Blogs from Norway, Europe - page 16

This morning I flew from Bergen to Oslo and it was a remarkably automated experience. I checked in, checked my suitcase, went through security, and boarded the plane without speaking a word to anyone. I never did have to show my ID. I have noticed that Norway is, in general, much more automated than the United States. One rarely needs cash. I pay for nearly everything from a hotel room to a soft drink with my credit card. And unlike the US, waiters in restaurants have handheld devices that take credit cards so the bill is paid while you sit at the table. But back to Oslo. For some reason Oslo is known as Tiger Town (and I thought that was Detroit!) so there is a large tiger statue that greets visitors as they exit the ... read more

I explored more of Bergen today and this time I didn’t need an umbrella even once. The sun was shining first thing this morning, so I decided it was a good time to ride the funicular to the top of Fløyen, a hill near town with views. The sun was in my eyes as I tried to take a selfie from the summit and the view was nice, but not as nice as the viewpoint I visited later in the day, so I’ll include a picture from there at the end. Later in the morning I went to the Kings Hall for the daily tour. The guide did her best but the truth is that medieval Bergen has a pretty dull history and, while one can admire the reconstruction job on the huge 700-year old hall, ... read more

Today was a travel day and I am now in a new country, Norway. It feels good to be here, sort of like the REAL start to my trip since I’ve been to London several times before. Actually I’ve been to Norway before, but that was 42 years ago and I’m embarrassed to admit that I don’t remember much about it. I do have positive memories of Bergen, which is where I am now. It is on the west coast and is famous for its cod fisheries and as an access point for the Norwegian North Sea oil rigs. Tourism is also big here because it is located near fjord country. Surprisingly, some of the waterfront warehouses from medieval “Bryggen” still exist, although they now house tourist shops instead of salt cod and trade goods. Another ... read more

Castellano debajo... Ce sera notre dernier blog sur la Norvège... après ces derniers 230 km nous prendrons le ferry pour retrouver le Danemark... Mais en attendant il nous faut encore passer trois nuits. Nous trouvons facilement des campings... le temps s'améliore, les campings se remplissent plus facilement... les vacances scolaires ont aussi commencés... Nous n'hésitons pas à arriver tôt afin d'y trouver une place et en profiter pour nous reposer. Pour le premier il ne fera pas si beau, donc pas grand monde... Quant au deuxième... un endroit hyper-génial où tout est arrangé avec goût... Nous pouvons facilement nous installer face à l'eau et pourrons également reprendre Pollux pour aller faire un petit tour dans la ville de Mandal. Nous passerons encore par des endroits charmants... et le but de venir au Sud du pays, c'est ... read more

Today was a preparation day for one of the highlight days of the tour starting with a 3.5 hr bus journey to the incredible fjord region. Our accommodation for a 2 night stay was a rustic self-catering Norwegian hut at a village near the town of Gudvangen. The setting is beautiful, surrounded by steep cliff walls next to the crystal clear Kjelsfossen waterfall falling from the top of the fjords. Next task was to buy food supplies for two days leaving the afternoon free to walk along the fjord before a casual BBQ dinner. Some doubtful weather was forecast but we woke next day to a bright clear morning and perfectly still conditions for our boat trip up the World Heritage Naeroyfjord. The fjord is 18 kilometres long & incredibly deep yet narrows down to sheer ... read more