A Final Day In Oslo...

Il 20-22 dicembre

Oslo, Norway

We arrived in Oslo in the late afternoon which gave the majority of the group just an evening here as they would be leaving the next day. I always enjoy having some time on my own before and/or after an escorted tour so I had planned an additional day to walk about this lovely capital city.

Oslo, founded in 1000 AD, is the economic and governmental center of Norway and is also a hub for maritime trade and industry. Norway's most populous city, it is one of the most expensive places in the world to live, although, in the European Cities of the Future 2012 report, it was also ranked #1 for quality of life in European large cities. Located near a fjord and surrounded by hills and forests, Oslo, also Norway's cosmopolitan center, is a very easy location to explore on foot. Its architecture is a melange of old and new, there are plenty of museums for learning about Norwegian history and culture, stately theaters for music and dance, and a host of outdoor activities for the more energetic.

The first place I visited was the Royal Palace; surrounded by a large park, it seems very much a palace of the people. Although there are guards near the doors (and I would imagine security that I couldn't see), there are no gates and many of us (plenty of children and baby carriages) walked on the crunchy snow and took in the view below as the palace is up on a small hill.

After strolling the downtown pedestrian streets filled with boutiques and XMAS shoppers, and my photographing other landmarks, I followed my map in search of the Jewish Museum about a 30 minute walk from the “pulse” of the city. Housed in a building that was once a synagogue,  I arrived to find the museum closed, as I hadn't taken into account that it was during the festival of Chanukah; nevertheless, I was grateful to have found it. Out of approximately five million people, Norway currently has a Jewish population of about 1,000. In 1940, the country was home to 2,100 Jews, but, by the end of the war, 1,100 had fled, primarily to Sweden, and 750 had been deported to death camps with 34 survivors. Outside the museum, embedded in the ground, are bronze cobblestones with the names of residents deported to Auschwitz. These “stolpersteine” or “stumbling blocks” also appear in other spots in the city as well as places where Jewish victims once lived. Even though I wasn't able to enter the museum, just being there and praying for those who blocks I touched was humbling and a reminder that life is a precious gift.

By then I was cold (yes, it was about 9 degrees Fahrenheit) and yearning for a comforting and warming drink. How lucky I was to stumble upon a cafe where I was served the perfect cup of hot cocoa, complete with freshly whipped cream and shaved chocolate. It was just the right ending to a grand adventure in Norway...

The Snow Hotel...

Il 19 dicembre

Kirkenes, Norway

Our last day this far north before leaving for Oslo and what better excursion than having lunch at the Snow Hotel. Although the hotel complex has additional cabins that, like the restaurant, are built of wood, the actual hotel is constructed from ice coming from a nearby frozen lake. Newly made every year, it's one of those places you must see to believe; each of the twenty rooms is carved out of ice and the sculpture decorating the walls is remarkable. Not to mention the frozen local berry slush drink served in ice shot glasses; it was quite the cocktail!

www.kirkenessnowhotel.com

Dog sledding is also available...for my next trip!

The Northern Lights, The Russian Border, And The Northern Lights Once Again...

Il 18 dicembre

Kirkenes, Norway

Last night we heard "the big announcement”... the appearance of the Northern Lights. Seeing the Aurora Borealis had been the impetus behind my signing up for this trip, although, after a week on board with no sightings, my friends and I were reconciled to the fact that we might not see them; the trip had been such a terrific adventure and we were all happy to have been a part of it, in spite of the disappointment. When we heard lots of Norwegian coming from the PA system, we assumed it was a message to the crew...but then...the English translation of “Northern Lights”... and we made a mad dash for Deck 9 where it was freezing cold and windy...but there they were! At first, the lights looked cloud-like, but then they swirled into a myriad of shapes in shades of pale green. We were without our multiple extra layers of clothing (Thank you, John, for lending me your jacket) and without cameras, so the only memory of this unforgettable night is in my mind. Five of us watched the lights, banded together in an ecstatic huddle, and then celebrated the sighting with a bottle of champagne and toasting...an indelible memory.

In great spirits, we left the ship this morning for a stop at the Russian border; it was dark at 10:00 am, the snow was coming down in big flakes, and I took much pride in my three snow angels.

Later in the afternoon, after a brief respite at our hotel, some of us met up for a walk in town. Kirkenes is Norway's northern turnaround point; located 400 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, seven kilometers southeast of the Russian border, and 37 kilometers west of Finland, it served as a base for the German air forces and navy during the Nazi occupation in World War II. Known for the Midnight Sun in summer and the Northern Lights in winter, we knew that it would be our last hope for one final sighting.

So, after dinner, three of us set out in search of the lights. We had to walk out of town where there would be no interference of artificial light and, as it was a sizable hike in the freezing cold and windy dark, I was grateful to have a couple of “bodyguards” with me. Our trek was rewarded, however, because, without a warning, the Aurora Borealis appeared, not only for a few minutes at first, but, for almost the entire walk back down the hill. I don't have any photos of me shouting for joy and jumping up and down, but, those of you who know me, can well imagine it. We arrived at our hotel to find many of our friends outside because the show was, again, in full view, but, this time, the display went on and on and on. It's hard to describe what it felt like to see a sight so remarkable and otherworldly. Not only that, but we were very lucky as the conditions for a sighting must be perfect; not only does it depend upon solar activity, but also on having a cloudless sky and, up until the last night on board, we had been followed by clouds.

Photos can't to justice to what such an experience is like and many online pictures have had a bit of retouching; what you will see below is just a bit of what I saw...compliments of one of my travel buddies, Ed, who was most adept with his camera. 

To say it was glorious...well, those are just words. Take a look...