Taking the Ferry to Nesodden

On a overcast but balmy Fall Sunday afternoon, Sten suggested we take a ferry to Nesodden, the peninsula in the southeast of Oslofjord, directly across from Bygdøy where we live. We had been told there wasn't anything particular there to see where the ferry comes in (I'm assuming that meant museums and such), but we decided to go for the ride anyway.  With our month bus passes, the fare is just 20 Nkr (about 3 dollars), and the ferry goes back and forth every half hour during the day.

Though you can sit inside and look out the windows, Sten always prefers to be outside if possible.

As you can see, it was a rather dark, slightly ominous sky when we left.

Here we are passing a lighthouse and small island along the way.  I think the hytte (cabins) painted red are beautiful.

And here, we are sailing into the dock at Nesodden.  The Norwegian coastline is very rocky, with not many sandy beaches.  Several large buses were waiting to take people from the ferry to places farther away, but we decided to explore where we could go on foot.

First we took the road to the right.  There were many private driveways along either side, but then we saw a sign pointing to a pubic access.   

This beautiful red little cabin came into view, and we followed the public road down to the shore across from it.

There was a bench on the rocks and a wooden table with some chestnuts on it.  Someone had spelled the Norwegian word for "chestnut."  I couldn't resist rearranging the nuts to spell something else.

Next we decided to take the road from the dock going to the left. Again, lots of private driveways  to houses and cabins, and then we saw another public access to the coast (not for cars, just for people on foot).  There was a picnic table and the most beautiful, peaceful spot to enjoy.

We just relaxed, watched the boats go by, and enjoyed the sun coming out for a little while.

This family of three was fun to watch.  The parents are on the paddle boards, and their child is lying between the legs of the dad on his board.

Time to head back to the ferry and life in Oslo.  As we came into the harbor, the sun made the buildings glow for a few minutes.

Foggy Morning Walk

There have been some foggy mornings this Fall in Oslo.  Mornings where my hair frizzes when we walk outside because there's close to 100% humidity, but it's not really raining.  One of these weekend mornings we walked to Huk Badestrand (bathing beach).  We both enjoy the sea, but for different reasons. For Sten, his attraction to the sea is not just for its beauty or for swimming in it. Seeing the large ocean liners takes him back to watching them as a child living in Oslo, and he still finds it absolutely thrilling to see these huge vessels arriving from and leaving for Copenhagen and other ports. I've discovered that he knows the schedule of when they can be expected to go by.  More than one walk has been extended considerably because we just have to wait to watch the ocean liner from first sighting to when it passes us by. Here's what we saw that morning. 

 See that shape on the horizon just to the right of center in this photos?  

Now you can begin to see what it is.

That's Sten on the landing to the left.

There it goes, into the harbor at the end of Oslofjord.

Evening at the Opera House

The Opera House in Oslo is an amazing, unique building constructed at the head of the Oslofjord.  Its ramp-like white granite and marble roof appears to rise up out of the water.  The ramps allow the public, whether opera lovers or not, access to the building.  And the views in all directions are stunning, especially at sunset.  We've been fortunate to be there to view a spectacular sunset several times now.

Here's the beginning of the first ramp up.

And on the other side heading up.  

This is taken from the highest level looking back to where the ramp comes up on the right.

And now looking the other direction at the last climb to the top level.  The man in the foreground has set up his camera to take a timer photo.

Here is the sunset; first at its peak of color,

 and then as it sinks lower and lower into the horizon.

 

We had t take a couple of photos to prove we were there.

The ship-like sculpture in the harbor is called "She Lies." It appears to be floating, but actually sits on a platform and can be moved by the wind and the tides.  I think it's perfect for the location.

As the sun disappeared and darkness came, the Opera House came alive with light. This is the entrance for the public.

The street lights on the sidewalk across the water from the Opera are very special also.  The light is shone through stencil-like grids to make patterns on the sidewalk.

If you're ever in town, I recommend giving the Opera House (spelled Operaen in Norwegian) a visit. We hope to take in an opera or two while we are living here, but whether you do that or not, climbing to the roof is worth the mild cardio workout it takes.