MichAlyce

Our last day in Norway was absolutely awesome! After a luxurious sleep in, little Gina made us breakfast - very cute. Then Lillian took us three girls up a mountain to play in some snow. We had a whole heap of fun. We then headed back down the mountain to the family's cabin (which is as big as their house) on the fjord. We ate a bbq followed by some icecream (with jam!) and the rest of the family met us and we all went for a walk... We got a little bit muddy but it was well worth it for the spectacular views. The girls (Lillian, Gina, Bri, Alyce & Mich) visited a waterfall on the way home, where they got fairly drenched. We've packed our things and are catching the bus to Bergen early ... read more

If you go to the small town of Flam in Norway, you will probably hear a strange rumour about Australian women. Apparently, they seem to lack the basic understanding needed to operate showers. And bath plugs. And doors. And windows. So this is an official apology to all Aussie women who are affected by this rumour: we are really, incredibly sorry that it started with us. But, in our defence, it was far more embarassing to us than you. *sigh* To take things back to the begining... We spent 5 hours on the train from Oslo to Myrdal (we took some pictures of where we could have potentially almost frozen to death on account of our messed-up accommodation), then caught the Flamsbana to Flam. The train ride was spectacular - we especially loved Kjosfossen Falls. Our ... read more

Sadly, some objects are just not made for long and chaotic travels across Scandinavia. Mr Squidgy was one of them. A trusty blue and white spotted travel cushion, he served Alyce well on the arduous plane trek from Perth, through Kuala Lumpur and Amsterdam to Bergen. He accompanied her through Oslo, Copenhagen, Malmo and Stockholm... Where he sadly met his demise. Twisted tightly around a hook on her pack for 11 days proved too much for the brave (and comfortable) cushion, and he finally gave up the ghost and dropped to the floor, scattering hundreds of polystyrene balls everywhere. He will be sorely missed. (But possibly quickly replaced for the flight home). May he rest in peace, where-ever the Stockholm garbage trucks take him... Apart from that sad news, not much to report. We spent the ... read more

It's our latest night yet (bar our night of heavy drinking on the ferry, but we don't want to talk about that) and given how full-on our day was, it's actually a remarkable feat we are still awake! We had a rather delightful breakfast at our hotel, followed by a canal tour. We saw The Little Mermaid, the Royal Palace, the "Black Diamond", the Opera House, the National Museum, some churches and the old Fisherman's Village. Then we headed to Tivoli - the Danish amusement park. We had an absolutely fantastic time - we rode every adult ride ( and many of the children's ones), including a swing that is 85 metres in the air, an assortment of rollercoasters, and a "sheer drop" ride that left our stomachs in our mouths. It was brilliant! SO much ... read more

We decided that whilst we had attempted some pretty full-on feats so far, we needed to challenge ourselves - I mean REALLY challenge ourselves - so agreed on eight desired sights to do in just ONE day... We awoke bright and early, (5:45am - though our parents probably don't believe us) and headed downstairs to the breakfast smorgasbord, where we feasted and also stole sandwhiches for later in our travels. We walked down to the T-Bane (Underground station) and caught the train to Vigeland Park, a park (in the middle of Frogner Park) dedicated to the works of Norwegian artist Gustav Vigeland. We were completely blown away by his meaningful and sometimes confronting works. Our photos don't really do the experience justice, but will hopefully give you some idea of the amazing nature of the park... ... read more