On Art, Culture, and History
Morning dawned in Geiranger and we said goodbye to Norway's western fjords and turistveger. Our holiday now transitions to the cities where art, architecture, culture, and history reign supreme. But first we need to get there.
We depart Geirangerfjord via RV63 to E15 on the way to Lillehammer. We had driven so many miles up to this point that a couple of easy days were welcome. Once we got east of Lom, it dawned on me that we had just entered that part of Norway that could be the Columbia Gorge's doppelganger. In fact, if it weren't for the Norwegian road signs, we could just as well have been driving east on SR-14 towards Hood River in Washington. We only had one planned stop en route, the FLOKK Skulptorstopp in Sor-Fron. I had seen pictures of the herd of bronze statues and wanted to see them for myself. I can only imagine how an explorer way into the future would interpret these figures that seem to sprout from the ground. After a nice "stretch-our-legs" walk to FLOKK, we piled back into the car and continued on to Lillehammer.
We checked into the Stasjonen Hostel, uniquely located in the train station, for the night and then headed out to Olympiaparken because I wanted to see the ski jump hills at Lysgardsbakkene where we climbed 936 steps to the top of the 120 m hill. You know what? Ski jumpers are CRAZY. The chute is high and long, the landing hill is steep - even the "shorter" 90 m hill is insane. It really makes you appreciate the heart and drive of Eddie the Eagle. After climbing down, we headed back into town in search of dinner. Our first choice, Lillehammer Bryggeri, where mysterious yet intriguing elgsnadder was on the menu, was closed so we went to Heim Gastrobar instead and had a lovely meal. We never did find out what elgsnadder was and according to Google Translate, elgsnadder is....elgsnadder in English.
The next day was our last morning with the car since our next destinations were Oslo followed by Copenhagen and a car would be more of a hindrance. It was an easy drive from Lillehammer to Oslo Gardermoen where we dropped the car at Hertz and took the train to Oslo Central Station where we purchased 24-hour Oslo Passes before getting on the 31 Bus to Frogner where we intended to drop our bags at the reception of Frogner House Apartments since we were early for check-in. It was a nice surprise to find that our apartment was ready. Once our bags were dropped off, we took the 12 tram to Aker Brygge so we could tour Akershus Castle before it closed. Alas, the grounds were open but the castle itself was closed for an official event. We walked around the grounds looking at the rather, um, interesting works in the summer sculpture garden before boarding a ferry to Bygdoy to visit some museums. Our first stop was the Viking Ship Museum where we admired the incredibly preserved ships and artifacts and pondered how Viking royalty found servants and lords/ladies-in-waiting in the afterlife. I mean someone still has to farm and prepare the items buried with them, right? Our next stop was the Kon-Tiki Museum which surpassed what I expected. I have not read the book but I knew that Thor Heyerdahl was "the guy with the raft". The museum exhibits gave some nice and interesting context around the Kon-Tiki expedition and Heyerdahl's further adventures without straying to much into the cheesy. Once we finished with both museums, most of the other attractions were closed so we took the ferry back to Aker Brygge and returned to the apartment to relax a little before our reservations at Solsiden. We had read so many good reviews about the seafood at Solsiden that we made reservations for the one evening we had in Oslo. The food was fantastic but what happened when we got the check was bizarre and off-putting. Our server went out of his way to "explain" to us that service wasn't included and that we should add it in to the total even going so far as saying that service was only included in the US and Canada and it was customary in Europe to add it to the total of the check. What? This was opposite to all our previous experience in Europe and Scandinavia so naturally we questioned it but he insisted and hovered while we paid the bill. Needless to say, this server got the lowest "extra" out of every other place we ate in Norway where we usually rounded up 5-10%.
Our final day in Norway started with pastries and coffee picked up from the bakery close to our apartment. Today's theme was "Art". We left our bags at reception and walked through Frogner, past the Royal Palace and grounds to the National Gallery. Our objective, of course, was Munch's Scream and his other works. The gallery was very nicely laid out and was just big enough to see without getting what I call "museum paralysis", that feeling you get when there is just too much. They even had some of my favorite Impressionist works on display. The Nobel Peace Center was next. It was small and had very interesting displays, especially the current exhibit focusing on the controversy around awarding the prize to Carl von Ossietzky in 1935. Finally it was time. Time for what? To see the one thing in Oslo that EVERYONE *cough*BeccaMomDadBrian*cough* says to see: Vigelund's sculptures on the "Human Condition" at Frogner Park. And it was as impressive as expected.
