The last full day in Norway - but not the last full day of our trip (although we didn't know that yet). After hiking Pulpit Rock on Thursday, we drove from Stavanger to Kristiansand and spent the night at this coastal town, en route to Oslo. The hotel was great (even if the servers at the restaurant were not) and honestly, Kristiansand looked like a really lovely town - but we didn't quite have time to see much!
Kristiansand is Norway's southernmost city and while we were there, besides our stay at the Radisson Caledonian Blu, we stopped to check out two quick things: the oldest church in Kristiansand, Norway and a bakery for breakfast on the go! The Oddernes Church was built in 1040 and updated in the 1600's, before getting some additional work done in 1788 and 1827! The church is still used today to hold Sunday services, concerts and more - and really, it's a lovely church!
The Odd Bakery was our final stop as we headed out of town - I got a cinnamon bun with passion fruit curd and a glorious drizzle of icing! It was divine! My parents also got buns; my Dad a traditional cinnamon bun and my Mom one with raspberry sauce - it was all so good! This is just a small little spot but the smells coming from inside are incredible!
We made our way down the road, cinnamon buns in hand - headed for Oslo! Along the way, we passed a sign for the town of Arendal. And yes, this town on the southern coast of Norway has a name that struck Disney imagineers, because when they came to Norway to scout for Frozen - they decided the town that Elsa and Anna lived in should be called: Arendelle! The town of Bergen (where we were earlier in the week) was the inspiration for the look of Arendelle, but the name - that's from this little southern coastal town!
We stopped to get lunch y'all - at a Burger King that was built over the highway?!? What?!? It was the wildest thing, but also - what an excellent use of space. We ate our burgers as we made our way into the city, so that when we arrived in Oslo at around 2:00, we were ready to see all we could see!
Our first stop in Oslo was the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History and I have to say; I couldn't recommend this stop enough! We were originally planning to go to the Viking Museum but discovered that it is closed for complete renovations until 2027 - so this was the alternative! The Museum is a massive, indoor and outdoor experience that highlights life in Norway throughout the past, with buildings, homes, churches and exhibits that come from regions all over the country of Norway!
The first portion we toured was an exhibit on Timescapes, showing what life in Norway looked like throughout the 1600-1914, with dioramas and relics on display. That's where I took the picture of the amazing sleigh that looks like something out of Frozen; they also had an exhibit on folk dress, which had numerous dresses and men's clothing that looked straight out of Frozen as well, ha-ha! Which makes sense... given that Frozen is straight out of Norway! We didn't stay indoors too long because the vast expanse of the houses, barns, churches and villages that spread out in the massive courtyard were calling our name!
I absolutely loved - loved the little houses with greenery sprouting out of the roofs! We saw some of them here and there when we were out in the Norwegian countryside earlier in the week and they immediately captured my heart! The Norwegians use grass roofs for insulation, water management, biodiversity and noise management... not to mention, they just look delightful! They also had a teepee that exhibited Sami culture; the Sami are the indigenous people of Norway and are descendants of nomadic peoples who have lived in the areas of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia for thousands of years!
The museum also had homes that represent a more current day home for Norwegians; and while it looked very similar to our homes, it also looked very different! This museum was; in my opinion, such a unique way to showcase so much about Norway and I don't believe I've ever been a museum quite like it before! After wandering through numerous villages, we hiked up a hillside (seriously - it was a little of a climb) to the Stave Church that the museum has on display! This one was larger than the Fantoft Stave Church and was from 1200!
The gorgeous woodwork in the church was absolutely stunning - so detailed and beautiful! The whole church smelled like wood and history, ha-ha! If that makes sense? It smelled old! And given that it hailed from the 1200's, it definitely was old! After sitting in the shade staring at the church for a little while (it was a LOT warmer than we'd imagined it would be), we headed down the hill and made our way through the final villages and to some of the more modern day buildings!
The more modern buildings included a gas station and an apartment building that illustrated how a family lives in present day. They also had an apothecary from the turn of the century and let me tell you, if there is one thing the Norwegians have loved for years, it's their licorice! The apothecary had medicines, treats and more on display and of course, they had their licorice! I have to say that while I enjoyed most of the sweets I tried in Norway, I cannot understand their love for licorice! It blows my mind!
We saw as much of the museum as we could see, given that we only had a finite amount of time in Oslo and we headed through the gift shop and cafe on our way out! I grabbed a bag of gummy candies that I'd read about in the article I found on Norwegian candy... and we all got a laugh when we got to the car and discovered the female gummies had boobs! Because of course, you have to make the distinction between the two and that's the only way to do it! Regardless of their anatomy, these things were so tasty!
Our next stop was the Akershus Fortress! The Akershus Fortress and Castle were built in in 1299 by King Hakon. It has withstood numerous sieges and was "modernized" in the 1600's by King Christian! I don't know how modern it is, but I do know that the fortress' grounds are still an active Norwegian military space today - we even saw guards in full uniform near the entrance to the fortress! And yes - if you're a Disney person, you'll recognize the name because the restaurant in Epcot's version of Norway is called the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall!
Our last stop before we headed to dinner was a pop into the center of downtown Oslo, where we were able to find a wonderful souvenir shop, see the headquarters of Freia Chocolate (they make all the chocolate in Norway) and get a peek at the Norwegian Royal Palace and the Norwegian Parliament! Oslo is a really lovely city; at least, the portions we got to see. We were only there for an afternoon, but I thoroughly enjoyed the portions we did get to see and I'd love to go back again one day!
Our final stop for the evening was a restaurant located right on the harbor front of Oslo - Lofoten! I can only assume it's named for the Lofoten Islands, which are in northern Norway, but this place was a Ryan find and it was incredible! The views from the restaurant were gorgeous, the setting was perfect, the staff were some of the friendliest people we'd met all week (and that's saying something - because most everyone was friendly) and well - I assume the food was good. I don't eat seafood, ha-ha!
Ryan got a seafood feast platter that had lobster, crab claws, shrimp, mussels and more - it was gigantic! I've never seen a man so happy about a plate of food! He absolutely loves seafood, so I knew he'd be excited but his face was priceless... and y'all, he pretty much ate all of it! My Mom and Dad sampled some bites, but he otherwise cleaned the tower! I did get dessert from Lofoten; I had the Petit Four Trio and it was a lovely little sweet treat to end the night on!
We walked slowly back to our car, taking in the sights from the Oslo harbor. I have to say, it was hard to believe that a full week in Norway had already come and gone! Norway was such a beautiful place and I am so unbelievably glad we were able to see this gorgeous country - especially because I know I will need to make a return trip to see Northern Norway and catch the Northern Lights!
We stayed at the Radisson Blu Hotel at the airport; literally, across the walkway from the entrance to the Oslo Airport. We slept and we were up early... for the trip home. But that's another post...
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Stops & Stays Along the Way
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