A cruise of 78 days is bound to have itinerary changes along the way primarily due to unpredicted weather. Sometimes this gives an extra sea day to catch up on laundry or blog postings and sometimes one gets a new, exciting port. In this case – both! The only disappointment was the elimination of Alesund, and the excursion over the much touted Trollstigen Road. But, that was mitigated by a return to Oslo and a revisit to one of this writers favorite places in the world (discussed below).

First – a quick stop in historic Haugesund. This little town of 35,000 was the Viking King Harald the Fairhaired’s base when he united Norway into one kingdom. Haugesund grew over time as a fishing village but now depends on the petroleum industry and a bit of tourism. It is a very friendly, walkable area with many, many great pastry & coffee shops.

Next up – OSLO! Not on the original itinerary, but a very happy, well received addition.

The capital city is cradled between the Oslofjord and vast forested hills. The cruise in is magnificent as the ship threads its way between all the little rock islands in the middle of the fjord for 4 hours! And then – there it is with its stunning Opera House.

Oslo is a city of light, wood, and cutting-edge glass reflecting a modern Norwegian identity. It has world class museums and striking contemporary architecture as demonstrated by its Opera House. Its sloping white marble roof rises from the fjord like an iceberg. Designed to be walked upon, it provides panoramic views of the harbor. Almost adjacent is the Munch museum, dedicated to the life and works of Edvard Munch. This is only one of many worthy museums in this city. There is the Fram Museum, the Viking Ships Museum and the Kon-Tiki Museum, the National Gallery and the Resistance Museum. Way too much for a day.

Having been to Oslo previously – one might forego the indoor museums (especially on a warm, sunny day) and choose a walk to one of the most incredible parks in the world! From the port this three mile walk is likely to take one through the late 19th century city center. This is a humming place with many of the museums, the University and dozens of lively bars, cafes and restaurants. It is also the location of the Parliament House at one end of the corridor and the Royal Palace at the other. A lovely stroll –

And then one reaches Vigeland Park, the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist – Gustav Vigeland. It represents his life’s work and is comprised of over 200 sculptures in granite, bronze and wrought iron. The many figures capture the cycle of human life – in true form. NOT just the perfect model figure. It is fantastic and one could spend a whole morning or afternoon here. On a day like this visit – a picnic basket would be in order;-)

What a beautiful place and a beautiful day. Time to move on – but one must always beware of obstacles!!!

Norway was lots of history, stunning sites and very friendly people.

E & G – so happy for the opportunity to see Vigeland again;-)