Early rise, bus into the city, a good mile long slosh through a downpour to stash our suitcases at the train station, then heading out to Bygdoy Neighborhood. This is where the Viking Ship, Kon-Tiki, Fram and Maritime Museums are. Viking Ship Museum: Three different 1000+ year old Viking ships were recovered from burial mounds. We learned that when someone important died in Viking Times, they would pull a perfectly good ship off the water and use it as an elaborate tomb. The Oseberg ship, the most elaborate, contained, besides the remains of two women, three sledges, (sleds), a wagon, 5 beds and the skeletons of 12 horses. All for the afterlife. A few pictures of these amazing archeological finds.
The Kon-Tiki Museum commemorated the voyages of the Kon-Tiki and Ra I and II by Thor Heyerdahl. This is especially interesting to us since a neighbor of ours is related to Thor! A second nephew, but he does remember several family meals with Thor in the 80’s and 90’s. The Kon-Tiki sailed the Pacific from South America to Tahiti in the 40’s, and Ra I and II sailed from Africa to South America in the 70’s. He “proved” that population groups in antiquity could have sailed between these continents. DNA testing has supported this.
The Fram Museum was also amazing. This museum holds the 125 foot steam and sail powered ship that took Amundsen and Nansen deep into the Artic and Antarctic over one hundred years ago. Great displays with many of the instruments used to navigate at the poles. We got to climb on board to really see how these men lived. Indeed, during one voyage they were trapped for two years in ice close to the North Pole. Finally, the Maritime Museum had models of every ship and boat that has been designed or built by Norwegians. Quite a display if you are interested in very precise miniature renderings of many, many ships.
We finished the day at the Nobel Peace Center, commemorating all those who have won the Nobel Peace Prize, (this year’s Malala and Satyarthi were just announced last week!) and Norway’s National Gallery. Kinda rushed here, but we did want to see Edvard Munch’s “The Scream”. Finally, another bus ride to the ferry for an overnight sail to Denmark and Copenhagen.
To reward those of you who have read this blog to the end. This is an example of a “floaty” or “water wings” used by “islanders”. This is a very large rat, or a ??? that was eviscerated tied off and blown up to use as a floatation device to help a swimmer or fisherman to stay afloat!!
No comments:
Post a Comment