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Neat Nordic Navigation
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  • Women wandering worldwide

Neat Nordic Navigation

Follow us (Alison and Samara) as we explore the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Denmark. Read more
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  • Trip start
    July 6, 2023
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    Day in Stockholm

    July 8, 2023 in Sweden ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    What do you do when the sun is up before 3am and the sky is clear and blue?? You wander around Stockholm and visit the Town Hall to look at Gamla Stan. We've clicked up 6000 steps and the city isn't even awake! Now, we're off on a walking tour of the city.

    What a huge day! The sun was shining, the weather was warm and Stockholm did her darndest to impress! She did very well!! We spent time at the Town Hall, the Royal Palace (including seeing the changing of the guard), Gamla Stan (the old town ... and 13th century is pretty old) and at the extremely impressive Vasa Museum (where a 400 year old ship was brought from the lake floor and is slowly being restored). Our legs hurt but our faces are happy!    Read more

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    Stockholm to Orestund

    July 9, 2023 in Sweden ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We took our journey by rail today, leaving stunning Stockholm for Ostersund, smack bang in the middle of Sweden (or thereabouts). It's an easy way to travel and, with more than 96000 lakes around the country (yes! 96 thousand) there was no shortage of things to look at. Ostersund nestles on the banks of Lake Storsjon where a loch monster reportedly makes her home. Disappointing, we didn't meet her but we do think her home is beautiful. We also spent time at an open air, historical museum called Jamtli which was pretty cool. For those Aussies of my era, it's a bit like Old Sydney Town used to be, with people dressed in period costume, answering questions about the life and times and with replica buildings and lifestyles of the era. Then, with the sun still high in the sky, we had dinner and a stroll along the shoreline of Lake Storsjon. Another full day.Read more

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    Ostersund to Arjeplog

    July 10, 2023 in Sweden ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Hello Lapland !! We drove from Ostrasund to Arjeplog today, into Swedish Lapland and about half an hours drive south of the Arctic circle. The weather is quite hot, even for us!! We met reindeer at a Sami village (Sami are the First Nations people of the Arctic band that takes in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia) and passed them on the side of the road too. Sami are the only people allowed to own and herd reindeer - there are no wild reindeer here ... all are owned by the Sami - but they protect them from predators such as brown bear, eagles, lynx and other big cats. We learned a lot about reindeer... then ate some with mushroom tea!!Read more

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    Arjeplog to Jokkmokk

    July 11, 2023 in Sweden ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    The Arctic Circle!!! Cruising into the Arctic circle today was a bit of a ceremony ... figuratively and literally. Due to the tilt of the earth, the position of the Arctic circle is moving about 15 metres north every year. No bother ... we found it!! There is a bit of hoo-ha when you get there, a little welcome from some of the Sami people, and a certificate to prove it. I thought it was quite the thing!! To top it off, it was 27° when we got there (it can get to 30°+) but the temp drops as low as minus 47° in the deep winter. That's almost an 80 degree difference!! We are now in Jokkmokk, have visited yet another museum (Samara is just loving that!), a church (she loves that even more) and are almost ready for a walk around another beautiful lake. Life is good!Read more

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    Jokkmokk to Narvik via Ofoten railway

    July 12, 2023 in Norway ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    Hello Norway!! We took a stroll around Lake Talvatissjon in Jokkmokk this morning (where Samara made more furry friends) before heading to the station to catch the train on the Ofoten Line. This is one of the world's most northern railway lines and transports us across the border from Sweden into Norway. It's a 5 hour journey from Jokkmokk to Narvik and takes 3 1/2 hours to get to the border. We slide into a tunnel at the border (there are a lot of tunnels), the Swedish side filled with conifers, lakes and gently sloping hills. We come out on the Norwegian side to dramatically steep fjords and mountains with snow (not much snow because it's still so freaking hot!). There are lots of WOW moments at every turn. It is truly spectacular scenery.Read more

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    Day in Narvik

    July 13, 2023 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Narvik is truly spectacular!! Set on the Ofotfjorden in Nordland, north of the Norwegian Arctic Circle (but who would know it since it was 25° again today!), the views from Narvikfjellet (the famous ski mountain which we visited via gondola) left me speechless. Our pictures don't do it justice...
    Narvik has a really interesting WW2 story with the Battle of Narvik taking place in the Ofotfjorden in May, 1940. Norway took a neutral stance during the second war but was attractive to both the Allies and the Germans for its proximity to the valuable Swedish iron ore. They would use this for weaponry if they could monopolise the waterways. While Norway tried to maintain their neutrality, ten battleships entered the Ofotfjorden, the deep fjord carved by an ancient glacier. Neutrality is a difficult thing to maintain, though, when facing fully armed battleships and within a couple of weeks, ships were sunk and lives were lost. The Allies were victorious in this battle but not in the long term ... German forces shortly occupied Narvik and stayed for 5 more years, trying to " improve the Aryan race". Why am I recounting all of this? Good question ... thanks for asking 😉 The thing that interested my nerdy brain most of all was the fact that the Germans hardly hit a target during the Battle of Narvik because they miscalculated the effect the magnetic north pole would have on their torpedo's, made of iron and steel. The magnetic pole simply pushed their torpedo's a degree off target. How interesting is that?!! Well, I thought so anyway ...    Read more

