The first thing I saw was the Oslo Opera House, only built in the last 10 years. A beautiful modern building on the water's edge, people can walk up to the roof and even have picnics there. Interestingly, I noticed they are doing a production of Britten's "Peter Grimes" (which we missed two years ago in San Diego because I was on sabbatical in Seattle). But unlike San Diego productions, which tend to have very international casts, this looked to be mostly Scandinavian singers.
After the Opera I walked to Aker castle, an old fort built by Norwegian kings,
most notably Christian V.
After the castle I went down to the harbor, and along a boardwalk called Akers brygge. I had an early dinner, red mullet, and then took a cruise of the harbor and out into the Oslo fjord, where I got another view of the castle.
There are dozens of islands and pennisulas and many houses. A Norwegian tradition is the bathhouse, which juts out into the fjord a little way to allow a quick dip in the water in the summer, and for people to chat with their neighbors. Apparently, during a brief period of Prohibition during the 1930s, the bathing houses were also used by smugglers. imagine that.
The Oslo fjord, at least the parts I saw, is not one of the spectacular, sheer-cliff fjords seen in many pictures, but despite the day starting out cold and rainy the late afternoon and early evening (it's light until 11 and never gets fully dark this time
of year) were lovely, a perfect day to go out on the water.
And now I head back home, via Newark and Houston before touching down in San Diego Saturday night.
