Nordic Freeze: First Taste of Winter Wonderland

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel who alone does wondrous deeds.” - Psalm 72:18

When traveling abroad and you’re not part of a tour group or have a personal tour guide with a van like we had in our Japan trip, it’s strategic to book a hotel at the city center. This is one of the most important lessons I learned in our Nordic trip: MAKE SURE OUR HOTEL IS CONVENIENTLY LOCATED.

For the Oslo leg of our journey, my elder son and I were billeted at the Anker Hotel. It was walking distance to the Oslo Central Station and there were  tram and bus stops right beside it. Eating places and convenience stores lined the street it was on. Very convenient especially upon arrival and departure with our luggage.

Waking up in our hotel with a view of the ice floating on Akerselva River further reinforced the awareness we were not in Manila anymore. (As if trudging through streets cloaked by evening’s dusky mantle at 4:00 in the afternoon was not enough to convince me the day before.)  Today is our first outing in winter wonderland.

 

Akerselva River

Stepping out of the hotel, we took time to marvel at the icy panorama that is Akerselva. The river flows through Oslo starting at Maridalsvannet, Oslo’s largest lake and into the Oslo Fjord. An 8-km. walk along its course goes through parks and small forests. My post trip research showed that there are historical buildings, fishing and swimming spots, waterfalls, culture and art hubs, and a foodie paradise to make the trek worthwhile. Although we saw people trudging along the riverbank, a winter walk would have been too much for tropical me. I uttered a small prayer that I may be able to visit my younger son again during summer so I can explore its banks.

Akerselva Riverbank Walk

First on our itinerary is the Norsk Folkemuseum (Norwegian Museum of Cultural History) in Bygdøy, Oslo.  

Norsk Folkemuseum The Countryside

It presents life in Norway from the 1500s and displays an extensive collection of artifacts from all social groups and regions of Norway.

Norsk Folkemuseum staff dressed as a farm girl

What made us truly feel the Norwegian way of life is the large open-air museum with 160 buildings relocated from towns and rural districts from around the country.

 

Historic storehouse with  ornate hand-carved wooden loft

We trudged in the snow through a Nordic countryside with farmhouses,

 

had a scare sliding over an icy patch as we searched for the Stave Church,

“roped the reindeer” outside a goahti or gamme (hut) in the Sámi Site (the Sámi are an indigenous Finno-Ugric people of the north),

 

viewed the permanent exhibits showing folk art, folk dress, church art, toys and Sámi culture in the Parliament Hall,

 

Norsk Folkemuseum Torget & Parliament Hall

and ate lunch by a cozy fireplace at Café Arkadia, the museum cafe.

Cafe Arkadia

Snow, snow and more snow waited for us after lunch at the Akershus Slott, a medieval fortress and castle overlooking the Oslo fjord.

 

It was built to protect and provide a royal residence for Oslo. At the time of our visit it was serving as the temporary office of the Prime Minister of Norway.

 

Standing guard at Akershus Slott

Blessed be the Lord, our God, for answered prayers and showing us this winter wonderland.