Friday, May 19. The city is beautiful. New buildings, old buildings. Gorgeously painted. No graffiti. Statues, statues, statures. An entire park containing the works of Parque de Vigeland with a theme of The Circle of Life, but its common style (nudity) left me cold. Vigeland famously didn’t explain his sculptures saying they’re purposes are in the eye of the beholder, which gives me the right to have my own opinion.

But the rest of the city had a massive number of sculptures that I did enjoy. Their large, modern and beautiful new ski jump was very unnatural but very impressive in shape. An small funicular took jumpers to the top. The new opera house was, as usual, unusual. Sloping roofs allowed people to walk to its top. The city has a policy of open doors everywhere. Few gates and easy entry. Even their military area is fairly open.

We took a ferry to the Maritime Museum. Nice place, though I’d expected a reconstructed Viking boat. They had one, but it was very small. They are reassembling a larger one, due in five years.

Ate a Norwegian pizza. Different, but not too different. Walked through their fort. Realized too late the the US Coast Guard square-rigger Eagle was in port and giving tours. The sail out was pretty, but nothing compared to Flam.