In the steps of the Vikings

Aug 1 2007 by Ken Bennett, Liverpool Daily Post

The launch of a new explorer-cruise ship takes Ken Bennett on a spiritual journey to Oslo

THE proud flared prow of the Viking death ship that carried a rich maiden and her slave girl to Valhalla rears eerily towards me.

I am locked in a time warp, travelling back to the ninth century when this remarkable vessel from Oseberg and two of its sisters, made their final resting place in burial mounds at Olso Fjord.

Then, cosseting their precious cargoes, they were reverently wrapped in layers of turf and buried deep in clay where they slumbered until being re- discovered just over 140 years ago.

Today, lovingly cherished, the ships take centre stage in a museum specially built to celebrate what are seen as the world’s best preserved Viking vessels.

Examining their pristine, sleek lines at close range is awesome: They are each 70ft long and built from stout oak which has lost none of of its shiny countenance over the centuries.

Every hand-hewn plank in each of the ship’s flowing lines is still perfectly intact. Each wooden peg locking the hull to the keel is in place. Even the runic carvings, spiralling up the prow, retain their own startling clarity.

But would you expect anything less from the legendary ship builders of Norway?

These were men whose deep longing to explore the seas skimmed them across the world in those fearsome, wave-hugging longboats.

And I am here to tell you that little has changed: the new breed of Vikings still capture travellers’ hearts and imaginations with inspirational sea journeys.

The MS Fram, for example. a new breed of explorer-cruiser, has just dipped her proud bows into Oslo Fjord ready for a voyage in September that will take her intrepid passengers on an inaugural adventure from the North to South Pole.

For 66 illuminating days, Fram (it means, appropriately, Go Forward in Norwegian), will travel from Iceland down the east coast of America, through the Panama Canal to Peru and Chile.

Along the way passengers will meet Latin American culture in the Caribbean and the Western coast of South America.

She is the new pride of the Hurtigruten fleet, whose 11 ships ply the Norwegian coast each day delivering tourists, people and parcels to tiny ports along the country’s knobbly spinal cord.

And she is an intrinsic link to the late 1800’s when the first Fram was launched to take polar exploration to another level.

True to their belief in keeping everything that is old and seaworthy sacred, the Norwegians still revere the original ship.

And, like her wooden predecessors, she too is beached in her very own museum at Bygdoy, a pretty, tree-lined vista, described at the pearl of Oslo, just a short journey by bus or boat from the city centre.

Immediately after her launch, the first Fram completed two hair-raising missions. The first, was Nansen’s three year trek to the North Pole – frozen in ice and followed its drift across the Arctic Ocean.

Her second expedition carried out important scientific surveys in Greenland.

But Fram’s most famous journey was immortalised by Roald Amundsen, who, in 1910, hoodwinked locals by telling them he was heading to the North Pole.

Instead, he forged south beating British explorer Robert Scott in a thrilling race and reaching the South Pole on December 11, 1911, a month ahead of his rival.

Now, ablaze with bright paint and spick and span rigging, the ship joins her longboat sisters as one of Oslo’s major visitor attractions.

When she was first built, she was the strongest iron vessel afloat with full size oak trees, including their roots, spread across the inside of her hull to prevent the plates from buckling in some of the most inhospitable places on earth.

Visitors can step on board and share the frugal regime of Nansen and Amundsen in the cramped passageways and tiny cabins between decks.

Yes, nothing like her new, big sister: here, comfy sofas and spectacular viewing decks lull you from the brilliant reality that you are on a vessel designed for probing the world’s toughest and most remarkable seascapes.

Spacious cabins, excellent food and the chance to share a well-padded seat, giving you the same view as the ship’s captain from his bridge, make this a rollicking great ship.

Returning to shore, you’ll find Oslo a pleasing – if sometimes expensive – short break destination.

Although beer can be costly – up to £7.50 a pint in the more upmarket, chic bars dotting this rather conservative city – you can still eat a burger for a fiver.

But Oslo’s real charm lies in its super transport system which seems to operate to a nanosecond whisking you through and delightful parks, gardens and totally stunning scenery.

Its other great bonus is an Oslo Pass, offering the best way to visit the city, giving free travel on public transport and free admission to museums and sights. Expect to pay around £24.50 for a 48-hour adult pass. Children have hefty discounts.

If you play your cards right, you can also eat at a discount rate at some of the city’s top quality restaurants.

And the city imports top DJs from all over the world to ensure it stays at the very cutting edge of music – plus a highly reputable club and jazz scene too.

But away from the bright lights, I am drawn back to the Viking ship museum for a final glimpse of these living pieces of history floating towards me in the fading evening light.

* Ken Bennett visited Oslo as guest of Hurtigruten, the Norwegian cruise specialist, who offers a wide and exciting range of holiday escapes. For more information contact: 0208 846 2666, www.hurtigruten.co.uk

* For information on Oslo and the Oslo Pass, check out: www.visitoslo.com.

* Further information on visiting Norway is available from Innovation Norway, the Norwegian Tourist Board, at: www.visitnorway.com/uk