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Northern Europe 2024

July - September 2024
  • Dean Parham
A 37-day adventure by Dean Read more
  • Dean Parham

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  • Dean ParhamTravelerNorthern Europe 2024
    The cinnamon scrolls are of generous proportions here

    Greetings from Gothenburg

    July 28, 2024 in Sweden ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We arrived in Gothenburg about 36 hours after leaving home and taking a fog-delayed flight to Sydney, a flight to Singapore and another to Copenhagen and then a train to Gothenburg. Being too early to check in at the hotel, we took in a design museum (v. good) and the shoppified old town. The weather is a pleasant 20 degrees, there's plenty of vivid green around and some interesting architecture. Off to good start.Read more

  • Dean ParhamTravelerNorthern Europe 2024
    The elusive fortress
    1The renovated fish 'market'

    Day 2 Gothenburg

    July 29, 2024 in Sweden ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Two tourist quests of the day were assessing the merits of the Hop-on Hop-off bus and finding the city fortress. Two features of the HoHo bus were waiting a lot and walking a lot. You see, Gothenburg is pretty compact and the bus is a bit infrequent. And they knock off for lunch. So you wait lots and then walk anyway. The fortress was elusive, which is cunning since it has been in the same place for hundreds of years. We got off the bus at this large and beautiful park. We headed up a steep path, figuring that a fortress had to be on top of a hill. But nup, only a Natural History Museum (closed on Mondays). After consulting maps and Mr Google we strode on. Becoming less confident, we consulted other walkers who claimed to be unfamiliar with the fortified structure - until one local gave clear instructions. But to where we don't know.
    It turns out the fortress (Skansen Kronan) was some kilometres away in another park. It offered a panoramic view of the city.
    So then we walked to the old town for a coffee and cinnamon bun and then walked to the fish market (nice but trendified) for a salmon salad.
    Gothenburg is a nice, pretty, small city. Worth a wait and a walk.    Read more

  • Dean ParhamTravelerNorthern Europe 2024
    1Happy hour at our hotel

    Day 3 Gothenburg

    July 30, 2024 in Sweden ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    The feature of today was that it was not Monday, which meant that art galleries and museums were open. So we took in the Art Museum and the City Museum. Tick. Tick.
    The weather has been good. Just a bit of a breeze.
    Things are expensive but not outrageous, which says something about how things have gone up in Oz.    Read more

  • Dean ParhamTravelerNorthern Europe 2024
    The internal courtyard of the building we are staying in

    On to Oslo

    July 31, 2024 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Another day, another country.
    But before moving on from Gothenburg, a story of interest.
    Bruce Springsteen attracted a record crowd for his gig at the football stadium. He had the place jumping so much that the stadium was driven into the soft ground on which Gothenburg rests. Apparently cost a bomb for remedial work.
    Anyway, took the train to Oslo today, where it is shorts and t-shirt weather. Staying at quite a nice AirBnB in the old post office building.    Read more

  • Dean ParhamTravelerNorthern Europe 2024

    Cultural and maritime day

    August 1, 2024 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Yeah, things are a bit dear here in Oslo. Like $7 for a coffee - which is good but not great. And don't get me started on alcohol, the sale of which must be regulated by the Temperance League. Makes Canada seem like party central.
    Another observation: there's no traffic on the roads - here or in Gothenburg. The Scandinavians must export all their cars or hide them in gloomy bunkers somewhere. It's a pedestrian paradise - except for those silent e-scooters.
    Anyway, we loaded up on the Oslo pass today to get into museums and ride public transport. We took in the Cultural Museum. Apparently a king developed a penchant for shifting buildings of cultural significance from around the country to his backyard. And the State made it a tradition. Actually, the display on the Sami people (once known as Laplanders) was very interesting and informative. Another case of a culturally and physically decimated indigenous population.
    Having mastered the bus service, we rode on to the Fram Museum, which celebrates polar exploration in and out of a wooden ship (the Fram) used by Amundsun and others. A quick tour of the co-located Maritime Museum before catching the ferry back to city central.
    Having pooled our resources and maxxed the credit cards, we bought a small bottle of gin to pre-load before going out to dinner at the Oslo Street Food Market. Should be good.    Read more

  • Dean ParhamTravelerNorthern Europe 2024
    2
    The 23 degree heat brought out sunbathers in parks, boardwalks and waterfrontsThe lithograph version of The ScreamThe paint versionThe Opera House

    More around Oslo

    August 2, 2024 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Gee there's a lot to do in Oslo.

    Being local transport experts, we took 2 buses to Vigeland Park where sculptures by Gustav Vigeland featured in a quite large formal parkland. He was prolific and seemingly fascinated by the naked human form. And he showed an amazing ability to capture expression.
    The park also housed the Oslo Museum, which provided an interesting history of the city.
    We also popped into the Vigeland Museum because the Oslo Pass meant we could. Moulds for his sculptures were on display.
    We then transferred our transport expertise to the tram and went to the Munch Museum. And what a scream that turned out to be! The guy was prolific to say the least.
    Back to the apartment for a G&T. Ahh.    Read more

  • Dean ParhamTravelerNorthern Europe 2024
    The castle/fortress thingy
    A building in the surroundsView from the fortressDean contemplates the seating plan for the next dinner partyAn exhibit at the Resistance Museum2Sue tries to decide on a frockA copy by an unknown artist in C171Our AirBnB

    How much Oslo can u pack in?

