Day 12 - Oslo, Norway (July 12th)

We docked directly beside Oslo's 700-year-old Akerhus Castle and bypassed the "Hop On Hop Off" bus (even though it stops dockside) because it was 175 Kroner ($33CDN) apiece. We'd read that bikes could be rented somewhere along Akerbrygge pier but no one in the area knew of any bike rental agencies so we flagged down a "Hop On Hop Off" bus instead (< pic left). This was not a pricey mistake. We thoroughly enjoyed the bus and felt that we made the most of our day in Oslo because of it.

After a tour through the downtown area, we jumped off at Vigeland Park. In the early 20th Century, Gustav Vigeland, a Norwegian sculptor was commissioned to beautify Oslo's Frogner Park with his human body sculptures (< pic below left). The park was completed after his death in 1943 and now displays over 200 of his most whimsical, uplifting and thought provoking creations. The most prominent sculpture is the Monolith, a 50-foot high beacon of entwined bodies representing man's creation. The most enjoyable sculptures for us though were the various fat babies with gleeful smiles and clumsy poses (pic right >). This wasn't Russia so we stopped under a shady tree for some Danish pastries and room service sandwiches (courtesy of Holland America). It was here that we saw one of the most peculiar dogs we'd ever seen. The owner was thrilled to engage us in conversation and was flattered that we took such interest in her mongrel dog. Apparently, the dog was found close to death while vacationing in Greece and was nursed back to health after being imported to Norway. So Vigeland Park was an uplifting experience not only for the inanimate objects that inspired joy but also for the acquaintances we made while there.

Next stop on the "Hop On Hop Off" bus was Bygdoy Peninsula. Oslo's greatest museums are located here in a rural setting not unlike Djurgarden in Stockholm. As we'd never seen a Viking ship before, we opted for the Viking Ship Museum (pic below). 3 of the best-preserved Viking ships in the world are housed here and staircases along the wall allowed us to get a bird's eye view of their insides. I couldn't fathom that such ships could sail across the same ocean that did the Titanic in. Time was running short so we flagged down the "Hop On Hop Off" bus and were happily surprised to see our tablemates Pearl, Alan, Carla and Gary on their second rotation of the 1 1/2 hour tour. Be careful not to get too deep into conversation when you're on the top of an open double-decker here. I was accosted by a hemlock tree and still have the faint marks on my head to prove it. We were cutting it tight but decided to jump off at City Hall and run up to Karl Johan's Gate (pic below right) to see Oslo's center of activity. An afternoon break for a local beer was getting to be a daily pastime of ours so we stopped at one of the busy sidewalk terraces. These long days of constant activity, late nights and little sleep obviously were catching up with me because I proceeded to fall asleep while Janet wrote more postcards. Apparently I sat there on full display with my mouth widely opened while locals walked by with a smirk. At least I was wearing my sunglasses.

Walking back to the ship, Janet realized she had forgotten to drop her postcards in a mailbox so she ran back up to City Hall while I sat near the fountains near the dock enjoying the good weather. On return to the fountain area, she couldn't find me so she rushed back to the ship and was panicked to find out from the crew that I hadn't embarked. Ship was leaving in 45 minutes. I had seen her running in the distance and tried to catch up with her but before I got on the ship I stopped in at the portside souvenir shop to use up the last few Kroner in my pocket. I found the most delightful female troll with the wickedest gray hair for 88 Kroner (pic below). Of the countless creatures staring at me from the shelf, she was begging the loudest for my attention. There were no homeless people in sight, so I spotted some children waiting to see the ship sail out and passed them my extra change. I've never seen such quizzical looks but seconds later as I looked back, I could see the children gleefully separating the money amongst themselves. Returning to the cabin, I found a wife who looked like she was on the brink of a heart attack. She thought I'd fallen asleep somewhere portside and didn't know what to do. Oops, I guess I should have run to the mailbox for her.

Having sailed on the Noordam the year prior, we were invited to the Mariner's Society Cocktail Reception for repeat Holland America cruisers. Cruisers win medals based on how many HAL sea days they've clocked up. We were shocked to hear numbers in the triple digits and even more shocked to realize that all they received was a medal! How can you serve a California Roll without avocado? Sushi had been non-existent on the Rotterdam until California Night at the Late-Night Buffet and it was the worst I'd ever tasted. Incidentally, what happened to the old days when these buffets stayed open till 1AM?