2024 Viking Homelands - Day #10 - Oslo, Norway

Vikings & Norwegian Explorers

Viking Ships, Kon-Tiki and Norway’s Polar Explorers

Get an in-depth look at the history of the Vikings and Norway’s most notable explorers.

Norwegians have a long history of exploration, from the time of the Vikings to the present day. Learn about the epic voyages of world-renowned explorer Thor Heyerdahl at the Kon-Tiki Museum. Browse the numerous texts, maps and more than 8,000 books on display; the highlight is an exhibit of the original Kon-Tiki balsa-wood raft Heyerdahl used to sail from Peru to Polynesia in 1947. Tour the Fram Museum, which chronicles the polar expeditions of Norwegian explorers, including Roald Amundsen—the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. Conclude your tour with a guided visit to the Norwegian Maritime Museum to learn about Norway’s seafaring history and see its maritime paintings, by famous artists such as Christian Krohg, Hans Gude and Axel Revold.

After a late evening, Sharon and I both slept late. I got up about 7 am and went to the Explorers' Lounge. Sharon slept to 8:30 am!

We had late breakfast at the World Cafe. I was shocked at the number of people. It is the first time on the boat where I felt overrun with FOPs.

We had a lazy morning. I did a 20 minute Peloton upper body strength workout.

We went back to the World Cafe for a quick bite. Again, it was overrun with people. I think that the number of people was primarily due to the fact that the ship was at sea for the morning.

The boat docked at 12:00 pm. We met The Viking and Norwegian Explorers excursion at 12:15 pm in the Star Theater. The excursion included visits to three museums.

The first stop was Kon-Tiki Museum. It is dedicated to the life and explorations of Thor Heyerdahl, a legendary Norwegian adventurer. Heyerdahl is most famous for his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, where he sailed a balsa wood raft across the Pacific Ocean from Peru to Polynesia, aiming to prove that pre-Columbian contact between South America and Polynesia was possible. The museum contains the actual Kon-Tiki and Ra vessels.

The second stop was the Norwegian Maritime Museum. With the Viking Ship Museum closed, it contains one of the oldest Viking ships. We actually visited this musuem on the pre-tour in Olso last week.

The third stop was Fram Museum. It celebrates the rich history of Norwegian polar exploration. The museum's centerpiece is the Fram, considered the strongest wooden polar ship ever built.

After the excursion, we went to the Aquavit Bar and did some planning for the next few days. Sharon is using her super powers to try to find a restaurant in Copenhagen.

We took an Uber into the city for dinner at Lorry. Sharon was looking for a traditional Norwegian restaurant. Lorry is one of Oslo’s oldest restaurants, with a history dating back to the 1870’s. The place has been run by the same family for over 60 years through three generations. We both had LORRY’S HOMEMADE FISH SOUP and REINDEER PATTIES [Lingonberries, mixed vegetables and potatoes with a creamy game sauce].

After dinner, we walked back to the ship through the Palace Park. This beautiful park, one of the oldest and largest in Oslo, was designed in the mid-1800s and features sprawling lawns, majestic trees, ponds, and statues. It surrounds the Royal Palace on all sides. It was a beautiful evening.

We crashed at 10:00 pm.