Beautiful light on the flight over.
I just got back from a short winter break in Oslo, Norway. I have most of my time off during the winter months and over the past few years I have started selecting a random European city based on the cheap flights on offer by Ryan air. Here is a very brief account of my time in Oslo and a collection of some of my favourite photos I captured across my two days in the city.
Book shop tucked out the way
The flights cost about £35 return from Edinburgh which is amazing but it actually turned out to be a much pricier break than I had expected. Once thing I had neglected to check was the location of the airport. It was listed as Oslo Torp which I foolishly assumed would be near Oslo. It turned out to be Sandefjord Airport which is an hour and a half bus ride from Oslo which added time but more importantly extra cost to the budget trip.
Oslo’s central station
Tram stop just outside Vigeland Park
I stayed at the Gruner Apartments which were great as they had cooking facilities which meant I could avoid eating out for every meal. After visiting the nearest supermarket, I accepted that everything sounded expensive due to the Norwegian national currency the kroner, working out at around 8 kroner to the pound. I went ahead and filled my shopping basket with some essentials for the apartment. I was in for a fright however when my little bit of food shopping came to about 450 kroner and I calculated I had spent over £50! When I heard Norway was expensive I really wasn’t prepared for just how expensive it is. After a little bit of research into the country I discovered why everything is so expensive and learned to just accept it. Thank god I wasn’t there for any longer than a few days though!
Vigeland Park
Vigeland Park
Vigeland Park
Expensiveness aside, Oslo is a beautiful city full of stunning views, adorned with interesting sculptures and very modern, stylish buildings. Walking around with my camera I was in for a treat with lots to look at and capture.
Joggers in Vigeland Park
Taken through the main gate into Vigeland Park
During my two days in Oslo I visited the Vigeland Sculpture Park, Nobel Peace Centre, Opera House, Akershus Castle, Royal Palace and the Munch Museum.
Waterfront near the Nobel Peace Centre
Waterfront near the Nobel Peace Centre
Waterfront near the Nobel Peace Centre
The Royal Palace and Akershus Castle were both closed but I still enjoyed looking at them from the outside. Standing in front of the Royal Palace there were beautiful views across the Norwegian capital and while I was there I was blessed with a gorgeous sun set. Vigeland sculpture park was fantastic and definitely warranted being my first stop, being free to enter was a huge bonus! It really piqued my curiosity to learn more about Gustav Vigeland, the artist responsible for the two hundred plus sculptures in the park.
Outside Oslo Central Station
The Nobel Peace Centre was also really interesting and I would really recommend a visit. The ground floor was dedicated to Gandhi who had never actually won a Nobel Peace prize but had been nominated several times before his assassination. The upper floor was predominantly dedicated to the European Union which won the Nobel Peace prize in 2012. It was here I learned the most from the Nobel Peace Centre and really enjoyed the exhibition.
Sculpture in central Oslo
I was aware how much I needed to be careful with my remaining kroner which had been disappearing faster than I had anticipated. I visited the Opera House which was a fantastic building and I would have loved to get the guided tour of its interior but decided not to due to the cost. I settled instead, for exploring its roof which you can walk over allowing you to take in great views of the city. It felt like walking around on an icy, strange concrete desert in the sky!
Modern buildings near the Opera House
Modern buildings near the Opera House
I think these are funky bike racks…
Oslo Opera House
The Munch museum was definitely a highlight – I love weird art and Edvard Munch certainly created lots of it! I found it amazing to discover that his most famous painting ‘The Scream’, along with another painting had been stolen from the museum by armed robbers in 2004 and later recovered by Police and returned to the museum in 2006. They now have airport-like security at the front of the museum to help protect the contents. Just like Vigeland Park, I left really wanting to learn more about the artist and his work. Munch is a fascinating artist who produced some extremely provocative art – not the kind of stuff I would really want to hang on my wall but I really did just love it!
The cafe inside the Oslo Opera House
Sculpture outside the Opera House I thought looks like a cross between the entrance to the Louvre and an ice berg.
On the roof of the Oslo Opera House
I enjoyed Oslo very much and despite the high cost of everything, I would definitely recommend it as a very interesting city to explore and photograph.
Looking out from in front of the Royal Palace
Ice rink in central Oslo as the sun sets
A peaceful protest in central Oslo
The sun setting on the Norwegian countryside as the bus returns to Sandefjord Airport
Thanks for reading my blog and if you have a trip to Oslo planned I hope you have a great time!
Inspire Video Blog 