Oslo: A Whimsically Magnificent City

Imagine a city where you can swim and sauna in the same Oslofjord harbor where the cruise ships dock.

We did just that on a warm August day with friends from our Detours tour group. Meet Buster, Graham and Brandon … and Kahlil on his cell phone.

Then there was Peter from New York.

The water was a barely bearable 64 degrees F.

But we did it.

And the view of the Opera House (left below) and the Munch Museum (center) was amazing. (Yes, I took the photo while treading water.)

There’s a spirit of fun in Oslo’s architecture.

We just don’t see it in American cities. Why is that?

The Oslo Opera House, for example, is designed to look like an iceberg and its visitors like penguins walking on the roof. It’s delightful.

We joined the waddle on a return visit to Oslo later in our month-long Scandinavian sojourn.

Even the office buildings have a sense of humor … and playfulness. Quite a new look for Deloitte, one of the Big Daddy management consulting firms oozing prestige, tradition and stress. I know. I used to write for them.

And aren’t these apartments in the foreground wonderful? Complete with boat dock and swimming pier.

The thought of Norway conjures a gray austerity for some.

We found that not to be the case.

One of the city’s most famous citizens, Edvard Munch, painted some pretty grim works in the late 1800s.

Their subject was anxiety …

jealousy …

sickness …

death.

But later in his career, Munch created enormous, dazzling paintings filled with joy.

They are celebrations of life.

Painted in 1909, Munch’s “The Sun,” pictured below, is noted as one of the greatest achievements in modern mural painting. It once occupied the front space of Oslo University’s assembly hall.

The painting below, amusingly titled “The Researchers,” is almost 50 square meters … and makes you happy just basking in its monumental size and cheerful subject matter. A day at the beach au naturel.

Munch’s later paintings should come as no surprise, really.

Because it’s hard to deny the fact that Oslo is a joyful place. The food. The coffee. The beer. Hansa, anyone?

Across the harbor from the Munch Museum, for example, there was another celebration of life on the day we visited.

Those saunas!

That water!

Fabulous!

And right in the heart of this beautiful city.

(They operate year-round, by the way.)

Gorgeous flowers are everywhere. And sunny public parks.

Also amazing outdoor art.

And saucy uniforms on the palace guards. What more could you want?

Ah, Oslo! God willing, we’ll be back.

Note: Thanks to the guys in our Detours Travel group for some of these photos, which you graciously shared on WhatsApp.