On My Way Home

I just boarded a bus headed to Bergen Airport. I love that most Scandinavian buses provide free wireless internet on board.

Today, I fly to London Heathrow, and then I make my connection to SFO. I will arrive in San Francisco around 5PM.  G emailed to say he would pick me up from the airport. Lucky me! I won't have to deal with riding the bus home after such a long flight.

The next time you hear from me I'll be back home in San Francisco.

Adventures in Bergen

I very much enjoyed my time in Bergen, but I actually think I scheduled too much time to be here. Here at the end of my trip, I am ready to go home. I miss G, my house, and the weather in California. These last four days seemed so long. Tomorrow, I will take a bus to the airport and begin my long journey home.

Mount Fløyen

My first activity in Bergen was to take the cable car up to the top of Mount Fløyen.  I squeezed into the cable car with a couple dozen other people, and in a few minutes, I was at the top of Mount Fløyen, 320 meters up. Bergen city center is actually surrounded by 7 mountains, but Mount Fløyen is the most popular and most visited. I enjoyed the view from the top, visited the small tourist shop just to see if it offered anything interesting, then started my journey down the mountain. On my way, I encountered a number of signs warning me to be on guard for witches.

Several minutes into my walk down the mountain, I ran out of space on the SD card in my camera. I found the nearest bench and started deleting blurry photos and pictures of the lens cap. I had sat down next to one of these witch signs. While I was sitting, not one, but two mothers pointed out the sign to their toddlers and explained to them about the witches.  No, I don't actually know what these mother's said; they spoke in Norwegian. However, it really did sound like they were warning their children about the possibility of witches.

I was curious about the history of witches in Norway. Thinking that they must be a popular legend, I was a little surprised to find out that Norway doesn't seem to have much of a connection to witches. Aside from a trial in the mid-1600s, witches do not often show up in Norwegian history.

The witch trials at Vardø in Finnmark, northern Norway, during the winter of 1662 - 1663, was one of the largest in Scandinavia. Thirty people were put on trial, accused of sorcery and of making pacts with the Devil. Eighteen were burned alive at the stake, two were tortured to death and one was sentenced to the workhouse. Much of the evidence came from accused children, and there was a complicated trail of accusations and implications. It marked the peak of the Norwegian witch-hunt which had intensified in northern Norway since Vardø’s first great witch trial in 1621. - Witchcraft

Trolls, however, show up over and over again. In Norse mythology, trolls are actually fearsome creatures. They are not at all happy or friendly.  Strangely enough, small trolls that you buy in shops are believed to bring good luck to people that possess them. Apparently, the be effective, a troll needs a name. Additionally, he needs time, a couple of days, to work his magic. Finally, he needs to be placed in a place where he won't be disturbed. If the troll's needs are met, he should bring you good luck.

Bryggen

During my time in Bergen, I also visited Bryggen (Norwegian for the wharf), commercial buildings lining the fjord. The oldest part of Bergen, Bryggen was founded in 1070. Over time, Bergen gained importance as a trading center. The wharfs were gradually improved, and the Bryggen buildings were taken over by merchants. Today, these buildings are a designated UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site and are used as tourist shops and restaurants.  Because the buildings are wooden, Bryggen has suffered from its fair share of fires over the centuries. Although some stone cellars were constructed in the 1400s, only a quarter of the buildings date to 1700. The remainder are newer. 

City Center

Bergen city center is enjoyable to walk around. I spent some of my time in the city walking. I visited the fish market, a couple of churches, a pond, and other sights.  I haven't mentioned it yet, but Bergen is a rather attractive city. It's even more attractive and enjoyable when it isn't raining. I was lucky; it only sprinkled once.  Bergen was a great place in which to end my 6 1/2 weeks of traveling.

Flåm

Flåm is a small village on the Aurlandfjord, a tributary of the Sognefjord, in Norway. I arrived in Flåm on the afternoon train, took a few pictures in the town, and started walking toward the hostel. Brekke Gard Hostel was supposed to be located a kilometer from town, but it seemed like the hostel was much further away than that. Perhaps it was the heft of my backpacks that made the walk seem so long. 

