Oslo - Day Four

We are heading out to see Vigeland Park today. It is the world's largest sculpture park made by a single artist, and is one of Norway's most popular tourist attractions. The park is open to visitors all year round. As you can see in these photos...it is very popular to locals and tourists:)

 

 

The unique sculpture park is Gustav Vigeland's lifework with more than 200 sculptures in bronze, granite and wrought iron. Vigeland was also in charge of the design and architectural layout of the park. The Vigeland Park was mainly completed between 1939 and 1949.

 

 

 

Most of the sculptures are placed in five units along an 850 meter long axis: The Main gate, the Bridge with the Children's playground, the Fountain, the Monolith plateau and the Wheel of Life.

 

 

This garden reminded me of Versailles in France...on a slightly smaller scale...

 

 

These sculptures are both beautiful and disturbing at the same time...Vigeland did not name, explain or describe his sculptures...he wanted people to interpret them however they saw them...so when you see this giant pillar of people/bodies one on top of the other...what or how does that interpret for you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting is one way to look at these sculptures, beautiful, amazing, strange, disturbing...I have to say that we all felt that way seeing all of them...makes you wonder what Gustav was thinking and what everyone who is at the park is thinking...this is 'Art' for sure...

 

 

This sculpture below has been 'named' over time as the 'Angry Baby' but in doing some reading it has been said that Gustav gave a child some chocolate...and then he took it away...this was the reaction he was wanting to capture to recreate for his sculpture...

 

 

 

It almost felt like we were witnessing an episode of William Shatner's 'Weird or What' show...but it was totally worthwhile going today....I would have to say its unlikely that I'll ever see such a park again :)

 

 

We stopped at a cafe in the park for some lunch/snack and a drink...this is my cousin Nancy and the photo below is of my cousin Barb's shrimp open-faced sandwich...and my highly nutritious chocolate chip cookie! Almost as big as her sandwich...I thought a beer and cookie was a perfectly acceptable lunch option :)

 

 

 

After leaving the park we decided to head back downtown to do some more shopping...cause you can always find something's that you didn't know you needed, right!??? Like maybe a giant Polar Bear...

 

This is my cousin Barb and I almost getting attacked by this Polar Bear in the Department store!

We were looking at some authentic Norwegian items and to see what the Oslo 'department store' was like...it is similar but different from home...I found that they have lots of houseware available, women's clothing of course and some specialty stores but there wasn't really any shoes to speak of and no jewelry or watches etc. in the Dept. store...it is interesting to compare and see the differences.

 

 

You can find a wonderful amount and quality of yarns here...it is yarn paradise for any knitters out there...

 

 

Barb and Auntie June returned to the hotel and we continued on...we had seen an advertisement for an Ice Bar...we couldn't possibly leave town without having a drink there...we found Magic Ice and after bundling up, entered the bar...we were the only ones there but it was beautiful inside! and cold too!!! You are charged admission which includes a drink...white wine cut with a berry liquor...super tasty!

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner tonight was going to be Indian...after a tram trip and multi-minute walk...we have arrived at the Punjab Tandoori restaurant...which looks really sketchy but the food was delicious...it also seemed to be a total hot spot for locals as they were serving people non-stop for the entire time we were there! Mom was not impressed with the location, interior or pretty much everything...but in the end the food was good and it was an adventure!

We are all packed up tonight...at 7AM we are off to the train station and onto Maloy...which is approximately 7 hours by train!!!! Not sure what to expect but I'm sure I'll have something to report by the evening!

 

 

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