Norway .... Here We Come!

Our Norway Adventure                   November 2017

Sunday, November 12, 2017

We woke up in the morning in Rafina, Greece, not far from the Athens airport. We went to sleep in the Smart Hotel in Oslo, Norway. What a transition in one day – a new time zone, a new wardrobe, new weather conditions, a new language, new currency and a new price structure! No wonder we were tired!!

The flight from Greece to Norway was very smooth and comfortable. We were flying on a Norwegian Airlines flight, a company we have never flown with before. Norwegian Airlines are fairly new to the industry but have they ever had an impact! They have won several awards for good service and certainly demonstrated that on our flight. Jim and I slept a good part of the way – it was cloudy out the window so nothing to look at. But as we travelled further north and east, the skies cleared and it was possible to see northern Germany, Denmark, the Baltic Sea and southern Norway. It was a very exciting way to approach a new country.

I took several photos from the plane which showed fiords, farmland, woodlands and winding rivers. Some of the turned out to be very clear. I was happy about that.

Landing in Oslo, we gathered our bags and headed to the express train which would take us to the city. It runs every 15 minutes so our wait was short. After a very smooth ride, 40 minutes later we were at Oslo Central Station. Jim picked up some tickets for later in the week and we found a taxi to take us to our hotel, a Smart Hotel, a chain we have never stayed with before.

Check-in was very quick and easy and soon we were in our room. We laughed a bit when we saw it. It is very small. And, knowing that, Jim had specifically requested the larger size. I can hardly wait to see the really little room we will be in Kirkenes (pronounced Shirkenes) later on this trip. But our luggage all fits into corners and there is still enough room for both of us to sit in chairs and to watch tv. Not that we have done that yet. Far too many other things to do – complete the Greece book and blog, plan our one day in Oslo and sleep. We are both tired.

We left our room for dinner at a very nice restaurant right around the corner. Although in Norway, we both felt like an Asian meal tonight and, presto, there was a well reviewed Asian restaurant just steps from our hotel. We ordered dim sum for two and thoroughly enjoyed every morsel.

Off to bed, now.

Monday, November 13, 2017

We arose this morning knowing that this was our only day in Oslo and we needed to make the best of it. Breakfast is included with our room and it was a full buffet of American-style breakfast, European-style breakfast and some Norwegian foods included as well. We ate well.

By 9:30, we were out the door on our way to the meeting point for a city tour we were registered for. The pick-up point was a nearby Radisson Hotel and we arrived about 20 minutes early. We waited until well after the appointed hour and finally asked one of the desk attendants at the Radisson to call and inquire what was happening. She was extremely helpful and advocated for us. Apparently, the pick up bus had arrived very early this morning. We were not there so they left without us. Of course, we were disappointed and frustrated. To make a long story short, the outcome was that the tour bus came and picked us up part way through the tour. But we had missed many of the main sites – the Palace, the Parliament Building, the large downtown church, the Opera House and all the commentary that went with those places. When we boarded the bus, there were only a few seats vacant so we chose two together and carried on. It was certainly not any fault of the guide that we had not been picked up so there was no point in taking up the issue with her.

We did get to see the Oslo Olympic Ski Jumping facility. Very impressive, indeed. And we had the opportunity to walk through a sculpture park, a very large area in which every sculpture was created by the same man over a period of 25 years. The theme for the sculptures was The Circle of Life and each sculpture reflected a period of time in one’s life. Collectively, they covered a lifetime from birth to death and even after death in the form of a sculpted skeleton.

From there, we moved on to Museum Peninsula where there are several museums located, most of them having something to do with history on the sea or on the land. Our ticket tour did not include entry to any of those museums so we stayed on the bus and enjoyed a further trip in other areas of Oslo.

What a clean, well maintained, modern city. Oslo is the largest city in Norway with a population of about 500,000 people. It has a highly developed transit system with busses, trolleys, a subway system and a train system to help people move around the city. Oslo is in a boom period economically so there is construction everywhere – roadworks and new buildings being constructed.

Norway’s history is very interesting. Once a province of Denmark, it changed hands and became part of Sweden. In 1905, Norway finally won its independence and struggled for survival in its earliest days. In the late 1900’s it remained a very poor country until oil was discovered and the economy began to boom. 1996 was a real turn-around point for Norway. Now prices are high but so are wages. Taxes are also high for the rich and the poor. With that tax money, health care and education are completely covered through government funding. Our tour guide was quite happy with that arrangement as she felt it benefitted everyone in the country.

Our tour came to an end and it was time for coffee and a snack. Even a substantial breakfast runs out at some point. We found a lovely café and each ordered a cappuccino and a pastry. 158 Kroners later …. That is the equivalent of approximately $26 Canadian!! Ouch!! We sipped our coffees very slowly and contemplated what to do next. We finally decided to hire a taxi to take us to the sites we had missed this morning. The lovely driver was even willing to stop his car so Jim could get out and take photos if he wanted to. It was a very pleasant tour of the inner part of town and we now have a much better awareness of the heartbeat of Oslo.

