Nobel Peace Center Museum

 This morning, Ann and I were up at 6:30 am.  For more than a week prior to the beginning of this trip, we began going to bed earlier and waking up earlier than we normally do, in an attempt to help out with typical jet lag issues.  For a few days, we were going to bed at 8:30 and waking up at 4:30 am.  I am convinced that it has made a world of difference on this trip.  

Today we visited the Nobel Peace Center Museum.  Somehow, on our other trips to Oslo, we never found the time to see this important place.  I learned so much about Nobel, the man but more importantly about the legacy he created by willing his estate to the formation of  the Nobel Peace Prize.  The museum is a very thought provoking space that encourages a person to ponder the reasons for why we think of things the way we do.   The Echo Chamber and the Filter Bubble were two important concepts which were covered.  It’s very important to have an open mind and try to understand how you came to think about different subject.  Don’t accept everything you believe in as truth.  If you learn to understand that other people are also victims of their own echo chambers and filter bubbles, it can help you to see where they come from and perhaps lines of dialogue and discussion can better be achieved.  The goal is peace through understanding.

A visual representation of the echo chamber concept

Japanese architect 

Kengo Kuma designed a powerful installation for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize exhibition at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, featuring 1,000 delicate cedarwood figures (Kigumi) representing Hiroshima/Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors, to highlight their stories and the fragility of humanity, connecting with the laureates, Nihon Hidankyo, and promoting nuclear disarmament awareness through his signature natural materials and empathetic design.

In the early afternoon, we went for a stroll in the free Botanical Gardens downtown.  If you don’t find peace at the Nobel Peace Center, you can easily find it here.  

In the late afternoon, we met Craig and Nick and we travelled to a further location to view another condo that is for sale.  Housing prices in Oslo are crazy high but it sure would be nice to live here.  Tonight we went out for supper at Mamas Pizza.  Tonight I’m enjoying the use of Craig and Nick’s ground floor outdoor patio as I write this.  It has been a wonderful day.

Momma Pizza

Craig’s backyard garden