After spending five days in Tromso, we had the chance to visit Oslo too. I was excited about going to this city I had never seen before and catching up with my Norwegian friend Solfrid (Sol). She used to be one of my tennis buddies in Singapore, and I was sad when she went back to Norway. This visit was a perfect opportunity to see her again.
Even though we only had one full day in Oslo, I managed to explore a good part of the city. One of our stops was Oslo’s harbor, where we saw the statue “She Lies” by Monica Bonvicini. This sculpture stands on a concrete platform and can rotate with the winds and tides, symbolizing constant change. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get any pictures of the nearby Oslo Opera House, but I did capture some of its fascinating interior details.
We also visited Frogner Park, which is home to over 200 sculptures of naked figures made of bronze, granite, and cast iron, all created by Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943). He not only sculpted these pieces but also designed the park itself. An area called the Monolith Plateau features a series of steps leading up to the Monolith totem, surrounded by 36 figure groups that represent the “circle of life,” showcasing people from infancy to old age and death.
The park’s most iconic attraction is the Monolith (Monolitten), a massive structure carved from a single piece of stone. Gustav Vigeland started modeling it out of clay in 1924, taking ten months to complete. It’s believed he used sketches from 1919 as a reference. After modeling, the sculpture was cast in plaster.
Another famous sculpture in the park is Angry Boy (Sinnataggen), which is a popular subject for photographs.
Another must-see in Oslo is the ski jump, located on a hill with stunning views over the city. This ski jump has been an Oslo landmark for a long time and was rebuilt in March 2010. It’s now one of the world’s most modern and uniquely designed ski jumps, with the start house standing 60 meters above the ground and the entire structure made from 100 tons of steel. It’s the only steel ski jump in the world. The surrounding area is perfect for skiing, walking, and other activities. Of course, the boys couldn’t resist a short sledding trip nearby, where we also spotted a charming little church.
I had a wonderful day in Oslo, especially enjoying a nice lunch with Sol in the harbor area. Sol was happy the sun was out after a long, cold winter, so we even sat outside with our warm jackets on.
Thank you, Sol, for your warm hospitality and for showing me around your beautiful city. I definitely want to come back sometime to explore more!