After exploring Vigelund's life work, we had just enough time to fetch our bags and see the Opera House before we had to board the overnight DFDS ferry to Copenhagen. We had an incredible nine days in Norway and really lucked out with the weather. The mist started rolling in as our ferry left port. Onward to Copenhagen!
Our ferry docked in Copenhagen around 10 AM the next morning. We had opted to pay extra for the shuttle to Tivoli instead of getting off at the Norreport Station so we could purchase our 48-hour Copenhagen Cards before boarding the S-trains or Metro. Cards in hand, we took the metro to Fredriksberg to our Air BNB by the Copenhagen Business School. With bags deposited, we took the metro back into town to Kongsberg Nytorv and walked to Christiansborg Palace where we toured the reception rooms, the ruins, and the palace kitchens. All that copper cookware...be still my heart. By the time we had finished at Christiansborg, it was getting warm. We had arrived in Denmark just in time for a heat wave where they were expecting temperatures in excess of 85 degrees. No better time than now to take a canal tour. We boarded the boat at Gamle Strand after purchasing some lovely beverages on the dock and settled in for a one hour tour, a one hour tour. The weather...oh wait. Sorry, I forgot myself a bit there. The grand tour took us past all the highlights including Nyhavn, the underwhelming Little Mermaid, Castle Island, Christiania, and Christianshavn where an obliging fellow launched a cannonball into the canal splashing the entire right side of the boat. Some fellow passengers were upset but as the temperatures were inching towards "face of the sun" levels, it felt pretty good to me. At the end of the tour, we had just enough time to tour Rosenborg castle and see the Crown Jewels before they closed.
With touring done for the day, we returned to the apartment to change for dinner at 108. Why 108? Because we couldn't get into noma? We did try to get reservations to noma but as most people know, they are near impossible to get. As tables opened up closer to August, we had the option of booking the community table but decided that we wanted something a little less challenging and intellectual (from a food standpoint) whilst on vacation. Then noma announced the opening of 108, a more casual sister restaurant headed by alumni. We hemmed and hawed and finally booked. And oh boy, was it worth it!
So what did we have? From left to right: 1. Braised oxtail w/ pine, lamb tartare w/ pickles, cured mackerel w/ gooseberries; 2. Les Petites Fleurs Gamay, house baked sourdough w/ salted whipped cream; 3. Toasted barley ice cream w/ hazelnuts in a sourdough cone, caramelized milk skin w/ pork belly and greens, the grilled onion and foraged green salad served with the family style lamb, roast lamb w/ miso glaze, smoked butter, and elderflower capers; 4. Spiced blueberries w/ toasted seaweed & ale cream, raspberries w/ fudge and a rose granita. With happy bellies and mouths, we strolled back through Nyhavn to take the metro home.
Our final day in Copenhagen and Mother Nature was promising 30 degree temperatures (in Celsius). Oof! The only set plan was to take the train to Helsingor to tour Kronborg Castle. I had read that Kronborg, being the inspiration for Hamlet's Elsinore, has a program called Hamlet Live where actors randomly erupt into scenes from the Bard's masterpiece as you tour the castle and grounds. Being a Shakespeare geek, that was totally in my wheelhouse. We got to the castle in time to see Hamlet's soliloquy being performed in the ballroom. Let's watch....and listen...
Are you still with me? OK then. What WAS that? There *is* something rotten in the state of Denmark! If you were able to get through the whole soliloquy, bless you. If you need a cleanse, click here. Go on. I'll wait...
Now that we're all violently agreeing that while Shakespeare is better performed, all performed Shakespeare isn't necessarily better. Not wanting to see more carnage, we carried on with our tour. While Kronborg is spectacular from the outside with great views of the ocean from the tower, the inside was very underwhelming. It was missing the opulence and richness we've become used to seeing in European castles. The casements and dungeons were kind of cool but all in all, it was a resounding meh.
Back on the train to Copenhagen with a whole afternoon of wandering ahead of us and the pastries we had for breakfast a mere memory, we decided to have lunch at War Pigs. Yep, we were eating BBQ in Denmark and it was delicious. We must be ready to come home. The craft brew, a collaboration between Mikkeller and 3-Floyd's was great as well. After lunch, we wandered over to Torvehallerne Market to check out the food stalls and then down to Christianshavn to work off our lunch by climbing the 400 steps to the spire of the Church of our Saviour. Truly a dizzying climb but the panoramic view at the top was phenomenal.