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    Narvik to Stikelstad

    July 14, 2023 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    We relax (Samara calls it bored) on a day of travel today, covering 812kms from Narvik to Stiklestad by road, ferry and train. We took a bus from Narvik to Fauske which included crossing the fjord by vehicular ferry (somewhat larger than our one at Lawrence). Surprisingly, the weather starts to cool down the further we move away from the Arctic north. Go figure! The bulk of our trip today is on a special train, commonly referred to as The Polar Express, though it is officially known as the Arctic Express. Tom Hanks was nowhere to be seen. We travel posh class and are given sandwiches, cinnamon cake, choccies and hot chocolate along the way. It's lucky we have lots of space and leg room in posh class to fit it all in... We pass by 40 stations, cross 29 bridges and plunge into 150 tunnels on the way.
    I have run out of words for spectacular, though breathtaking, strikingly gorgeous and amazeballs come close. We experience some patches of light rain on the journey and arrive in Stiklestad (near Verdal) to a cloudy 13°. We don a jumper for the very first time.    Read more

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    Stikelstad to Trondheim

    July 15, 2023 in Norway ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    We got a great taste of Viking history today as we toured the battlefield of Stiklestad. Olaf Harroldson was the son of King Harrold, the guy who unified all the minor kingdoms of Norway into one large kingdom under the Nordic gods. Later, Olaf became a pretty brutal king himself, pillaging and raiding his way to Russia and back again, increasing Norway's wealth and generally giving Vikings a bad name. But, as happens, he saw the light and converted to Christianity and thoughtfully gave the Norwegian people the choice of converting as well or ... dying. In the year 1030, it all came to a head at the Battle of Stiklestad where Olaf fought the "Farmers Army" and was slain in battle. He may have been murdered by his own judus, as his men turned allegiance. Or, he may have just been slain. Either way, there was no Valhalla for Olaf. It is said that his blood was inadvertently smeared in the eyes of a blind man after the battle and he could see. It is also said that his blood cured the battle wound of his judus. Queue the Monty Python reference ... "I was blind but now I can see. It's a miracle!!" Two miracles, in fact, so dead King Olaf was canonised and made a saint.
    The replica Viking village here is excellent and we got to see some archery and a couple of guys practice sword fighting in preparation for the annual battle re-enactment at the end of the month. Thousands of people come from all over the country for the 5 day festival to commemorate Saint Olaf. I'd come for the sword fighting alone.    Read more

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    Day in Trondheim

    July 16, 2023 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Aah ... Trondheim. A small and compact city but the cultural heartland of Norway. People have lived here for thousands of years and the fertile lands and warm Gulf Stream (making the Trondheimfjord another ice free port) made this a power centre during the Viking Age.
    We enjoyed a walking tour through the city today and took in sights such as St Olav's Church, the Old Town and the amazing Nidaros Cathedral. Nidaros is special because St Olaf is entombed here. I thought it was special because it had gargoyles!! (But only on the north side because that's where the cold comes from and hell must be cold because the heat would be nice. Makes sense, right? We thought so too. Whatever the reason, the gargoyles are always a nice touch on a church in my opinion!).
    The Old Town (known as Bakklandet) is picturesque and the neighbourhood is dominated by wooden houses and narrow streets. The centuries old coloured and wooden warehouses that reflect on the canal waters are the highlight of my day. For Samara, the highlight is patting a giant wolf hound she befriends after a sweaty climb to Kristiansten Festning (the fortress on the hill, built in 1681, which offered superb views over Trondheim). She loves dogs and they love her.
    We also took a ferry ride to Munkholmen, a little island in the middle of the fjord. In ancient times, the island was used by the Vikings as a place of execution. Here they would behead and bespike whomsoever caused them angst. After this, it was a monastery (where the monks brewed beer, got drunk and partied long into the long winter nights), then a prison and now a Cafe and handicraft shop. Imagine, over the years, the screams, the drunken revelry and the woe of prisoners being heard across the city. We simply had a nice walk there...
    Oh!!! And we ate pinnewaffels!!!    Read more

