My Last Day in Norway

Before the post begins, here are several shots of sculptures in the park and a couple of my swim in the Oslo fjord. 

My last full day in Norway was a wonderful one. As has happened often to me while traveling, fate had something in store for me other than what I had in store for myself when I got into Oslo from Bodø at 7:00 in the morning. I promised myself that if it were a warm, sunny day when I got back to Oslo, then I would go swimming in the fjord. That was one thing I hadn't managed to do yet. Sure enough, when I got out of the train in early morning, it was already warm and the sun was shining brightly. "I'm in luck," I thought.

I walked back to the hotel, stored my things in a storage room and went to breakfast at a nearby the restaurant. I had eaten there so often that I was friendly with the staff, including the owner, a charming woman originally from Romania. Rosa's English was excellent, so we always spoke in English. She had told me before I left for Bodø that her birthday was coming up and that she might take off from work the day I returned. We said our goodbyes the day I left for Bodø, and we became Facebook friends. I was delighted when I saw her at breakfast the morning I got back to Oslo. We had a nice talk about my trip and her plans for her birthday, among other things.

From breakfast, I went into town to do some souvenir shopping. I got myself a classic Norwegian wool sweater and my great-nephew a couple of trolls. I walked around the downtown and then went back to the hotel to kill some time on the Internet before leaving for my swimming adventure. I suspected that the water would be very cold, so I wanted to wait until noon so that it would be nice and warm after I got out of what imagined would be the freezing cold winter.

I was all set for a swim, got on a bus, and that's when fate intervened in the guise of a 28 year old bus driver named Michael from Slovakia. As I was buying the ticket, he asked me where I was from. When I answered America, he started talking, then I started talking, and neither one of us stopped talking until after he had driven way past the stop for the ferry to the island where I could swim, after his fifteen minute break at the end of his route, and after he resumed his route back into town and dropped me off just around where I had started from. By that time, we knew each other's names, general life stories, and had made a date to go swimming together after 3:30 when Mike got off from work. During our conversation, Mike told me that his girlfriend had a pass out to the island where I wanted to go. As a bus driver, he also had a pass to use on the ferries out to the islands in the Oslo fjord. He suggested that I could spend the afternoon at the sculpture garden I never did get to see (Remember I went to the wrong one?). He called his girlfriend to let her know his plans, we exchanged phone numbers, and agreed to meet at 4:00 in front of the National Theater after I had had the chance to check out the sculpture garden.

I went to the sculpture garden, officially the Viegaland Sculpture Park, and it was everything many people had told me about. There are over two hundred sculptures in bronze, granite and wrought iron of adults and children of all ages pursuing outdoor activities. Mothers with their daughters, fathers with their sons, women alone, men alone, women and men together as couples, men with friends, women with friends, children playing, children resting, families. It seemed like all of humanity was represented in one way or another. The park was gorgeous and on that warm, sunny afternoon tourists mixed I went to the sculpture garden, officially the Viegaland Sculpture Park, and it was everything many people had told me about. There are over two hundred sculptures in bronze, granite and wrought iron of adults and children of all ages pursuing outdoor activities. Mothers with their daughters, fathers with their sons, women alone, men alone, women and men together as couples, men with friends, women with friends, children playing, children resting, families. It seemed like all of humanity was represented in 
one way or another. The park was gorgeous and on that warm, sunny afternoon tourists mixed with Norwegians enjoying all that the park had to offer. I even saw one young couple playing Klubb, the game our teacher taught us at the picnic we had to celebrate the last day of class with her. I'll let the pictures now speak for themselves. I took a ton of them. If you're so inclined, be patient. There is at least one, and I think many, which will touch you or which you can relate to in one way or another.
with Norwegians enjoying all that the park had to offer. I even saw one young couple playing Klubb, the game our teacher taught us at the picnic we had to celebrate the last day of class with her. I'll let the pictures now speak for themselves. I took a ton of them. If you're so inclined, be patient. There is at least one, and I think many, which will touch you or which you can relate to in one way or another.

After the sculpture garden, I headed back into downtown to wait for Mike in front of the theater. He texted me that he would be late, but it didn't matter. It was a beautiful day, and there is enough hustle and bustle around the theater to keep anyone occupied. When Mike showed up, we took off for the ferry, got on, rode out to an island and spent a couple of hours walking around a bit, swimming, talking, enjoying great views, and finally picking wild raspberries before we returned to the mainland.

The water was a very pleasant surprise. It wasn't freezing cold at all! As a matter of fact, it was just right. It took little getting used to, and I swam out to a nearby dock, got on it, and couldn't believe that I was actually in the Oslo fjord with a new friend enjoying wonderful views of the city, other islands, and the water in the late afternoon sun. When I set out yesterday morning, I had no idea that I would finally see the sculpture garden or make a new friend. Travel is one of my passions, and days like yesterday are the reason why.