The Norwegian Sites of Oslo

Nasjonalgalleriet

One of our first stops was the Nasjonalgalleriet (National Gallery). The gallery had particular emphasis on National Romanticism and Impressionism, which was convenient because those were the styles we are currently studying. Surprisingly there were quite a few recognizable pieces.  

The Scream

The most popular painting that gets the most recognition is The Scream By: Edward Munch. This painting was a breakthrough for expressionism. Supposedly it was stolen from the gallery in 2004 and then found and returned in 2006.  

By accident we came to a sculpture that was made and dedicated to the Olympics that were held in Lilehammer, Norway. It appeared to be a metal replica of the Olympic torch.  

Slottet

We walked up to Slottet, the Royal Palace of Norway. Seeing this palace and comparing it to the ones in Great Britain, I realized that Norwegian architecture is much more simple, classical, and clean. The palace was up a on a hill overlooking the city centre. Norway is similar to Great Britain; the country has a constitutional monarchy. King Harold V and the royal family live in the palace year round.  

 

We got to the palace right in time to see the changing of the guards-, which I didn’t even know, happened in Norway. The palace guard was much more friendly than all of the guards in England. He was kind enough to let us take pictures with him. 

Stortinget

I thought that Stortinget, the Norwegian Parliament building, was the most beautiful in architecture. The style is a blend of Norwegian and Italian building traditions.   

Nobel Peace Center

One of the coolest parts of our time in Norway was seeing the Nobel Peace Center. Oslo’s old railway station, Uestbanen, houses the Nobel Peace Center. The Center is not a museum, but rather a place that presents the work of past and present Nobel Peace Prize winners and to provide a forum for discussion on the topics of war, peace, and resolution of conflict. It had rich and varied exhibitions that were well designed for interaction and involvement. One of the exhibits had you try and help a young girl in an immigration colony in Congo. I also learned a great deal about Alfred Nobel and the reasons for each past and present Peace Prize awarded. I had no idea that Barrack Obama had won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy between peoples and for his promotion for nuclear nonproliferation.” He was the fourth president of the United States to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.  

Aker Brygge

Aker Brygge is a long established shipyard that has been transformed to provide a major shopping and entertainment centre with residential apartments and the city’s biggest concentration of restaurants. We walked along the coastline and watched a few Fjord ships come in and large Yachts go out. We also had a lovely lunch at one of the restaurants. It was one of my favorite harbors that I have ever seen. 

Oslo Opera House

Our last stop before we left Oslo was going to see the recently (2008) built Norwegian opera house. It is the home of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. It sits right on the waterfront at Bjorvika, and reminds me of the Sydney, Australia Opera House because of its slopping roof and brilliant design. 

Norwegian Chill

 

The weather in Norway was perfect for our Scandinavian experience. It was cold, but bearable during the day with a light sprinkle of snow the entire time. I thought that it was beautiful and perfect for our one-day excursion.  

 

The first night there I tried a treat called a Kokosballos. It looked like a coconut chocolate snowball with marshmallow filling. It tasted kind of like that too.We also tried some weird candy bars that London doesn’t have. To be honest they weren’t very good. They all had a weird type of gelatin in them. The best thing that I ate in Oslo was a candy bar from a local Norwegian chocolate factory called a Kvikklunsj. It was basically a Kit Kat bar, but even better.  

Oslo, Norway

 

The weekend trip that I took to Barcelona, Spain gave me the travel bug. After that I was pretty set on the idea of traveling more often. A couple of girls and I decided to take off for another weekend somewhere, so we checked for the cheapest flights available. Oslo, Norway won the contest and we booked it for another 24-hour trip.  

 

Scandinavian countries have always intrigued me, and when else am I going to be able to travel to Norway?... Why not go now! While researching the city I learned a few interesting things about the winter wonderland. Oslo is considered to be a global city and for several years it has been listed as one of the most expensive cities in the world. It is pretty cold there, granted because it is right along the Arctic Circle. The Northern Lights light up the sky if you travel to northern Norway and most people that speak the local language of Norwegian are blonde. While I was there I also observed that most women wear big fur coats and fur hats. It could be a fashion trend, but seems to logically be for the purpose of warmth.

