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Europe 2025
  • Michelle Creasy
Currently traveling
Sep – Oct 2025

Europe 2025

Exploring Norway, North Wales and the West Country Read more
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    🇳🇴 Selsøyvika, Norway
    Michelle CreasyEurope 2025Michelle Creasy
    Antique tram
    Hurtigruten shipMunkholmenWharf buildings in TrondheimTrondheim buildings with vertical panelsAntique tramOverlooking TrondheimAt the tram stationNidaros Cathedral - west frontNidaros Cathedral north sideLighthouseBlue musselsKjeungskær lighthouse,

    Trondheim by Tram

    Yesterday in Norway

    We were late coming into Tromdheim, by about 20 minutes. Just before we got there we passed a Hurtigruten ship going the other way. They are the other company doing the Coastal Express Route.
    We had a talk on board about Munkholmen, a small island just outside Trondheim. It’s been used as an execution site, monastery (where the name Monk’s islet comes from), fortress, prison, anti aircraft gun station and is now a recreation site.

    I chose to do an antique tram ride in Trondheim. Getting from the dock into Trondheim would have been too difficult for the time we had so I elected to do this guided tour. We went by bus to the tram station and got a good look at central Trondheim. It was founded in 997 and currently has a population of 260,000, 40,000 of those are students.
    There buildings of Trondheim have a distinctive style, colourful with wooden planks running vertically instead of horizontally.
    The tram was built in 1924 with the decor being from the 1950s. It took us to Lian up in the forrest. After we came back down we went by bus to a lookout which translates as “Stone Mountain viewpoint”. We got very comprehensive views of the city.

    From there we went down to the cathedral. It was built over the burial site of King Olav II who later became Norway’s patron saint. It was completed around 1300, suffered several fires over the centries and restoration took from 1869 to 2001. There was a service on when we were there so we couldn’t go inside but the outside was spectacular enough. The west front has 57 sculptures of biblical figures.

    After that is was back on the bus and back to the ship.
    At 3pm the chef came out to the back deck and we had a brief talk on Norwegian blue mussels that are farmed in the Trondheimsfjorden which we had gone through to get to Trondheim. Apparently there is a push to get Norwegians to eat more blue mussels. We got to try some and they tasted like mussels.
    We then passed the Kjeungskær lighthouse, a famous lighthouse but I think there are a few famous lighthouses in Norway.
    This evening we had a talk on the fjords in the daily briefing and later watched a film on the Northern Lights. I’m hoping to see some in Tromso although if they are around it would be amazing to see them from the ship. More likely to see them further north though.

    Tomorrow we cross the Artic Circle sometime between 7:30am and 8:30am. There’s a competition to guess the exact time we cross. I guessed 8:23:23am.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2025Michelle Creasy
    Sunnmøre museum
    Old town hall in art nouveau styleTiny trainView from AkslaView from AkslaView from AkslaView from AkslaBarn at Sunnmøre museumSchool at Sunnmøre museumForge at Sunnmøre museumFarmhouse at Sunnmøre museumSunnmøre museumFarmhouse at Sunnmøre museumFarmhouse at Sunnmøre museumSunnmøre museumWhat the houses looked like before the 1904 fireMV Heland at Sunnmøre museum

    Tiny train and old houses

    September 13 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    My last day I’m Ålesund. I’m currently on the Havila Castor for the next two nights, getting off in Svolvaer.
    It was a bit cooler today, I put my cardigan on as I left the hotel. I went down to the cruise liner terminal which is very close to the hotel and caught the tiny train that does a commentary as it takes you around, An alternative to the hop on hop off bus, I didn’t need to get on and off plus it’s the only way to get to the Aksla viewpoint without climbing the 418 steps. The commentary was amusing and informative, building on the other information I’ve picked up.

    After lunch I went out to the Sunnmøre Museum which is an open air museum with buildings from Norway’s past. They also have boats there including the boat Helmand which was part of the Shetland bus fleet. It did drizzle a bit while I was at the museum. Enough to make me think about seeking shelter but not enough to make me search for shelter. I was told this morning that it’s not unusual to get a fine day like the last few days in Ålesund but very unusual to get them in a row like we’ve had.
    I spoke to a woman on the boat this evening and she’s come from Bergen where it’s been raining.
    Here’s hoping the good weather continues to accompany me.

