Exploring Oslo!

We had a full first day in Oslo and our first day of stormy weather. In the morning we went to Frognerparken, where we took in the MANY strange statues by Gustav Vigeland around Vigeland Park. We were reunited there with Nana and Pops who had flown in a few days prior. 

Naked statues everywhere you look! 

Stank eye

We're as confused as you, Jude! 

We stopped at the coffee shop at the edge of the park for the Ella-proclaimed best cinnamon buns in Oslo. She was right! 

The girls took off exploring around the cafe and as we walked through a restaurant terrace, the worker gave them free popsicles! 

Just strange, strange, strange!

We went back to Paul and Andrea's for lunch and then headed to the Holmenkollen Ski Jump/Museum. The guys really wanted to do the zipline down the entire ski jump. 

We arrived with overcast skies and rain so they closed the ski jump to the guys' dismay. 

Cloud-obstructed views of the Oslo Fjord

Sad face

We went down to the museum, which gives the history of the ski jump and winter sports in Norway. Then, behind a secret door, we found an incredible, whimsical kid play area, which entertained the kids for quite a while, long enough that when we emerged, the rain had stopped and the guys could do the ski jump!

The rest of the crew came down the hill to get the best viewing position for the zipliners 

Long way down! They were glad they were on harnesses and not skis! 

They came down screaming, but they did it! 

Some downtime (and Sloane snuggles) before the next adventure

The only thing on my Oslo to-do list was to see the newly reopened National Museum. It was going to be closed on Monday so we headed in on the train with Nana and Pops. They took the kids to the public library, which sounded incredible, while Pete and I had the afternoon admiring Norwegian art. 

We arrived the day after the shooting outside of some nightclubs on the eve of Oslo Pride weekend. All of the celebrations were sadly canceled. 

Drums in a library??

Edvard Munch was of course the star of the museum. This painting he did of his sister was my favorite. 

I loved seeing the landscapes of the Fjords, as I hadn't yet seen them in person and it made me really excited for the days to come. 

I had no idea that The Scream was pained on cardboard! 

I was also really excited to see these wooden, Stave churches in person!

It was obviously wonderful to have kid-free time to explore the museum at our leisure, but I was really impressed that each viewing gallery had a comfortable bench with interactive toys on the ends for kids! 

The prototype for the sculpture in Frognerparken

A glimpse of the harbor with Scuba Steve

We walked to meet my parents and the kids at a pizza place near the library, where we got our first taste of Norwegian alcohol prices ($12 beer!). 

Sweden to Norway

Before leaving Lyr, there was one more adventure I wanted to go on: hiking to the one, sandy beach on the island. While Pete stayed back to pack and Jude stayed to play with Hedda, Maeve and I joined a few in the group to find the trailhead. 

An app showed us the general direction to go in as we hiked over rocky outcroppings and through woods. 

Beach found! One group that came by boat was there already. 

Beautiful, deep purple starfish was in the water. 

The water was cold, but refreshing on another warm day. 

This girl was my hiking buddy, enthusiastic, brave, and not a single whine! She told me over and over about how great she was doing/being. Agreed sweetheart!  

Blueberry picking

Cool man-made bridge

Back home, we said our goodbyes, hoping that we'll get some visitors in Amsterdam before too long (or pull off a return trip to Stockholm). Then it was off to our 3rd and final country of the trip: Norway! 

Swedish church in the countryside

Norway had been on our list since we moved to Europe, but I was always put off by the price tag (the kronor is very strong). Last summer our friends Paul and Andrea moved to Oslo and last fall we learned that our kids could tolerate long road trips, so the plan was hatched. My parents were keen to join us and between having our own car, sharing AirBnBs, and bringing a lot of food and booze from the NL, we managed to see Norway on a budget. 

First stop was Oslo, less than a 3 hour drive from where we had stayed in Sweden. We were reunited with Paul, Andrea, and Ella after 5 years (!!) and got to meet toddler Sloane. They hosted us for 3 nights and welcomed us with an American BBQ on arrival. Maeve took to Ella immediately and loved her sleepovers and playtime during our visit. And we think that Sloane and Pete knew each other in a previous life, because they quickly became inseparable! Sloane found Pete wherever he was and wanted to snuggle. It was so cute! There was a lot to catch up on after all that time apart and we enjoyed the long hours of daylight in their back yard after the kids were asleep. 

Swedish Midsummer

The days in Sweden kept getting better, as we got to know the group, and as the weather became increasingly warm and sunny. The culmination of the trip was our final day, which was Swedish Midsummer (not a coincidence). We were really excited to see what this big holiday, celebrating the summer solstice was all about. 

Not a Midsummer tradition, just what Jude wanted to spend his morning playing. 

Aboni brought supplies to make flower head wreaths so the ladies spent the morning picking wildflowers around the house and assembling the crowns. 

Ticks were a nuisance on this part of the trip (I found 3 on myself over the course of our time there). So the idea of putting these on the kids heads was a little scary! 

The temps were rising and the boys spent the morning fishing and then jumping into the water. Though the water was really cold, I was tempted to swim, but unfortunately the water was swarming with jellyfish. Like 1000s as far as the eye could see. There was one, stinging, orangish-colored one for every 10 "regular, non-stinging" ones. So the boys found holes where they were only with the non-stinging ones. No thank you! 

We were treated to a traditional midsummer feast where pickled herring and freshly caught mackerel (in a variety of sauces) ruled the spread, along with a mature cheese pie, sausages, small boiled potatoes, donut shaped crackers and salad. It was not all my cup of tea, but fun to try. 

Oh, and schnapps, too. 

Crab stuffed flounder being prepared for dinner. The crabs were caught in traps by the house. 

After lunch, we made our way to the town midsommar dansbanan- the midsummer dancing party. It was in a small pavilion in a clearing in the woods in the center of the island. The traditional midsummer pole was there and people danced around it in circles while a band played. A very fun, cultural experience, but it was HOT and we/the kids did not last long. 

Back home we cooled off with some cava sangria

Tried a bit more fishing

The neighboring houses were also hosting midsummer parties and our adjoining pier was bumping with a young crowd. They partied all night long on the pier just outside our bedroom windows! Nothing like some Swedish techno beats to lull you to sleep! 

Our midsummer sunset was one for the books! Ranking up there with the sunsets in Santorini and in the south of Spain. And strawberry dessert on the docks with our old and new friends made it all the more sweeter.