Day 20, Oslo, July 4, 2017

Who said, “all good things must come to an end” must have had today in mind as this is to be our last day in Oslo and in Norway.  We had a wonderful time on this journey and intend to enjoy what today has to offer.  We are leaving Oslo on a 9:25 pm flight to London, where we will overnight and fly to Philadelphia tomorrow.

We decided to have breakfast today, the first we have had on this trip, in the hotel restaurant.  All our other days we just had something in our room.  The breakfast buffet was very nice and fueled us for more leisurely sightseeing.  We started with another stroll on Karl Johans Gata.  I wanted to visit the Domkirke, which is the principal church for the diocese of Oslo.  It dates back to 1694 when the foundation stone was laid.

The interior . . .

. . . of the Domkirke is different from most of the churches we saw on this trip in that its ceiling was covered in paint, from front to back and side to side, with story-telling scenes from the bible.

The ceiling was painted between 1936 and 1950 by Hugo Lous Mohr.  His work has incurred much criticism because the original ceiling paintings were destroyed as he worked.

Stained glass adorned the windows and was quite nice.

A sculpture of the Last Supper on the wall, beneath a simple window, was beautiful.  Visitors to the cathedral take the opportunity to record their wishes and prayers on paper and place their intentions in Jesus’ lap.

And, there was a magnificent work of art behind the alter.

From the cathedral we stopped across the street at the flower market.  It wasn’t very large but all the same it was very nice.

Then, it was on to the Opera House, home to the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet.  The building, looming as if an iceberg floating in the fjord or a glacier moving inexorably to the sea, is a lovely piece of architecture.  It is situated on the harbor and much of it was built below sea level and into the bay.

We took the 12pm tour.  Unfortunately, no photos were allowed except in the lobby.

The walls are made of Norwegian wood and extend the building’s marriage with the sea with a “wave” of timber.  The roof is made of marble and is open to the public.  We couldn’t pass on the opportunity to step on and walk up to the top of the building.  Took a few interesting photos while up there, including one of us in reflection and another of a fellow photographer.

In the harbor, just beyond the Opera House, floats a sculpture of glass and steel entitled  “She Lies.”  Its a permanent installation and is accessible in the winter when the harbor freezes.

The view from the roof was very interesting.  We could see across and around the harbor.  Construction is evident everywhere with cranes rising from the soil to multistory heights.  Oslo is a city in a growth spurt.

From the Opera House it was back to the Bristol where we had to put the finishing touches to our luggage.  A light dinner and then a long taxi ride to the airport was in our immediate future.  I thought, however, you might enjoy a few other photos from Oslo.  It is a terrific city with lots to offer.  I will caption the photos where necessary.  Click on the photos to enlarge and leaf through them.