Oslo

 Our little apartment is just footsteps from Frogner Park, and by noon the sun was shining. I spent a few hours in complete immersion in the amazing sculptures of Gustav Vigeland.

There are 212 sculptures in the installation, and Vigeland deliberately removed almost every cultural reference from his figures, knowing that in doing so they could transcend time. They have no costumes, no obvious nationality, no particular era to anchor them. And because of that, they become exquisite representations of relationships — statues depicting everything from birth to death, love to angst, anger to frustration, conversation to camaraderie.

They are spellbinding.

The artistic display is cradled in the most perfect and natural landscape, one that pulls the eye and effortlessly leads from its beginnings, through the astounding Monolith, and finally to the Wheel of Life. Approaching each section is a gentle sweep of stairs, flanked by masses of roses, cosmos, delicate ferns and fountains. The sculpture installation itself occupies about 80 acres, and is heavily embraced by trees such as birch and poplars, their leaves just beginning to show the hues of fall. In every corner and niche there seems to be a calm, meditative place to sit on a polished bench and simply absorb it all.  It is as if the land itself is part of the reverent sculpture.  

I felt saturated and almost unable to absorb more. After a few hours, we finally turned our feet toward the harbour.

There, amid the luxurious yachts, we stopped dockside for a beer and a platter of cheese, meat and breads. We were flanked on one side by the ancient walls of Akershus Fortress and, nearby, the royal yacht, here in Oslo as the city prepares for King Harald’s funeral tomorrow. The comparison did not fail to move me, as I sat squarely in the middle of a thousand years of history.  Between those ancient walls, the royal yacht and Vigeland’s timeless figures, I was seeing legacy across all the centuries - what is built, what endures, and what is left behind. Life.

                                                                      Verdant, peaceful park

                                                                 “The Mad Baby” - so popular that his right hand has turned               golden from all the touches.

                                                                   Bad hair day?

                                                   The monolith - 13 years in the making

                                                              “I see you”

                                                               The wheel of life

Conversation

                                        

Slán go föill, Dublin

 This glorious Celtic lassie step-danced her way into our hearts last night and provided a fitting farewell to the Emerald Island.  Sadly, even though we returned to the hotel early, our hopes for an decent night’s sleep were chased away by the Temple Bar crowd, who had zero respect for the Sabbath and screamed and laughed their way through the night until dawn.  Yes, even through earplugs.

However.   Morning appeared, as it usually does, with calm benevolence and we negotiated the airport run rather well,  even if we did have to sprint for 4 minutes to catch the bus.  Fast forward to airport security line ups, another bus ride to a different gate, and finally boarding Aer Lingus for a 2 hour flight to Norway.   I drifted off to the humming of the engines and managed to reclaim a few of my lost hours until we landed in Oslo.

We decided to walk to our lodging from the train station, as it was only 2 km.   Two iPhones using both Google Maps and Apple Maps were employed - along with one-and-a-half brains attempting to decipher the route (in Norwegian).  This made for a mostly successful trip and only cost me one big toe giant blister, to be remedied by toe tape tomorrow morning.  We have much to see, beginning with the splendid art and sculptures at Frogner Park, especially taking some reflective time with the Vigeland sculptures.  They have been described as a giant meditation on human life - birth, childhood, sexuality, love, conflict, aging and death.   Having been up close and personal with 6/7 of those, I am really looking forward to it.

Slán, Ireland, and Hei, Norway!

Old Dublin on a beautiful Sunday

 Original plans to explore Howth got scuttled in favour of a leisurely wander through Medieval Dublin, beginning with a saunter through stunning St. Patrick’s cathedral then all of the surrounding streets including Dublinia, St. Audoen’s Church (the oldest surviving parish church, circa 1200), and a pretty neighbourhood area called “The Liberties” where we found a great little restaurant and a chance to relax over haddock & salmon chowder and a Magners cider, known here as a Bulmer’s.   Made from apples from 100 Irish apple farmers, using the same recipe since 1925. It was crispily perfect.  

After a short feet’s up time back at the hotel to blow off a little leftover jet lag, we will head back to The Landmark Pub this evening for Craic, Ceol and Agus Ol - live, traditional Irish music and a possible reunion with yet more new young friends - these ones from Germany!

We need to work out a careful plan for our early flight to Oslo tomorrow morning so that we catch the correct bus out of the approximately one billion that prowl the streets of Dublin.  That’s Future Cath’s problem though, there is much fun to be had here before then.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Original Medieval stones

Dave on the River Liffey