Pulpit Rock Cruise

Thank goodness I was feeling better because I was so looking forward to our excursion this afternoon. Tim and I had booked a cruise to Preikestolen, or Pulpit Rock, one of Norway’s iconic destinations.

We boarded our sightseeing boat and set off into the Stavanger archipelago. As we left the archipelago, we entered Lysefjord. Its name (“light fjord”) comes from the lightly colored granite rock rising from the water. The fjord was gorgeous, and we enjoyed gazing at the idyllic islands, old farms, and local wildlife. The scenery was simply stunning.

Our Sightseeing Boat

Beautiful Already

Breathtaking Scenery

Pretty Cabins

The Scenery Just Keeps Getting Better

Getting Ready to Cruise Under the Lysefjord Bridge

A Fjord Formed by Glaciers

Steep Granite Mountains

After disembarking at Helleren for waffles with cream and sweet jam, we reboarded our boat to head farther into the fjord. We soon edged close to land where we were able to observe a family of goats. Apparently, the goats are quite familiar with the boats and come down to greet each one. Why, you might ask? It’s simple – passengers are encouraged to throw food to them. I’m not sure that’s the greatest idea, but the goats were certainly cute!

Yum!

Goats!

It Was Chilly on the Water

We soon came within sight of Pulpit Rock, an incredible rock formation that juts out above the fjord. Pulpit Rock, towering nearly 2,000 feet above the water, is a popular destination for hikers. Although the rock is impressive, what we were able to see from our boat was certainly different from the iconic view on every brochure!

Can You Find Pulpit Rock in the Center Photograph?

The Iconic View of Pulpit Rock on Every Brochure (Photo Courtesy of Fjord,com)

One of the fun parts of our cruise occurred when we sailed directly underneath one of the area’s towering waterfalls. The crew handed out cups so passengers could catch a drink of ice cold, glacier water.  People went out on deck to try their luck and returned inside wet, but laughing!  Even Tim participated in the fun and was successful.

Let's Get a Drink and Get Wet!

Gamle Stavanger On My Own

Stavanger is a southern port in Norway, and its Gamle Stavanger, or Old Town, is lined with the continent’s highest concentration of wooden buildings that date to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Neither Tim nor I had signed up for a morning tour, which turned out to be just as well.

Tim offered to walk into town to find a pharmacy for me, and he was able to explore some of the city as he wandered through the streets, looking for the right one. I was the beneficiary of his efforts, as he brought me a bag full of over-the-counter cold remedies. The extra strong cough drops worked very well, but the star was Zyrtec. I had always thought Zyrtec was for allergies, but it relieved my symptoms almost instantly. It was like a miracle drug. Maybe I was suffering from allergies after all.

Since I was feeling so much better, I decided to wander into town to visit Gamle Stavanger. Located on a hill overlooking the harbor, the neighborhood features narrow, winding cobblestone streets. The small, wooden houses and their gardens were charming. I didn’t stay out long, but I’m glad I was able to visit this historic area.

A Neighborhood Park Offered a Peaceful Entrance into Old Town

Wooden Houses

Hilly, Cobblestone Streets

Rows of Charming Wooden Houses

More Houses and Hills

Pretty Gardens

Lots of Colorful Flowers

The walk along the harbor on my way back to the ship was quite pleasant.

Along the Harbor

Sail Away from Oslo

For the last day or so, I had not been feeling my best. I felt worse overnight and just wasn’t up to visiting the Munch Museum this morning, so I sent Tim off on his own. I was disappointed, but that’s life.

Although I seemed to be coming down with a cold, I was truly afraid it might be COVID. That was unlikely, however, since we are tested every day. Just to be safe, I visited the Medical Center on the ship and explained my situation. The staff doublechecked my test results and confirmed that I did not have COVID, just a nasty cold.

Our sail away from Oslo was scheduled for noon, and I watched the sights from our cabin as we sailed along the Oslofjord.

We soon passed close by the Dyna Lighthouse. About an hour later, we sailed through a very narrow channel at Drøbak . Here, we saw Oscarsborf Fortress in the middle of the fjord. This coastal fortress is best known for sinking the German battleship Blücher on April 9, 1940.

Our Last View of Akershus Fortress

Dyna Lighthouse

Oscarsborf Fortress 

Oscarsborf Fortress 

Sailing Away

Except for that little bit of sightseeing from our cabin, I took it easy all day and even ordered room service for dinner. Isn’t chicken soup supposed to cure a cold?

