A Long Weekend in Oslo: The Armed Forces Museum

The last thing we visited while we were in Oslo was the Forsvarsmuseet, or the Armed Forces Museum. This museum is located within the fortress, and as we were strolling the fortress grounds, we saw that this museum was open, so we figured we might as well check it out.

A Long Weekend in Oslo: Akershus Fortress

Oslo is not only a modern city, but it also has a medieval fortress right at the eastern side of the harbor. It is very strategically located, after all, this structure dates back to 1299 when the king ordered the fortress to be built so as to protect the city from threats. Nowadays, it doesn't have that role anymore, but nevertheless the military still has some buildings inside the complex. The yards are free to stroll around, which is what we did when we visited.

A Long Weekend in Oslo: The Fram Museum

As I said before, my visit to Oslo was very educational. I learned a lot, and the amazing museums definitely played their parts in this endeavor. One of the best museums I have entered was the Fram Museum. This is part of a collection of museums located in Oslo, and this museum concentrates on the Norwegian efforts regarding polar exploration. It also focuses on the lives of three Norwegian explorers: Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup and Roald Amundsen. And finally, it also displays two ships that these brave men used: the Fram and the Gjoa.

A Long Weekend in Oslo: The Oslo Opera House

I always wanted to visit the Oslo Opera House. I've seen pictures of it before, and it looked very interesting from an architectural point of view, so when we visited, I made sure that I could get a tour of the building. So one afternoon, we went, got tickets for the tour, and learned about this building.

A Long Weekend in Oslo: The Henrik Ibsen Museum

I cannot say I am a fan of Henrik Ibsen. As much as I like watching plays, I am not as enthusiastic about them as I am with classical music. Perhaps it has something to do with the medium: I can easily access music and play it over and over again, but with theatre, it's a medium that is hard to replicate. So yes I am familiar with theatrical works, but I am not an expert in them. I know of Henrik Ibsen, but I don't really know his work. I have watched Hedda Gabler before once, but I can't recall what it was about.

A Long Weekend in Oslo: Frogner Park and Gustav Vigeland

It was cold when we still visited, but the weather cooperated a little bit and so there were warm mornings as well, warm enough to stroll around Oslo. And it was perfect, because Oslo has plenty of outdoor areas to explore, and it would be a pity if it were too cold to do so. So when we were there, we explored Frogner Park and the Vigeland Installations in the park.

A Long Weekend in Oslo: Norsk Folkemuseum

I have been looking forward to visiting the Norsk Folkemuseum, also known as the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History. It's located in the Bygdøy Peninsula, and is an open air museum about almost every aspect of Norwegian culture. This I must say, was one of the more educational places I have visited during our short stay.

A Long Weekend in Oslo

My spouse and I seem to have a routine of going somewhere for Easter Weekend. After all, that's a long weekend with a couple of holidays thrown in the middle. Friday is a holiday, and so is Monday, which means that we could go somewhere relatively long without filing too many vacation days. So this year, we opted to go to Oslo. Last year, we traveled within the country, heading to Dresden, but this time we opted to go north to Norway.

Bumming Around Bergen: Downtown Bergen

This is my last post for Bergen. I had spent three nights in this beautiful city, which is a city unlike any other city I have been to here in Europe. It's small, yet this is Norway's second-largest city, I heard. It's about the size of Buffalo, which I lived in for 7 years. So maybe that is why I thought it was a little low-key. Nevertheless, there were plenty of things to do, if one would want to scratch the surface. Anyway, I tried my best, and in between visiting art museums and eating interesting food, I also strolled around the various neighborhoods of this city.

Bumming Around Bergen: Kunstmuseene i Bergen (KODE 4)

As I said in my previous post, there are plenty of art museums in the center of Bergen. I have the impression that the proportion of art accessible to its citizens here is higher than other cities I have seen. So when I visited there for a short time, I opted to take the opportunity to see what it is all about.

Bumming Around Bergen: Kunstmuseene i Bergen (KODE 3)

For a city its size, Bergen has plenty of cultural offerings. Right in the middle of town, there is the KODE Art Museums of Bergen. This group of buildings actually are several different museums each focusing on a particular art period. I visited KODE 3 and KODE 4 during my stay. I skipped KODE 2 due to lack of time, and I think KODE 1 was being renovated and therefore was closed during my stay.

Bumming Around Bergen: Bergenhus Fortress and Håkonshallen

After checking out Edvard Grieg's villa, I went back to the city, and this time, I explored the historical areas of the city that I haven't checked out yet. There was Bryggen, which was the oldest part of the city, and close to it is the Bergenhus Fortress. This is located close to the city's harbor, and is one of the oldest and most preserved fortresses in Norway.

Bumming Around Bergen: Troldhaugen and the Edvard Grieg Museum

I have a soft spot for museums related to musical figures. After all, I was a musician in a past life. So when I was in Bergen, I checked out the Edvard Grieg Museum, located south of the city, easily reachable by tram. Troldhaugen is the name of his summer villa, a small house located near the water. The views are great, though I suppose it would be more wonderful if one visited later in the year when the trees are in full bloom.

Bumming Around Bergen: Bryggens Museum

After checking out Bryggen, I went around the block to check out the Bryggens Museum. This is a museum managed by the city, and it features very interesting things about the city. In fact, after visiting this place, I learned a lot about the city. It was definitely very informative.

Bumming Around Bergen: Bryggen

The place that everyone ends up visiting in Bergen is Bryggen. This is the oldest part of the city, and if you see the structures, you'll definitely think that this is from a different era altogether.

Bumming Around Bergen

After the Balkans, I went to Norway. I went to Bergen, to be exact. Although technically, the next trip I did after the Balkans was New York City and Washington DC, but since that was mostly for a business trip as well as a family visit, I didn't sight-see at all, and all I did was meet up with my sister, play video games, and catch up with friends while attending a conference. So, the next trip I am going to write about is my semi-last-minute trip to Bergen, in early March this year.