Fortunately, I had my GPS-enabled iPad with me, so I was able to navigate to the hostel without too many problems. I did start to wonder if my destination was a legitimate hostel when the road turnoff was blocked with construction. I  was able to walk through the construction zone to the other side to get to a place where the road was fine. I kept following the dot on the iPad screen until I finally arrived at an old-looking farmhouse at around 2:45 PM. I didn't knock. I entered to find a man sitting at a kitchen table, facing me, and eating his lunch. I was a little surprised and was concerned I was disturbing his meal.  I explained to the man that I had reservations. He looked confused. He told me that he was a guest and didn't know where the owners were but that they would probably show up around 3 PM. 

I talked to this man for a few minutes before he left. He was from France originally but lived and worked in Switzerland. He was highly opinionated and liked to talk. A lot. He told me that when he had arrived the previous day, no one was there to greet him. There was a note on the door that said someone would be by at 3 PM every day, but he waited until about 3:30 PM when someone finally came to let him know what room he was in. 

I had a similar experience. After he left, I sat at the kitchen table and waited for someone to show up to check me in. A little after 3:30, a woman came in and placed a piece of paper on the kitchen table. She didn't speak any English. She pointed to the list and when I found my name, she motioned that I would have to go upstairs.

My single room at the hostel

The woman left, and I ascended the stairs with my bags to my room. This hostel did not have shared rooms, only single rooms. By this point in my trip, I was ready to have a few minutes of privacy. It's rare to even get a moment alone while staying in a shared room. I was excited to be alone for two whole nights. Even better, I didn't have to sleep in a bunk bed.

The first thing I noticed about my room was that it slanted. A lot. As I walked from one side to the other, I could actually feel myself walking down a slant. When I got to the window, I looked out and saw not one but two waterfalls. 

View from my hostel room window

I was rather tired from my journey, so I spent that first afternoon alone (yay!) in my room reading and playing games on my iPad. I descended the rickety stairs in the evening to make dinner. I wasn't the only one hungry; several other guests were in the kitchen eating or cooking. 

I have noticed while traveling that people aren't usually interested in socializing when it is cold outside. I have very few good conversations when I travel in winter months. I'm not sure how much of this phenomenon can be blamed on the cold and how much can be blamed on the fact that there are fewer people traveling at this time of year.

However, these people in the kitchen were interested in having a conversation. We introduced ourselves to each other and started talking about our travels, our homes, and our jobs (several of them were students). I hadn't really talked to anyone since G went home, so I enjoyed the company. We spent an hour or so talking before we all split up to go our separate ways. I went back up to my room to sleep.

While trying to sleep, I realized just how rickety the whole hostel building was. I heard from one of the other guests that the building was an old farmhouse that was several hundred years old. I wasn't surprised.  There were so many layers of paint on the walls and ceilings that I half expected the paint to start falling off in large sheets any minute. Additionally, I'm not sure any of the house was level. The bathroom door wouldn't even close because it could no longer fit into the frame! Every single board in the whole house creaked, and I was a little scared the house would fall down as I slept. Fortunately, the house survived as long as I was there, but I wouldn't be surprised if I go back to Flåm one day in the future and the hostel is no longer there.

I had only one full day in Flåm. I took the day easy. I rested in the morning and went on a hike in the afternoon. My destination was the Flåm church, a couple of kilometers from the hostel. The hike was unusual in that most of the path was on a road.  Although not heavily used, I was wary of the cars that were passing me. Once I arrived at the church, I walked a bit beyond it to get a better view of a waterfall in the distance.

I walked back toward the hostel, but since I had to stop at the grocery store, I kept walking into town. I picked up food for dinner and for snacks and walked back to the hostel where I cooked my dinner and spent the rest of the evening relaxing in my room.

I heard from others staying at the hostel that there wasn't much to do in Flåm; however, I was perfectly okay with that. I am nearing the end of my trip, and a couple of days of relaxation was just what I needed. 