    August 3, 2024 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    How much Oslo can you pack in - especially if, like me, you have the absorption rate of a saturated sponge?
    We started out, of course, on a quest for coffee but the place is dead on a Saturday before 10am. No breakfast eating out here.
    We went to Akershus Castle, which is still used for state occasions. Impressive views. There was also a Resistance Museum nearby, which documented Norway's part in Hitler's downfall.
    Then to the Nobel Peace Museum for some wonderment and inspiration.
    The National Museum was terrific, at least the part showing various stages in Norwegian life and then the evolution of graphic and industrial design. The art parts were a bit befuddling (isn't all contemporary art?) and the Kandinsky section was disappointing (his early work).
    Then another art museum for more befuddlement and a walk around the outside of the palace.
    Really need a month and smaller bites to take it all in.    Read more

  • Dean ParhamTravelerNorthern Europe 2024
    A street in Reykjavik showed more colour than the drab concrete elsewhere

    Iceland

    August 4, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Another day, another country.
    An early start to catch the nearly 3 hr flight to Reykjavik. The airport is over 50k out of town as it was built by the Americans for their purposes in the war.
    First impressions are: flat, barren and an abundance of rocks. You can see why NASA trained their moon-landing astronauts here. Into civilisation and it seems more Alaskan than European. A frontier feel to it. Lots of dark concrete - presumably because of volcano tinged sand. The centre of Reykjavik was a little more colourful and interesting, but not an inspiring start.
    Went to the National Museum, which told the story of Iceland's settlement from the 800s. An interesting, multi- faceted, multicultural story it is. The history was further embellished at the Settlement Museum, where the centrepiece is the remnants of an early long house that had been discovered in a dig in Reykjavik.
    Whilst most often under the watchful eye and control of Norway and Denmark at different times, the Icelanders have always had a sense of their own identity. They secured independence from Denmark in 1944.
    Not many photos today as they didn't turn out.    Read more

  • Dean ParhamTravelerNorthern Europe 2024
    Note the rocky outcropThis could be the purple lupin introduced from Alaska. But maybe not.

    Golden circle

    August 5, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Today we had a good time on a small bus tour of the Golden Circle - the main attractions out of Reykjavik. The driver had an Italian, Polish, Icelandic accent - with perhaps a trace of Scottish - which meant some of the finer points of his commentary escaped me. For example, it wasn't clear at one stage whether he was taking us to see a glacier or a geyser or to meet an East London geezer.
    Iceland sits on the meeting of the Nth American and European tectonic plates. With a bit of tension in the plate department, Iceland has plenty of volcanoes, geysers, hot springs etc.
    So we saw a crater up close and a geyser up close. Pretty speccie. And we saw a fissure line where rock has broken through in formation. This was a treat - a beautiful setting where the Icelandic 'parliament' used to meet out in the open (no buildings). From early times, there was no central government, but chieftains from diierent regions used to come together every summer to agree on a few rules. Rules were not written down but had to be recited by learning specialists. We also saw a pretty speccie waterfall (Gulfoss).
    The country out there was pretty green. They've been doing something to restore the country after practically all trees were chopped down and the land was overfarmed. The forests are young and they apparently say that, if you get lost in the forrest in Iceland, just stand up!. They've also introduced plants from other countries to improve the soil.
    The weather has been cold but not freezing. It might be around 15 degrees but the wind is the chilling factor. We also encountered some rain today. I haven't had need for my doona-with-sleeves jacket yet, but who knows.
    Oslo was a mere stepping stone in the price hike on this trip. Here, a couple of rolls for lunch today cost us $55.    Read more

  • Dean ParhamTravelerNorthern Europe 2024
    Whatchamacallit Waterfall
    Geezer Glacier11Dean soaks up the atmosphere at Black Sand Beack1What a day to have wedding photos!Aren't they cute! And tasty too apparently.Thingmebob WaterfallWhatsaname Waterfall

    South coast

    August 6, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today, another small bus tour-- this time to the South Coast from Reykjavik. Waterfalls, glaciers (no geezers), puffins, black sand beaches - to name a few of the highlights.
    We had Melbourne weather. Sunshine, pelting rain, gales, hail - and that was all in 10 minutes!
    With a bit of time, Iceland reveals its beauty. The sunshine brought out the green. If it wasn't the grass or the pasture, it was the moss over the rocks. Of course, there were the attractions that we went to see. But I'm finding the cragginess very appealing. The mountains and rock formations are all jagged with interesting folds. In Oz, the hills are old and smooth. Here, the formations are new and rugged.    Read more

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