On to Oslo

We enjoyed one last day at sea between Rotterdam and Oslo, Norway.  We love the sea days; we can sleep in a little, have a cup of coffee at leisure, then decide what activities to participate in until mealtime.

Bright and early on Friday, we approached Oslo through a long fiord before docking, just a ten minute walk from downtown.  We had chosen to take a walking tour of downtown Oslo so at the appointed time, we met our guide next to the ship.  There were  fifteen in our group, so we had no trouble keeping up with, or hearing our guide.  The tour had been advertised as "1.6 miles of walking over uneven pavement and some stair climbing", so we didn't have people with canes, walkers, etc. on the tour.

We stopped first at Oslo's City Hall with its astrological clock and the large assembly room where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded each year.  The other Nobel prizes, chemistry, physics, etc. are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden.  From there, we walked through downtown to the palace that is the home to the Norwegian King and Queen.  Like most of the countries in Europe, Norway has a "constitutional monarchy" in which the Royals are the ceremonial heads of state, but the country is run by an elected parliament.

Leaving the palace area, we walked by the Opera House to an old, large church which was closed.  We then passed by the oldest house in Oslo, built in 1516.  Wow, that's old!  But even older is the Akershus Castle, built on a hill overlooking the harbor around 1300.  In the 1400's, Norway became a province of Denmark, and was ruled by Danish Kings.  In 1624, a disastrous fire destroyed most of the old city which was built of wood.  King Christian IV of Denmark had the city rebuilt of stone across the river from the old location.  He also strengthened Akershus Castle to guard against the Swedes.  He renamed the town Christiania after himself.  Norway regained its independence in 1905, and in 1925, the name was changed back to Oslo.

From Akershus Castle, we could hear the music of marching bands.  We crossed over the moat surrounding the castle and there, on a large parade field, at least a dozen military marching bands were gathering for a "military tattoo".  It was a marching and music competition for the bands of several countries, including a colorfully dressed unit from South Korea.  From the field, they marched downtown in a parade.  Interestingly, even in  Scandinavia, John Phillip Sousa is the favorite composer.

We had an early departure from Oslo, so from the parade field we headed back to our ship and lunch.  Tomorrow is the end of the cruise in Copenhagen, so this afternoon is the time to repack our bags for departure.