 

After getting off the metro stop at Sinsen, it took us a while to find our hostel because it was up on the hill. While we were walking through the snow I felt the crisp bitter cold of Norway set in. Finally seeing the hostel logo on a building was the greatest feeling and we were then able to defrost, get some rest, and prepare ourselves for the packed day of adventure ahead of us. 

Churchill Cabinet War Rooms

 

Since living here in London, I have gained new insights of World War II. The British people speak of the Blitz bombing and devastation that many of them lived through. Through the horror of those awful years they still had English pride because they were one nation in Europe that was not taken or invaded by the Nazis. The visit to the Churchill War Cabinet Rooms was really neat to see the place where the government operated and where the operations of the country took place during World War II. 

 

The War Cabinets were full of women that took on different tasks and responsibilities as the "behind the scenes force of the war". Prime Minister Churchill always preferred a woman to be his assistant because he said that they were always more efficient and on top of things in comparison to men.  

Winston Churchill is also a man that I have learned to respect and admire. He and his wife lived in the cabinet war rooms that we visited for years during the war. He was constantly on the phone with his dear friend President Roosevelt in the United States and also met with the Queen each day to give her his reports and updates. The people that all worked for him in these cabinet war rooms said that he was very passionate about defeating the Nazis and winning the war, and meant well when he was at times stern and impatient. He seemed to be a man with words. One of the quotes that I really liked at the museum regarding the blitz bombings and the civilian attacks that came directly from Prime Minister Churchill was:

“This murder and terrorism, far from weakening the spirit of the British nation, has only roused it to a more intense and universal flame.” 

It was neat to see the incorporation of the United States military forces in all the war planning that took place in the war rooms. The British undoubtedly recognize that with out the Americans help they would not have been able to defeat Hitler and his armies and end the war.

Cambridge

We have already taken a trip to Oxford and felt so welcomed on campus, so this time we took a trip to Cambridge and felt the same collegiate English hospitality. We had an entire day to roam around the college town and get acquainted with the campus. The Fitzwilliam Museum was one of my favorite parts of the campus. It housed some of the major works of Turner, Cezanne, Rembrandt, and many more. We visited a few of the major colleges such as: Trinity College (Sir Isaac Newton graduated from this particular one), King’s College, Queen’s college and St. John’s College. The beautiful architecture of the old, authentic buildings displayed the tradition and history that was present at the University. 

We took a punting tour on the river that runs along the side of the major colleges. Our guide had just been accepted to King’s College for next year to study English. He told us a few fun stories as we enjoyed our boat ride. We went under a wooden bridge that Sir Isaac Newton had originally assembled with out any nuts, bolts, nails and screws. He had built it with pure mathematics and physics. Years after his death some students took the bridge a part and tried to re-assemble it the way Newton had done. They failed miserably and had to nail it all together. One year a student climbed to the top spires of King’s College Chapel and put a traffic cone on top of it. The faculty waited a few days for the cone to blow off, but it never did. Finally they built a scaffolding tower to reach the cone and remove it for good. During the night the student climbed back up and put the cone on the other tower. Pranks supposedly happen all the time on campus. 

That night ended with evensong at King’s College Chapel. The music was astounding. I loved the Cambridge campus and landscape and wouldn’t mind visiting again one day. 

Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial

The American Battle Monument Commission (ABMC) that was established following the First World War has many sites here in Europe that Americans hardly know about. Through all of the travel and especially here in London, I have seen multiple war memorials and cemeteries honoring the people that sacrificed their lives for the country they fought for. It was so refreshing to go and visit an American site. The cemetery, 30.5 acres in extent, was constructed on the site of a temporary cemetery established in 1944 on land donated by the University of Cambridge. After the war, it was selected as the only World War II cemetery in the British Isles. A high portion of those buried at the site were temporarily interred in England and Northern Ireland and represent American service men and women who served as crew members of British based American aircraft. Most of the others died in the invasions of North Africa and France as well as the training areas of the United Kingdom and the waters of the Atlantic.  