    Back to the hotel to pick up my luggage, some tea on the way and then on the boat. The layout of all the Havila boats is the same so I at least know my way around.
    I’ve walked more today than any other day of my trip so far so I’m looking forward to a quieter day tomorrow although I was surprised at how many steps I got in on the boat the other day.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2025Michelle Creasy
    Art Nouveau buildings of Ålesund
    Art Nouveau buildings of ÅlesundShetland Bus memorialAalesunds museumTextile on exhibit at KubeArt nouveau museum, was originally an apothecaryArt Nouveau buildings of ÅlesundArt Nouveau buildings of ÅlesundArt Nouveau buildings of ÅlesundArt Nouveau buildings of ÅlesundArt Nouveau buildings of ÅlesundArt Nouveau buildings of ÅlesundArt Nouveau buildings of ÅlesundArt Nouveau buildings of ÅlesundArt Nouveau buildings of Ålesund

    Art Nouveau Ålesund

    September 12 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Another fine day in Ålesund today. I carried my cardigan around all day, only putting it on about 5pm.
    I started the day with a wander up to the Shetland Bus memorial looking at the houses on the way. From there I went to the Åalesund museum which while small was very informative. It covered the founding of Ålesund, the fishing industry, the fire of 1904 which destroyed most of the town, the rebuilding and the resistance during World War Two. When Ålesund was rebuilt it was mandated that all buildings in a town centre had to be built from stone. Architects were employed to redesign the town and the buildings. Oslo had been experiencing an economic downturn so there was an availability of workers and the town was rebuilt in 3 years.
    After lunch I went to the Art Nouveau museum where I learnt a bit about the architecture style. The main takeaway was the buildings are asymmetrical and the windows vary.
    My entry in Kube the art history museum was included in my ticket. It had an exhibition from a textile artist. I have to admit it’s not really my thing.
    From there I followed a self guided art nouveau building tour. Completing half, I’ll try and do the other half tomorrow on my way to the boat.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2025Michelle Creasy
    Atlantic Sea Park
    CodAtlantic WolffishTroll Leanne (stone crab)Greater pipe fishThe charmingly named lump suckerDeep sea anemoneDeep sea red crabRed cucumbersHumboldt penguinsOtterPenguinsFeeding the penguinsSeals coming for foodFeeding the seals

    Finding Penguins

    September 11 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Literally found the penguins today.
    Late start to the day today. My room comes with breakfast, it’s amazing how much extra time going down to breakfast takes.

    There no direct public transport to the Atlantic Sea Park but it was apparently a 10 - 15 minute stroll from the bus stop. They didn’t mention the blood great hill on the way. Suffice to say it took me a bit longer to get there but it was worth it when I did get there. As the name of the aquarium suggests it’s full of sea life local to Norway. Some were familiar names to me such as place and cod, others like the Atlantic wolffish I’d never heard of.

    Outside there are Humboldt penguins which although native to South America are here as part of an endangered species preservation program.
    There are 4 rescue otters there, all around a year old. Thye were fun to watch, like puppies they way they tumble around.
    There are 10 harbour seals in the bay. They came from aquariums across Europe although at least one has been born there.
    They had feedings and talks for the penguins, otters and seals. All very interesting and entertaining to watch.
    I was at the aquarium until it closed. It was a other lovely day. The official temperature got to 22 but it felt much warmer than that. I found a shuttle bus transporting people back to the cruise ships and I was able to catch that rather than walk back to the bus stop. I picked up some cold meat and cheeks from the supermarket and came back to the hotel.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2025Michelle Creasy
    Lighthouse near Kvalsund
    Fishing boat near KvalsundNear KvalsundTorvikTorvikApproaching SulesundApproaching SulesundApproaching HundeidvikFish farm I'm the HjørundfjordenVillage on the HjørundfjordenVillage on the HjørundfjordenHavila Pollux at UrkeHavila Pollux at UrkeHavila Pollux at UrkeHavila Pollux at UrkeUrkeLeaving UrkeApproaching Hundeidvika on the HjørundfjordenIn the Norwegian Sea

    On the Havila Ship Pollux

    September 10 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    My first day of cruising. I like that the Havila ships are small. It’s easy to find a spot to yourself if you want one. The scenery is stunning and there isn’t much to do on board except look at it. We made it to Ålesund at 9:45am for a brief stop then ventured into the Hjørdfjorden which is another stunning fjord. We went down to the village of Urke. There’s really not much there, just a few houses. The ship had excursions for those that wanted them although the bus tour was cancelled because the bus broke down.
    After everyone who had booked a tour had been put ashore anyone else could go. I went but it felt a bit like we were wandering around looking at people’s houses. One passenger stood in the middle of someone’s garden, lit a cigar and posed for a photo.
    So I went back down to where the tender was due to pick us up. I was accosted by a woman who didn’t speak English insisting she take a photo of me on my phone. In the end it was just easier to let her. I offered to take one of her on her phone but through her gestures I surmised she lived there. She followed me back down to the water’s edge and took more photos of me. She’s not the first to insist they take a photo of me on my phone. I know many people like to take photos of themselves in the places they visit but it’s not necessary for me. I prefer just the scenery. They think they are doing me a good turn I guess.