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    Trondheim to Geirangar

    July 17, 2023 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    It's a long way from Trondheim to Geiranger ... 438kms to be rough about it. We took 2 trains, 1 ferry and a hairy bus ride which took us to approx 1500 metres above sea level. The Trollstrigen to Geiranger drive is known as the Golden Route and is the most popular drive and destination in Norway. It is absolutely breathtaking, even on a drizzly day! The bendy roads and precipitous gorges, with its 11 hairpin bends (all named for the people who constructed the bend) were extreme, picturesque, magnificent and somewhat scary. There are wild, fast flowing rivers, steep gorges, sheer cliffs and uncountable waterfalls. Samara describes it as heart palpitating 😊 I call it awesome!! There was a bit of wailing and gnashing of teeth from the occupants of our bus as we navigated the 1:10 incline on the way down into the valley! The weather has changed and we are wearing jackets and raincoats. The scenery is misty, ethereal and damp. Who cares though?? It is still one of the most magnificent places I've seen.
    The valley here is relatively warm for Norway and there are strawberry farms and apple trees along the way. Strawberries are sold in stalls at the side of the road - at the equivalent of about $8-9 Australian! - but they are large and ripe and inviting. I say it's warm for Norway, but the top temperature today was 8°. Samara is wearing her layers..    Read more

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    Day in Geirangar

    July 18, 2023 in Norway ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    What a day!! Though the temperature has dropped by about 20° since we arrived in Scandinavia, we simply rug up and enjoy some of the most amazing views ever!! That's what raincoats are for, right? We started the day with a cruise along Geirangerfjord. It's misty and cold and threatening to rain. In fact, the chances of rain today are 90%! We board one of the sightseeing boats (it's a vehicular boat) and chug the 7km or so to Hellesylt at the end of the fjord arm, taking a little over an hour. It turns even cooler and the rain starts but that doesn't stop me from spending the entire trip on deck, with trusty raincoat working overtime. I was the only one standing at the end ... mad, right? My fingers are freezing but it's worth the risk of frostbite to take in all that Geirangerfjord has to offer. I think we're lucky to be travelling in the rain ... the waterfalls are waterfalling like crazy and it's spectacular. We pass the Seven Sisters Waterfall with The Suitor on the opposite bank. Legend has it that a young man tried to court seven sisters but none of them would have him. Somehow, they were turned into waterfalls (the famous Norwegian trolls probably did it) and they were destined to stay on opposite sides of the fjord forever. Serves him right for messing with sisters!! Either way, they looked lovely and lively in the mists of the fjord.
    We take the bus along the famous Golden Route to Dalsnibba, the highest lookout in Norway - 1500m above sea level. Again, we take the hairy hairpin bends around uber-steep cliffs and pay the exorbitant toll to take the private road to Dalsnibba. From Stryn (where we stop for lunch and eat Norwegian cake because we can and is delicious so why not?) it's only 21kms but the incline makes the ride 40+ minutes. There is more oohing and ahhing and gnashing of teeth from the bus occupants along the risky way. You will recognise the view here from every travel photograph ever taken in Norway ever!! Our photos show mists and clouds and it is still spectacular. Sam doesn't brave the cold for very long (which is fair ... it's 3° after all) but I try for some sucky selfies to prove that I am brave enough to step onto the cliff, bold enough to walk the skywalk and stupid enough to stand in the cold and the rain for the sake of photography. My fingers are frozen again within minutes because I'm not wearing my gloves. These are the sacrifices we make for photography, right? I love it!!
    We return to Geiranger the "back way" (still as glorious as ever), descending into the mists that is the windy and treacherous road that leads to Geiranger. We get off at the midway point down the mountain to walk the "Waterfall Way" to the township and ogle more glorious waterfalls along the way. It's rugged but the walk is easy. We reward ourselves with a boozy dinner and our room view over the, now, rain-free and ever-beautiful Geirangerfjord. Samara laments because she only patted one puppy today...
    My posts are getting longer ... I don't apologise 😉    Read more

