From the Observation Deck

August 9, 2011

Norway in a nutshell, a train, a bus, and a boat.

Posted by Grendel's Mother under adventure, Norway, travel, Uncategorized
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As I continue the saga of the four American girls traveling through Iceland and Norway, we find ourselves with a short time to explore the beauty of the Norwegian countryside. The way we accomplished this was by taking the famous Norway in a Nutshell tour. This tour goes from Bergen to Oslo (or the other way, or a round trip if that’s what you want).

First thing in the morning we hopped on the train out of Bergen. If you’re traveling this way you may want to consider going light on the luggage. Or finding a hot dude to travel with who can lug it around for you. But all was okay and there was plenty of room to store the bags and get great views of the fjords and mountains. At the quaint town of Voss, we changed over to a bus. They were short on busses but these Norwegians know how to move fast and a driver was found tout suite (yes, that’s French but it sounds better than “gang,” the Norwegian word for right away) and a bus showed up for the rest of us who were out-elbowed by the others. The bus drive to Gudvangan took us through some even more picturesque countryside. (I love saying Gudvangen, it’s fun and rolls off the tongue. You should try it.) The real fun was the harrowing sharp, hair-pin s-turns down the steep mountain side. At the bottom of the hill the driver told us to breathe and we all laughed because we actually were holding our breaths. Now off to catch the boat.

Ahh, the boat. This was the part of Norway I was most looking forward to. The fjord tour. As we got onboard we walked through to the other end of the boat, up two flights of stairs and then back again to the other end of the boat to the only space that was left, this little corner in the back of the boat. I planted my butt down and Amy, Jen, and Butter found spaces along the bulk head. At first I was kind of upset that all these tourists had once again pushed their way onto the boat and grabbed all the nice seats up front. I was upset that is until the boat left the dock and then turned around! Poetic justice. We ended up having the absolute premier rock star positions on the entire boat. Our view was straight on unobstructed and it was truly magnificent. Mile after mile, we floated through the water that cut between steep cliffs hosting long, flowing waterfalls. Occasionally we saw houses and farms and wondered how they got their cable.

Some well-meaning but idiot tourists on our boat kept feeding the seagulls that were flying around us. While it did make for some nice photo ops, I vowed to stomp on the bird guy at the first sight of seagull poop. Some of these pushy tourists tried to worm their way into our space but we held tight to our real estate and got excellent photos during the entire three-hour cruise. Once we docked in Flam we had a couple of hours to eat, shop, and play. If you take this cruise/trip you can make plans to stop off overnight at any of these places and take extra fjord tours, or go hiking, or partake in some of the other activities available.

The next segment had us back on the train and up, up, up the mountain. We stopped briefly at a waterfall. Suddenly, some Celtic-like music started blaring out of speakers somewhere and a woman appeared out of the remains of an old stone house. As she danced around the falls and house she seemed like some kind of witch. It was pretty cool. At the top of the mountain, I bought a $13 cup of beer while we waited for our next train on the Flam railway.

The train from Flam took us by crystal clear waters that were formed from the blue and white glaciers dotting the landscape. We ended up going back and forth bus to train to bus to train to bus before arriving back in Oslo. It was a long day but a great way to see the Norwegian countryside if you don’t have time to really explore.

After keeping Amy awake the night before we decided I should get my own room with sound-proof walls. I do believe that aside from those little sleeping holes they have in Tokyo, this was the most expensive square foot of sleeping space I’ve ever had the misfortune of staying in. Seriously, when I spend $250 on a hotel room, I’d like to be able to take a shower without bumping into the sink, be able to not have to hear a concert playing outside until 1 a.m., and be able to get out of bed without jamming my toes into the walls. But I will say that the concierge’s at the front desk were nice and just a little cute, so we had something good to say about the hotel. Breakfast was pretty good too.

So that’s it for Norway in a Nutshell. One more day in the saga to talk about—so stay tuned!

Near Voss on the Norway in a Nutshell tour.

One of the many lush waterfalls on the tour.

The scary ride down the mountain.

Jen, Butter, and Amy get rock star parking on the fjord tour boat.

Along the Gudvangen fjord tour.

These guys followed us for awhile.

Another beautiful farm along the water.

The dancing witch by the waterfall.

This glacier flows down blue and white so clear and beautiful.

No words needed. On the Flam railway.

August 7, 2011

Where the heck is Bergen? Norway’s left coast beauty.

