Scandinavia: Oslo

Our first Scandinavian port of call was Oslo, Norway. It was a beautiful day and Oslo is an amazing city.

We began the day at the Vigeland sculpture park. The sculpture park is Gustav Vigeland's life work, comprising over 200 sculptures in granite, bronze and wrought iron. His realistic work represents the cycle of human life and all its emotions. (He also designed the Nobel peace prize.) My favorite works were the tree sculptures and the Angry Little Boy.

After leaving the sculpture park, we took a bus ride around the city, seeing many other sites including the Opera House, the National Theater and the Royal Palace.

We then visited Oslo City Hall (Norwegian: Oslo rådhus), a municipal building housing the city council, the city's administration and various other municipal organizations. The building as it stands today was constructed between 1931 and 1950. Various events and ceremonies take place in the building, including the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. The magnificent interior encompasses a wide range of mediums, including vibrant and compelling frescoes, tapestries, sculptures and paintings, all depicting Norwegian history, values and traditions.

Directly behind city hall, we saw the Nobel Peace Center - a place where you can experience and learn about the various Nobel Peace Prize laureates and their activities as well as the remarkable history of Alfred Nobel.

We then returned to the port with a view of Akershus Fortress and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

That afternoon, we left port sailing through the Oslofjord with its beautiful views.