Norway in a Nutshell

Norway in a Nutshell, for those of you who don't know, is not a tour in the traditional sense but more of a series of transportation connections that take you through the most beautiful parts of Norway. At over $200 one way, it's not cheap. But I'm glad I'm doing it and glad I have a couple of nights scheduled in Flåm as a stop over (the whole journey from Oslo to Bergen is about 12 hours).

There are various options available, but I started my Nutshell tour in Oslo. I took a train from Oslo to Myrdal. In Myrdal, I boarded a train for Flåm. The trip from Myrdal to Flåm is particularly steep. Much of the rail route between Myrdal and Flåm is on a 55% gradient; the railway is one of the steepest lines on normal gauge railroad tracks. The town of Myrdal is on a mountain and Flåm is located on the edge of the Aurlandfjord, a tributary of the Sognefjord. The route is only about 20 kilometers, but the journey takes most of an hour.

From Flåm, I will take a boat across the fjord to Gudvangen. From there, I will board a bus for Voss. In Voss, I will be transferred back to the train for the final leg of my journey. I will take the train to Bergen, my final destination on my European journey.

Sightseeing in Oslo

Oslo is a very different city from Stockholm. Stockholm seemed so clean and safe; Oslo seems a little sketchy. I admit I didn't feel completely safe as I walked from the Oslo central train station to the hostel where I would be staying. I had my iPad out in order to navigate, but I felt weird carrying it out in the open. I tried to hide it inside my coat and just check it every few minutes to make sure I was going the right direction. Apparently, I didn't check it often enough because I made a wrong turn and ended up a few blocks in the wrong direction. 

Finally, I arrived at the hostel and checked in.

As large as Oslo is, there isn't actually a whole lot to do in the city. The city is fairly large with a population of around a million people, but I only found a few activities I was interested in. Apparently, Oslo boasts a huge number of museums, but by this time in my trip, I was museumed out.

Founded in 1048 by King Harald Hardråde, Oslo has been the capitol since around 1300, interrupted only by the Danish-Norwegian union from the middle of the 14th century to the beginning of the 19th century. In the early 17th century, the city was destroyed by a fire. The city was moved to its current location near Akershus Fortress. At that time, the city was renamed Christiania to honor the Danish Kind Christian IV. In the early part of the 20th century, the city was renamed Oslo.

I spent some time walking around the city and seeing City Hall, Vår Frelsers Cemetery (where Edvard Munch and Henrik Ibsen were laid to rest), and the new opera house. My favorite sights, however, were Akershus Fortress and Vigeland Sculpture Park.

Akershus Fortress

Akershus Fortress (Akershus Festning in Norwegian)  was built in 1299 to protect the city of Oslo.  I was impressed with how well-preserved the fortress is. Still used for special events and military activities, Akershus Fortress is open to the public daily. I spent quite a bit of time wandering along the ramparts, through the drawbridge, and around the buildings. The view of Oslofjord from the fortress is quite amazing as well. As I left, walking down a path lined with orange-leaved trees, a couple was preparing to have wedding photos taken. I couldn't blame them. That area right outside the building was a beautiful sea of orange. And the fortress itself was an incredible sight.

Vigeland Sculpture Park

In 2006, I was planning on visiting Norway. I did some research and found Vigeland Sculpture Park. I decided that I would go to the unusual park. Unfortunately, my plans changed, and I did not visit Norway on that trip. I did not forget about wanting to visit the sculpture park. I made the park a priority on my list of sights to see in Oslo. Honestly, I'm not sure that the park lived up to what I had imagined, but I still enjoyed wandering through the sculptures.  I read that a sculptor named Gustav Vigeland donated these sculptures to the city of Oslo in exchange for granting him a building where he could work and live. Vigeland worked on these sculptures for the last twenty years of his life until his death in 1943; the culmination of his efforts was the Monolith featuring people attempting to reach the top of the sculpture. I only saw a small piece of the park; the sculpture park covers 80 acres of land.

Getting Ready to Leave!

Our itinerary is pretty much set. We will start in France then travel to Switzerland, Austria, and Czech Republic. Then we will fly to Denmark. G will fly home from Copenhagen, and I will fly to Iceland. I will fly fly to Sweden, see Norway, then fly home. We are finishing up our packing and are excited about leaving tomorrow.