In Oslo... the adventure begins

Time to get excited...

I'm in Oslo, Norway, getting ready to meet up with my fellow Fellows. We'll be headed up to the Svalbard, the 'Land of the Ice Bears.' Not only do I hope to see polar bears, but most likely walruses, reindeer, and I'm crossing my fingers for narwhal (they actually saw some a few days ago!!!) Tomorrow, the tour officially starts and Breanna and Jeanne will arrive. I decided to come a day early just to have a little extra time in Oslo.

I checked into my hotel at around 3PM and immediately walked down to the Nobel Peace Center, a small museum that highlights the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize. The main exhibit was about one of the most controversial prizes, the 1935 given to German journalist Carl von Ossietzky. Originally, nobody won in 1935 and Ossietzky was retroactively awarded in 1936. He had been convicted of treason by the Nazis for writing about German rearmament (in direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles), so the Nobel committee and the Norwegians were afraid of offending Germany. In fact, two committee members resigned and the King of Norway skipped the ceremony, and Hitler later wrote a law banning all Germans from receiving the Nobel Prize in the future.

The Nobel Peace Center

Fun fact! Did you know that Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel made his money as a major arms manufacturer and inventor of dynamite? The Peace Prize is the only Nobel Prize not chosen or given by Sweden. The 5 members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament, and the award ceremony is held in Oslo City Hall.

After touring the museum, I walked along the Aker Brygge wharf up to the Akershus Fortress and Castle along the waterway of Oslo Fjord.

Akershus Fortress

The view from Akershus Fortress to Oslo Fjord

There are some great views from the top of the hill, but I was way too tired to do much more than walk around. Jet lag is kicking in, so I'll save the rest for tomorrow...!