It was a 350km drive back to Oslo, but we broke up the journey with a cruise along the Telemark Canal which was built in the C19th to join several waterways and link Dalen to Skien for the transport of goods. Today it just carries pleasure boats, and we just travelled on the final stretch from Ulefoss to Skien.
Once through the locks at the beginning …
… most of the trip was along a fjord …
… with a final lock at the end.
We were checking in to our hotel in Oslo early evening and it was time to say farewell to our guide Paula and the interesting bunch we had spent the week with, all with varied departure times next day.
It has been surprising to see how most restaurants serve world food from one country or another, rather than traditional Norwegian fare. So, when Graham and Lisa who we’d chatted to a fair bit during the trip, suggested eating at the Oslo Food Market, we thought it was a great idea to spend the evening with the locals, munching various curries and stir fries!
Our flight was not till late, so we visited the Norsk Folkemuseum. Travelling like locals in a country where a boat is often the quickest transport, we took the ferry across the bay to the open air museum.
We were eager to find out more about the Stave Churches of Norway which were built when the country became Christian from C9th-C12th. Our tour had stopped at two but only very briefly. We did pay and go into the first one at Torpo and the first thing we noticed was the smell which comes from the black preservative made from pine resin.
The heavy wooden door is decorated with dragons, vines and animal heads…
… and inside, the nave is dominated by a great decorated vault depicting Christ with the apostles and the legend of St. Margaret. It was probably put up and painted at the end of the C13th, making some of the oldest decorative paintwork in Norway.
A couple of final snaps of the woodwork and we had to leave.
From one of the smallest, to the largest. According to legend, Heddal was built in only three days with the help of a troll named Finn and shows how elaborate the structures became with its multi-tiered roof and three towers.
It has an exterior gallery where there are fantastic woodcarvings around the four entrance doors …
… and I got the briefest glimpse inside.
When it came to building churches, the Vikings built in wood and used ship building techniques which resulted in the stavkyrkje or stave church. The name comes from its corner post or stave which is prepared like a ship mast. First the tree was selected, the branches removed and the tree left for several years. It would then swell with sap, seeking to repair the wounds and this resin would act like a preservative. The seasoned staves were cut, and erected on a stone foundation to keep away rot. The rest of the church was built around this frame, and then regularly painted with pitch, which the Vikings used to seal their ships and make them watertight.
In the C19th the stave churches were deemed too small and dark so many were demolished or sold in favour of new buildings and today only 28 remain. The Gol stave church, built around 1212, was rescued and moved to Oslo and is now the highlight of the museum. Swooping dragon heads are attached to the roof, just like the prow of a viking longship …
… and inside, the wooden ceiling is constructed like the upside-down hull of a ship.
The murals in the choir and apse date to 1652 and were financed by members of the congregation, offering a glimpse into the church’s history after the Reformation.
There was also metalwork and carvings of dragons and plant motifs.
The rest of the museum had displays of costume, textiles and decorative arts as well as a collection of buildings from various regions and we wandered round in the sunshine and even spotted some country dancing.
It was soon time to go and we took the ferry back and a train to the airport and reflected on our trip. We’ve enjoyed visiting Norway, but have decided we won’t be booking another organised trip for the time being as we prefer making our own way, taking our time and just going off travelling together.
Finally, with the fabulous weather, we’ve seen lots of Norwegian blue in both the sky and water …
… but the Norwegian Blue eluded us!
Off Travelling Together 