The taxi dropped us off at our hotel where we relaxed and caught up on correspondence until it was time for dinner. One of the hotel staff recommended a restaurant just a block away, Den Glade Gris, this one specializing in pork. Its logo is a stylized snout of a pig. Quite cute.

We ordered meat/veg soup to share as well as an appetizer of smoked whale meat. Both were delicious. Our main courses were pork knuckle and pork belly, both served with nicely prepared vegetables and potatoes. The meat was so tender that it cut with a fork. The gravy on each plate was unique but divine. Each of us enjoyed our meal so much that we were reluctant to pass even a morsel across the table. Jim had an outstanding preparation of chocolate mousse for dessert, made with dark chocolate and candied orange peel.

The wine list was interesting but the beer menu took Jim’s breath away. It had so many choices that he was totally baffled about what to order. He finally settled on a draught stout that had almost a caramel flavour to it. It was dark and dense and Jim thoroughly enjoyed it to the very last drop.

We waddled back to our hotel and settled in or the balance of the evening. We have to get packed and organized again as we have a train to catch at 8:30 am tomorrow. The taxi will arrive for us at 7:30 am.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Today was a very busy day. Up and out of our hotel by 7:30 am, on our way to the train station with all our luggage (anyone who knows us, knows that we do not travel light)! It promised to be a day of multiple forms of transportation.

The first was a train that transported us from Oslo to Myrdal along the train line that is the highest in Europe. We were surrounded by tall, majestic mountains, peppered with beautiful lakes and running streams. The water at the edges of the lakes was just beginning to freeze and had lovely patterns and shapes at it grows colder and firmer as ice.

As we left Oslo, it just started to snow. And it continued to snow most of the day. Sometimes it was gently falling with large snowflakes. At other times, it was almost a blizzard. And the wind was a player in this scene as well. At times, non-existent but at other times raging and blowing snow so that we could see nothing but white everywhere.

Something we did enjoy as we travelled along was the abundance of hoar frost. In places, it seemed to have enveloped every tree, every bush, even every blade of grass. High in the mountains, there were places where the sun never found all the shadows. In those places the hoar frost lasted all day long. Where the sun did fall on the hoar frost, the plants and trees glistened until the heat of the sun melted the hoar frost away.

Our first train ride of the day transported us from Oslo to Myrdal, a 4.5 hour journey through mountains, across valleys, over rivers and through falling snow. It was a beautiful journey. Notably, Fince was the highest railway station along this route measuring 1222 metres above sea level. We went down a few metres again before we arrived at Myrdal (867 m).

At Myrdal, we transferred to a second railway line, this one known as the Flam Railway, probably because it ends in Flam. It was even more spectacular than the first train. The mountains were higher and far more rugged. Construction on this railway line started in 1924 and it was built as an electric railway. Construction took 16 years and the railway began to operate a passenger service in 1941. The average grade on the track is 5.5%. In just one hour, the tracks carried the train from Myrdal (867 m) all the way down to sea level at Flam (2 metres). To achieve this, the track passed through a myriad of tunnels through the mountains, some long, some short, one that actually turned 180 degrees inside the tunnel. We crossed over gorges, passed by gushing waterfalls and saw slopes and cliffs at dizzying heights. National Geographic Traveller named it one of the ten most beautiful train journeys in Europe and the Society of International Railway Travellers lists it as one of the world’s 25 most beautiful train journeys. It was indeed a stunning ride.

At the bottom of the train journey, we disembarked in the town of Flam. It was a colourful and quaint place with a peculiar microclimate thanks to the Gulf Stream. In spite of its northerly latitude, fruit happily grows in this climate. Apples, oranges, grapefruit, grapes and strawberries all grow very successfully here. Who woud have guessed?

In Flam, we boarded a ferry on Sognefjord which leads to Bergen, our ultimate destination. But that would have been too easy!! Instead, we turned off into much smaller and narrower fjord, Naeroyfjord, which is 20 km long, 250 m at narrowest and part of world heritage program for its outstanding beauty. It was breathtaking with mountain peaks and glaciers soaring overhead (some reached 1660 m). Low lying clouds hung in the sky partway up the mountain sides. Mist swilred at the tops of the mountains. The Sagfossen Waterfall, the largest on the fjord, flowed from the top of the mountain all the way to the seawater below. We were dazzled by the beauty of this fjord as we made our way slowly but surely to the end of this fjord. National Geographic rated this fjord, Naeroyfjord, as number one in scenic beauty in the world. What a privilege it was to be able to enjoy this place.