On the stonewall leading to the chapel every name is carved in with their home state and ranking. Leading up to the chapel was a beautiful long pond lined with flowers. Inside the chapel the dedication read, “INTO THY HANDS O LORD”. The words FAITH and HOPE in bronze letters are set into the chancel rail. I absolutely loved what was read on the exterior chapel pediment. It said,

“TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO DIED FOR THEIR COUNTRY. 1941-1945” 

Lord Mayor's Day Parade

Lord Mayor's Day Show

The fall is the best time of year to be in London because they have so many holidays and celebrations that are unique to Great Britain. Lord Mayor’s Day was today and celebrated the city of London and their current mayor. The Lord Mayor’s Day Show (Parade) is the world’s oldest civic procession march that lasted into the 21^st century. A group of us went and camped out in front of St. Paul’s to watch the parade. People of the city were everywhere. 

 

The parade consisted of different local church organizations, international groups, educational institutions, British Army battalions, and local business advertisements. The creativity and festivity of the floats and costuming was fantastic. It reminded me of the Macey’s Day Parade in NYC.  

 

The Lord Mayor’s State coach was at the end of the processional. Coaches of other political figures preceded his. Their coaches were black and looked like they had just come out of the 19^th century. The Lord Mayor’s coach was gold lined as if he was royalty from the 19^th century. It was neat to see his enthusiasm as he waved to the people in the crowd. I sort of felt like a little kid again and had a blast being entertained by the show. 

Lord Mayor's Coach

Houses of Parliament

Houses of Parliament

We were lucky enough to take a tour of the Houses of Parliament on a lovely Saturday morning. I felt guilty because I have never been to Washington D.C. and taken a tour of the National Capitol, Senate Gallery, Supreme Court House, Pentagon, or the White House for that matter and here I was excited to see the places of historical significance for Great Britain’s monarchial government.  

Queen Elizabeth II delivering the queen's speech in the House of Lords

The Houses of Parliament was a place built for power, royalty, and government. Once again I saw the deep-rooted tradition that the British are so proud to continue today. We walked through the rooms in the same sequence that the Queen would do at the State Opening. At the state opening the monarch proceeds through to meet the Prime Ministers and leaders from all ends of the globe and the politicians of the United Kingdom. We stood in the Queen’s powder room that has a vanity set up right in the middle where she prepares herself for the media. We went into the House of Lords where the Queen sits on her throne and reads the queen speech that is written by the Prime Minister. I stood right in front of the throne and could see through all the corridors and rooms of the parliamentary chambers- it was quite empowering. The House of Lords was the most decorated chamber with the three themes of religion, chivalry & Justice.  

House of Commons

The House of Commons was intriguing because this is where the political events take place, were bills become laws. Nobody in the entire room is allowed to speak unless if called upon by the “Speaker/ Madam Speaker” who conducts the meetings. There is a podium for the Prime Minister directly across from a podium for the leader of the opposition. Apparently the debates can get heated in here and the Sergeant of Arms has to take action. Our tour guide made some interesting comments. He said, “We don’t sit in a cozy circle like the rest of the world. The seating formation in the House of Commons is rigid and intentional because this is a place of confrontation and we often yell at each other.” I am not sure if yelling actually happens or if the man was just exaggerating, either way it’d be interesting to sit in on the debates.

Each meeting and event is started with a prayer. I realized how interconnected the Church of England is to the government. There are six different groups of people that make up the advisory board of Lords and one of those groups is the Lords of Spirit- all high positioned men within the Church of England. When we were ending our tour the guide said it best when referring to the history of the Houses of Parliament:

“If the inner walls and ceilings of this structure could speak to us- my would they have a tale to tell us.” 

Bank of England

Three buildings of Financial Significace

I had wanted to go to the Bank of England since the beginning of my study abroad and finally took the afternoon to go and explore. The entire bank district was quite fascinating to me. In the picture above it shows the Bank of England on the left, the Stock Exchange Building in the center, and the Royal Exchange building on the right.

