No I am not in Richmond, silly. I am in the capitol of Norway, Oslo. Norwegian poet Bjornsterne Bjornson described the city then as dangerous, cold and challenging symbolised by a tiger attacking a horse. Overtime the meaning evolved from one of danger to a symbol of the city’s dynamic, exciting and vibrant
character. Despite the nearest Tiger in the wild being half a planet away, standing proud outside the Central Railway station is a huge bronze statue of the city’s emblem, the tiger. Suzanne and I rub its nose for luck and head off to our spacious Central City apartment.
Oslo is a very walkable city and we drop our bags in our apartment at 4:30 pm and take advantage of sunshine and blue skies to catch the city sights close to our apartment.
The next morning more typical overcast conditions greet us as we continue our walking tour. First stop was the large, ultramodern opera house. Completed in 2007 the concept is to make it appear as though it arises out of the fjord. Constructed out of Italian white marble the design allows for the general public to walk up to the roof and enjoy views of Oslo.
Adjacent is the Munch museum, dedicated to Norway’s best known Edvard Munch. Everyone would be familiar with the “scream” series of paintings completed a century ago. Amazingly there are only 3 up for exhibition here and it is in a hall unlike anything I have ever seen. I did not know this but he painted these on paper and cardboard and they are deteriorating especially on exposure to light. So in this darkened room are 3 behind closed doors and only one opening at any time for viewing. Nonetheless these are
iconic artworks and not to be missed. He was also a prolific artist and his nudes and people pictures are fascinating. I am not an expert but his brushstrokes and use of light reminds me of the Impressionists a genre that I love.
We swing by the Nobel Peace prize hall in the drizzle and the rain intensifies for our visit to the Royal Palace to see a soggy changing of the guard ceremony.
I had pre-booked a fjord cruise in the Oslo fjord and despite the constant rain it was both scenic and enjoyable. We completed our Oslo stay with dinner at a Michelin starred restaurant for a six course degustation and wine pairing. Both were spectacular and worth the obscene bill at the end.
My observations on Norway and Oslo in particular are highly positive. The friendly customs officer at the airport engaged in small talk and with a broad smile said “Welcome to the Kingdom of Norway”. The airport is ultra quiet and there are only 2 international aircraft at the terminal. The transport system is seamless and efficient. The city is spotlessly clean and the streets are all quiet as this place is ultra “green” and all the vehicles are silent electrically powered. There is one downside, everything is ferociously expensive with prices varying from 25-50% higher than in Australia. It is one of those places where it is better not to do the conversion as you pay for things but survey the beating that the credit card
takes at the end of the trip. I am not planning to retire in the near future but the cost of this place will move that retirement back even further.
One reply on “Tiger city”
Edvard Munch was actually an Expressionist artist. In fact he was regarded as the Father of Expressionism. He was influenced by the impressionists but took his art one step further towards abstract and created the Expressionist movement.