The Norway Expedition part Two

The visit around Norway

 Before I begin if you click on these snaps you will get a full view of any writing.

Wednesday 27^th June

Breakfast began with many farewells from our fellow passengers. We depart the M/S Lotofen after breakfast with all our gear. We already know the way into Trondheim but pause to watch a journalist interview the captain and crew of a new venture on the river. They are demonstrating an electric ferry which will carry people and their cycles. It is very light and seems to be taken with the currents and the wind. Still, it all looks smart, new and fun.

Further on we arrive at our second night with AirBnB. This room belongs to an ex boxer who seems to have travelled the world. He has made a wall display of banknotes from all over. He spends time with us explaining what there is to do and where to eat.

So we set off walking around Trondheim, stopping to take snaps and begin at the Nidaros Cathedral,

Worth mentioning here that it took 230 years to build, over the burial site of King Olav the Second who also became Norway's patron Saint. This is also where modern Kings have their coronation ceremony. It is certainly a huge tourist attraction.

In the same grounds is the Archbishops Palace Museum which we take time to tour.

Much has been exposed from the site while refurbishing the museum and on display are: the original mint; a model of the original building; all the regalia of the last coronation; many old stones with gargoyles etc. and lots of other old ephemera.

Kristiansten Fort

Gun deck

After coffee we continue across the bridge and up the hill to the fort and worked out the foot lift which helps cyclists get to the top.

28^th June

Up in time for the 08.18 train to Oslo a six hour ride in pleasant weather with plenty to see. From the arrival station we took a bus to Ekeberg and our next Air BnB. Both Mandy and Christian were in to greet us. A beautiful room with kitchenette and table. The bathroom gave us some great ideas for a new wet room at home.

Since by now we had worked out that you could use the same bus ticket all day we returned to town to have a teatime stroll up to the Royal Palace grounds before eating our evening meal. What about this for an evening lighted water feature?

We certainly put some tourist hours in this wonderful city.

The Viking Ship Museum was a short bus ride out of town and VERY interesting. It housed four Viking long boats which had previously been used as working boats. I suppose the end of their usefulness had arrived and they were then used as funeral boats. First filled with all possessions necessary for the afterlife and then the bodies to be transferred with them. They had all been excavated from the Oslo Fjord area. The Oseberg ship built around AD 820 contained two females in a burial chamber with plenty of food, drink and many objects. The ship has been faithfully reconstructed to its former glory.

The Gokstad ship had also been excavated from that area, it was fortunate that in all cases the ships had been buried in moist soil which was first covered with clay and turf to help preserve them. This a cart which was filled with articles.

They had also been robbed soon after the burial since no jewellery or weapons had been discovered in them.

The Tune ship built in AD 910 was equally well preserved. Finally the Borre ship built in about AD 900 had only survived as a few old iron nails.

There were a great many artifacts from life in those ancient days some of which were as easily recognisable as their modern day counterparts. There were also visual effects of the ship sailing in rough seas which were very effective. The actual museum was quite crowded as there was a cruise liner in for the day. Only a small and very expensive fast food outlet in the grounds so we walked a little further on and were rewarded by a perfectly beautiful country restaurant with a sunny garden. I had the most sumptuous crab sandwich ever!

After lunch we continued down the road to the motor sailing vessel Fram museum.

The Fram was used for polar expeditions and we were treated to the full history before we toured the exhibits. The snaps will give a far better idea of the ship than any description I could give 

Finally we waited for the ferry back to the main dock and caught our first glimpse of the opera house.

30th June 

Just time to look at the ruins of St Hallvard’s built 1020-1023, which was the original Cathedral for the city. Even this, which was an open air ruin was well displayed with boards giving information namely the legend of the young Hallvard who was killed with arrows while trying to save a pregnant woman. His body was weighted down with a millstone and thrown into the Drammens Fjord however it later surfaced and floated WITH the millstone in place. He was originally buried in Lier but later moved to the high alter of St Hallvard’s Cathedral.

There were also models of what it would have looked like when first built.