The history of each building was quite spectacular. The Bank of England, known as “The old lady of Threadneedle Street” was established in 1734. As I walked through the bank museum I saw that George Washington and his wife Martha Washington were the ones to sign the Dividend Mandate. They both signed authorizing the payment of dividends on a holding of Bank Stock with the money she had inherited from her first husband’s father. I’m convinced that Martha was a wise women and I loved to see her involvement in the major business transactions of the bank. I also noticed that the Duchess of Marlborough (Sarah Churchill) had invested a large sum of money and wrote a letter to the Bank of England requesting fuller details on her statement of account in 1743. It was admirable to see an intelligent woman of personal involvement with her own investments at that time. 

The origins of the Stock Exchange dates back to the 17th Century (long before the bank) with a group of brokers who decided to set up their own premises on the corner of the street where the current building resides. By the beginning of the 19^th century, larger premises were needed. In 1972 her majesty the queen opened the exchanges current 26-story office with its 23,000 sq. ft. trading floor. It’s interesting because the New York Stock Exchange dates back to 1792 a whole century after the Stock Exchange of England came about, but I also associate the NYSE at a much higher prestige.

The major events that effected the Bank of England directly within the last few decades are: 1987- Stock Market Crash, 1992- British Pound (currency) leaves Exchange Rate Mechanism, 1997- Bank of England was given independence, 2000- “Dot Com” internet boom. Everything about what the bank does today to solve inflation among a million other things intrigues me. Random fact that I thought was interesting: The bank has 40 billion pounds worth of currency in circulation within the United Kingdom today. 

Remembrance Day 2010

Trafalgar Square 11:00am Nov. 11, 2010

Fountain of Poppies

The entire month of November people of Great Britain wear a red poppy in remembrance of those who sacrificed their lives for the people during wars. The red poppy developed from the Great War of 1914-1918 (World War I). The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marks the signing of the armistice, on the 11^th of November 1918, to signal the ending of World War I. Hence the holiday is celebrated at that time each year.

I heard that there would be a moment of silence at eleven o’clock everywhere in England, but the place to be was Trafalgar Square. I was at the square a little before eleven o’clock and was surprised by the number of people that were there. Everything stopped (including the traffic that stops for nothing in London) and the large crowd of people paid tribute to the men and women serving their nation with a few minutes of silence. I had some friends that were standing in line for the Harry Potter Premier at Leicester Square and they had a similar experience with the stopping of everything and universal moments of reflection. Red paper poppies were given out to everyone so that during these few minutes of silence poppies would be thrown into the Trafalgar Square fountains’ water. The holiday is similar to Veterans Day or Memorial Day in the United States, but it was symbolically similar to the day we remember September 11^th 2001. Both World Wars tainted the land and structures of England similar to the way September 11^th terrorist attacks tainted the land and structures of America. Both holidays are honored through moments of silence.   

 

I chatted with a couple of officers of the British Army that were present. They were highly decorated and I wondered how similar their ranking structure and medallions were to those the U.S. Army has in place. I realized that the British are usually fighting next to the men and women of my country so I appreciate their service as well. Anyone in the world that is contributing to the peace, safety, and freedom of humankind deserves to be honored.

  

An all-boys military battalion handed out the poppies to the hundreds of people that gathered. I couldn’t get over how young some of them were. I also chatted with a few of the young men and discovered that they are all between the ages of 13 to 18. Their school name was something to the effects of Royal Military Academy and they too were in uniform.

Hampton Court

 

Hampton Court is the palace that King Henry VIII lived in during his entire reign as king in the Age of Reformation. The exterior aspect of the palace was beautiful. The interior just made it evident that it was a man’s palace with little influence from a woman. Wooden paneled walls, animal horns, and military artillery were on the walls of the palace as décor. I thought that the interior wasn’t as luxurious as the other monarchial palaces in England and it had a sense of darkness to it. I may have a bias against the palace because it was King Henry the VIII. He seemed to be a man of no true, moral character. 

