us some of the many places she and her husband would go throughout the city. She would occasionally say “Oslo, My Oslo” with a catch in her voice and it brought tears to my eyes each time. There is truly nothing like seeing and experiencing a place through the eyes of someone who calls it home and having their love and passion rub off on you. I am so thankful for the meaningful day we had in Oslo and for dear Ingrid who forever touched my heart and shared her “Oslo, my Oslo” with me.