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    Geirangar to Flam

    July 19, 2023 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    Waterfalls, waterfalls, waterfalls ... tunnels, tunnels, tunnels! We have a lot of kilometres to travel today from Geiranger to Flåm and ride the coach and one fjord crossing ferry to get there. We attempt to disengrumpify our driver, Gregorius the grumpy Lithuanian, and he may even have started to grin at one point. 😉 It's an exhilarating drive as we wind up the mountain via hairpin bends above the 1000m treeline and into the snowy Alps. At this altitude, the snow is a permanent feature on the north faces, even in summer. We see houses that have no foundations and that are chained to the bedrock. This means they can be moved if necessary! We see gorgeous fjords, spectacular waterfalls, cute-as-a-button villages, low lying clouds and a bit of rain. We pass through the mountains via impressive road tunnels that are 6 and 8 kilometres long and, again, I'm impressed by the engineering minds that created them. The weather is different on either side of the tunnels and we move from one valley with misty rain to the next that is clear and calm. It is known to be sunny on one side and snowy on another at times. We don't see any snow but talk about microclimates! These early tunnels are small fry though because the afternoon brings us to and through the world's longest road tunnel. The Laerdal Tunnel is almost 25kms long (yep, you read that right!) and takes us over 21 minutes to drive through. I'm amazed! Samara plays solitaire... This tunnel has special "caves" every 6kms where the lights change to blue in order to keep the drivers alert. It's very, very cool !!
    We spend some time at the Kaupanger Stave Church along the way. Built in 1140 (can you believe that?) this is interesting, not only because of its age, but because it's the oldest wooden church in Europe that's still in use. It has 29 wooden columns (or stays) hardened from local pine and ... get this ... the ceiling is fashioned in the size and shape of the floor of a Viking ship!! That's because that was really the only shape they knew how to make without nails or screws or whatnot. Even Samara was impressed! We see a woman in the graveyard planting new flowers and deadheading old ones. I'm impressed by the upkeep of graveyards all over Norway (and you know how much I love a good graveyard!)
    I have discovered my Achilles Heel in Scandinavian pastries. We have another tasty delicacy at morning tea ... I will say no more about them (or my waistline)!    Read more

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    Flam to Bergen

    July 20, 2023 in Norway ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    Four and a bit years ago, Samara and I sat at her kitchen table to discuss potential locations for our next holiday. We threw around a few ideas - Japan, Russia, Mongolia - and Googled various places. I ended up down a rabbit hole looking at rail journeys across the world and watched a YouTube clip on the Flåm Railway in Western Norway. It took our breath away and we made our mind up on the spot … Scandinavia, in particular Flåm, was our next destination!!!
    We arrived in Flåm last night, 4 years and 3 months later, delayed by the pandemic and then stoopid Putin's monstrous war (we had originally planned and booked Russia with Scandinavia), but we made it and here we most certainly are!!
    The Flåm Railway has been described as one of the world's most beautiful rail journeys and we wholeheartedly concur! We did a lot of "WOW"ing along the way despite the rain. The train runs from Flåm at the end of the Aurlandsfjord (a tributary of the Songnefjord) up to 868m in the mountains at Myrdal Station. My fun fact of the day is that the line was called "The Twenty Line" because it was 20 kilometres in length, passed through 20 tunnels and took 20 years to build! On top of that, 18 of the 20 tunnels were excavated by hand. Sheesh!
    From the comfort of a vintage carriage, we take the 1 hour journey to Myrdal, stopping at Kjosfossen Waterfall for a 5 minute photo op. Here, we are unexpectedly serenaded by a siren in a red dress, singing an old Norwegian folk song. She is the Huldra, an elusive forrest spirit from Norse mythology. We think she might actually be a drag queen…
    The journey back down the mountain is equally as spectacular as the ride up. We are two very thrilled girlies!!
    We next take a 2 hour fjord cruise along the Aurlandsfjord to Gudvangen on a fully electric eco boat. The ride is smooth, fast and fricking freezing! Of course, I stand at the helm with one or two other die-hards in the wind and the rain and love every minute of it. Samara did the sensible thing and watched the view from the comfort and warmth of the very swish lounge. It was a very, very good day!!
    Oh ... and Samara patted a giant slug on our early morning hike!! See photographic evidence below...    Read more

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    Day in Bergen

    July 21, 2023 in Norway ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    Bergen - The capital of Western Norway! A pulsating metropolis rich in historic, cultural and educational significance. The second largest city in Norway (after Oslo), the locals here speak a specific Norwegian dialect known as Bergensk. They also speak excellent English (as we have found everywhere) so we are very fortunate travellers. This city is 1000 years old (yes, one thousand!!) and was essentially the capital of Norway until the early 13th century.
    We took a walking tour this morning (I'm beginning to like these) and discovered lots of hidden gems. We start with a visit to the National Theatre, one of the oldest in Norway, then wander along the rose-lined streets past the pavilion to Lille Lungegardsvann, a small lake enclosing the city fountain. We walk past the Leprosy Museum (the leprae bacillus was "discovered" here in 1873 … the beginning of the end of leprosy), the Bergen Cathedral (under restoration so we couldn't go in, much to Samara's delight) and St Mary's Church (which has a cannon ball embedded in its face, courtesy of the British navy in 1665) and move on to the oldest, and arguably most famous, part of town … the old wharf of Bergen known as Bryggen. This is the place you always see on postcards, with the pretty coloured, triangular-roofed buildings lined up along the east side of Vågen Harbour. The buildings are warped and bent and showing their age (450+ years ... i feel like that now and I'm only 29!!) but they are mighty fine indeed. We peak through the windows of Bryggen restoration sites where they lift the buildings to fix them from the bottom up. The back streets here are narrow and coloured and tight and cute. It's quite lovely. There have been a number of fires here over the years and each year the Bryggen have been rebuilt. The worst fire was in 1702 where almost the entire city was razed to the ground. It is now a UNESCO world heritage site and rightly so.
    We were treated to lunch today at one of the restaurants in the famous Fish Market area. I am gobsmacked at the price of seafood here … Luckily we can catch our own at home a lot of the time! We are served a "large fish tasting plate" and it is all delicious. There is one fish I don't recognise amongst the different salmon, mackerel and prawns … it's dark meat and doesn't taste fishy at all. We ask (but perhaps shouldn't have) and discover we have eaten whale!!!! You cannot hate us as much as we hate ourselves right now!! We are ashamed and horrified and feel unclean though it's quite commonly served here.
    We walk off our mortification after taking the Fløybanen funicular train to the top of Mt Fløyen. The day is amazing and the view is amazingly spectacular!! There are loads of people there but it's a perfect day for a viewing. We meet the local goats (Samara has patted goats and dogs today … she's doubly happy) and walk the 3km downhill to the Rozenkratz Tower at the Bergen Fortress, famous for only ever defending against one attack - and that left a cannonball in the wall of the church! After a glorious morning, it turns to rain for a while … long enough to soak me through since I wasn't wise enough to bring my raincoat. Another very full day.    Read more

