We have really enjoyed Stockholm and Copenhagen, but both agree that Oslo is our favorite. Their Viking museum is outstanding. Even though there are only three, ships in this museum seem in much better shape than those we saw in Denmark. Vikings buried important people in their ships, and that is what these were used for. Valuable possessions, including horses, pets and slaves were included in the burial. Supposedly it was a great honor to be buried in such a way. I wonder if the slaves agreed with that assessment.
A cart found in one of the ships. Another display was of a beautiful sled. The carvings are incredible. These items were recovered over 100 years ago, and the techniques used to preserve them were not as sophisticated as we have today. In fact, not only are these items slowly decaying, the little coloration left on them has been destroyed. Archaeologists think that these items were originally decorated with beautiful and vivid colors. There are other burial ships out there, but these are being left buried in the blue clay until someone comes up with a better preservation plan.
Ever read the book Kon-Tiki? Well you can see the actual boat in Oslo. Norwegians were great explorers. We also visited the Fram exhibit where you can see "The Fram", a famous Arctic/Antarctic vessel used by Amundsen and others.
Inside the opera house I talked about yesterday. Tours were available, but not at a convenient time for us.
Climbing to the top of the opera house. From there the view is incredible, with people looking like ants crawling on the white marble slabs below.
We took a Rick Steves recommended walk through Oslo, and ran into this beautiful old cemetery. Ibsen and Munch, just to name a few famous Norwegians, are buried here.
And then there was this waterfall right in the middle of the city.
Vera "fainting" on the fainting couch in the hotel.
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