Once we returned to earth, we walked to Papiroen and enjoyed some ice cream along the canal then to the regular Mikkeller Bar to cap off our fantastic fourteen days with a nice beer.
Fin
Return To: Adventures in OSD
We depart Geirangerfjord via RV63 to E15 on the way to Lillehammer. We had driven so many miles up to this point that a couple of easy days were welcome. Once we got east of Lom, it dawned on me that we had just entered that part of Norway that could be the Columbia Gorge's doppelganger. In fact, if it weren't for the Norwegian road signs, we could just as well have been driving east on SR-14 towards Hood River in Washington. We only had one planned stop en route, the FLOKK Skulptorstopp in Sor-Fron. I had seen pictures of the herd of bronze statues and wanted to see them for myself. I can only imagine how an explorer way into the future would interpret these figures that seem to sprout from the ground. After a nice "stretch-our-legs" walk to FLOKK, we piled back into the car and continued on to Lillehammer.
We checked into the Stasjonen Hostel, uniquely located in the train station, for the night and then headed out to Olympiaparken because I wanted to see the ski jump hills at Lysgardsbakkene where we climbed 936 steps to the top of the 120 m hill. You know what? Ski jumpers are CRAZY. The chute is high and long, the landing hill is steep - even the "shorter" 90 m hill is insane. It really makes you appreciate the heart and drive of Eddie the Eagle. After climbing down, we headed back into town in search of dinner. Our first choice, Lillehammer Bryggeri, where mysterious yet intriguing elgsnadder was on the menu, was closed so we went to Heim Gastrobar instead and had a lovely meal. We never did find out what elgsnadder was and according to Google Translate, elgsnadder is....elgsnadder in English.
The next day was our last morning with the car since our next destinations were Oslo followed by Copenhagen and a car would be more of a hindrance. It was an easy drive from Lillehammer to Oslo Gardermoen where we dropped the car at Hertz and took the train to Oslo Central Station where we purchased 24-hour Oslo Passes before getting on the 31 Bus to Frogner where we intended to drop our bags at the reception of Frogner House Apartments since we were early for check-in. It was a nice surprise to find that our apartment was ready. Once our bags were dropped off, we took the 12 tram to Aker Brygge so we could tour Akershus Castle before it closed. Alas, the grounds were open but the castle itself was closed for an official event. We walked around the grounds looking at the rather, um, interesting works in the summer sculpture garden before boarding a ferry to Bygdoy to visit some museums. Our first stop was the Viking Ship Museum where we admired the incredibly preserved ships and artifacts and pondered how Viking royalty found servants and lords/ladies-in-waiting in the afterlife. I mean someone still has to farm and prepare the items buried with them, right? Our next stop was the Kon-Tiki Museum which surpassed what I expected. I have not read the book but I knew that Thor Heyerdahl was "the guy with the raft". The museum exhibits gave some nice and interesting context around the Kon-Tiki expedition and Heyerdahl's further adventures without straying to much into the cheesy. Once we finished with both museums, most of the other attractions were closed so we took the ferry back to Aker Brygge and returned to the apartment to relax a little before our reservations at Solsiden. We had read so many good reviews about the seafood at Solsiden that we made reservations for the one evening we had in Oslo. The food was fantastic but what happened when we got the check was bizarre and off-putting. Our server went out of his way to "explain" to us that service wasn't included and that we should add it in to the total even going so far as saying that service was only included in the US and Canada and it was customary in Europe to add it to the total of the check. What? This was opposite to all our previous experience in Europe and Scandinavia so naturally we questioned it but he insisted and hovered while we paid the bill. Needless to say, this server got the lowest "extra" out of every other place we ate in Norway where we usually rounded up 5-10%.
