Cruise, Day 3: Oslo, Norway

Today was our first of 6 port-o-calls: Oslo, Norway, from 7a – 4p. We had a Viking Heritage 5-hour tour that gave us wonderful highlights of the city:

Our first stop was the Holmenkollen ski jump outside the city, built in 1892 at 60 meters tall and with a spectacular view of the fjord and city of Oslo.

Then we stopped at the Vigeland Sculpture Park, Norway’s most visited attraction, with sculptures in bronze, granite and iron. Once I publish my photo album, you’ll see how Gustav Vigeland depicted different aspects of human life. Unbelievable. Worth the entire cruise thus far!

The Viking Ship Museum gave us up close and personal views of the 1200-year-old boats, demonstrating daring initiative and shipbuilding artisanship.

Next door was the Open-Air Folk Museum, consisting of 150 buildings showing the way town and country people used to live in bygone days.

Back at the cruise terminal, where the ship docked, is the Akerhus Fortress from the 13^th century. It was also a great vantage point for taking photos of our Jewel of the Seas.

What a gorgeous, sunny day for our first excursion! We were in heaven, to be sure.

[I neglected to tell you yesterday that our wireless connection on board is costing $.33/minute…when it works! So in order to conserve resources, I’m cutting blogging corners to basically post (writing up the text in Word beforehand!). Maybe when at sea again all day, after Copenhagen, I can have a fast stretch of catching up on all my Blogger friends. Please know I’m not forgetting you and am actually missing you.]