If you are wondering why I am starting a journey from Bergen to Tromso, in Oslo, an option that is vastly more complicated and quite a lot more expensive too, it is because I have long been due a trip to the Norwegian capital and this seemed like too good an opportunity to miss.
When I was studying art in school, the work of Edvard Munch captured my imagination with his expressive brushwork and dramatic use of colour. If it hadn’t been for the fact that first the Nasjonal Museet and then the Munch Museum had been closed for lengthy periods to move into new buildings, I would have been long before now.
On the way back into town Google maps managed to pare the 6 mile route down to 7.5 miles, tough going in the bright sunshine. Luckily, if the 20°C temperature was too much for me, my itinerary for the day largely comprised of visiting art galleries, so I wouldn’t be complaining for too long.
Passing by the Opera House, it looked resplendent and I tried my best to drag myself away for my 1PM appointment at the Munch Museum next door.
In its current home since 2021, the building has 11 floors but surprisingly little exhibition space considering the quantity of works by the Munch they must have, much of which must be in storage.
At the heart of the exhibit is a rotation of 3 lesser versions of the Scream, each of which was being displayed for half an hour at a time before transitioning to a neighbouring work. The more famous version of the painting has lived at the Nasjonal Museet since it opened in 2022, and if my visit was anything to go by, is constantly guarded. Perhaps, due to the fact that versions of this painting do seem to go missing…
After completing the cultural element of the trip impressively early, I picked up a new bike pump at the supersize sports good warehouse XXL, before making my way along the dock to Vippa, an international food court and beer garden in an old warehouse building beside the fish market.
It was promisingly busy, which I decided must be testament to, either: the quality of the food, or the low price of the beer, which at £7 seemed reasonable considering Norway’s reputation for being eye-wateringly expensive.
As it happened, the food was worth staying for too, and I was furnished with Himalayan pork dumplings – called Momos – from one stall, and chicken gyros from another.
PedalTheGlobeBlog 
Great start to the trip Michael.
Oslo looks amazing. £7 for a pint in Norway is great value for money and I can’t believe you were eating Himalayan Pork Dumplings.
Really looking forward to your start in Bergen. Many years ago we won an Evening News competition and were guests of Bergen Council for a weekend to pick Edinburgh’s Christmas Tree.
If you have spare time before the cycling begins a trip up the fanicular gives excellent views.
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Indeed, Oslo was lovely, and no doubt deserves a revisit somewhere down the line! I was pleasant surprised by the cost of a beer, that might be because it cost me £6 for a small can of non-alcoholic beer last time I was in a pub in Edinburgh! The funicular sounds – and looked great – but sadly I was a little pushed for time in Bergen, also a very nice place though, so maybe it’ll need a revisit too!
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Loved seeing the Opera House again. Where did you take the ‘aerial’ shot from?
Thanks for the blog.
Jimmy
James A Simpson jasimpson.149@virgin.net
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No problem, Jimmy, it was deserving of the photograph! The ‘aerial’ shot was taken from the upper floor of the Munch museum, which I’d imagine probably lived in a different building if you’ve visited it before!
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It is indeed a super shot of the opera house. The clouds look almost painted on to the blue sky. Maybe your eye and camera are suitably inspired by the brush strokes of Munch!
Great that you managed to see a bit of the capital before heading west
My thoughts on the Scream are that Munch may have had some foresight into the anguish of a parkrunner arriving at the finish funnel having forgotten his barcode!😱
I see that you made it to Bergen in time to catch parkrun this morning. Well done. 🇳🇴
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Why thank you, I was lucky with how good it was looking! I hadn’t thought of that, I wonder which of Oslo’s parkruns he had the foresight to paint! I did mean to look a little more into where the scene is believed to be, though I’d imagine that the surroundings would be unrecognisable today.
I did make it to Bergen Parkrun, it was extremely humid so quite difficult conditions, but luckily I was trying to take it a little bit easier in case I had any cycling to do!
Michael
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I was thinking ‘he’s got a drone!’ There was only sea there when I was there! I looked up the Munch Museum. Was it a good looking building? Looks interesting shape.
Jimmy
James A Simpson jasimpson.149@virgin.net
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Sadly I don’t have a drone, clearly I need to get with the times! Ah, that’s quite clever, if you want to give your important buildings prominent positions on the waterfront, just construct a new waterfront! Not really, it was just a big rectangle. Quite pleasant inside though. Michael
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