Next back into town to the Botanical Gardens for lunch There was a wedding reception taking place so we avoided being caught in that and had a snack in the grounds.

We concentrated on the glasshouse which again was extremely informative. Even down to the butterflies which we were lucky enough to see!

 

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Of course we visited the Opera and walked the roof on another fine day.

There is only one type of train that goes from Oslo to Sandefjord, it takes approximately 1 ½ hours. There were major works on the railway from 23^rd of June, which meant that the trains were replaced by buses, as far as Tonsberg then a real train. Kari-Anne and Per Arne met us at the station. It was then non stop gossip of our travels and all that had happened since we last saw them last in the Caribbean. After leaving our bags at their house we then wandered up to the look-out above Sandefjord to get an idea of the layout, then around to the waterfront for a beer and some food.

After breakfast the next day we did more touring of the town and shops and made preparations for a couple of days sailing aboard S/V Blu.

The weather was bliss by this time, the hottest summer since records began in Norway, so luckily I had packed shorts and T shirts- in case- they were needed.

We motor sailed into open water passing through the fjord on our way. 

Then a few hours later we arrived in Kosterhavet National Park, Sweden! - a small group of islands just off the coast with no customs control! Sun downers and dinner done with more talking and finally bed.

The following day we all did a circular walking tour of the island which took the better part of the day and was just perfect.

 

Peaceful, sunny and warm with excellent company. The day was rounded off with a beer or two at a pub on the waterfront.

Another great sail back to Sandefjord the following day drinking a final beer to save carrying it back then all the gear to transport home.

We just had enough time to squeeze in the Whale museum which had numerous exhibits of wildlife and the interesting fact that a Greenland whale can live to 245 years old!

Finally a cheese and Dutch food market in the town square.

Per Arne was good enough to drive us to the bus stop for the long distance bus to Kristiansand. It was so late we all wondered if we had the time wrong - the other passengers assured us we had not.

Next time we see our Norwegian friends will be back in the Caribbean in November or even the following year who knows?

On arrival at Kristiansand we were sufficiently hungry to buy food at the bus station before going to our next Air BnB. This was a fair walk out of town but it had a pleasant garden in which to drink a nice cup of tea before we trekked back to find an evening meal. A simple burger on the waterfront, (remember here that we had very long evenings.) followed by an evening stroll around town.

6^th July Time for a more detailed look around town which is quite large and has many public flower tubs all in bloom.

Then a bus ride out to the suburbs to see the locals having a BBQ and enjoying their free time with nature.

Our final train journey in Norway was to Stavanger. This was so relaxing to take in the geology and trees, farmland and roads, in short a snapshot of Norway.

Our arrival in Stavanger is only marred by the fact that the number of the bus to our accommodation has changed, once we had sorted that out it was relatively easy. After checking in we had a few minutes rest and then went back to look for dinner. We choose an Indian Tandoori on the waterfront which I gave 5 stars to on Trip Advisor.

7th July We started our taste of Stavanger with a short bus ride out to the ‘Sverd I fjell’ (Swords in the Rock) an iconic landmark. The story goes that King Harold the Fairhair fought the battle of Hafrsfjord (872) to gather the whole of Norway under one crown. It was created by the sculptor Fritz Roed and represents the victorious Harold (the largest sword) and the Kings he defeated.

Next a short bus ride to Hundvag for another circular walk in more glorious sunshine with a bought subway for lunch.

and I particularly liked the lawnmowers, the National Parks everywhere should have these!

Next to the old town of Stavanger...

and the Fire Tower Lookout (Valbergtarnet)

Built in 1853 it was the Fire watch tower for Stavanger. The last watchman died in 1922 and because members of the watch also lived in the tower this freed it up to become a museum. Dinner that evening in a very good burger bar- so good we had to wait for a table, we made use of this time by doing some more wondering.

The last day no particular rush for the bus to Tananger, where we had a bite to eat and changed buses for the airport.

I’ll finish with the door to the loo at the airport just for fun.