    During the trip back to Ålesund we had a talk on the art of Norway. I think it was actuallly just a way to plug the excursions for tomorrow. We did get a brief slideshow of some Norwegian paintings set to some Norwegian music.
    We docked at Ålesund a bit after 6 and I walked to the hotel. It’s a bit hard to tell but I don’t think the hotel is as central as I thought it was. Definitely nothing like my Bergen hotel but that location was exceptional. Had some dinner now I’m just waiting for all the photos to download so I can post this.
    I’m in Ålesund for 3 nights before I get back on the boat.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2025Michelle Creasy
    Polar bear in souvenir shopBergen in the rainShip paintings at the maritime museumModel of Viking ship KvalsundModel of Viking ship OsebergStockfishView from museum windowArea around fisheries museumArea around fisheries museumArea around fisheries museumHavila PolluxOn board PolluxDeck 9 of the shipMy roomFish soupLeaving BergenLeaving BergenLeaving Bergen

    Of Fish and Ships

    September 9 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    I’m currently sitting in the lounge of the ship Havila Pollux on my way to Ålesund. The ship docks in the morning but goes into Hjorundford and docks back at Ålesund in the evening about 6pm. I’ll get off then.

    My run of good weather came to an end last night. It rained all night and was still raining this morning. I think for the first time in Bergen I actually wore my jacket instead of just carrying it around. It was pretty wet.
    I started with some shopping then went out to the Bergen Maritime Museum. They have a very interesting exhibition on Viking boat burials. Some of the later exhibits repeated what I saw at the Oslo Maritime Museum but it was interesting nonetheless. Maybe I should have skipped over the section on the worst cruise ship wrecks though.
    I then went mown to the Norwegian Fisheries Museum. Like the maritime museum it was small but informative. Bergen has been vital to the trade in stockfish (dried cod) since the 1300s. The fisheries museum was in the section of town where the wearhouses held the stockfish and it retains the smell. There was a lot of information about the Norwegian fishing industry. I hadn’t realised just how much of the Norwegian fishing industry exported is farmed. Probably all the fish I’ve eaten since I’ve been here (except the whale) was farmed.

    Quick late lunch then back to the hotel to pick up my luggage and head to the Havila terminal to check in. The whole process from arriving at the terminal to setting foot on the boat was 80 minutes. Half of that was wasted standing in line for the dinner table reservations. Food isn’t included in the Port to Port tickets, you can buy a meal package but it’s basically twice my daily meal budget and it would only be for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow. I had thought I could still eat i. The restaurant and just pay for what I ate but that has to be arranged with the head waiter on board. They also have a cafe on board where you can purchase meals. I had the Bergen soup and even though it was cheaper than what I paid on Sunday it was so much better. I think it was prepared by the restaurant chefs. The menu is fairly limited in terms of what I can eat but I won’t be disappointed if I have the soup for lunch again tomorrow.

    The ship is fairly small compared to cruise liners. It has capacity for 460 passengers in cabins and another 170 day passengers. It’s a cross between a ferry and a cruise ship. It doesn’t seem too crowed to me. The original company is Hurtigruten and that started as a mail run to 34 ports between Bergen and Kirkenes on the Russian border. Some of the places it only stops 10-15 minutes. Others it’s stops for up to 3 hours. You can cruise from Bergen to Kirkenes in 5 - 6 days, you can also do the return trip. I originally looked at Hurtigruten but they do Norwegian and non Norwegian pricing, the non Norwegian pricing is similar to Havila. The Havila boats are much newer. They are also a Norwegian company.

    Given I’m not fond of organised tours I’m doing the port to port option where you get off as you please.
    Due to the mountainous terrain trains don’t go directly between towns and I don’t enjoy buses.
    I’ve got an inside room, I did look into whether I should upgrade to an outside room for my next trip as that is two nights but the cost was more than double so it’s the inside room for me.

    I think I’ve been all over the ship, well levels 6 - 9 anyway. I’m on level 7. Levels 8 and 9 are the outside decks and level 6 has the longest and restaurants. I’m sitting in the lounge on level 6 writing this.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2025Michelle Creasy
    Vikanes
    Bryggen in the morningNordhornland BridgeFjordFjordFjordVikanesVikanesApproach Mostraumen ChannelMostraumenMoBergsaafossen waterfallMo with Kvernhusfossen waterfallFrom top left whale, haddock, salmon, mackerel mousse in the shellSeafood saladPretty Bergen street on the way to the laundromatBergen CathedralBergen CathedralApproaching Mostraumen channelBergsaafossen waterfall

