Another Sculpture Park, Famous Dead Norwegians, and Norway in World War 2

 20 May 2022.

Our last day in Oslo and we made the most of it. So get ready for plenty of images and a couple of video clips!

From the apartment we hopped on the nearby no. 19 tram to Ekeberg Park. Only two stops away but the park is almost in another world. Situated on the high ridge just east of the city it provides those who go there and are willing to tackle some steep climbs incredible views of the city. There is also quite a bit of history in the park as well, dating as far back to the neolithic era and as recent as the German occupation 1940-45. But most folks come for the several dozen sculptures scattered around the various trails. Works of art by Rodin, Renoir, and Dali to name just three.

getting the no. 19 tram

the Ekeberg Park stop

park entrance

"Venus de Milo" by Salvador Dali

"Eve" by August Rodin

didn't appear to be a label for this one

a second viewing point with sculpture

One sculpture in particular caught our eye: "Chloe, 2019" by Jaume Plensa.

And while strolling the park near the top of the hill hanging amidst a group of trees in a small meadow was "The Couple" by Louise Bourgeois:

And we were very pleased to stumble across Tony Cragg's "Cast Glances, 2002." His "Bent of Mind"  at Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is hands down our favorite piece there.

Another surprise for me at any rate was L´ouiseau Amoureux Fontaine, 1993, by Niki de Saint Phalle. I've come across two of her pieces in Montparnasse (grande) Cemetery in Paris as well as one of her sculptures in the Pompidou Center square.

"Marilyn Monroe" by Richard Hudson

If you want to know more about the sculptures in the park visit the official website.

Back to the tram stop, we took the no. 13 returning to the city. We got off at our neighborhood stop and walked across the pedestrian footbridge that crosses the enormous rail yards leading into the central station.  Our goal was the bus terminal just on the other side. 

tram stop heading back into the city

Once at the central bus terminal, which is the key transfer point for all city and regional busses, we sought out the no. 37. This particular bus would drop us off at one of the entrances to the Vår Frelsers gravlund, and the graves of Henrik Ibsen and Edvard Munch. The cemetery is located at the northern edge of the inner city and is a lovely garden park setting. Lots of people strolling, sitting and taking in the sun. Some, like ourselves, were trying to locate someone special.

Henrik Ibsen and family

Edvard Munch

We exited the cemetery and made our way to the no. 37 bus stop back to the bus terminal. We then returned to the apartment via the footbridge across the rail yards and took a break for lunch to relax.

Whew! And weren't even halfway through the day yet.

Rested and fueled up we headed back out to our favorite tram stop and the no. 13 to the National Theater. From there we walked to the Oslo city hall to see the famous murals inside in the main hall. As we approached the front entrance we could also see that two or three weddings had just taken place and the couples were out front with small groups of well-wishers. 

Leaving city hall back toward the harbor, we walked up to the fortress and the Norwegian Resistance Museum. Along the way we came across this statue of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, seated, looking out over the harbor. It is unclear why he is here and what exactly he is looking at.

Once inside the fortress, which still has active military elements, we made our way to the Resistance Museum. 

Close to the entrance of the museum is this sobering memorial to those members of the resistance who were prisoners in the fortress and executed on this spot.

Approaching the resistance museum are some wonderful views of Oslo and its waterfront, with the Fram and Kon-Tiki museums off in the distances.

walking along the old walls

Like the Danish Resistance Museum in Copenhagen, this museum was simply overwhelming. Arranged chronologically it is incredibly well laid out and the sheer volume of artifacts and memorabilia is amazing. There is quite a bit of signage in English but so much is in Norwegian and not translated. Quite overwhelming indeed.

Once back out of the fortress we took the no. 12 tram, switching to the no. 13 at Dronnigens Gate. We got off at our stop and since it was aperitif time made our way to the waterfront to have a glass of beer. 

We then strolled a few meters to the Munch Museum and checked out the exhibition. Luddites that we are, we were underwhelmed by the works on display, which included a number of drawings by Paul Klee and others of such artistic bent (among Munch's works of course). Our reaction to The Scream was more The Yawn. The views from the top were certainly impressive, though.

We moved on to dinner at a nearby ramen venue called, unsurprisingly, Koie Ramen. The food was filling and delicious.

After dinner it was back to the apartment and pack up for tomorrow morning's early departure.

Oslo was wonderful. Now it's time to leave the city life for the wilds of Western Norway's fjords!