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    Day in Oslo

    July 23, 2023 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Oslo certainly has much to offer … cobbled streets, expansive blue waters, a thriving dock, gorgeous, tall old buildings, an amazing fortress, a Royal Palace, bustling streets and sculptures, sculptures, sculptures.
    We walked our little legs off today, strolling through the city and around the waterfront to the City Hall. First stop, museum island which we reach by ferry (once we figured out how to buy a ticket!!). Destination, the Fram Museum.
    Fram was a ship designed specifically for polar exploration and is considered the strongest ship ever designed. It was built in such a way the it could withstand the pressure of the frozen arctic waters (freezing ice could crush a ship), not by pure strength alone but because it's shape caused the ice to push the ship upwards so it would "float" on top of the ice. The idea was that they would sail the ship into the Arctic waters and wait for it to freeze and float over the north pole. A bit of a cheaty but clever idea to get there. After 3 years, though, they still didn't make it to the pole. They did discover loads of things about the geology, marine biology, oceanography, cartography and geography of the area so their time wasn't wasted. The museum itself is a good one in that you can actually board the ship and explore it yourself. There's a great 360° video that plays around the ship which depicts the seas and the weather as well as the Aurora Borealis. The Fram managed to make explorations in both the Arctic and the Antarctic Oceans. It was impressive.
    We ferried back to the town square over warm and sunny waters and decided to walk the distance to the Vigeland Sculpture Park, taking in the sights along the way. I say "decided to walk" because we had no luck buying bus or tram tickets (the machines were down) so we were forced to leg it!
    We detour past the Royal Palace and manage to see the changing of the guard. It's a grand and imposing building but not ornately decorated or distinctive in any way other than by its size, its gardens and the fact that its set out on a hill on its own. The gardens are lovely and people hang about sunbaking and playing bocce. It's quite peaceful.
    We walk through backstreets filled with old and impressive buildings. We think this must be the consulate district. We have come to see the Vigeland Sculpture Park but are blown away by the unexpected size and extremity of the place. We buy ice cream and start to walk.
    Gustav Vigeland was a Norwegian sculpture who had a penchant for sculpting nudes of all ages, sizes and descriptions. The Vigelandsparken is his life's work and features the famous and iconic Sinnataggen - we think he looks like a grumpy baby. There are more than 200 sculptures here in granite, bronze and wrought-iron, all of them nudes, and dominated by a huge fountain, a bridge and a very phallic monolith. You'll see what I mean when you look at the photos. It was extraordinary, impressive and, frankly, a bit weird. I don't pretend to know anything much about art so feel free to form your own opinions….. it was certainly worth the walk though.
    We finished our afternoon with a walk through the Akershus Fortress, a medieval stronghold, on the Aker peninsula on the Oslo Fjord. The Castle within (Akershus Castle) was first built around 1300. The newer fortress walls were built in the early 1600's. It can be seen from much of Oslo and was very impressive, as were the views from the fortress walls.
    I'll head out to look at the city under lights soon (if it ever gets dark) ... Samara is done! It's been a big, big day!    Read more

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    Oslo (Norway) to Gothenburg (Sweden)

