Bohill Cottage, Penryn, Cornwall.: 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!

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.