Peaceful Norway
Central West Oslo – 28th May
We took our raincoats for a train ride back to Central Oslo, but this time we went West and didn’t need our raincoats at all, in fact it was a scorcher of a day requiring refreshments and an ice cream. I hate to think what the sugar tax was on the ice cream, but it was way too sweet for us.
Our first stop was the Royal Palace and the 54 acre garden. This is the official residence of the current Norwegian Monarch; he wasn’t hanging out of any windows today so we didn’t get to him. We did however see the daily changing of the guard which is done with less pomp and ceremony than the Danes, it only requires one guard on each station not 10, and the hats although just as silly are not so large and weighty.
Next stop was Studentlunder Garden and Karl Johans Gate, gate means street. The gardens were small and being Oslo had the obligatory bronze statues for pigeons to sit and defecate on. The street is known for pavement dining at cafes and restaurant, but then again you can do this practically anywhere in Central Oslo. My favourite of our three refreshment stops today was the bakery at the National Theatre Train Station; it had every French pastry conceivable plus many more.
Our third stop was the Nobel Peace Prize Museum. Alfred Nobel was Swedish, invented dynamite along with many other things (he held 355 patents), and on his death bequeathed his large fortune to the Nobel Prize Foundation. He proposed 5 categories, one of them being the Nobel Peace Prize for: the person or society that renders the greatest service to the cause of international fraternity, in the suppression or reduction of standing armies, or in the establishment or furtherance of peace congresses.
As per Nobel’s request all of the prizes are awarded in Sweden except the Peace Prize which is awarded by a Norwegian Committee in Oslo. We learned about Alfred Nobel and the Peace Prize, with an added exhibition about Yoko Ono and the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi. The photos below are from the Yoko Ono exhibition, you are supposed to make something from the broken plates with string and cellotape and leave an inspiring message, the jigsaw puzzler in me just wanted to piece them all back together again.
While consuming our overly sweet ice creams we researched why 4 American presidents had received the Nobel Peace Prize. Barack Obama accepted the award while being the Commander-in-Chief of the USA, who was involved in two conflicts at the time; apparently, like the Crusades, they were wars of ‘Just cause’. Not much different than Alfred Nobel who established a Peace Prize from money earned from dynamite which was used to kill people.
Our last stop of the day was to the Akershus Festning, Fortress and Castle, with great views over the harbour. It’s really old, but well maintained and they allow you walk around most of the fortress for free.
Today’s ABBA tribute is ‘On and on and on’ (1980) for all the peace and human rights activists.
Something bad is happening
I’m sure you do agree
People care for nothing
No respect for human rights
Evil times are coming
We are in for darker nights?
[Below is the picture of the tiger referred to in yesterday’s ABBA tribute]