    July 24, 2023 in Sweden

    We arrived in Gothenberg (back in Sweden) this afternoon after a 4 hour train ride from Oslo. This is a lively city, celebrating their 400 year anniversary with musicians, bands and dancers on almost every corner and park. The music is varied and there are people enjoying themselves everywhere. It's busy for a Monday afternoon. We walked along the canal towards Trädgårdsföreningen (the home of the Garden Society of Gothenberg) and catch Irish musicians in the garden square. You know how much I love old Irish music but it seemed quite out of place here. Later, we see a young band there which had the crowd tapping their feet. The Trädgårdsföreningen (herein known as the garden) was lush and green and gorgeous, filled with undulating lawns and flower beds of native and exotic plants. The amazing wrought-iron Palmhouse was a piece of art in itself and was filled with heat and tropical plants. Though these may be a sight to see in Sweden, I think I grow a great deal of these plants in my own house and garden.
    We take in the sights of the city … the lovely old buildings, various parks and gardens and the old town (which was filled with modern shops). There are murals on walls and doors throughout the city (not on the historic buildings) and we seek a few out. We stumbled upon one of the oldest buildings in Gothenburg, the Kronhuset, built in 1642, just 21 years after King Gustav II Adolf founded the city … a quiet and culturally significant landmark within the bustling downtown area.
    Tomorrow we pick up our car and attempt to navigate the south of Sweden from the wrong side of the road.    Read more

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    Gothenberg to Halmsted

    July 25, 2023 in Sweden ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We picked up our little car this morning and drove around in circles looking for the Oscar Frederick Church and the Skansen Kronan Fortress in Gothenberg. Various roadworks had us ditch the church idea but we found the fortress high above the city. Built in and after 1687, Skansen Kronan and its sister fortress, Skansen Lejonet, were built on opposite hills to protect Sweden from the Danes. The views here were worth the driving anxiety and we had a good view of the church from there anyway!
    We headed south out of Gothenberg to find the very impressive Varberg Fortress at Varberg. It was easier driving to get here! Varberg Fortress was built in 1287, again as a fortification against the Danes, and we were almost blown off the fortress wall by the wind. The views here were amazing and the moat even had water!
    Next stop Tylosand, supposedly a popular 7km stretch of white sandy beach. Hmmmm… they haven't seen an Aussie beach!! Though, pretty, the sand was full of shell, there was lots of weed and the "surf" was rough. There were plenty of people out swimming (the water was surprisingly warm for being so close to the north sea) and we even saw the lifeguard start to rescue a kid in chest deep water. His mumma made it there first though. It was a nice place for lunch and the kite surfers were having a wow of a time!
    Next we took an easy hike to Danska Falls, so named for the death of some Danish soldiers in 1676 who, while fleeing from the Swedes, trusted a not-so-trustworthy suspension bridge and fell to their doom. It was also a pretty, though strangely coloured, waterfall.
    We had the devil of a time trying to locate Galgberget near Halmstad … a forested area with historical buildings within. We located the tower known as Utsiktstornet, a 13m observation tower built in the early 1800's. It's spiral staircase freaked Samara out but the views from the top were pretty darn fine. Also within the tranquil forest we found a pet cemetery (one of two here, i believe - eewww, though obviously well loved) and the Hallandsgärden open air museum, which was free and very cool.
    Our accommodation tonight is part of the Wäpno Castle estate. The grounds are pretty but smells like cattle and ducks! Samara no likey… We had dinner in a cute side street in Halmstad and enjoyed a walk around this old university town. A full day, yet again.    Read more

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    Halmstad - Helsingborg - Lund - Ystad

    July 26, 2023 in Sweden ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    There were some very specific things that needed checking off the bucket list on this holiday. If you know me at all, I'm quite fond of the road less travelled and finding those little hidden gems that other people might not be aware of. Today, we ticked the list with a hidden gem that really got me smiling … Ales Stenar, an ancient stone henge near the village of Kåseberga in Sweden. This is the reason we have come so far south …
    Ales Stenar is more than just a henge. It's a "ship setting", made up of 59 boulders, set high up on the Kåseberga Ridge, and laid out in the shape of a ships hull. It's 70m long and 19m wide and was erected sometime between 500 and 1000AD. But why is it there, set upon an open, windswept hill? Why indeed… The magnificent landscape, the placement of the stones and the view of the sea leave it open to many interpretations. Perhaps it's a burial site (though no grave has ever been located)? Perhaps it's a symbol of power or a gathering place, a cenotaph or a monument to someone or something? Perhaps it's a sun dial or a solar calendar? Is it coincidence that the stone ships' central line points at the exact spot on the horizon where the sun rises during the summer and winter solstices? It's fascinating to ponder … Samara thinks someone put it there because they were bored! You tell me 🤔 Either way, I touched the stones and didn't find Jamie Fraser (Outlander reference).
    We spent time seeking out various other little gems between Halmstad and Ystad along the way today too. We wandered the streets of Helsingborg and found the very impressive Kärnan Tower, offering brilliant views over the city, and the Landskrona Slott, with its shady and checkered history but awesome moat. Samara tried to pat the ducks. We drove into Lund, a lovely university town, showcasing the Lund Cathedral (with its superb crypt and an astronomical clock!) and classic buildings, then on through Dalby to catch a squizz at their whitewashed church. Not to forget the Valleberga Church! Some of the neatest graveyards I've seen have been in Sweden. Sam is now over churches AND fortresses 😁    Read more

