Adventures In Oslo, Norway: The Royal Palace, Opera House, 'She Lies' Monument & More

I made it to Norway! I got to visit Oslo and tour most of the city. I went to The Royal Palace, National Theatre, Opera House, and the Equinor Fornebu Building. I saw beautiful monuments such as the 'She Lies', a permanent glass & stainless steel sculpture by the Oslo Harbour, and loads of fountains! In this blog post, I will share my images of the sites, the things I liked/disliked about Norway, and more. Interested? Keep reading.

Per usual, here is the accompanying verse of the day;

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

About a month ago, I got to visit Norway, which is a 2-hour flight from the Netherlands. We took KLM and booked flights via cheapflights.nl. If you're in Europe, please check out that site for affordable deals.

After arriving at Oslo Airport from Schiphol, we took a 40-minute train ride to Lysaker, where my cousin hosted us at her home.

For the next two days, we galavanted through Oslo. I will share images of the places we went, the sites we saw, and perhaps some fun facts. Enjoyyy

The Royal Palace & Palace Park

Our first stop was the Royal Palace. Norway is a monarchy, meaning it's ruled by a king & queen. The Royal Palace is the current official residence of the Norwegian Monarch. It was built in the first half of the 19th century and served as the residence of the first Norwegian King, King Karl Johan. The sculpture of King Karl depicts the man on horseback at the front and center of the palace building.

The gorgeous Palace Park surrounds the palace.

The Opera House & 'She Lies' Monument

It would be a crime to visit Oslo and miss the Opera House. This is considered one of the most significant buildings in Oslo and the most iconic monuments. The building not only has unique architecture, but also has a stunning view of the sea from its right side.

Another plus is the 'She Lies' monument. Made from stainless steel and glass by Monica Bonvicini, this monument is permanently anchored by the Oslo Harbor, right next to the Oslo Opera House. The monument is permanent, but it can turn around in its axis in response to the sea's currents. As it turns, the glass reflects against the water and sunlight, offering changing views.

National Theatre, Norwegian Parliament, & City Hall

We also saw the National Theatre, the Norwegian Parliament, the Town Hall, and the Grand Hotel. The National Theatre has served as the main arena for stage productions, performances, and celebrations for over a century.

The Norwegian Parliament is obviously where they pass bills into law. On that note, I even remember there was a small 'maandamano' going on on this day. It seemed like it was another day in the life in the city, a huge contradiction from the Kenyan maandamano, where everything is at a standstill.😅

I also saw the city hall, where Nobel Peace Prize winners are presented with their awards. Then, they are hosted at the Grand Hotel (not pictured, but also in Central Oslo).

Fountains, Fountains, Fountains...

As we navigated through the city, especially central Oslo, we encountered several beautiful and unique fountains.😍

The Equinor Fornebu Building, The Northern Sea 'Beach', and plenty of boats

On day two, our day started gloomy, and it rained for most of the day. Lucky for us, though, during summer the sun is up past 8 pm, so after the rain subsided, we headed out.

We walked across Nansen Park, a 200,000 square foot, serene park with walking/running/biking trails. It is named after Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian explorer, humanitarian & Nobel Peace Prize Winner. He is widely recognized in Norway as having attempted to reach the North Pole by sea.

After navigating through the park, we arrived at the Equinor Fornebu building. This is an Oil & Gas company with one of the most iconic buildings I've ever seen. The unique aspect of this building is that it comprises five building blocks. Two at the bottom, two on top, and one diagonally across the top.

We then made our way to the seaside, where we saw the vast Northern Sea, the 'beach', and plenty of boats. I also saw beautiful ducks and swans. :). I've placed the 'beach' in quotes since you really cannot compare it to Diani Beach😅

What I liked/disliked about Norway

As I conclude, these are the things I liked & disliked about Norway;

Liked

Architecture - The photos speak for themselves! It's incredible how buildings and monuments that have been in existence since the 19th century, such as the Royal Palace, are still standing strong. Plus, how iconic is the Equinor Fornebu Building?!

Infrastructure - Norway has one of the most developed infrastructure systems in the world. What fascinated me is that once you purchase a ticket, you can use it to travel via bus, train, tram, or even boat!

Food - I will be biased here, since we cooked and ate at home. But some of the meals that slapped for me were wet fry pork with Ugali & greens, Salmon Baked in coconut sauce, and salmon stew with rice, plus home-made bread with liver pate & mandazis!

Disliked

Harsh Weather - Norway has long winters that last from November to April, and in some cities, temperatures can plummet to -20 degrees. During winter, the days are short, with only 6-8 hours of daylight. This may also explain why most places were very quiet, as people are used to staying indoors. I visited during the summer; I can only imagine how tough winters are there.

Cost of Living - Norway is one of the most expensive cities to live in. It is a rich country due to its oil & gas reserves. The high tax system has created an egalitarian society to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. On the brighter side, the infrastructure is highly developed, there are high standards of living, and the systems work. You can truly see the results of your taxes.

In conclusion...

As we say in Dutch, my experience in Oslo was 'echt mooi'. This translates to 'really beautiful'. I truly enjoyed it and would definitely visit again. I appreciated the stunning architecture, advanced infrastructure, working systems, people's kindness, and learning about its history.

In the next post, we're going to Amsterdam!

Till then,

Miss Kambe.