What Rain?
Central East Oslo – 27th May
We started our exploration of Oslo today by catching the train to Central East Oslo. Our first visiting point was the Oslo Opera House, not too far from the train station. In keeping with our Scandinavian activity of walking on the roofs of significant buildings, we climbed the marble-clad opera house roof with only a small number of people, even though there was a cruise ship in dock, because it was drizzling. We bravely walked up the slopes to the top but as the roof became a fast flowing river we opted for the stairs on the way down. Great views, although the roof is not as exciting as the Sydney Opera House, but then again they wanted it to blend it and look merely like an iceberg rising out of the fjord.
Oslo is known for many things, one of them being the sculptures and statues placed through the city and parks. Our next and last visit in Central East Oslo was Ekebergparken, a sculpture park, high on a hill looking out over the harbour. We set off walking knowing it would take 30 minutes however the weather took a turn for the worse with thunder, lightning and very very frightening torrential rain. In the photo you can see the rain pouring down the slanted windows [Ed – oi! This is an Abba-centric blog]
After waiting outside a butchery, that sold dried aged cuts of meat proudly displayed in the window, we made a dash to the Joe and the Juice cafe for lunch. I got an avocado toasted sandwich (538 Kcal) and Roger the turkey sandwich (499 Kcal), the fat conscious Norwegians are obviously concerned with their calorie count as the menu board placed more emphasis on that than the price. Roger managed to get a flat white that was the best he has had in Scandinavia so far.
The rain stopped and the sun came out so we went sculpture hunting. We had a little distraction on the way because the trams were queuing up while the maintenance guy cleared the blocked drain to release all the surface flooding. Obviously they don’t get torrential downpours often, or the maintenance guy was new and didn’t know putting his hand down a road drain in not likely to clear it.
The sculptures in the Ekebergparken were kindly funded by Mr Ringnes, off Ringnes Brewery fame. He paid millions of dollars to buy 31 sculptures and to provide for a lot more in the future. I’m not sure who chose them but a lot are not child friendly. We got our exercise for the day walking up and down the hill, saved on tram tickets, found a geocache and dried out, as much as you can with high humidity.
Today’s ABBA tribute is ‘Tiger’ (1976), for Oslo, also known as the Tiger City. There are no real tigers in Oslo, just a giant statute outside the central train station, however some author in 1870 nicknamed Oslo the Tiger City because his perception of the city was that it was a ‘cold and dangerous’ place.
The city is a jungle, you’d better take care
Never walk alone after midnight
If you don’t believe me, you’d better beware
Of me
I am behind you, I always find you
I am the tiger
People who fear me never come near me
I am the tiger