Oslo

 August 15

As we await our flight home, I’ll reminisce about the last several stops on our amazing Scandinavian cruise. 

After Ålesund, we were on our way to Oslo for an overnight stay. Our first excursion was a World War II tour with a fair haired Norwegian young woman. She brought us to a large, still intact Nazi bunker underneath a school. There she told us about how Hitler occupied Norway (a country that wanted to remain neutral) because he loved their Arian genes - blond hair, blue eyes. He encouraged the Germans to make babies with the Norwegian women. A woman who had 10 babies were awarded a gold star. Their Jewish population, who Norwegians considered similarly to how Muslims are considered in today’s society, were shipped off to concentration camps and their neighbors pilfered their homes. Even today, Norwegians prefer not to dilute their gene pool by immigrants, but after a anti-immigration fanatic mass murdered Oslo citizens in 2011, they talk of being more inclusive- but really would prefer not to have to. We visited a prison and fortress from medieval times but only learned about its use during occupation and after the war. A Norwegian named Vidlun Quisling, was a German sympathizer and claimed to be the leader of Norway during the occupation (but was not really) was imprisoned and executed after the war. Quisling is synonymous with treachery in Norway similar to Benedict Arnold). 

We passed by the Nordic ski jump, which is a popular summer spot on our way to a haunting memorial park to the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Oslo. 

The next morning, we opted not to take an excursion but do a self-guided walking tour instead. We walked atop the Oslo opera, walked to the Vigeland sculpture park, visited City hall and had a beer at a former Nazi beer hall, called Proud Mary.