Norway
Recent Articles
The National Gallery
One of the places we visited in Oslo was the National Gallery, a building that for generations served as the home of Norway’s greatest artistic treasures. Completed in 1882, the gallery became the country’s principal art museum, preserving works by Norwegian and European masters while helping to tell the story of Norway through art. Although […]
The Royal Palace
Walking up Karl Johans gate toward the Royal Palace, it is impossible not to notice how the building dominates the end of Oslo’s grand boulevard. Set on a gentle rise overlooking the city, the palace has become one of Norway’s most recognizable landmarks. Yet its story is not simply one of royalty. It is also […]
The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History
One of the highlights of our visit to the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History in Oslo was its remarkable collection devoted to Norway’s maritime heritage. Walking into the galleries, I was immediately struck by two exhibits separated by nearly a thousand years of history: the elegant Viking boats and the full-scale Kon-Tiki raft. Although they […]
The Gol Stave Church
Among all the buildings preserved at the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History is the Gol Stave Church. Dark, soaring, and unlike any church I had ever seen, it immediately transported me back more than eight hundred years to medieval Norway. It is one of only twenty-eight surviving stave churches in the country, making it a […]
Fløibanen Funicular
One of the experiences we were most looking forward to in Bergen was riding the Fløibanen, the famous funicular railway that climbs the steep mountainside to the summit of Mount Fløyen. Since opening in 1918, the railway has carried millions of visitors from the heart of the city to one of Norway’s most spectacular viewpoints, […]
Byparken
In the heart of Bergen is Byparken, a green space surrounding Lille Lungegårdsvannet that provides a surprisingly peaceful setting in the middle of the city. The flower beds, lawns, pathways, sculptures, and benches make it feel almost like a formal garden set among Bergen’s cultural institutions. Byparken has roots in the nineteenth century. After a […]
The Leprosy Museum
While traveling through Bergen, Norway, we found ourselves standing outside one of the most unusual museums we have ever visited: the Leprosy Museum. Housed in St. George’s Hospital, this quiet wooden building preserves the story of a disease that for centuries inspired fear, isolation, and misunderstanding. Leprosy, now known as Hansen’s disease, has been documented […]
Nobel Peace Center
While in Oslo, we visited the Nobel Peace Center, where exhibits highlighted the many individuals and organizations that have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Seeing the stories and photographs of these laureates provided a reminder that ordinary people, through courage and perseverance, can have an extraordinary impact on the world. The building itself adds […]
Bergen
Marty and I enjoyed exploring the beautiful city of Bergen on a rainy day. Even with the weather far from perfect, we could not ignore the charm of this place. Bergen is both dramatic and welcoming. The colorful buildings, narrow streets, and changing weather give this Scandinavian harbor city its storybook appearance. For centuries, Bergen served […]
The Wheel of Life
In Oslo, with the Vigeland park, there is this sculpture, “The Wheel of Life”, created by Gustav Vigeland as part of his larger installation of more than 200 works. Here is a circle, formed by intertwined human bodies, locked together in an unbroken ring. The figures flow into one another, connected in a continuous movement. Vigeland devoted […]
