We drove out from Göteborg on the E6, crossing the border from Sweden to Norway, then to the E18, through another long tunnel, and onto Oslo's waterfront, past the new Opera House, through another tunnel and onto the E16 to Hønefoss to my counsin Knut's house. About a five hour trip with Charlotte honing her excellent map and Norwegian dictionary skills.
The amount of ongoing public investment in transport and cultural infrastructure is so impressive. New tunnels are being built to move the highways along the waterfront underground. New train lines are being laid from Oslo to Bergen. And light rail moves citizens through the shining city streets, up the surrounding hills, and into the near suburbs. Everywhere bikes and bike lanes for commuters.
And, then, there is the Oslo opera house, an example of interactive architecture whose sloping roofs invites visitors to walk up on it and see the city and the fjord from new angles. Imagine baby carriages on the roof while rehearsals for Puccini are going on inside...a kind of social invitation to expand one's horizons. The roof line stretches from the water's edge and, as we walked up, pulls us into the sky.