Several villages clung to the water’s edge at the base of the towering mountains. One such village was Bakka.  The Bakkanossi mountain behind the town is 1400 metres high. Bakka’s population is 10, all of whom are engaged in goat farming on 4 farms.  Other than by sea, access to this village is by one road frequently covered by tunnels due to danger of snowslides and avalanches. Yikes!!! A daunting place to live, to be sure.

Another interesting village on this fjord is Undredal, also a goat farming community. But it is large by comparison with a population of 80 and between 300 and 500 goats. The goat milk in this village is used to produce cheese which has been proclaimed to be the best goat cheese in Norway. Quite an honour!

Just as dark took over the land, our ferry ride came to an end in the village of Gundvagen, right at the end of the fjord.  The days are short here … it was only 5 pm and totally dark. We had time to browse in a lovely Nordic craft store where Jim found something he liked and bought it. A bit out of character for him. Then it was time to hop on a bus to travel to Voss where we would change to one final train to Bergen where we will be for two nights. It was a great tour today and we enjoyed it thoroughly but I have to admit it was also very nice to settle into our Magic Hotel in Bergen.

We were tired and not interested in walking very far to get dinner. We checked the menu of a restaurant directly across from the hotel. Nothing on that menu inspired us but right next door was an Ethiopian restaurant called Naomi. We decided to give it a try. Much to our delight the dish we ordered was superb as was the service. Both the owner, from Ethiopia, and the server, an Iraqi/Norwegian who looked very like a Viking, were friendly, helpful, engaging and ensured that we had a good time and that we were happy with the food and the service. Indeed!! A shared meal of spicy red lentils on injera and a piece of apple pie with ice cream was a terrific combination for these two tired travellers. A perfect way to end a busy and wonderful day.

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Today was more slowly paced than yesterday. We slept in a bit and had a later than usual breakfast – a fabulous buffet of tasty cereals, breads, fruit, nuts, yogurt, juice, and a selection of hot foods all prepared by the chef upon request. All thrown in with the price of the room. Yum.

Jim headed off to the Tourist Office and I actually went back to bed. I was deeply tired and slept soundly for over an hour. Then, I had time to work on this blog and our photos until Jim came back.

We got ourselves organized to leave and went to the starting point for the Bergen Food Tour we had organized for today. We met Cheyenne, our guide, and learned that we were the only two people taking the tour. Talk about personalized service. Not only that, but Cheyenne is originally from Newfoundland and has lived in Bergen for the last five years. She has developed this tour by working with several local restauranteurs who specialize in local foods.

Our first stop was a Michelin restaurant, Lysverket, that serves traditional Bergen Fish Soup. Served with local bread and salted butter, the soup was delicious. It is made with white fish, pickled vegetables and cream. Cheyenne is sending us the recipe which we will happily try at home. 

From there, we moved to a local fish store, Fjellskal Fisketorget, that has been in business for over 40 years. They work with a fishmonger who catches all their fish in local waters. Today we were served samples of 5 different preparations for salmon, some trout and smoked whale. Very enjoyable to say the least.

Next came the cheesecake from Sweet Rain. Not just any cheesecake … this cheesecake was made with Norwegian brown cheese. Norwegian brown cheese is technically not a cheese as it is prepared using the whey and not the curds from goat milk. We were able to taste the cheese which has a somewhat sweet and nutty flavour. Very distinctive and pleasant. The cheesecake was amazing!!

From here, we moved on to another restaurant where we indulged in a puree of white fish and mashed potatoes, seasoned with chives. It also had a very nice flavour and texture.

Next, but not last, we enjoyed a reindeer hotdog topped with crispy fried onions and  lingonberry sauce. Bergen street food, these hotdogs (twice as large as an American hotdog) sell for about 60 kroners ($10 Cdn) at a local stand called Trekroneren. It has been in business since 1946. We will go there for lunch tomorrow.

And finally, we were taken to a pub, Una, where Jim had a flight of four local craft beer and I sampled 3 types of Akvavit. Akvavit is a Norwegian alcoholic beverage (40%) served on special occasions such as Christmas and Independence Day. We have actually seen it being served in restaurants at other times as well!! It makes a great companion with a dark beer and often served and enjoyed together.  Akvavit is made from potatoes and herbs, dill, caraway and others, and, in Norway, stored in oak barrels which give it a light brown colour. Norwegians may love this stuff but, having tried three different varieties and flavours, I can safely say that I have already indulged in my life complement of Akvavit.

Overall, this food tour lasted five hours and our conversation with Cheyenne was wide-ranging, covering many topics far beyond food. We chatted about the Norwegian social welfare state, immigration trends in Norway, education, both private and public in Norway, health care. Maybe because Cheyenne is also from Canada, we felt comfortable asking her questions that were swirling around in our heads. It was an illuminating conversation in many ways..

