Atlantica - 01.06.2002, Page 35

A T L A N T I C A 33
National Independence Day on the 17th of May, or on other spe-
cial occasions. Karl Johans gate lies between Det Kongelige Slott
(The Royal Palace) to the west, and Sentralstasjonen (Oslo
Central Station) to the east. A multitude of cafés, restaurants and
stores line the street, as well as many of the city’s most impor-
tant and well-known buildings. Counting from the Royal Palace:
the University of Oslo, the National Theatre, the five-star Grand
Hotel, Stortinget (The Parliament Building) and Oslo’s Cathedral.
The Royal Palace itself stands bold and dignified on a hill sur-
rounded by the beautiful royal gardens, which are open to the
public, along with a section of the Palace. Around this area, or
more precisely, near the University on Universitetsgaten, is the
National Gallery, which exhibits the works of Norway’s most
famous artists – Edvard Munch, Christian Krohg and J.C. Dahl –
along with the works of masters such as Picasso, Van Gogh and
Matisse.
When you are tired of trekking forwards and backwards down
Karl Johann, it is a good idea to drop by the place that every sin-
gle inhabitant of Oslo that I met during my trip recommended.
This unique place is the sculpture garden, Vigeland Parken. The
park is the country’s most popular tourist spot and is visited by
over one million guests each year. It is named after the artist
Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943) and is definitively a sight worth see-
ing. Vigeland’s sculptures are an ode to mankind, glowing with
gladness, but yet sad, humorous and filled with warmth. The
sculptures number 200 in total and stand on both sides of a path
which leads to the pièce de résistance, a 14-metre-high column,
carved from a single slab of stone, which shows in minute detail
121 human bodies writhing and coiling together. It took three full-
time sculptors from 1929 to 1943 to complete this impressive work
of art.
Vigeland Parken is situated in the middle of Frognerparken, which
is the ‘Central Park’ of Oslo. There people thunder by on
Rollerblades, ride their bicycles, kick footballs or have picnics. Like
on Bygdø peninsula, the engangsgrill are in popular demand at
Frognerparken. Norwegians are obviously avid barbecue fans.
After a quick survey, it seems that pork chops and chicken are the
most popular dishes of the day. I guess that the health inspector
Bård Mæland
Student
Where do you go for a night
out on the town?
“My destination for a pub
crawl is Aker Brygge,
especially in the summer.
Nowhere in Oslo are there as
many bars and restaurants
crammed together
in one place.“
028-036 ATL402 Oslo 24.6.2002 15:45 Page 33