Cruise to Oslo (Norway) was an awesome experience and one of the best trip. On 16^th Sept. 2011 – we got ready with lots of fruits,  yummy biscuits, sandwiches and juices. By late afternoon we reached the port where our cruise ship was anchored …. the model ship in the photo below wasn’t the one which we took. Our ship “Pearl” (run by DFDS Seaway company) was a huge ship with 11 floor and our cabin was on 9^th floor. The most happy part is that our cabin was next to the 9^th floor deck … so we just had to open a door next to our cabin aisle to get to the deck and from there we can climb by stairs to 10^th and 11^th floor deck as well.

my maa with a ship model at the port

It was a very windy day that day. There were clouds and freezing cold wind. As usual i wrapped myself with sweater and jacket and scarf and still i was cold. Whenever the sun pipes through the clouds – i would thank Him and pray It stays out of the clouds. I took as many photos as i could of my parents – brother  (Joy da) and many with none of them.

We saw many cargo trucks being loaded in the ship – i was worried about the ship being able to take all those heavy loads. Joy da told me that it may be able to carry much more. I’m actually scared of water – so travelling by ship in the open sea with all those heavy load made me think of all those nonsense things which of course i won’t even mention.

Finally at 4:30 pm – the peculiar loud horn blew and Denmark national anthem was played and we’re sailing out of the Copenhagen port. As the ship move forward – water is being push by the propeller creates huge waves and whirlpool type stuff …. my mom enjoys this a lot (it was her second trip).

my parents and brother

ship moving out of the port area

We stood at the top deck for sometime … saw the ship leave the port area and all. Actually we’re (our cruise ship was) travelling through a channel like area – so we’re never too far from the main land …. be it Denmark or Norway or Sweden. So it was pretty safe (as told by Joy da) if any emergency situation happens – but i was still unconvinced as if something happens and we end up floating in this open sea – we would freeze to death even before anybody knows about the incident …. the water must be more than freezing cold.

It was getting colder and we all decided to go down to the 7^th floor – where we can sit and enjoy the sea view through huge glass window without feeling cold. Also this is the floor where there’re restaurants and coffee shops  and kids play station and souvenirs shops  and so on. We love to eat and so we bought a souvenir which we can eat and capture it in a photograph and keep the photo as souvenir. So we bought a Toblerone  which Joy da and baba (my dear father) finished. Me and ma had a bite only …. not sad as i don’t like the bitter chocolate Toblerone anyway.

me and maa with Toblerone

Slowly the sky got overcasted and soon it started to rain … somewhat like a storm. Announcement was made that no one should go on the deck and people who were there should come in. From the window we could see those huge waves and we could also feel the ship going up and down on those huge waves. Seeing all  those waves and storm like rain – i felt worried. My mom told me again nothing will happen and not to worry. The rain got little lighter after sometime … and then appeared the rainbow. First it was pale and gradually it became huge and bright – as we came nearer it appeared much more bigger ….. and finally we sailed by its side. The whole situation appeared as it we’re in some animated movie like Alice in Wonderland. I have never seen a rainbow so big and perfect in my whole life before and that to from so close. It was a whole  U-shape rainbow just outside the glass window – starting from the sea and ending in the sea. All my worried and agitation was out of my mind … and then i thought to capturing it in my camera  but it was so close that it didn’t fit in the frame. I felt sad again as i couldn’t take the whole thing … but maa said – be happy to see it with our own eyes. So i had to satisfied by taking half and clicking the second  half in second picture …. it was that huge.

high tides – water window glass- ship move up and down on those huge waves

the half but beautiful rainbow

After few hours of watching high tides and storm and of course the beautiful rainbow – i was finally feeling dizzy and it had got dark outside too. So we decided to go to our cabin and eat those delicious sandwich and juice that we brought with us. I went straight to bed and told everyone that i won’t eat as i was feeling more or less sick. I fell asleep within few minutes ….though we could hear the loud music from the discotheque downstairs on the 8^th floor. I guess at midnight the discotheque had finally came to rest.

I woke up in the middle of the night (can’t remember the time) …. Joy da woke up too – we started to talk and our parents woke  up as well. Joy da said – let’s go outside and see the sea. I was scared but still agreed. Maa told us not to go near the railing – she was worried we might fell off the ship by those strong wind. We told her – we’ll be staying close to the door only. Outside the sea was dark and scary ….  though we could see other ship lights and lighthouse but at far distance. We came back and went to sleep again.

I woke up very early next morning to see the sunrise but i  actually missed it. Me and maa came on the 9^th floor deck and saw the sun was already out …. spreading its orange rays all over the calm and quiet sea. The morning (actually the whole day) was very bright and beautiful. The sky and the sea was perfect blue – it seems as if i was a different world altogether. We again took many photos. We promised to watch the sunrise on our way back to Copenhagen. We sat there maa drank water and i drank juice. The atmosphere was so calm and relaxed that we started to talk about God and Its existence.

Then we got back to our cabin …. had shower and got changed. Came back to the deck again … this time Joy da was with us and baba went downstairs to get himself a cup of coffee. We clicked as many photos as we could.

Finally we reached the Oslo port at 9:30 am. It takes 18 hrs to reach Oslo port from Copenhagen. One of the uncle from Indian embassy at Oslo came at the port to meet us. When they came to Copenhagen they stayed at my parents house. This time we’re in Oslo but we won’t be staying at their house but had our lunch their house. They’re very friendly and had prepared very delicious food …. but before we reach lunch time we’re to see a unique and wonderful park called Vigelandsparken Sculpture Park. It was unique as i haven’t seen any park that would be dedicated to “human in its raw form” …. in other words nude – but i wasn’t just man-woman but as mother-father daughter-son child-grandparents. It was simply so new and different. Actually most of the sculptures or statues are in nude form.

the beginning of the unique and wonderful park

i always look lost but enjoying every bit of it

nude children sculpture playing around trees

bunch of pale pink rose

the most beautiful vibrant orange rose i have ever seen

Vigelandsparken  park is spread on 80 acre land and it is situated on western Oslo. It has 212 sculpture crafted by Gustav Vigeland. It is also known as Frognerparken. This  14 mt. High sculpture is the monolith and it is one of the most famous sculpture. The column which is over 14 mt. Tall and carved in one single stone. It consists of 121 human figures. The park was very big and it was impossible for us to enjoy it (whole) in 2 hrs. It would take at least a day to actually walk around and enjoy its natural beauty. There were many tourist and many locals too – they can be recognised as they came to jog with their doggy.

the famous monolith sculpture

human figures in Gustav Vigeland’s sculpture

the seagull type bird at the pond

mom n auntie walking home

After watching the swan and seagull type bird and ducks in the pond … we finally decided to leave the park and head towards uncle’s house. Auntie ji  had came to get us as we didn’t know the way to their house. We enjoyed the delicious lunch and the little rest.Then went to see the Queen palace and the Nobel Peace Prize Center. Queen palace was good with beautiful garden. It wasn’t like the palaces in India …. which are huge and beautifully crafted from red stone. The Nobel Peace Prize Center – i thought it would be like a palace with colourful garden … it wasn’t up to my expectation – but it is a prestigious house and i was very happy to see it anyway. After seeing the Nobel Peace Prize Center  – we roamed around the port area. Actually the Noble Prize Centre is just by the port area.

Later went to see the Akershus Fortress. Will write about that and our return journey in my next post.