Goodbye Norway

and Hello England

2018 The Norway Expedition part One.

I begin on the 1st of May when we flew home to Gatwick and caught the train down to Sandwich. Most of the time was spent sorting out quotes for the new windows and double glazing on the Loop Street side. We also intend to refurbish the en suite as a wet room before we return to 'Piano'.  Top of the list were the new neighbors Stuart and Nicky who have been patiently awaiting our return. Stuart has done a great job with looking after the patio pots, which are all flourishing!

Next we travel to Bohill to prepare for our holiday cruising on the Hurtigruten ship MV Lofoten
Saturday 16th June we fly to Bergen and taken a bus to the city where we locate our first Air B'n B accommodation. This is in the town center at the top of a very old house. After a quick cup of tea we went exploring around the waterfront before having our first meal ashore.

The following day we checked out leaving our luggage in the house and spent the most part doing more tourist stuff. Namely taking the funicular railway to Mt Floyen to enjoy the views from the top,

 this while taking coffee and a pastry in comfort. Well prepared we then did a circular walk around a pleasant lake

before an equally pleasant walk back down into town for lunch.  The whole area is full of people walking ,cycling,having picnics and generally having fun in the glorious weather.

  After collecting our luggage we joined the ship

 and listened to the welcome speeches, security messages and general details about eating and so on. (We have to go through all this when we have new guests aboard 'Piano')  That evening the crew had laid on a terrific buffet with all sorts of delicacies.  We then enjoyed the views of our first sail towards Hjeltefjord.  This being same route that the Vikings once plied to the Shetland Islands and beyond.  Our first night in the small cabin was cosy and plenty warm enough,we did need the blind closed as it was still light after 11 o'clock!

Next morning we awakened to  Nordfjord, for a very short stop then a delicious breakfast. Absolutely all cuisines were catered for, if it wasn't out just ask and your hearts desire would be made for you! (the only limit here is how much you stomach can take)
  As we sailed past the West Cape, we travel out on the open sea. The ship then navigates through skerries and islands before reaching Ålesund. A note at this point that the old ship has no stabilizers which means a fair bit of rolling while in the open sea. This is not as bad as similar conditions aboard 'Piano'.

   Distinguished by its numerous spires, towers and highly-ornate buildings, Ålesund is renowned for its beautiful art nouveau architecture.

 It owes this to a devastating fire that burned a large proportion of the city to the ground in 1904. The same story is heard in many towns due to the fact that wood is the local building material and is quick to catch fire especially when it is also used as a heating fuel. The entire town was subsequently rebuilt in the fashionable style of the time, art nouveau. After this we set course for the spectacular UNESCO-listed Geirangerfjord passing sheer, 800 metre cliffs and impressive waterfalls en route.

Geirangerfjord

  While some people went ashore on a sightseeing trip we continued to Molde where they re-embarked later. Of course during the night we passed by Kristiansund,  Trondheim, Rorvik, Bronnoysund, Sandnessjoen, Nesna,and arrived at  Ornes just after breakfast on Wednesday this being a 15 minute stop. We would see the towns passed at night on the return trip.
Trondheim.
Our first full day aboard, started with a small breakfast before coming into Trondheim. Since this is where we would leave the ship on its return we had no need to rush around.

Book swap?

This is the old town bridge across the river Nidelva

Waterfront Apartments

We also did the cathedral, with gardens and the National palace, there will be plenty to do when we come back. Our Australian friends did a cycle tour with a cycle lift to take up a particularly high hill, it did need a bit of practice to be used safely!
Back aboard for lunch,which I haven't mentioned yet. This was always a choice of two or three cooked dishes with locally sourced food from the area through which we were passing. There was always a soup, fish choice and plenty of salad. In short all you could possibly want. A rest after lunch to watch the scenery and some pretty rough weather.  In fact the announcement came through to settle down and stop walking about as it was bound to cause accidents.

On then to Rorvik, by this time (8.40 pm ) we had eaten another delicious dinner and had nothing slide off the table. I think King Crab but whatever it was scrummy. We passed the larger MV Finmarken on her way home, very close by and everyone waved...