    The Fjords of Bergen

    September 8 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    I continue to be lucky with the weather. It was a beautiful day in Bergen today. I started with a trip down the fjords.
    We went down the Osterfjord through the Romarheimsfjorden through the Mostraumen channel and then down the Mofjorden to Mo at the end of the Mofjorden. There may have been more fjords as well. It’s hard to tell where one fjord starts and the other ends, I did learn that a fjord is longer than it is wide.
    The Mostraumen channel was created in 1743 after flooding and the channel dredged in 1913 to allow bigger boats through although its only about 60m wide.
    The landscape was quite different to the Flam to Gudvangen cruise. Not as dramatic but maybe my first fjord cruise will also be the most dramatic. I can report on that at the end of my trip.
    The boat perhaps wasn’t the best for viewing as you could only go out the front at set times and then everyone wanted to get out into the small space and take their selfies. While I did go outside at these times (no selfies) I did have a nice view from inside as well.

    I had lunch in the fancier part of the fish market next to where we had dinner in Saturday night,
    I ate whale. I had been curious as to whether I’d try whale if offered the opportunity and I expected the opportunity to arise. All the stores at the fish market seem to have whale. They display the raw seafood and cook it fresh for you. It’s not an attractive looking meat. Big dark thick bloody pieces is what I saw.
    Anyway I ordered a smoked fish platter, the only fish mentioned was a mackerel mousse. When it was delivered I was told the fish was salmon, haddock and whale. While I wouldn’t have ordered it, I ate it as it was on my plate. It was hard for me to discern the flavour as it was smoked. It was okay, a bit fattier and more of a dried texture than the other two fish. I’m not sure what to think restaurant not stating on the menu that there was whale on the plate. Maybe they don’t expect it to be controversial? I was watching one of the other places cook their meat last night while I waited for Yee Wei to buy some Cavair and seal oil. I saw three pieces of whale meat go onto the grill. Also Yee Wei was keen for me to buy some seal oil as it it is meant to be superior to fish oil. Fortunately our quarantine laws don’t allow seal oil into the country so I didn’t need to have a further conversation about the ethics of seal hunting. I don’t know a lot about either whale hunting or seal hunting in Norway although from what I’ve read it is controversial.
    I also had a seafood salad that was very nice.
    It was mid afternoon by that stage and washing was next on the list. I went back to the hotel and lay down for a rest. I fell asleep waking at 6pm. I usually find I need a half day of rest each week when I travel although as I get on the boat tomorrow night I thought I could I could rest on the boat.
    I’m at the laundromat now and will be a while as washing was an hour and it looks like drying is 2 hours. No industrial driers like I’m used to at the laundromat at home when I need a dryer.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2025Michelle Creasy
    Bryggen from the back of the buildings
    Bryggen from the back of the buildingsView from FloyenView from FloyenYee Wei and me at FloyenFloyen goatTrip down the funicular, we had front row seats.St Mary's church from the backSt Mary's churchSt Mary's churchBerries at the fish market. I bought some.Fish at the fish market.Bergen soupBryggenBryggenDinner of paella, stone crab and fish crab.

    Sunday in Bergen

    September 7 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Not exactly a gentle Sunday but lovely none the less.
    I met Yee Wei at the Floyen Funicular and we travelled up for great views. We had a look around and saw the cashmere goats that live up there. They love being patted and forage, keeping the vegetation growth under control.

    From there we went to Mariakirken (St Mary’s church) which is the oldest existing holding in Bergen, perhaps because it is built of stone when most other buildings were built of wood and Bergen has had many fires. It’s a beautiful church and the service was lovely. Very thought provoking message of are you following Jesus or just travelling with him? The bible reading was given in Ukrainian. Bergen has accepted many Ukrainians under temporary protection visas since 2022 and a number attend the English speaking service at Mariakirken run by the Anglican Church. We were able to take a look around the church after the service and it is lovely.

    We then went to the Fish Market for lunch. We had Bergen (fish) soup which is white fillets and salmon with celery in a milky/creamy stock. It was nice but there’s enough seafood choices down there I probably won’t have it again. We then parted ways, me to museums and him to go shopping.

    I had intended to go to the Theta Muesum which is the resistance museum of Bergen. It’s Norway’s smallest museum. It was difficult to find and I ended up in the back room of a restaurant only to discover that the museum is closed for winter already. That was disappointing but I’d planned another museum visit - the Shotstuene museum which tells the story of the Hanseatic League of German traders who built Bryggen and traded in stockfish, the dried cod of northern Norway. It was a guided tour and the tour guide was very engaging.

    I had an hour before I met Yee Wei for dinner so I sat at one of the pubs in their outdoor seating in Bryggen and just watched the world go by.

