scandinavia, part 1

i just returned from a wonderful trip to scandinavia.  after a crazy spring, and an insane beginning of summer, it was a much needed respite.  i was really excited to go to that part of the world, because i love scandinavian design.  the trip did not disappoint.  wherever we went we were blown away with the pattern, color, and design around us.  everything was beautiful, functional, and clean.

in oslo norway we went to the "radhus", or city hall, which began construction in the early 1930's.  construction was halted for WWII, and not completed until after the war.  the entire interior of the building was covered with artwork.  amazing wood carvings outside the entrance, murals on every surface including the ceilings.  even the floors were works of art.

ceiling in the radhus

silk wallpaper 

the size of the murals is almost unimaginable

detail of wall painting

another ceiling

floor in the main hall

"swan maidens" wood carving on the exterior of the building

it was breathtaking.

we spent two days taking in the sights in oslo.  it's a place i will never forget.

on another note, the sightseeing did interject some sadness in oslo, too.  it was close to the one year anniversary of the mass shooting there.  near the government buildings (which are still boarded up and under repair from the bomb the shooter detonated before he went really crazy) were piles and piles of roses left for the people lost.  we watched as men carefully packaged up the flowers and placed them neatly into boxes.  it was really sad, and really moving at the same time.  throughout the construction zone, flowers were poked in every nook and cranny as well.

every nook

and every cranny

it's strange and terrible that we are living and dying through these tragedies over and over.  i truly can't get my brain wrapped around how humans can be so cruel.

in my next post i will share some more photos from the trip.  we were gone for 12 days, and visited norway, denmark, northern germany, and sweden.