No time for sightseeing at Rorvik.
 The Arctic Circle Ceremony 66' 33° North.
                                   

You can see from the foul weather gear it was not a pleasant experience.

This is our AIS screen for the Circle.

 , a ladleful of ice poured down your back and then a shot of drink to revive you. All this for a certificate! Then onto Bodo for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Here we saw the full range of summer flowers roses, Nicotiana

and carnations alongside regular winter bulbs Daffodils Tulips and the like! That night we passed more villages and arrived at Tromso after lunch for a full afternoon sightseeing. Many Arctic Expeditions begin here so it is quite a big town with many people going about their daily business.
 First stop was the Ice Cathedral, which of course in summer has no ice at all. The roof is steep to allow the snow to be shed efficiently. We realised at this point that a bus ticket was valid for the whole day!!!

Back into town for the tourist spots

  We were dismayed at the animal pelts for sale, I really thought that in this day and age we had stopped pandering to the idle rich and their ideas of luxury goods. What good is that if poor people want to make money by selling them?? ( and yes there were seals, polar bears and many others on sale)

Library

The public buildings are designed for cold weather and 24 hour darkness. The library cunningly had a walk through to various cafes, shops and other council offices.
Overnight we pass Oksfjord,Hammerfest and Havoysund,
 Honningsvag  22nd June Bird watching trip this is a very slick operation, we had booked through the ships excursions manager and were not disappointed. After docking we were transported aboard a luxury coach to the harbour where a small motor boat (very well equipped with drinks food, cold weather gear binoculars etc) took us to the viewing area. Luckily it was a calm sunny day so we toured three islands and found all sorts of birds. We listened carefully to the guides who were explicit about which grey rock to look for a sea eagle on.

Then ended up seeing many! The sea was filled with flocks of Puffins, Guillemots, herons, cormorants, kittiwakes, gulls ad infinitum.

Stamsund, Lotofen Islands Pony Trekking. At this point we had almost 24 hours of daylight. On the downside it had been raining most of the day and we fully expected a wet evening. It seemed nothing out of the ordinary to go trekking in the evening after a pleasant dinner. By the time we were ashore it was a beautiful. We were picked up in the town center by Ella. During the minibus ride to the stables we watched a video explaining the vagaries of Norwegian ponies. They are a peculiar shape -being wide at the shoulders and narrow at the hips. This makes them slightly wider than usual for a western pony. They are also kind natured and gentle. After kitting up with waterproof /windproof clothing we met our mounts and set of along the beach,

 onto an inland track, through fish drying racks and between mountains. The trek was at least an hour and we were accompanied by a trail leader and her helper. Afterwards we were driven back to town and it could have been a warm summers afternoon.
 By 22.30  there was a chill wind blowing

                                                                              but back aboard all was toasty and warm.

The next day we were treated to a charity sale of various items which could be bought by auction. These being the ships postal flag, chart of the cruise route and other items. So much interest that the flag went for the highest price any item  has been bid for aboard  our boat.
Stops that day were Nesna, Sandnessjoen,

and Bronnoy. Here we had a short walk to the local museum which told the history of the area (in three languages) and had many artifacts to browse.
The highlight of the day was the Torghatten. Basically a granite mountain with large hole through the middle.  This is probably how Polos were invented. It is on the tiny (sic) island of Torget still in Bronnoysund.

and to top this action filled day there were speeches and a celebration dinner. 

The captain said that he had never known a midsummer cruise with such bad weather! It was his last trip- and the ship is retired next year I think. Anyway I expect he has something nice to say about all his trips. It is also our last night aboard so we have emails and notes to swap with many of our fellow passengers. Some will leave to continue a tour of Norway or Europe and others to return home to the southern hemisphere! We wish them all goodbye for now.
  After a hearty breakfast we packed the few last items and disembarked the boat.  I'll leave it there as a natural break after the cruise. This will give my avid readers time to absorb the sense of a truly Northern summer and the fact that no summer clothes were worn!  This will all change in Part two of the Norway Trip which I will begin to prepare while I'm still in the  U.K.