    We returned to the fish market for dinner. Bergen soup had been my choir for lunch so Yee Wei chose dinner. We had paella, stone crab and snow crab. The crab was good. The snow crab wasn’t as delicate and sweet as it had been last night but it was still good. The stone crab was more robust and still good. I suspect I’ll be back to the fish market to try something different before I leave.
    Yee Wei presented me with some brown cheese chocolate. I didn’t tell him what I thought of brown cheese, just accepted the chocolate graciously. I will be curious to try it as the cheese has a caramelised flavour so maybe it will be nice as a chocolate?

    I had planned to do some washing today but didn’t get there. That’s a job for tomorrow. There’s no laundry at that hotel but there’s a laundromat about a 15 minute walk away.
    I spent so much time choosing my accommodation for this trip, There were so many variables to look at. I’m really happy with the location here. Apart from the bus to get here from the train station everything is in a 10 minute walk or less. I could have walked from the train station but was wary of getting g lost. Much easier to take the bus.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2025Michelle Creasy
    Cruise to Gudvangen
    Cruise to Gudvangen1Cruise to GudvangenCruise to GudvangenCruise to GudvangenCruise to GudvangenCruise to GudvangenCruise to GudvangenVossMussels at dinnerSnow crabHalibutSmoked salmon1Dinner group

    To Bergen by boat, bus and train

    September 6 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Another long travel day follow by a long dinner.
    Today I did the second half of the Norway in a Nutshell trip that took me from Flam to Gudvangen by boat, bus to Voss and then train to Bergen.
    The scenery in the fjords was amazing. The mountains were so step and so many waterfalls. I had a nice spot inside and went out every 15 minutes or so to take photos and take in the scenery. It was reasonably cool, many people, had their jackets on but as I was only outside for short periods I didn’t bother with mine. It was nice being cold after being so warm indoors all the time,
    We got straight off the boat onto the bus for Voss. We had a short stop at the Stalheim hotel for a phot and toilet. There were multiple buses doimg the same route and one woman from our bus got back on another bus. The two men in from of her noticed she was missing and the driver went and found her.
    I had nearly an hour in Voss. Time to get some water and sit and watch the hang gliders come down from the mountain behind the train station. Most of the people on the same trip as me left on a train 7 minutes before me, it’s all prebooked and they were on the Oslo - Bergen train while I was on a regional train. There were a lot of tunnels - google say 52 on the trip.
    Managed to find the bus and I got to my hotel about 4:30. It’s basically on the harbour, very well located.

    On the boat a man asked me to watch his bag while he went and got more of his stuff. Didn’t see much of him until close to the end of the journey, We were making small talk and he asked what I was doing tomorrow. I mentioned I was thinking of going to the English language church in Bergen. He wanted the details as he would also like to attend so we got talking. We separated at Gudvangen but I saw him again on the train station platform in Voss. He added me to WhatsApp and then introduced me to the two ladies I’d been sitting next to. One of them is from Manchester which is where I’m heading after Norway. Yee Wei then decided we should all have dinner tonight. He made a WhatsApp group of 10 different people and messages were going backwards and forwards the entire trip. I decided I was happy with wherever and whenever the group decided to go for dinner.
    We ended up with 6 of us at a lovely seafood restaurant. There was Yee Wei the planner of al of this. He’s travelling alone but very sociable, Yee Wei’s colleague Alisha. They are both from Singapore and had a conference on Oslo this week. Hui Sin and Cynthia friends from the UK. Cynthia lives in Manchester. I think they met Yee Wei on the boat. Norm and Yee Wei sat next to each other on the boat and had seats on the train one in front of the other (these were reserved in advance). Norm is from Canada and has a conference in Troms next week, so it was quite a mixed group but really nice people.
    We decided to order a mix of foods to share.
    We had snow crab (sweet and delicate), mussels, halibut (firm white fish), rainbow trout andsmoked salmon. It was all delicious and the company was great. We were there until 11pm.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2025Michelle Creasy
    View on the way to Myrdal
    View on the way to MyrdalView on the way to Myrdal1Offering on th Efrain. I declined to try it.1Kjosfossen Falls1Sauage and salad lunchView from FlamOn the way to Stegastein lookout1Stegastein lookout1Stegastein lookoutStegastein lookoutStegastein lookoutStegastein lookoutViking inspired brewery1Diner1Dinner2Kjosfossen WaterfallKjosfossen WaterfallKjosfossen Waterfall

    Back in the Mountains

    September 5 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Today I’m back in the mountains. My first trip to Europe in 2016 I discovered I love the mountains. I don’t know whether it’s the contrast to the flat farmland I grew up in, the influence of the Chalet School books or just the mountains themselves. I find myself planning my trips around mountains.

