Oslo

We took a bus from Elverum to Oslo yesterday and were lucky with the weather. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III the city is the oldest Scandinavian capital city. The town boomed until 1349 when bubonic plague wiped out half the population (damn Yersinia pestis).The city suffered several centuries until the Danish–Norwegian king Chrstian IV rebuilt the city as (modestly) Christiania. Norwegian independence was achieved in 1905, and the city reclaimed its original Norwegian name in 1925, Oslo.

After arriving in the central bus station (brand new) we travelled up Karl Johans Gate past Stortinget (Parliment) and to Oslo University. After receiving misleading directions from one bus driver, a local helped us find the right bus to Frognerparken. This park incorporates one of Oslo's most celebrated sculptors: Gustav Vigeland. He started work on the sculptors in 1924 and was still working on them when he died in 1943. It is a world of frowning, fighting bronze figures and a huge 20 meter high obelisk : a writhing mass of humanity playing fighting teaching , eating and clambering on and over each other. Incidentally, the northern part of the park has a dog off leash area.

We then travelled by bus up to Holmenkollen ski jump and the ski museum. Norwegians are very proud of their skiing heritage, and this is the first museum that Conlon actually wanted to visit (go figure). They had the first pair of skis every documented from 500 AD.

We have much more to see in Oslo, but came away with the impression of a clean, easy going city with great public transport and dog friendly (for those crazy people who travel with hunden).