Trips

        We went to the Holmenkollen National Ski Center on a hill outside of the city.  A very modern ski jump has replaced the previous ones (the first one was built in 1892).  The ski jump is awesome when looking at it from any angle.  Snow and TV hide the verticality.  There is a ski jump simulator there but we did not get to try it (not that we would want to!).  There is also a biathlon track.  Someone was practicing shooting and many people were out on roller-skis training on the track.

	Holmenkollen Ski Jump
Holmenkollen Ski Jump	Holmenkollen Ski Jump
Holmenkollen Ski Jump	Holmenkollen Ski Jump
Holmenkollen Ski Jump and Park	Holmenkollen Ski Jump and Park
	Holmenkollen Ski Jump and Park - Ski Jump simulator
Our last stop was at the Viking Museum.  It is still fascinating to look at these real ships.  These three were used as burial ships and were found in mud underwater.  The Oseberg Ship was built in 820 AD.  It was used to bury two women with a collection of items to use in the next life.  The Gokstad Ship was built around 900 AD and was used to bury an important man.  Grave robbers stole many of the items in this burial.  The Tune Ship was excavated in 1867 and not much of it remains.  The museum exhibits the items found in these three ships – skeletons, wagons, sleds, cooking utensils, shields, harnesses, game pieces, etc.
Viking Ship Museum - the Oseberg Ship	Viking Ship Museum - the Oseberg Ship
Viking Ship Museum - Gokstad Ship	Viking Ship Museum - Gokstad Ship
Viking Ship Museum - Gokstad Ship	Viking Ship Museum - Tune Ship
After lunch we walked to the unique Oslo Opera house, hoping to get a tour inside.  We did not.  The Opera House opened in 2008.  It is built with white Carrara marble and granite, with wood inside.  The roof slants to the water of the Oslo Fjord and people can and do walk all up and down and over the outside.  The hall holds 1340 people and some day we may get to see the inside.  Instead we walked around the outside and looked in the windows at the workrooms.  We saw men and women working on wigs, making hats and animal heads, faces, clothes, sets, painting backdrops, and making furniture.  Being able to look in was wonderful.
	Oslo Opera House
Oslo Opera House	Oslo Opera House
Oslo Opera House - Interior	Oslo Opera House - Interior
Oslo Opera House	Oslo Opera House
Statue of Norwegian soprano Kirsten Flagstad	Interesting buildings

We had our Farewell Dinner at the hotel.  We were the only ones in the atrium restaurant and the meal was very good.

Fri., 10/9/15 – Oslo to Frankfurt to Denver
            Our flights home were uneventful and the drive home was a welcome relief after all of our exciting and unique travels.  As always it is very nice to come home to Estes Park. This was another really interesting, different, and enjoyable trip!