    It took a while to get here. The train from Oslo to Myrdal took about 5 1/2 hours. My seatmate was a retired Canadian. He got up from the seat about once an hour. A couple I met this evening remembered me from the train and they reminded me he told me “it’s the last time” but made me get up again after that. I didn’t mind, it got me moving a bit during the journey.
    The journey was very scenic. I was surprised at the number of tunnels. It was overcast most of the day but that didn’t detract from the views at all.
    At Myrdal I was reminded why I don’t like tours. Apparently the right side of the train from Myrdal to Flam is the best side. Everyone raced off the train to wait in the rain for the Flamsbana train. They then started boarding before the passengers on board had had a chance to get off. There was pushing and shoving. I sat at the first seat I came to on the left side of the train. The views were lovely. We stopped partway at the Kjosfossen Waterfall where we not only,y saw the amazing waterfall but saw a Huldra (mythical forrest spirit) and were treated to a Norwegian folk song.

    Flam is gorgeous. There is a little alley of food trucks. I spoke to a man selling salamis. I tasted them all - moose, reindeer, red wine, and Viking (beef and lamb). Thye are apparently shelf stable until opened so I bought a moose one and will keep it until I get to Svolvaer and have a fridge. He also had brown cheese made locally but I still didn’t buy any.
    I had some lunch - another sausage and salad. They are an easy meal as I just ask for it without the bun.
    I have a lovely view from my room over the fjord. The salami man told be to enjoy it as tomorrow there will be a small cruise ship there. It started to rain so I relaxed in my room for an hour or so before going out.
    I visited the Flamsbana museum which told the history of the railway. It’s called the twenty line as it is 20km long, has 20 tunnels (all bar two were dug by hand) and took 20 years to build.
    I went into the visitor centre and saw there was still space on the Stegastein lookout bus. Earlier in the afternoon I’d decided against it as I didn’t want to battle crowds of people to get a view. On enquiry though I discovered it was a small bus. So I took ticket. There 16 of us in the bus. The trip should have taken half an hour but it took 40 minutes as we had to stop for traffic coming in the other direction and also for a couple of people to round up their two sheep that were on the road.
    The views were pretty incredible - the mountains, the fjords, the clouds. I managed to get some photos and also just enjoy the view.

    Back to Flam and to the hotel restaurant for dinner. Smoked salmon salad and goat roulade were delicious.
    Tomorrow I travel to Bergen on boat, bus and train. I do wish I had more time here but then I’d have to cut time from somewhere else and I really don’t know that I could do that. Plus just the one night here lines up with the boat trips.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2025Michelle Creasy
    Resistance Museum
    Gunnar SonstebyAkershus CastleAkershus CastleResistance MuseumAlta - wooden minesweeper ship in Anker BryggeVarious boats in Aker BryggeSad Caesar saladView from Nesoggtangen dockFerry approaching Nesoggtangen dockApproaching Aker BryggeTea!

    Resistance Museum and Boats

    September 4 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today started with the Resistance Museum which is situated at Akershus Fortress which also houses Akershus Castle. Before I travel i like to read books set in the place I am going. Finding books set in Norway in English (and in the library) wasn’t easy. I found a long running series by Torill Thorup about a young woman married to a frame in the early 1900s. Unfortunately only the first two have been translated in English.
    The others I found were set during WWII and focussed on the resistance effort. I don’t think I knew anything about what happened in Norway in WWII. I can recommend The Resistance Girl by Mandy Robotham and The Jossing Affair by JL Oakley (still listening to this one). At the recent Scandinavian film festival Cathrine and I saw Number 24, a movie based on the actions of Gunnar Sonsteby who was very active in the resistance movement. That was a fascinating insight into the resistance work.
    I also watched Atlantis Crossing on SBS demand which is the story of the Norwegian royal family in exile during the war.

    So with all that background I was keen to see the resistance museum and learn more. In contrast to the museums I visited yesterday this museum doesn’t look like it has changed much since it opened in 1970. There are a lot of historical documents and it would be a huge undertaking to translate them into English so I had to make do with just the signs accompanying the displays. I didn’t find any mention of the Shetland Bus which was a series of boats running between the Shetland Islands and Norway carrying weapons, refugees and saboteurs.
    It was quite a sobering experience to see the horrors inflicted on Norwegians by Nazis and their collaborators. Just outside the building is the site of executions of Norwegians.
    I only took a photo of a photo of Gunnar Sonsteby as it didn’t feel appropriate to take more photos.