Our final day in Norway started with pastries and coffee picked up from the bakery close to our apartment. Today's theme was "Art". We left our bags at reception and walked through Frogner, past the Royal Palace and grounds to the National Gallery. Our objective, of course, was Munch's Scream and his other works. The gallery was very nicely laid out and was just big enough to see without getting what I call "museum paralysis", that feeling you get when there is just too much. They even had some of my favorite Impressionist works on display. The Nobel Peace Center was next. It was small and had very interesting displays, especially the current exhibit focusing on the controversy around awarding the prize to Carl von Ossietzky in 1935. Finally it was time. Time for what? To see the one thing in Oslo that EVERYONE *cough*BeccaMomDadBrian*cough* says to see: Vigelund's sculptures on the "Human Condition" at Frogner Park. And it was as impressive as expected.
After exploring Vigelund's life work, we had just enough time to fetch our bags and see the Opera House before we had to board the overnight DFDS ferry to Copenhagen. We had an incredible nine days in Norway and really lucked out with the weather. The mist started rolling in as our ferry left port. Onward to Copenhagen!
Our ferry docked in Copenhagen around 10 AM the next morning. We had opted to pay extra for the shuttle to Tivoli instead of getting off at the Norreport Station so we could purchase our 48-hour Copenhagen Cards before boarding the S-trains or Metro. Cards in hand, we took the metro to Fredriksberg to our Air BNB by the Copenhagen Business School. With bags deposited, we took the metro back into town to Kongsberg Nytorv and walked to Christiansborg Palace where we toured the reception rooms, the ruins, and the palace kitchens. All that copper cookware...be still my heart. By the time we had finished at Christiansborg, it was getting warm. We had arrived in Denmark just in time for a heat wave where they were expecting temperatures in excess of 85 degrees. No better time than now to take a canal tour. We boarded the boat at Gamle Strand after purchasing some lovely beverages on the dock and settled in for a one hour tour, a one hour tour. The weather...oh wait. Sorry, I forgot myself a bit there. The grand tour took us past all the highlights including Nyhavn, the underwhelming Little Mermaid, Castle Island, Christiania, and Christianshavn where an obliging fellow launched a cannonball into the canal splashing the entire right side of the boat. Some fellow passengers were upset but as the temperatures were inching towards "face of the sun" levels, it felt pretty good to me. At the end of the tour, we had just enough time to tour Rosenborg castle and see the Crown Jewels before they closed.
With touring done for the day, we returned to the apartment to change for dinner at 108. Why 108? Because we couldn't get into noma? We did try to get reservations to noma but as most people know, they are near impossible to get. As tables opened up closer to August, we had the option of booking the community table but decided that we wanted something a little less challenging and intellectual (from a food standpoint) whilst on vacation. Then noma announced the opening of 108, a more casual sister restaurant headed by alumni. We hemmed and hawed and finally booked. And oh boy, was it worth it!
Our final day in Copenhagen and Mother Nature was promising 30 degree temperatures (in Celsius). Oof! The only set plan was to take the train to Helsingor to tour Kronborg Castle. I had read that Kronborg, being the inspiration for Hamlet's Elsinore, has a program called Hamlet Live where actors randomly erupt into scenes from the Bard's masterpiece as you tour the castle and grounds. Being a Shakespeare geek, that was totally in my wheelhouse. We got to the castle in time to see Hamlet's soliloquy being performed in the ballroom. Let's watch....and listen...
Now that we're all violently agreeing that while Shakespeare is better performed, all performed Shakespeare isn't necessarily better. Not wanting to see more carnage, we carried on with our tour. While Kronborg is spectacular from the outside with great views of the ocean from the tower, the inside was very underwhelming. It was missing the opulence and richness we've become used to seeing in European castles. The casements and dungeons were kind of cool but all in all, it was a resounding meh.
Back on the train to Copenhagen with a whole afternoon of wandering ahead of us and the pastries we had for breakfast a mere memory, we decided to have lunch at War Pigs. Yep, we were eating BBQ in Denmark and it was delicious. We must be ready to come home. The craft brew, a collaboration between Mikkeller and 3-Floyd's was great as well. After lunch, we wandered over to Torvehallerne Market to check out the food stalls and then down to Christianshavn to work off our lunch by climbing the 400 steps to the spire of the Church of our Saviour. Truly a dizzying climb but the panoramic view at the top was phenomenal.
Once we returned to earth, we walked to Papiroen and enjoyed some ice cream along the canal then to the regular Mikkeller Bar to cap off our fantastic fourteen days with a nice beer.
Fin
Return To: Adventures in OSD
Labels: Denmark, Norway, Overseas Delivery, Scandinavia, Volvo
posted by Raquel at 12:16 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home