Of all the wonderful facts about studying abroad, being able to travel around Europe is close to the top of the list. It's amazing that within a few hours you can be transported to an entirely different country, rich with new culture and sights. Friday afternoon I boarded the cruise ship the "Pearl of Scandinavia" which would take me to Norway for the weekend. The itinerary for the weekend was to board the cruise boat around five and sail to Oslo that night. The arrival time was nine and we had until 4:30 to explore. Of course this wasn't a significant amount of time but it was enough to appreciate the city and to learn how expensive Oslo actually is.I wouldn't exactly say that the ship was a "pearl" by any means, but it was a great deal money wise. The room was of course as big as a closet and I'm surprised the three of us (I roomed with two other DIS girls) were able to manage moving around. But the room is hardly an issue, we only used it as sleeping quarters. The cruise trip wasn't a DIS organized trip, but it might as well have been. There was an abundance of American students on the boat that weekend and they were of course easily recognizable. From my time in Copenhagen I've picked up the ability to decipher between the Americans and Danes. I hate to say it, but the Americans are easy to spot-- it's something about our walk and the way we carry ourselves that sets us apart from the Danes. But although there were many of us on the boat, I still find it impressive that it all came together. It was the first time I had booked and organized such a big excursion for myself. It's the first of many while I'm here though and I anxiously await each one. At first it was a bit worrisome, but now that I've done it, I'm excited for the rest.
Anyway, the first night I struggled with a bit of sea sickness, as many others did as well. At times the boat was swaying so much that you literally had to sit down because
standing was too difficult. Because we were confined to a boat, there wasn't much to do. There were some activities on the boat as well as a few bars and dance clubs. I walked around a few of them with other students and for a brief period we watched a fashion show. But the first night was nothing to write home about-- it was the next day that trulyThe next morning when I woke up I looked out onto the deck of the ship and it front of me was the breathtaking Nordic landscape of Oslo. The sun was still rising around eight and just barely touching the entire landscape. I ate breakfast and bundled into many winter layers to survive the cold day I was about to endure.
When I exited the boat it was hard to believe I was actually in another country. Oslo looks similar in many ways to Copenhagen-- the architecture isn't very different and the Nordic atmosphere of course is alike. We walked without really any clue as to what to do in Oslo. Eventually we ended up at the Opera House, Operahuset (in Norwegian) where the No
rwegian opera and ballet perform. The building is quiet modern and interesting. The building is iced over but you are able to walk up in a spiral to the top without going inside. The bottom of the building slopes into the harbor and creates the illusion that there is no separation between the water and the concrete. I can't explain it very well because I'm not architecturally savy, but even a non-expert like me can tell that it is a magnificent and different building. After carefully climbing to the top of the building there's a beautiful view of the harbor and the city of Oslo. While at the opera house I meandered away from the group of girls I was with. When I was looking for the others (I wasn't in a panicked frenzy or anything, I was more just wandering around), I ran into another group of girls from the boat. They invited me to join them and without reluctance I lumped in with them and am so happy I did. I ended up having such a great time with the new group of girls (more so I think than I would have with the first group, but I won't get into that story).Although the morning wind had a bit of a bite to it, as the day wore on into the afternoon the sun eventually warmed up
Oslo enough so that we would comfortably walk around and even shed a few layers. The next stop on the list of things to see in Oslo was the sculpture garden. When we arrived at the Vigeland Sculpture Park my jaw nearly dropped. A giant iron gate leads into the park and inside there is an abundance of golden trees. The ground was frosted with a bit of snow and it felt like two seasons, fall and winter, were meshed together. Along the park were red and pink rose bushes iced over and dusted with snow. The park is full of bronze and granite sculptures and is something out of a fairytale. The bridge into the park is lined with larger than life statues of nudes in varying in momentary positions as if they were frozen in time. While walking along the bridge it's easy to imagine the statues coming to life. Across the bridge is a giant orb sculpture/fountain that is supposed to be a fetus. At the end of the park is the Monolith (like a totem pole). It's comprised completely of intertwined nude bodies. From what
I've researched the Monolith is a little over 46 feet tall. But when I was looking at it, it seemed be hundreds.After the sculpture park we visited the palace. While there we saw the changing of the guard. Thus far in my life I have seen three changing of the guards and each one has been unique. Each one is like a coordinated step dance and I still don't understand the necessity of it. I believe that it's mostly an honorary tradition and for show. We then headed to the main walking street (which looks almost identical to Strøget in Copenhagen). The street is lined with typical consumer and tourist traps.
When back on the boat, I ventured to the observation deck to watch us sail off. While up there I watched the orange sun descend back into the mountains and felt extremely grateful for the amazing and adventurous day I had. I watched Norway fade in the distance I couldn't believe that I had just seen a new country and had done it on my own.
