Oslo, Norway

Sculptures of nude human beings in activities of daily life are arresting at first. Not that we are prudish or anything, but the sheer number of bronze and stone forms (more than 200), plus the variety of pairings and actions captured in the sculptures certainly grabbed our attention. There is a monolith of one piece of solid granite covered with human forms climbing, reaching for the heavens. There are pieces that depict a man with his child, two women embracing, children playing, generations of a family and groupings of people working, fighting, loving, aging and just living. But as we walked through the outdoor permanent installation of sculptures by Gustav Vigeland, we shed our awe to appreciate the human forms. They are simple expressions of life, good and bad. The artist asks us to drop our inhibitions and see ourselves in the raw.

We walked several miles through the brisk air that blustery spring day. There are over 100 acres of lawns, paths, flower beds and streams in the park. White puffy clouds framed the natural and creative beauty that abounds in Frogner Park. We came out of the park invigorated and enlightened.

From art al fresco at Frogner Park, we journeyed back to Central Oslo for frozen art. It was chilly in Oslo the days that we visited. Funny that we chose to go to the touristy Magic Ice Bar in town. On top of our layers of outerwear, we added hooded ponchos and gloves provided by the bar.

We entered the deep freezer and walked amongst ice sculptures. At the frozen bar, we were offered a frozen cup filled with ice cold fortified wine. Cold inside and out. What a delight and a fabulous show stopping idea for entertaining at home this summer.

Recipe

We have been experimenting with making ice cups of our own. See our recipe for Summer Ice Cups. Fill them with your favorite shot and drink up before the cup melts!