Oslo On My Own

Tim had signed up for an optional tour, Walk in the Footsteps of Alfred Nobel, so I had the afternoon free to tour downtown Oslo on my own. I didn’t want to repeat the mistake I had made in Copenhagen when I didn’t leave the ship. Because our ship was docked so close to town, we didn’t even need shuttle buses. It was so easy just to walk where I wanted to go.

I headed first to Oslo’s new waterfront cultural district to see its two modern landmarks. Although my background is historic preservation, and I love historic buildings, I also appreciate good, contemporary architecture and urban design. Just as I had wanted to see the Utzon Center in Ålborg, here my goal was the Oslo Opera House and Munch Museum.

Oslo's Waterfront Cultural District

The Opera House is universally admired as a modern Scandinavian masterpiece, and I would agree. I’ve never seen anything like it, and it’s such a welcoming building. Where else are you invited to walk on the roof? The striking angular design has been described as “somewhere between a glacier, ski slope and a ship coming into dock.” The interior is also very cool, although the auditorium was closed for viewing.

Oslo Opera House

Oslo Opera House

Nearby is the Munch Museum, which houses the world's largest collection of works by the artist best known for painting The Scream. This vertical museum is another wonderful addition to Oslo’s rapidly developing waterfront. My plan was to visit the museum tomorrow morning.

Munch Museum

I was also struck with the building across the street from the Opera House, which I learned is the Oslo Public Library. To say that I was impressed with this collection of modern buildings is an understatement.

Oslo Public Library

It was now time to turn my attention to Oslo’s historic buildings. I had decided to loosely follow Rick Steve’s Oslo Walk, which begins at Oslo’s Central Station. The plaza outside the main entrance to the station is immediately adjacent to the Public Library.

Oslo Central Station

The walk would take me along Karl Johans Gate, the grand, pedestrian boulevard that leads from Central Station to the Royal Palace. Here, I passed many of Oslo’s significant buildings. The Oslo Cathedral was first, and behind the church was an interesting circular row of stalls from an 1850s era market.

Oslo Cathedral and Market

Continuing down the boulevard, I saw the Parliament Building, the National Theater, and City Hall. Oslo City Hall is where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented, the only Nobel Prize awarded in Oslo. Awards for the other four prizes are given in Stockholm.

On the way to City Hall, I came across large groups of people in traditional Norwegian dress. I never did find out what event they were attending at City Hall.

Parliament Building

Karl Johans Gate

National Theater

Traditional Norwegian Dress

City Hall

For some reason, Rick Steve’s Oslo Walk does not extend all the way to the Royal Palace. I had intended to walk there, but I guess trying to figure out what was going on at City Hall distracted me.

I ended up back at the harbor, where I saw the Nobel Peace Center and then made my way back to the ship. It was a great walk. Tim told me he also enjoyed his tour.

Nobel Peace Center

Viking Venus

Oslo Highlights and Vigeland Park

We had been advised that the sail into Oslo would provide sweeping scenic views, so Tim and I made it a point to be on deck. We spotted the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, a stunning new landmark designed by Renzo Piano, as well as the historic Akershus Fortress below which we would dock. This was the first time I had watched the actual docking operations, and it was quite an impressive sight.

Sailing into Oslo

Tim and I had signed up for the included Oslo Highlights and Vigeland Park tour, and we set out at 8:30 am. We drove through downtown Oslo on our way to Vigeland Park, arriving when we had the park almost entirely to ourselves. Vigeland Park is the world’s largest sculpture park designed by a single artist and is one of Norway’s’ more popular tourist destinations. It’s also an incredible green space.

The park is the life work of Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland and includes nearly 200 statue groupings in granite, bronze, and wrought iron. There are 600 figures in all, each one unique and nude. Vigeland’s work is realistic and is intended to represent the cycle of human life and all its emotions.

Our guide pointed out the major highlights, as well as some of the harder-to-find sculptures, like the Angry Baby, and then allowed us to wander on our own. The number of sculptures was almost overwhelming to take in, and I found myself spending some time simply enjoying the gardens and lovely spring flowers.

Our First View of Vigeland Park and the Monolith

Looking Towards the Fountain and the Bridge

The Fountain and the Bridge Beyond It

Granite Sculptures

Bronze Sculptures

Was Tim an Angry Baby?

Beautiful Spring Flowers

We reboarded our bus and headed out-of-town to the district of Holmenkollen, home to the world-famous ski jump set atop the most prominent hill in the city. This impressive structure dates to 1892, although it has been rebuilt 19 times, and was the venue for ski jumping in the 1952 Olympics.

The ski jump was indeed impressive, and the views were good, but I wish we’d spent way less time there and more touring the city.

Holmenkollen Ski Jump