Posted by Grendel's Mother under adventure, Norway, travel, Uncategorized | Tags: bergen, bryggen, floibannan, funicular, norwary |
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If you’ve been reading the previous posts about this trip, you’ll know that we completed our time in Iceland and are now on our way to the green hills and valleys of Norway. Before I start weaving the tale of our time there I want to pause a moment and pray for the victims and their families as well as the survivors of the vicious terror attack that happened on July 22. I pray that the citizens of Norway can grieve for their loved ones and move forward living lives like the peaceful beautiful people they are. I hope that the families are getting comfort from God and from loved ones through this horrific time. And I hope that all the disturbed individuals out there—whether they are Norwegian, American, Al queda, or the scum of the earth pedophiles who traffic kids—can find forgiveness and peace in their hearts and learn to love instead of hate. Okay, so thank you for letting me get that out. On to the trip…

We arrived Monday night (July 4) in Oslo and immediately had to figure out the transportation system because the rail lines near Oslo were under construction. In fact, a lot of Oslo seemed to be under construction. Some very friendly and helpful people led us to the bus that would take us to the other bus we needed to catch to get onto the overnight train to Bergen. We took a lovely ride through the countryside as the sun set and darkness fell. Yes, there was some darkness in this part of Norway—being a bit more south than Iceland. When we got onto the train, we had to carefully figure out how to maneuver in the sleeping compartment. I felt like I was back at camp or college where you have three feet of living space and tons of stuff. The space between the bed and wall was as wide as the narrow part of my suitcase. Amy slept in the top bunk and we had a very cozy night listening to the sounds of the countryside passing us by. Trains can be a very pleasant way of traveling. The ride tends to be pretty smooth and comfortable. A note of warning should you decide to take the overnight train to Bergen. The guy in charge of waking everyone up has a key to your compartment and he isn’t afraid to use it. Amy and I were momentarily shocked to see a very large scandinavian man looming into our little closet first thing in the morning. Glad we were decent!

It’s now 7 a.m. and we are getting off the train in Bergen and heading for our hotel. Upon arrival, we asked the front desk clerk if we could check in early. Nope. Okay but we can store our stuff and go exploring, so that’s cool. I asked the young man what the temperature/weather was going to be like that day and he replied, “Did you come to Bergen for the weather?” Whoa, smart ass. I don’t suppose you notice the very weary look on my face that just changed to the look that says, “Just answer my question you stupid brat, I had a reason for asking it and don’t need some jerk like you treating me with such disrespect—especially considering I am a paying guest in the hotel you are working in.” After telling him yes, we decided against Tahiti and the Caribbean and wanted to visit Bergen for it’s beaches and spas, I walked away to change into the appropriate clothes for touring the city for the day.

Off we went for a quick breakfast in a bakery that someone recommended. It was okay. Kind of fun to see the locals coming in before heading off to work for the day. There were several young men that came in and flirted with the pretty girl behind the counter. The McDonalds around the corner that was located in a very un-McDonald’s type building would have been fine with me. Just kidding—I don’t do that when traveling. The horror! So moving on, we got our hop on hop off tickets and Bergen cards at the visitor center and started the day. Passing by the famous fish market and its stalls of seafood, clothes, trolls, fresh fruit, and more, looked very tempting.

I got off the bus at the cultural museum and took a quick tour looking at the ancient Viking artifacts, American Indian artifacts, and some Egyptian mummies. An eclectical little place, and interesting, but I had little time to explore everything. So the hop on hop off bus took me around back to the downtown area where I got off to explore the Bryggen museum where they had an excavation of ancient lot where early settlers lived. Bergen (on the southeast coast of Norway) was once an international hot spot and the capital of Norway. The early settlers were smart and saavy players. After the Bryggen museum I strolled around the grounds of Haakon’s Hall and then went in for a look-see. King Håkon Håkonsson had the hall built between 1247 and 1261. It had very interesting decorations—these tapestries with what I would describe as kind of Viking hieroglyphics on them.

Feet hurting but the desire to explore overcoming the pain; I went over to the Floibanan Funicular and stood in line to take my turn on the train that took us about 350 yard up the steep slope of the mountainside. One of the things I was really looking forward to that I had to give up doing was hiking around and down the mountains here. The boot was helping me walk but all I could do was stare out at the scenery and down at the town of Bergen while doing some people watching.

My friends were on other missions that day and we met up later at the hotel. Before I headed back I took an ill conceived but pretty walk through town. Back at the Comfort Inn, I decided I had to stay close by to eat (no more walking) and had a surprisingly wonderful meal right at the hotel restaurant. I ate outside at a little table and just enjoyed looking out onto the European town as the sun set low in the sky. Nice.

So Bergen was a quaint town with some fun attractions. After keeping Amy up all night with my nocturnal chatter, we headed out of town for our next tour. Stay tuned!

Brygeen in Bergen. The Hanseatic houses line the wharf area.

View of the Bergen wharf area from the top of the funicular. McDonald's in Bergen. Not your typically golden arches.

The architecture in the Bryggen area of Bergen was very cool.