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    Ystad to Trelleborg to Malmo

    July 27, 2023 in Sweden ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Rising like a phoenix from a thousand years of oblivion, the Trelleborg Fortress (or at least a quarter of it) is testimony to the Swedish city of Trelleborg's ancient, exciting and very Danish history (and how it got its name). A trelleborg is a ring fortress made of timber and earthworks, and this is one of only 6 ever discovered - the other 5 are in Denmark. The circular style is intersected by 4 portals or entrances, each opening to the 4 points of the compass. This fortress, minus its wooden structures (which have been recreated by traditional methods) dates back to around 980AD and was likely used as a road intersection, a checkpoint for incoming and outgoing traffic.
    I received some happy news while at the ring fortress too but I can't tell you what it is because it's a secret...
    If you are into foreign language films (and even if you're not), you may have seen a TV series called "The Bridge". It's a detective story, investigating the discovery of a body on the Oresund Bridge, at the border between Sweden and Denmark. Worth a watch if you are so inclined. Neville and I were hooked but I digress … The Oresund Bridge is an engineering marvel as well as being architecturally aesthetic. It's both a road and a rail bridge and is 16kms in length, 8 of which travels across a bridge above the Oresund Straight before plunging underneath the Sound into a 4km underwater tunnel. And as if that isn't marvellous enough, the Danes have built a wind farm in the middle of the Straight as well. Unbelievable!! We took a look at it today and will travel across the bridge tomorrow.
    The rest of our day was spent in Malmo. As well as being able to see Denmark from here, we saw lots of other interesting things (the castle in the pouring rain) around this lively city too.    Read more

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    Denmark to Iceland (Reykavik)

    July 28, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    Today, we stood between two tectonic plates and witnessed one of the great natural wonders of the world!!
    Here we are in Iceland, having crossed the Oresund Bridge with the dawn to catch an early flight to Reykjavik, the smallest capital city in the world. Iceland is a curious place with a moonscape outlook, filled with black volcanic rock contrasting with the bright blues and white of the hot springs and the deep blue of the surrounding ocean. We have truly seen lands of contrasts in the last few weeks!
    We pick up our little car and head directly to The Blue Pools (I won't attempt to write anything in Icelandic … I would just embarrass myself!) It takes my breath away!!! Here, geothermal seawater announces itself in glittering colours of ice blue and white, providing mineral pools for bathing and rejuvenating. The bathing area is crowded and booked solid (in all our detailed research, we neglected to discover that one must make a booking for a bathing!) and, although disappointed, we are still delighted to see this beautiful place. My words are inadequate … it's breathtaking and magnificent and really, really pretty.
    Due to various road works, we end up taking the "scenic route" to Reykjavik and stumble across some fabulous little gems we didn't know were there. I love it when that happens! We found a surf cauldron! Known as Brimketill, a little pool which looks like a hot tub, formed by the constant beating of the waves against the lava rock coast. Legend has it that a woman was bathing by the sea but did not return home before sunrise. As punishment, a mean old sea troll turned her into a pillar of rock standing forever by the sea cauldron. We didn't see the troll.
    Our next happy accident was finding a hot spring not far off road. We saw plumes of steam rising and followed our noses - literally because the sulphurous scent smelled like the firey pits of Mordor!! Boiling water spurted sporadically from the ground, highlighting the reds and gold of the surrounding earth and stunning pools of blue in the background. What a great find!
    I was most excited to find our next little gem … the coming together of the world's largest continental tectonic plates, the Eurasian Plate and the North American Plate. Exciting for a nerd like me … Samara, not so much. It's great that she endulges me though 😉 I tell a lie … the plates aren't actually coming together here. In fact, this is where they are moving apart, causing the Atlantic Ocean to widen and the Himalayan mountains to grow every year. Where we stand is a broad stretch of dark volcanic sand, sheer in some places and gently sloping in others. A bridge connects the two plates. My high school geology teacher, Mr Murphy, would be proud of my geekiness!    Read more

