Oslo: Day 2
My second day in Oslo was devoted to two things: art and exploring the city itself; or one could say artfully exploring the city. I started off with a self-guided walking tour around the comfortably compact downtown area. The city was as clean and tidy as one would expect, but what I found a bit disconcerting was the number of junkies I encountered throughout my walk. I had noticed them the previous day at the train station, but I had chalked it up to the sad fact that oftentimes, that is where those living on the fringes of society tend to congregate. I should quickly point out that at no point did I feel threatened or in any kind of danger, it just struck me as such an odd dichotomy between the stereo-type of the hale and hearty Viking and those sunken-eyed lost souls that seemed to be simply everywhere.
My walking tour lead me to The National Gallery, where I had my first chance to see Edvard Munch's iconic painting, The Scream. I say it was my first chance, because Munch, being a bit on the obsessive side, kept painting the Scream over and over until he was satisfied with the results. Later in the day, when I visited The Munch Museum, I saw my second version of The Scream, along with several preliminary attempts where he explored similar themes of angst and alienation. Our guide at the Munch Museum explained that there are 5 known versions of his most famous work: 2 at the National Gallery, 2 at the Munch Museum and 1 belonging to a wealthy family and presently at the crux of an ugly estate battle between brothers. One thing the guide did not mention, but my guide book did, is that both of the museums have had a version of the Scream stolen and eventually returned. No wonder that they now had such strict security measures in place.
I followed up the Screams, with a late-afternoon picnic in one of many open squares. It wasn't that I was feeling particularly whimsical or out-doorsy at the moment, it was just that, in case I did not emphasize it enough in my last post, the restaurant prices in Norway are certifiably insane and it was a nice day, so why not enjoy it? It also gave me a nice opportunity to watch the mingling of locals and tourists, easily differentiated by the tourists all clutching maps in this, the city of no directional signs.
After some more post-picnic strolling through the city and a very quick run through the Nobel Peace Prize Museum, I went to City Hall for a guided tour of its artwork (this being the day devoted to the city and to art, after all). The rest of the city's tourist population had different ideas of how to spend the late afternoon (or perhaps had lost their maps) because come tour time, I was the only one there. I have been in this situation before and always feel as if I am putting the guide out by having them do what is essentially a private tour, so I tried to gracefully back out, but my guide was not having it. For about an hour, she showed me around the building, starting in the main hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented each year and leading me through both official and ceremonial halls, all covered in art work which spoke to the history of the Norwegian people. Perhaps it was the benefit of having a private guide, but I found myself more impressed with the works on display here than those in the National Gallery of Art. To see such bold and almost defiantly secular works inside a government building was refreshing and a lesson in the true meaning of the division of church and state. As if to make sure that the cherry was placed atop the cake, my guide finished off the tour by inviting me to come up to the bell tower to listen to a carillon concert while enjoying the best view in all of this city. This is something that is available to all visitors, for free (!!) but for some odd reason is not mentioned in any guidebooks or websites (until now, I guess). Best of all from that vantage point, it was easy to check out which waterfront bars are filling up for happy hour. All in an effort to continue artfully exploring the city, of course...
Strolling down Karl Johan Street.
A look at traditional Norwegian Dress as opposed to my own less traditional look in the reflection.
Heading down into the metro.
An early version of Edvard Munch's famous "Scream".
Munch's self-portrait wherein he examines his own mortality.
A reflection of the Munch Museum itself repeating the pattern found on the sheets in the self-portrait seen above.
The city as seen from the top of City Hall.
This photo taken at approximately 8pm and check out how much sunlight there still is.
Enjoying a $10 beer by the waterfront.
Today's Norway encompasses a richer blend of cultures than ever before.
My walking tour lead me to The National Gallery, where I had my first chance to see Edvard Munch's iconic painting, The Scream. I say it was my first chance, because Munch, being a bit on the obsessive side, kept painting the Scream over and over until he was satisfied with the results. Later in the day, when I visited The Munch Museum, I saw my second version of The Scream, along with several preliminary attempts where he explored similar themes of angst and alienation. Our guide at the Munch Museum explained that there are 5 known versions of his most famous work: 2 at the National Gallery, 2 at the Munch Museum and 1 belonging to a wealthy family and presently at the crux of an ugly estate battle between brothers. One thing the guide did not mention, but my guide book did, is that both of the museums have had a version of the Scream stolen and eventually returned. No wonder that they now had such strict security measures in place.
I followed up the Screams, with a late-afternoon picnic in one of many open squares. It wasn't that I was feeling particularly whimsical or out-doorsy at the moment, it was just that, in case I did not emphasize it enough in my last post, the restaurant prices in Norway are certifiably insane and it was a nice day, so why not enjoy it? It also gave me a nice opportunity to watch the mingling of locals and tourists, easily differentiated by the tourists all clutching maps in this, the city of no directional signs.
After some more post-picnic strolling through the city and a very quick run through the Nobel Peace Prize Museum, I went to City Hall for a guided tour of its artwork (this being the day devoted to the city and to art, after all). The rest of the city's tourist population had different ideas of how to spend the late afternoon (or perhaps had lost their maps) because come tour time, I was the only one there. I have been in this situation before and always feel as if I am putting the guide out by having them do what is essentially a private tour, so I tried to gracefully back out, but my guide was not having it. For about an hour, she showed me around the building, starting in the main hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented each year and leading me through both official and ceremonial halls, all covered in art work which spoke to the history of the Norwegian people. Perhaps it was the benefit of having a private guide, but I found myself more impressed with the works on display here than those in the National Gallery of Art. To see such bold and almost defiantly secular works inside a government building was refreshing and a lesson in the true meaning of the division of church and state. As if to make sure that the cherry was placed atop the cake, my guide finished off the tour by inviting me to come up to the bell tower to listen to a carillon concert while enjoying the best view in all of this city. This is something that is available to all visitors, for free (!!) but for some odd reason is not mentioned in any guidebooks or websites (until now, I guess). Best of all from that vantage point, it was easy to check out which waterfront bars are filling up for happy hour. All in an effort to continue artfully exploring the city, of course...
Strolling down Karl Johan Street.
A look at traditional Norwegian Dress as opposed to my own less traditional look in the reflection.
Heading down into the metro.
An early version of Edvard Munch's famous "Scream".
Munch's self-portrait wherein he examines his own mortality.
A reflection of the Munch Museum itself repeating the pattern found on the sheets in the self-portrait seen above.
The city as seen from the top of City Hall.
This photo taken at approximately 8pm and check out how much sunlight there still is.
Enjoying a $10 beer by the waterfront.
Today's Norway encompasses a richer blend of cultures than ever before.
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