On our third day, the Magic landed in our first Scandinavian stop - Oslo, Norway. Home of the Vikings, fjords, a modern cosmopolitan city, and warm friendly people, Norway is also known for glass making and skiing and other winter sports.
We took a shore excursion that featured the heritage of Norway. Our first stop was the Viking Museum. We were most excited for the opportunity to see real Viking ships. The museum has 3 of the best preserved Viking ships that have been found as well as items found on the ships. The ships had been used to bury important people, which is how they ended up being preserved. The composition of the ground, temperature, and other environmental factors helped make it possible for the ships to be preserved and found.
Burial houses were built on the ships and the person's belongings and treasures were buried with them. These items are displayed in the museum as well, including wagons, horses, textiles, jewelery, weapons, and tools. www.norway.com/directories/d_company.asp?id=671
Our next stop was the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, which is an outdoor museum with over 155 houses from all major regions of Norway primarily from the 17th - 19th centuries. There are several medieval houses, including the Stave Church from around 1200 AD. www.norway.com/directories/d_company.asp?id=675
Our third stop was the Sculpture Park. The park contains 192 sculptures with more than 600 figures, all modeled in full size by Gustav Vigeland, who also designed the architectural setting and the layout of the grounds. www.members.cox.net/c.kau/Vigeland/
Finally, we visited the Holmenkollen Ski Jump. www.visitnorway.com/us/Articles/Theme/What-to-do/Attractions/holmenkollen/
We were quite fortunate on our trip. the weather was unseasonably warm. The weather in Oslo was in the mid-70s and sunny during our tour. It was a beautiful day to be in a beautiful country.
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