The best part of Hampton Court was the Privy Gardens. They had more small flowers, bushes, trees, and shrubs in comparison to other gardens making it look much more detailed. The designs that were imprinted into the grass with sand were spectacular, not to mention we were once again blessed with great weather.   

Windsor Castle Palace

 

The Windsor Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited royal residence in Britain. Out of all of the palaces and estates that we have visited in England this one is at the top of my list. The extravagance and ornamentation was fabulous, but I think the things that I saw at the Windsor Castle are what made it my favorite one.  

Queen Mary's Doll House
Gift From the Nation on Behalf of her Cousin

The first place that flocked all 38 girls was Queen Mary’s Doll House. It was a gift given to her from a relative in the royal family, but the people of the nation contributed. The dollhouse was four floors with fully equipped plumbing and electricity. The detail of the tiny figurines were so ornate that the crown jewels were in a display case in the dining hall, all the table dishes were pure silver, and there was a pram in the garden outside the house. I can imagine nobody was ever allowed to touch it, especially because it was a gift given to her in her old age. What a shame; little girls all over the world would die to play with such a set.

Memorial for Princess Charlotte

St. George’s Chapel is a part of the castle palace. Inside the chapel I saw a sculpture that struck me as beautiful. Princess Charlotte was in line to the throne when she died quick after childbirth. Her child was a still borne babe and did not live. The sculpture shows Princess Charlotte’s lifeless body covered in linens surrounded by people of mourning over the tragic event. Over her body is her spirit accompanied by two angels on both sides ascending into heaven with her; one angel holding her baby. The beauty is captivated in showing life after death even though English history would have been much different as she would have been crowned Queen and stayed on earth. 

 

While we were at Windsor Castle we got to see the changing of the guards. Their apparel was atrocious, but traditional. Their hats looked like a big, black, furred animal or a golden cone depending on their post. Half of the guards had musical instruments and put on a show for us. It was a successful outing with great weather once again. 

Barcelona

 

Right out my hostel door

Day two of the weekend getaway we woke up to our hostel that was right on the beach. I literally rolled out of bed and walked out the glass front doors of the hostel and walked out to the beach to watch the sun rise. It was phenomenal.  

Sagrada Familia

We made our way to the famous Catholic cathedral, Sagrada Familia. It has been under construction for 100 years. We were joking that our courses have trained us to immediately go to the cathedrals when we travel. Sagrada Familia is at the top of the tourist chart for Barcelona so that worked out nicely. The façade was astonishing with its intricate detail. It surprised me to find one side very modernized with sliding glass doors and the other side gothic style from over a century ago. The Pope was visiting the cathedral the next day so there was a lot of preparation going on- flowers, chairs etc..  

Casa Batillo

Gaudi is Spain’s claim to fame. He was the Catalan architect of modernism who did the Sagrada Familia as well as many other buildings in Barcelona. His work uses modernistic tiles and contorted shapes. We walked from the cathedral to Gaudi’s Casa Batillo, Casa Amatller, and Casa Lleo Morera. Each was unique and beautiful in a different way. It was cool to see the old European buildings of Spain contrasted with Gaudi.

We hiked up to a park that overlooks the city of Barcelona and it was well worth every second of the ascension. Gaudi had made a winding bench along the cliff for people to sit and enjoy the view. We took advantage and basked in the sun while a couple of Spanish guitar players serenaded us. It was a great spot to people watch too. 

We walked through the Gothic district and down the famous shopping street La Ramblas. La Ramblas comes to life during the daytime. There are tons of people dressed up for the tourists to pay for a picture or really just for entertainment. The last place that we went was the Catalan Museum. The large fountains out in front are the best part, but unfortunately they were under construction.

Barcelona, Spain is gorgeous and I’d love to go back there again with more time one day.  

Guy Fox Day was the day that we flew back home to London. It’s a widely celebrated holiday celebrating the failure of a planned bombing on parliament. On my flight back to London I looked out the window and watched firework shows the entire descent. It was the perfect way to end the trip.