    I had then intended to explore the castle in the grounds but I couldn’t find th entrance, despite walking around the outside. I was in quite a pensive mood so decided to spend the afternoon on the Oslo Fjord ferries. I struggled to read the timetables so in the end got on the first ferry I saw. That took me out to Nesoggtangen where I had some lunch then sat in the sun before heading back again. I got off that ferry onto another one that went to Vollen and Slemmestad. I had though the route would call in at more places but I think that was the summer timetable. Summer finished on 31st August. I’ve come across a few things that finished then. It was a nice trip and I saw a lot of summer cottages on islands. No photos as there was a lot of spray on the windows.

    I didn’t feel like going out for tea so picked up some smoked salmon, goats cheese and yoghurt for tea and had it in my room.

    Interestingly today I had a few struggles with information not being provided in English. Nearly all signs and announcements are in both Norwegian and English although as I said a lot of information in the resistance museum had not been translated. I had a pre packed salad for lunch (very pitiful excuse for a Caesar salad) and the packaging was only in Norwegian. I was looking at another salad and couldn’t workout the ingredients and had to ask. The server’s English was fluent which and she struggled a bit to translate it. On the bat back from Nesoggtangen I was approached by a man holding out his phone. I thought he wanted to scan my pass but he wasn’t speaking English (not sure if he was speaking Norwegian) and I held my phone out to him. He was tapping his phone and I thought he wanted my card. After he spoke again instead of saying “I don’t speak Norwegian” or “I only speak English” I said “I don’t speak English” in English. He then asked for a charging cord in broken English p, which I didn’t have one.
    It will be interesting to see if the high rate of English will be found in up the other areas I visit.
    Tomorrow I leave for Flam. I’m having my luggage transported to Bergen as I’m only staying overnight in Flam and as transport is via trains, boat and a bus it’s recommended to just take an overnight bag so you aren’t lugging a suitcase around.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2025Michelle Creasy
    Sculpture at Vigeland Park
    1Sculpture at Vigeland ParkSculpture at Vigeland ParkSculpture at Vigeland ParkWater fountain at Vigeland ParkThe monolithCircle of Life sculptureA surprising number of people lined up to have their photo taken holding his penisFolk museum guide in traditional costumeMiddle class farmer's buildings1Stave Church1Another traditional costume, from a different region.Mast heads from unknown shipsFram shipBygdoy ferrySauage Van1Moose sausage

    Sculptures and Museums

    September 3 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    My trip was nearly over before it had barely started this morning. The combination of electric trams and looking right instead of left and stepped out as a tram came by. Fortunately there was enough space between the kerb and the train that I wasn’t in any real danger. A stark reminder though.

    I took the tram to the Vineland Park which is a huge park with over 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. The sculptures are all of people in a variety of poses. There’s a lot of symbolism in the sculptures. The Monolith (pillar) is sculpted from one piece of stone.
    The park itself is lovely and I spent a good hour or so wandering around. Just before I left I went to the toilet. That cost me 20 NOK which is about $3.

    I was planning to catch the bus but the hop on hop off bus came along so I caught that down to the Folk Museum on the Bygdoy Peninsula. You could probably spend a week at the museum and still not see anything. It’s an open air museum with more than 160 buildings and they are separated into farm buildings and town buildings. Each area of Norway had its own culture with some being more isolated than others. I started with a walking tour in which we saw a middle class farmer’s buildings. Due to Norway being so mountainous the buildings were built in 2 rows. The top row for the people buildings and the bottom row for the animal buildings. Interestingly unless they were rich farmers didn’t have chickens. This was because they ate the same food as people. This who did have chooks usually kept them in the house and they ate the crumbs off the floor.

    We moved to rich farmer’s buildings and one major difference was windows. Windows were expensive and taxed. In the same area was a Stave church. Stave churches used to be common in Norway and the construction is influenced by Viking construction techniques and the churches were bulk after Christianity came to Norway. Until the reformation the churches were standing room only and only lit by two candles. It originally came from Gol, Norway. There used to be to be over 1000 stave churches in Norway, there are 28 left.
    Once the tour was finished we could wander around as we liked. I saw multiple farm house set ups which were all similar but varied by region.
    There’s also and old towns section including one apartment building at was demolished in 1999 and rebuilt at the museum.

    Again while I was waiting for the bus the hop on hop off bus came along so I got on that and went down the end of the peninsula where there were 3 more museums.
    I started with lunch. I tried brown cheese which I’d read about and was keen to try. It’s made from whey and milk or cream. It’s boiled down so more than 80% of the liquid has evaporated and served in thin slices although apparently you can also buy it in a tube. From videos I watched before my trip i believe brown cheese icecream is a thing. The cheese had a buttery caramelised taste to it. It’s not necessarily something I will go out of my way to eat again.