An artistic way of beautifying a sewer cap in Bergen.

At the top of the floibanan funicular.

McDonald's in Bergen. Not your typically golden arches.

August 1, 2011

The healing powers of the Blue Lagoon and final thoughts about vikings and other Iceland stuff.

Posted by Grendel's Mother under Uncategorized | Tags: blue lagoon, Iceland, reykjavik, travel |
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That title was a bit of a mouthful eh? Whatever. Just in case you care, by far, one of my favorite pastimes is soaking in hot water. Nothing quite soothes the body (mine at least) as floating in the healing powers of hot H₂O. So naturally I saw Iceland as a slice of heaven. Cold climate, fresh air, beautiful surroundings, and lots and lots of natural and man-made hot springs and geothermic pools make Dawn say wahoo! Thank you God!

On our last day in Iceland (boo), we did what most tourists in Iceland do; we spent a few hours pampering ourselves at the famous Blue Lagoon. Located right next to a geothermic power plant, but hidden among the rocky outcroppings of a lava field, this man-made geothermic spa offers guests the opportunity to soak in steaming waters of what looks like a real lagoon. The Blue Lagoon is quite big and has a few spots where you can either hang out at a swim-up bar, chat with friends at one the several silicon stations, or find a quiet corner to float alone and not think of anything at all.

Amy and Jen treated themselves to massages while Butter and I took our turns in and out of the various steam baths, waterfalls, and relaxing rooms. I find it humorous that when I put on a mask (of the “mud” kind) at home, I lock myself away so no one can see me. At the Blue Lagoon, everyone lathers on the silicon mask and swims around—nothing to be embarrassed about here!

Butter and I were in heaven. This place was meant for people like us. I did not want to leave but Amy threatened me so I had to obey and get ready to leave to catch our flight to Norway. The only downside to the experience was that it left our hair a mess. I could have walked out of there with dreadlocks. But no worries—a few showers later and my hair was smooth once again.

What I Really Think You Should Know About Iceland

So to wrap up the visit to Iceland, I would say GO! If you have a chance, GO! All the places we visited were great and with the exception of that one tour company, the tours were great and the Icelandic people were very nice. Everyone spoke English and there were signs in English everywhere—making our stay very comfortable, thank you Icelanders! Inga’s was a great place to stay and there is good food to be found all over Reykjavik—especially at the hot dog stand on the harbor.

I would like to go back again. I think I’d explore one of the big glaciers to get a better look at those, maybe try the ring road, and rent a car to visit some other areas and places. And of course—I’d spend an entire day at the Blue Lagoon. That may not be your thing to do, but if you like that sort of thing, get there early and reserve a nice massage appointment.

There were some funny things I saw while driving around. I think I’ve mentioned all the faces and creature like things I saw in the mountains and rock formations as well as the animals—sheep and horses playing and romping around like I’ve never seen before. The light of the night and the disparate topography all made this volcanic island a treasure to visit.

If you go, remember to stock up on alcohol at the duty free shop, be ready for all kinds of weather, bring a mask to block out the light, go with fun friends and/or family, reserve a tour with Goecco Adventure tours, turn in all your Kroner before you leave or you’ll get stuck with it, open your mind to seeing the hidden people (elves, trolls, and who knows what else), knock on the prime minister’s door and say hello, and take me with you!

I know I’ve forgotten some of the incredibly fun memories I shared with the girls, but as I leave you with these thoughts of Iceland, I’m recalling the guestbook at Inga’s. The first entry was written by some men who had quite a great time—telling us all how they got lucky. They signed their entry, “the French guys.” Pretty much every entry after that made reference to the French guys, getting lucky (or not) and was signed by such people as, “some English guys,” “three singing sisters,” “four friends from four different places in Germany (I think),” some “Canadian guys,” and of course, “Four American Girls.” (I wonder who those last chicks were.)

Goodbye Egil, Njall, and other saga heroes. Goodbye Inga and Olga. Goodbye Jonas, Ymir, and Villi. Goodbye goats and horses. Goodbye vomit dude. Goodbye taxi driver. Goodbye new friends from our tours. Goodbye funny viking hats and troll dolls. Goodbye waterfalls, mountains, glaciers, volcanoes, oceans, hot springs, marshmallow farms, black beaches, lava fields, and ancient explorers! We came, we explored, and we left better than we were before.

Now off to Norway!

My hardworking boot gets dressed up with my new viking hat.

That's me way in the back soaking up the hot water at the Blue Lagoon while wearing a silcone mask.

An Icelandic lullabye on the plane pillow.

Bye bye and hushabye,
Can you see the swans fly?
Now half asleep in bed I lie,
Awake with half and eye.
Heyho and welladay,
Over hills and far away,
That’s where the little children stray
To find the lambs at play.