Day 2: Oslo - Thursday, Nov. 21

Today was a crash course in Norway’s maritime history, from the Vikings to the early polar explorers to Thor Heyerdahl’s infamous Kon-Tiki! I stood in awe at the hull of the Oseberg ship, the most lavishly decorated Viking ship ever found, built in AD820 - measuring 22 meters long, 5 meters wide, with 15 pairs of oar-holes & a 90m2 sail. I climbed inside the Fram, said to have sailed farther north (85°57'N) and farther south (78°41'S) than any other wooden ship, making expeditions to both the Arctic & the Antarctic. I walked through the tiny cabins, saw the instruments used in their scientific observations, read journal entries from long days at sea, imagining the horrendous conditions many of these sailors endured. I stepped into the dining room, where men gathered every evening to dine together, with a semi-automatic piano playing traditional Christmas songs - photos of sailors in their nightly routines of sewing repairs in socks & garments, recording observations, singing & playing games. I saw the large windmill that powered a generator providing them with lights & the engine room, initially fitted with a steam engine but replaced with Diesel prior to its Antarctic voyage. Captained by both Nansen & Amundsen, this 3 masted schooner measuring 39m in length was designed to keep a crew insulated & supplied for 5 years at sea.

Last in the string of Maritime museums was the wonderful Kon-Tiki. This delightful museum is home to the Koi-Tiki herself, the Ra, and countless bits of memorabilia from Thor Heyerdahl’s wild adventures & expeditions.  Trained in zoology & botany, passionate about ethnography, geography & seafaring exploration, he captivated the world by setting off from South America in a raft made of balsa wood, with no sailing experience & a phobia of water - spending 3 months drifting 5000 miles, using only currents & wind - eventually reaching the Tuamotu Islands - proving it was possible for ancient people to reach Polynesia from South America.  Heyerdahl was a lifelong lover of the natural world and advocate for environmental conservation.  The photos of Polynesia in the 1950’s, original footage of finally making land, along with stories of an ocean once teeming with life, was both intoxicating & heartbreaking.  A magical experience for me.

Finished up the rainy day with a visit to the Royal Palace & Nobel Peace Center.

weather:  37 degrees F

precipitation:  rain