By the time we left the pub, it was well beyond dark and it was also raining. We walked the short distance back to our hotel and settled in for the evening. We have a busy day planned for tomorrow so a bit of down time is good. The BBC is available on television here so we can catch up on the news.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Did it ever rain today!!!! Gray clouds are gonna clear up …. But not today!!! WE had an eraly breakfast and bravely headed out into the elements. Today was out final day in Bergen and we wanted to make the most of it. We had learned of a bus, Bus 11, that did a circle tour of the city centrum. During tourist season it runs every 15 minutes but now, in November, it only runs once an hour. Jim was given information by the Tourist Office about where to catch the bus and what its new schedule was. So we arrived in plenty of time to get on the first run of the day. We waited and we waited … several busses came and went but not Number 11. In fact, the Number 11 did not even show up on the lighted sign listing the busses that came to that stop and when how soon they would arrive. Bus 2 – 5 minutes, Bus 18 – 3 minutes, Bus 12 – 10 minutes and so on. We were patient for about 10 minutes past the expected time of arrival according to the tourist office. And Jim asked the driver of another bus if he knew anything about Bus 11. “Yes,” he said. “Bus 11 is running in the opposite direction today and it will not be stopping here.” At that precise moment, a Buss 11 heading in the opposite direction passed by and did not stop anywhere near where we were located. So …. On to Plan B. We boarded a Bus 3 and decided that wherever it went, we were going to see more of the city than we would if we continued to wait for Bus 11. Bus 3 turned out to be a great ride. It left the City Centre soon after we boarded and headed up the mountainside. We passed by several schools, several small local businesses and we travelled through several neighbourhoods. Some of the neighbourhoods were comprised totally of apartment buildings that were about 6 stories high. Others were made up of modest single family homes or duplexes. As we climbed higher up the mountain, the homes became much larger and more elaborate. We learned that the houses in this area had an advantage over most other parts of Bergen. They were high enough on the hillside to get the earliest morning sun and the latest afternoon sun. Thus, the monetary value skyrocketed and they were almost out of sight pricewise to consider purchasing. But, alas, today was raining – gently at times but often bucketing down. Puddles were growing and streams of water poured down the streets.

The driver was concerned that we were lost and asked us what our plan was as he reached his final stop of the run out of town. We replied that we were simply going to stay on the bus and see where he goes at the other end of his route. He was a bit nonplussed by this but willingly answered questions and even opened the door on occasion so Jim could take a picture instead of trying to click the button between the rain drops on the bus windows. We came back through the centre of town, rode past one of the port areas of Bergen and entered a light industrial area. It would have helped if we could read Norwegian. For the most part, we simply guessed at what products might be manufactured or distributed from the various warehouses and storefronts we passed. We travelled into quite a rural and mountainous area and actually passed through two very long tunnels through a mountain. The end of the line came at a large shopping area and bus depot. At the driver’s suggestion, we disembarked and took another bus back into town.

We arrived back into town with just enough time to have a cup of coffee before the next activity of the day. We chose McDonald’s as our venue, partly because of its familiarity, partly because of its location and partly because the price of the coffee was very attractive. It also tasted good and it was warm on this chilly, wet day.

The next activity planned for today was totally self-indulgent. Jim needed a haircut and a beard trim and I needed a manicure and pedicure. Very close to our hotel there were two shops that could attend to our needs at the very same time. And, happily, we were both very pleased with the results. The bonus was that while we were engaged in the shops, the sky opened and it rained harder and longer than it had at any other time today. Good timing, for sure!!

It was time to head back to the hotel and collect our bags to make our way to the ship. A kind taxi driver helped us load our luggage and off we went. Farewell, Bergen. We really would like to return one day when the weather is warmer and clearer. Bergen is a lovely city.

We checked in at the cruise terminal and eventually got into our cabin, modest but clean and now, quite well organized. We will live in this space for the next 8 days. Our ship, MS Richard With, is carrying us north along the inside passage of Norway. The photos are very reminiscent of the inside passage cruises along British Columbia. We will sail through fjords, see glaciers, fish for crabs, learn about wildlife, visit small remote communities, watch local dancing, and eat tons of seafood. If dinner tonight is any indication, we are not going to starve on this voyage.

Most of our travelling companions seem to be from Germany or the UK. Some have come from further afield in Asia and, of course, there are at least two Canadians on board.

Our primary purpose in coming on the Norwegian part of this trip is to see the Northern Lights. Three things have to come together for that to happen: there needs to be solar activity; the sky needs to be clear; and someone needs to be on deck to spot the Aurora Borealis in action. We have eight days in which this can happen. If someone spots the Aurora and informs the ship’s crew, it will be announced in all our cabins, even in the middle of the night, so that we can all rush out on deck and see the colours. I can hardly wait.

We have just now left the port of Bergen and are heading out to sea. Jim and I watched as the lights faded in the distance and raised a toast to this new adventure.

Off we go …..