June 25, 2023                                                   

Oslo

Sarasota to Atlanta to Amsterdam to Oslo (total flight time=12.2 hours).

Our hotel, Thon Hotel Opera, has such a phenomenal location even I cannot get lost while sightseeing.

"Welcome to the Bjorvika, the oceanfront area of the city, where you can promenade, swim, paddle, visit museums and the library, relax in a sauna - and many other things."

Deichman Bjorvika (Oslo main library), Opera House, 

and Munch Museum (left to right).

The Library of the Future. 

   

"No matter why you came, you will be richer when you leave."
Six floors.
Four mezzanines.
Over 500,000 books, CDs, DVDs, and other media.
Open until 10 PM on weekdays and 6 PM on weekends.

The Oslo Opera House is the home of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet and the national opera theatre in Norway. The building is in the Bjørvika neighborhood of central Oslo, at the head of the Oslofjord.

This venue allows and encourages you to walk on the marble roof - further promoting the Norwegian culture and their love of scaling mountaintops, enjoying nature, and being outdoors. However, for some reason, the slightly elevated layers of random marble are accidents waiting to happen, and you don't have to wait long to witness skinned kneecaps and sprained or broken ankles.

Unlike Sarasota, Oslo's Opera House doesn't have parking issues thanks to trams, busses, trains, and even bicycles (which must be a challenge when wearing elegant gowns, tuxedos, and fine jewelry).

The Opera House opened in 2008. No expense was spared in its construction. The Norwegian Snøhetta architects won the design competition with a contemporary design featuring the concept of land and sea and art and daily life, using three main materials in designing the Oslo Opera House - stone, wood, and metal. 

The flooring and rooftop used white marble stone from Carrara, Italy. 

Oak is the main wood for the curvy wave wall of the main auditorium, floors, walls, and ceilings. The ammonia-soaked wood used by early Norwegian ships provides perfect acoustics for production.

An aluminum panel in the lobby entrance represents the glaciers.

I loved the artistic thought process so much that I took the English-speaking tour twice - once with a retired ballerina and once with a former soprano.

Carrara marble flooring

Oak wave wall entrance.

Aluminum "glacier."

Oak winding staircase to auditorium levels.