Oslo Easter Weekend

The trip form Bergen to Oslo was much shorter this time around. We flew, which took about eleven hours off of our travel time. After arriving in Oslo yesterday afternoon, we realized that Easter here is actually a big deal and almost everything was closed. Our hotel window has a grand view of the opera house, it was sunny out, so we went out for a walk and basked in the sun. Since all of the museums were closed, we decided to grab a beer. It was trivia night at the bar and two ladies asked us if we would like to sit with them and be on their trivia team. We did and even took second place. We also made new friends who invited us to to go skiing today. We were reluctant at first because the prices of the everything here is so expensive. However, it turns out that a day of skiing, with rental gear, is cheaper than having three beers. We woke up early and hit the slopes. Gabbie rented a snowboard and I skis. Our new friends are nicknamed Annette and Tori because we can't say their real names. They picked us up, skied with us, and gave us a small tour of Oslo. We are back at the hotel now, resting up, and getting ready to meet the gals for some Indian food and maybe a beer or two...

In retrospect, if we hadn't met Tori and Annette, today would have been really boring because everything is closed. It turns out that it is customary to go skiing during Easter and we got some culture. The slopes were mild and not challenging for me. The sun and corduroy snow made for a nice day. It was great to see how many kids ski here. It is customary for a child to learn how to ski once they learn to walk. We are talking about two year olds shredding it up. I was also so proud and psyched that Gabbie decided to participate as well. She did an excellent job snowboarding and I am surprised that we hadn't gone before. I mean, we have gone skiing, and it was challenging for her, which didn't make it fun for her. Snowboarding however, she has a knack for, and I will be encouraging her to go more often. 

This was a great way to end out stay in Norway. We leave tomorrow afternoon and this will be my last post from here. 

Bergen, Norway

Bergen is a sight to see. Nestled in the southern west coast of Norway, it is known for its fish markets, museums, and history. Starting back in the 1000s, Bergen was a trade center for Germans. I can just imagine old Viking-like ships, lined up in the harbor, and traders bustling about. A museum we went to showed what life was like back then and surprisingly enough, they made gold jewelry, wool outfits, and leather shoes. All the buildings were made without nails or bolts. We were able to see some of the earliest building foundations and the bones of an old sailing vessel.

The city itself it quite nice. The architecture and cobblestone streets give it a good European feeling. There are less immigrants here as well. Gabbie and I spent the day walking, observing statues both cool and weird, and window shopping. I almost bought her a bracelet made of reindeer skin, horn, and pewter. I didn't though because it didn't fit her. Unfortunately, Bergen is a seasonal city and some of the sights we wanted to see were closed until May. We still had an enjoyable time and even took a nap and later rejuvenated my sick self (I have had a cold this entire journey) by laying down in the hotel steam room and sauna. I love the feeling of a hot sauna and when I begin to overheat, I dunk my head into a bucket of ice cold water. The process did help my phlegm issue.

Later in the evening we walked to a bar that had one of my favorite, hard to find Norwegian beers Nogne on tap. I had their IPA, which isn't very popular here, but boasts an alcohol content of 7.7%, which allows one to get more bang for their buck, if you will. Of course we only had one each as they costed about $15.00 a piece (OUCH!!!).

Today, we headed back to Oslo for two more nights and then home. I am hoping to go to a few more museums and maybe the Nogne brewery...

Oslo - Bergen "Norway in a Nutshell"

Today's adventure started at 7am and was totally amazing! We took three trains, a bus, and a ferry to get to Bergen. Of course, we could have just gone directly to Bergen by train, but we both wanted to experience the steep terrain of the Flam railway. To get there we took a train from Oslo to Myrdal. About a half hour out of the city, the landscape changed to vast open lands of snow, where folks cross country skied from town to town. The train ride to Flam was breathtakingly beautiful. Steep mountains surrounded us in both directions, the sun was out, and the skies were blue. We also wanted to experience Norway's fjords, so we took a ferry to Gudvangen. The water, the mountains, and the small towns that were scattered along the waterway were sites I have never seen before. From there we took an hour bus ride to Voss, which was also beautiful, and then a train to the coastal city known as Bergen (the second largest city in Norway). It's about 10 pm and with twelve hours of traveling, we are ready for bed. Tomorrow we explore the wonders of Bergen.

It's hard to describe what I saw today. The mountains, snow, fjords, people skiing all over the place, simple and well built homes, and the sunshine. I am ready to move here :).