    I then went into the Maritime museum which had a large exhibition centred on the cruise ship industry both in Norway and then the rest of the world when Norwegian companies expanded. Interestingly the coastal steamship route which is what I’ll be taking next week was not mentioned.
    They were also playing a video of a ship sailing to Chile around Cape Horn. Footage was incredible, what a hard life they had on board and also dealing with the weather.
    They also had an exhibition of paintings of life on the sea/ocean.

    I then had to make a choice between the Kon tiki museum which was about Thor Heyerdahl’s trips in the Pacing islands and the Fram museum which was all about the Polar expeditions. I chose the Fram museum and it was amazing. The boat was quite small really considering where it went. You could go on the deck on the ship and they had an ice storm experience where you walked though a polar accommodation set up and through an ice tunnel. It was cold! Interesting though.

    I caught the ferry back to Aker Brygge in the main part of Oslo. I realised the ferry had two stops so I got off and got back on again to do the entire trip.
    Aker Brygge has quite a lot going on with many different buildings including a fancy fish market and the Nobel Peace Centre. It was getting on for 6pm so I took a look at the food vans that were in the area. Food in Norway is expensive. Probably more so because I’m in tourist areas. Lunch was about hall my daily food budget so I was looking for a cheaper dinner. I sound a sausage van that did high quality sausages. I had a moose sausage which to be honest just tasted like a really nice sausage. However I can now say I’ve eaten both brown cheese and moose.

    Caught the tram back to the hotel and at 9:20pm I’m ready for bed. I was awake at 4:45am and gave up going back to sleep around 6am.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2025Michelle Creasy
    Opera House
    Statue of Kristen Flagsted a famous Norwegian opera singerFresh food market seen from the bus.Royal PalaceMusic TheatreStreet with all the fancy shops and apartments in the top stories.1Church dating back to 12(?) centuryCruise liner in the harbour.Daily ferry to Sweden?Thought this was a pop up theatre event. It's an early voting centre.1Seagulls sound the same as the ones back home but look different.1Dinner!

    Oslo by Bus

    September 2 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    The flight from Dubai was fine although it seemed very long (it was 7 hours). While the plane to Dubai was quite warm the plane to Oslo was cold. I’m now wondering if the temperature in the plane is set to acclimatise you to your destination.
    I was in the arrivals hall half an hour after landing and at my hotel half an hour after that. The drive from the airport was quite rural.
    Checked into my very basic hotel then went down to the Opera House to catch the Hop On Hop Off bus. I always like to do these buses as I find they give a good overview of the city. I’ve realised I need to do a bit more planning for tomorrow as everything is a bit more spread out that I thought.
    Norway is proud of its commitment to the environment. There are so many people riding bikes, all the cars and buses are electric except for the tour buses. The city is quite quiet when walking around.
    Oslo burnt down in 1624 and it was rebuilt quite deliberately.
    I had originally planned to walk up to the roof of the Operar House but about half way through the bus tour I realised I was done, I’ve had 3x 2 hour naps over the two flights and I’m exhausted. So I came back to the hotel.
    Next door to the hotel is an “app” restaurant. I’m not familiar with the concept where you have to download an app, order through the app, get notified your meal is ready through the app and then pay via the app, They wanted to verify my phone number but with a data only sim I couldn’t do that. Apparently it’s a common problem that they managed to fix at the till.
    The food was amazing though, small tapas style dishes.
    Back to the hotel desperately trying to finish this before I fall asleep.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2025Michelle Creasy

    Travelling again

    September 1 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    It’s my first trip overseas since 2018. I had planned to go to Italy in 2020 but we all know what happened then.
    When planning this year’s trip I was informed 2025 was a Jubilee Year of Hope in Italy and they were expecting an extra 35 million visitors this year. I decided to not be one of them.
    The next three places on my list were Scandinavia, Canada and New Zealand.
    I needed more time to plan Canada and thought I could do New Zealand in a shorter trip so Scandinavia it was!
    When I looked at suggested itineraries they all seemed to suggest visiting Stockholm and then going to Norway so I’ve skipped Stockholm and just focussing on Norway.
    The planning has been quite complex and I was ready to cancel the whole thing at one point but now it’s happening it all seems a bit unreal.
    The weather in Oslo should be just a bit cooler than Perth although with rain. Dubai will be 37 for the brief time I’m there. So layers it is.
    Apparently there is no bad weather in Norway, just bad clothing.

    Dubai - flight was fairly uneventful. It’s so hot here in Dubai but I’ve only got another 30mins before I go to the gate.
    I got patted down at security. It happened on my first trip in 2016 and I was really concerned at having to leave my belongings to go the little cubicle to be patted down.
    It didn’t bother me this time but I saw another lady questioning having to leave her belongings to get patted down.    Read more

    Trip start
    September 1, 2025
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