Business in the capital Oslo

Why Oslo?

During the volunteering service, there are a total of two seminars where all volunteers from all over Norway meet. The arrival seminar was in Balestrand, and the mid-term seminar was in Oslo.

On the way to Oslo

I was very excited to see everyone again and eagerly boarded the bus on Tuesday evening. After a two and a half hour boat ride, we had a 2-hour waiting time in Bergen.

In typical tourist fashion, we first visited Bryggen (the old German wooden houses) and then the city center. The church we visited was one I hadn't seen before, even though I had been to Bergen many times.

We boarded the train at 11 o'clock at night. Seven and a half hours later, after maybe five hours of sleep, we arrived in Oslo. The train route is known for its breathtaking views, but because of our late departure, it was naturally dark outside - except in the train wagon itself. They had forgotten to turn off the lights. Embracing my backpack, I somehow made it to the land of dreams. Together with another volunteer who joined us in Voss, we looked for the way to the hostel. After some failed attempts and a long walk, we finally arrived there. After breakfast, I wanted to sleep, but the room was too cold, so I retreated to the TV room with a book.

The Seminar

During the seminar, we evaluated our projects, learned about their documentation, and how we can support each other. We played games and ate very good food during the breaks. We also had good conversations, as long as we weren't too tired. On Thursday evening, we went to a club, and we didn't come back early. But more on that later. As a group, we visited the National Museum of Architecture and participated in a workshop there. We also had a guided tour of the Nobel Peace Center and had meals together at a pizzeria and a hotel. During some free time in Oslo, a few of us went to a vegan restaurant (one of the volunteers was vegan) and then we rented ice skates and went skating in the middle of the city without falling! We also visited the Akershus Fortress and admired the exterior of the opera house.

The seminar ended on Saturday morning, and we said goodbye to the first group of people.

What came after the seminar?

Some volunteers had decided to stay in Oslo for the weekend and explore the city. I stayed with friends of the local volunteers.

On Saturday afternoon, the exploration tour began.

Norwegian Historical Museum

I first went to the Norwegian Historical Museum, which included exhibitions on Vikings, coins, and clothing from America.

Vigeland Sculpture Park

Later, I planned to meet with Manuel at the Vigeland Sculpture Park, which took a while, but we eventually found each other. Vigeland's sculptures were strangely designed, and we couldn't understand their context.

National Theatre, Palace, and Party

We then walked past the National Theatre to the Palace. After wandering around the city for a while - and being kicked out of a shopping center - we met the others.

We went to a hall for dinner, filled with beer benches and small stands offering international dishes. There, we decided that we wanted to go to a party in the evening with the theme: desert. We went there, not dressed according to the theme, and we danced for a long time. I went to bed at half past one.

Viking Ship Museum

Sunday was my museum day, so I started early with a long bus ride to the "museum island". I first visited the Viking Ship Museum, crowded with tourists.

The best-preserved Viking ships were on display. In the main hallway was the Oseberg ship, which was built around 820 and was a burial ship for two highly respected women. Along with them, 15 horses, six dogs, and two cows were buried. A carriage was also found and displayed there.

In a left-side hallway, there was the Gokstad ship, which served as a final resting place for a wealthy man and was built around 900. The special thing about it is that it had already been plundered during the Viking Age, but it was reconstructed. There were also two peacocks and two hawks on the ship. All the ships were used before they became burial ships. For example, the Gokstad ship was used on the open ocean.

The last large ship in the right-side hallway was the Tune ship. It is the first ship that was excavated and preserved in modern times (1867). Like the Gokstad ship, it was built around 900, and parts of skis were found there.

Maritime Museum

In the Norwegian Maritime Museum, the focus was on ships. Various models were displayed to show the development of shipbuilding, and in another section, the lives of sailors were depicted, from the Viking Age to the present day. There was also a small art exhibition on maritime painting, and you could admire Norway's oldest vehicle - a dugout canoe.

FRAM Museum

The Fram is a polar ship that was used for several famous expeditions. Fridtjof Nansen used it from 1893 to 1896 for his North Pole expedition, Otto Sverdrup used it from 1998 to 1902 for the journey to the Sverdrup Islands, and Roald Amundsen used it from 1910 to 1912 for the South Pole, which he reached as the first person.

In the museum, the Fram itself was on display, and you could also board it. On board were several crates of the original beer.

In addition, the museum covered the exploration of the North, the lives of Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen, the science in the polar regions, the race to the South Pole, and the exploration of Antarctica. Parts of the exhibitions were also dedicated to the Inuit people and the dogs.

Another polar ship on display was the Gjøa. In this section, the focus was on the exploration of the Northwest Passage and the various expeditions made with this ship, such as the Maud expedition, in which Roald Amundsen attempted to cross the Atlantic via the North Pole.

Town Hall

You would never guess the beauty of the Town Hall from the outside; it looks like a monstrosity. But once you go inside, you quickly understand why the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded here every year on December 10th. It's also worth going into the side rooms, especially for the magnificent murals.

Out and about with the others

After my full dose of culture, I met up with the others and first visited the Sunday market, where jewelry and paintings were offered. We also went to Mathallen, which is a hall with lots of small shops. In a bakery, I bought something like black bread. We ended the evening in a bar with live jazz music, and then it was time to pack.

The journey back

Early in the morning, I packed my backpacks and took the tram to the main train station. There, I said goodbye to the volunteers from Vinstra, Manuel, and Marion, at the train platform, and then headed to my own train. After 7.5 hours and this time with beautiful views, I arrived in Bergen. The train route passed by the foothills of the Hardangervidda and Jotunheimen mountains. At some stops, the snow was between two and three meters high, and at times, I experienced almost a whiteout because the snow and the sky were the same color. And near Bergen, wonderful fjords and streams opened up.

I made a little stop: the volunteer from Voss had forgotten something in Oslo, and since my train stopped there, I quickly gave him the forgotten items. In Bergen, I found a library with German books, and then my boat was ready to depart. The waves were huge because there was a storm on the Norwegian coast. With the subsequent bus, we traveled through snowy landscapes before it became completely dark, and in Dale, I was greeted by sleet and a stream that was almost overflowing.

That was the adventure in Oslo!