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    Reykavik to Hvolsvollur

    July 29, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    What does the meeting of two continental tectonic plates have in common with an explosion crater, a geyser, geothermic pools, a glacier and a massive waterfall? They are all easily accessible along a ring road known as the Golden Circle here in South Iceland. We gave our little car a huge workout today, travelling a couple of hundred kilometres to see a much as we could … and we did!!
    Our first stop along the Golden Circle was to see the meeting of the Eurasian and North American plates in a much more dramatic setting in Thingvellir National Park (spelt with a funny "P" … work that out!) Not only is this area famous for its moving earth, it is also the site of the establishment of the first Icelandic parliament in 980, which continued to be held here until 1798, as well as Iceland's largest lake, Lake Thingvallavatn (also spelt with a funny P). For me though, it's the tectonic plate boundary of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge along with its gorges and fissures, that make this area remarkable.
    Interestingly, this area was the site of law enforcement and punishment in the day. The ancients wasted no time on criminals, thieves, fornicators, witches and wizards. Many were drowned, beheaded, burned at the stake, flogged and hanged here. "She's a witch!! Burn her!!" So sayeth the gospel according to Monty Python.
    The Mid-Atlantic Ridge cuts Iceland into two parts and can drift away from each other at up to 2cm per year. Huge right? Geothermic areas are divided into high and low temperature areas, the high temperature areas being within the volcanic zone and the low temp areas without. We visited a high temp area next with bubbling pools of 100°C and a very regular, and quite spectacular, geyser. Did you know that two Icelandic words have insinuated themselves into the English language? They are saga, meaning a story or tale, and geyser, meaning to gush. The geyser here certainly gushed and it was most impressive. Higher than Old Faithful in the US, it cut quite the figure against the backdrop of the cloudy skies.
    Our next visit was to Gulfoss, a mighty and incredibly forceful waterfall and one I highly recommend if you ever visit Iceland. Coming from the melting waters of the Langjökull glacier, this certainly provided a wow moment! Samara called it wowtacular and spifftastic but she's working on other adjectives for more emphasis. We walked as far as we could to see as much as we could here and it was worth every aching muscle!
    Our last stop of the day was to the Kerid Crater, a relatively young explosion crater along the south's volcanic belt. You can tell its young because it still has the reds of its iron deposits rather than the black sand and rock of older volcanoes. It has a lovely deep blue crater lake at its bottom and we strolled around the rim and lake to get the best views. (Actually, I stumbled in the gravel and hit the literal dust. At what age does one stop "tripping over" and start "having falls"?? Hmmm…)
    Actually, I've told another fib. Our last stop of the day was at one of Iceland's only bottlo's. We feel like we deserve a treat this evening!!
    Another very full day indeed.    Read more

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    Hvolsvollur to Kirkubaejarklaustur

    July 30, 2023 in Iceland

    Puffins!!!
    We only drove about 200kms today but climbed the equivalent of 64 flights of stairs, walked for 17 kilometres and huffed and puffed our way to massive waterfalls, impressive seascapes, gorgeous glaciers, a spectacular gorge and… we met the incredibly adorable Puffins of Iceland, or "Lundi" in the local language.
    Seljalansfoss (foss meaning waterfall) is a massive and impressive curtain of water falling 65 metres over an old sea cliff. The really cool thing about this one is that you can walk behind the falls, view it from every angle and get incredibly wet all at the same time! Raincoats and beanies were our friends today (it reached a stunning summer temperature of 11°) but this was a real pleasure. Some other beautiful falls within very close proximity made this a perfect start to our day.
    A trip to Iceland wouldn't be complete without a visit to Skógafoss (again, foss meaning waterfall), another impressive example of a glacial fall. We wandered around the base then braved the steep'ish 465 stairs to the top (though we took more steps than stairs!) What a view!! And not only are the falls themselves impressive, so are the views from the farmlands to the North Atlantic Ocean and back towards the glaciers. Magnificent! Samara's new word for this mornings experience is Fu-tiful, a blend of two descriptors, one more colourful than the other (which you can probably guess.)
    Geological marvels came next in the form of Dyrhólaey - weathered rocky, volcanic headlands resulting in black sand beaches that stretched as far as the eye could see and surrounded by delicious little wildflowers. Here is where we met the Puffin colony!! These adorable little birds (who mate for life) fluttered their wings oh-so-quickly, keeping abreast of the cold and blustery winds and guarding their cliff-side burrows. They were so cute!!!!!!!!! From Dyrhólaey, we had views from glacier to ocean, from farmlands filled with the colourful and stout Icelandic ponies and shaggy sheep (which were both on the menu at last night's restaurant, we noticed) to outcrops of weather beaten cliffs. A truly vast picture.
    And Puffins!!
    Our last stop today was to the impossible to pronounce Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon. Go on … I challenge you! We ended up referring to it as Fler-fler-fler-fler canyon (which is our interpretation of most Icelandic words!) Again, it was absolutely stunning but Samara was too tired to come up with a new word for its brilliance by then. It's a canyon of approximately 2 kms in length and is over 100 meters deep, with the river Fjaðrá running through the bottom, making it quite the sight to behold.
    Oh, and Puffins!!    Read more

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