Oslo is the capital of Norway, its economic and governmental center. The bay is absolutely beautiful in the middle of fjords and hills. It is also the largest city in Norway, and is a hub for shipping, banking, industry, and trade. And, of course, it is the site of the annual Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in December - the anniversary of Nobel's death.
It has a rich Viking history and also an impressive artistic heritage. Perhaps the most famous artist may be painter Edvard Munch, he of 'The Scream' fame. Others of note include Edvard Grieg (composer) and Henrik Ibsen (playwright) to name a couple.
Our first excursion this day was a trip to the Hadeland Glassworks site. I have a fascination for glass-blowing and glasswork, so this was a must-see excursion.
Hadeland is in Jevnaker, Vikan, about 40km north of Oslo. It was founded in 1762 and production started a couple of years later. This was a relatively new thing in Norway, so early artists came from other countries, especially from Germany. The glassworks is known for continuing to create hand-blown crystal pieces including vases, wine glasses, lighting, bowls, and dishes. In early years the company mostly copied designs from other European countries, but starting about 100 years ago it started developing its own designs.
This site itself was charming - multiple buildings spread out over an area with a pond across the road.
We had the opportunity to see workmen making vases and also champagne goblets. It really is amazing ... and beautiful ... to see. I once had one class in working with glass (I made a paperweight I still have - of course.) I would love to take some more classes to include glassblowing - as soon as I have a little spare time, which may be possible any day now!
The showroom:
After lunch and some shopping at their outlet store onsite (I managed to find a couple of gifts, so that was great!) it was back to the ship.
My travel partner and I had booked another excursion for mid-afternoon, to do a bus/walking tour around the city, but instead opted to stay on the ship and relax a little.
Oslo is the final stop in Norway for this cruise. Next we head to Skagen (Denmark). I'll be back!
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