Norway in June

Sunday, 5 June 2011: Free Day in Oslo

Norwegian hotels have a massive and free breakfast, generally between 7 and 10 in the morning. So I slept in until 7:30 and had a light breakfast before going outside for a familiarization walk. My “light” breakfast consisted of salmon, herring, salami, cheese, and tea. Even though the breakfast room had just opened (8 a.m. on Sundays), it was quite full of guests about to start the day. Then I got my camera and guide book to do the Rick Steves' Hello Oslo walk of the center city.

It was a bright and sunny day and I went across the street to take a picture of my hotel, then continued down Karl Johans Gate (gate means street) to the central train station. Like many European cities, this is a main anchor and gathering place. First stop was the Tourist Information store to get my Oslo Pass, purchased ahead of time through the Internet. Being so early on Sunday morning, I only had to wait a short time. Then I walked next door to the train station to get my Fjord Tour tickets, also purchased on line. I took a few pictures then walked back up Karl Johans Gate towards my hotel. The street was pretty quite and not at all like the crowds I saw doing the promenade on Saturday night. I explored the big Lutheran cathedral, including the courtyard in the back with a nice little cafe (not open this early). Then I walked over to the flower market and saw the workers setting up new pots for the day's sales. Continuing up Karl Johans Gate, I noticed the parliament building. Right across from parliament was the Grand Hotel, where all the powerful people stay. Nice place and only a block from my hotel. I strolled through the large park in front of parliament, then on to City Hall, a very modern building. Walking around City Hall, I came to the harbor area, where all the tourists congregate. This leisurely 1 1/2 hour walk completed my Hello Oslo introduction and I went back to my hotel for my big breakfast before they closed at 11.

Now that I had my Oslo Pass and orientation, I was ready for some serious sightseeing. Armed again with guide book and camera, I went back down to the harbor. There I boarded the public ferry across the harbor to the Bygdoy Neighborhood, with museums amongst a number of houses and small streets. The boat ride only took 10 minutes. First stop was the Norwegian Folk Museum, an interesting outdoor re-creation of old rural farms and villages. Then I walked a short distance to the Viking Ship Museum, where I saw some of the early seafaring wooden boats. The next cluster of museums was a 15 minute walk through a residential neighborhood, with nice yards and gardens. The Fram Museum was very interesting. It housed the 1890s wooden steam and sail-powered ship that Admensan used to explore the North Pole and the Antarctic. I took lots of pictures of the upper deck, wardroom, captain's quarters, and crew's mess. I then visited the Kon Tiki Museum, with its replica of the balsa wood raft used by Hyerdahl to sail from So. America to Tahiti. Not very exciting. My last stop was the Norwegian Maritime Museum. It housed a collection of models and artifacts of all types of floating vessels, from cargo ships to oil rigs to cruise ships. The movie was very nice. All these museums and transportation rides were included in my Oslo Pass.

It was getting to be about 4 p.m. as I ferried back to the harbor area. Getting off the ferry, I walked over to explore the fort and castle. Then back to the hotel for a little nap. Then I boarded the #12 tram to Frogner Park. There must have been at least 5,000 people in this large and family-friendly urban park, home to the stone carvings of men, women, and children. The day was sunny and warm and the bands were playing in the festival grounds. Leaving the park around 7 p.m., I decided to take the long way back to my hotel. I hopped onto the #12 tram again and rode it to the end of the line. Then I took the #11 around to the other side of Oslo and finally back to the train station. This time of the year, it doesn't get dark until about midnight.

Monday, 6 June 2011: Norwegian Fjords

I arose about 6, dressed and packed, then went down to reception to pay my bill. Even in Norway, the hotel computer systems go down, so we just entered our name, room number, and credit card onto the list they were keeping. (I received a copy of my bill by e-mail a few days later.) Then I went upstairs for breakfast and left the hotel by 7:30, for the 15 minute walk to the train station. I climbed aboard my train and into my assigned seat. The train to Bergen was absolutely packed, mostly with tourists. Many had suitcases that were twice the size (and weight) of mine. What a scene of confusion. The train left the station right on time, as I expected.

As my guide book noted, the first 3 1/2 hours of the ride to Myrdal was pleasant but nothing spectacular. We traveled up several valleys, along hills and streams and through tunnels, going ever higher. After Geilo, we were at and then above the tree line. Lots of melting snow. At the Finse stop, many passengers stepped outside into the cold to briefly take some pictures of the summit at 4,000 feet up. About 15 minutes later, we arrived at Myrdal. It is a tiny station where about a third of us got off, heavy suitcases in tow, for the fjord side trips. About 20 minutes later, the Flam RR train arrived and we all got on.

This short RR line was built in the 1920s to service the small villages and other settlements down on the fjords. It connects to the main RR line at Myrdal. The route is very steep, with lots of tunnels and switchbacks. Most of us rode down the mountain standing up, so we could walk from one side of the car to the other to take pictures of the wonderful sights. After about 45 minutes, we arrived at the bottom of the mountain in Flam. Then we boarded a large cruise ship for our journey through the Sognefjord. The air was quite crisp, with a light breeze and serious mist. On the map, the distance through the fjords doesn't look very far, but on the water it was ample time to enjoy the cliffs and mountains and waterfalls and villages. I took lots of pictures!

Our short bus ride from Gudvangen to Voss was most interesting. We first went up the mountain, mostly through tunnels. Then we snaked down the other side of the mountain through a series of hairpin curves. These turns would have been difficult for a minivan, more so for a 60-passenger bus. We had 4-5 buses in a convoy. The lead bus went through several switchbacks, then waited for the second bus. The second bus then waited for the third bus, as the lead bus went through several more switchbacks. This safety tag method was repeated five or six times, where we applauded the driver at the bottom (and still on the road).

We waited about half an hour in cold and rainy Voss for the mainline train to Bergen. Even though the scenery was still quite nice, many dozed off. We arrived in a heavy rain in Bergen. My hotel was about 10 blocks from the train station, but I had my umbrella. It was easy to find and the check in went smoothly. It was about 11 now and still quite light, despite the rain clouds. I went to bed and slept quite soundly.

Tuesday, 7 June 2011: Free Day in Bergen

I slept in quite late this morning, then went down for breakfast about 9. After breakfast, I walked over to the train station to pick up my return ticket to Oslo. On the way back, I walked through the park around the small lake in the middle of town. Around noon, I heard the guns go off from the fortress area. 12 salutes for high noon, while the church bells were also chiming. I arrived at the museum walking tour place about 15 minutes after the last English tour of the day. Oh well, I am not sure it would have been worth 100 NOK anyway. So I just walked around town and explored the neighborhoods.

Bergen has two harbors – tourist and commercial – separated by a residential finger hill between them. The town of Bergen, third largest in Norway, seems like a very pleasant place to live, despite the frequent rain and fog. Nice houses, with small lanes, and good shopping and dining. Not much for a tourist like me, but a most pleasant place to live. The climate reminded me of Seattle. Foggy, damp, and chilly. Mid afternoon, I found a pub where I warmed up over a pint of local pilsner beer (57 NOK, or about 10 USD). The people here are quite fit, with little obesity. Except they love their cigarettes. I had supper of a fancy burger and a beer for 238 NOK, about 45 USD. No wonder the people are thin.

Tomorrow, I return to Oslo and check into the Holmenkollen Hotel, at the base of the Olympic Ski Jump. The opening reception for the conference is at 8 p.m. and the conference itself is Thursday and Friday.

Note: Many more photographs are up on Picasa Web for your enjoyment.