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  • Scandinavia 2023
    Day 10

    If i take one more step…

    July 14, 2023 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Well, all trip I’ve been repeating a modified Lord of the Rings line to myself, and I’m finally at the point where I will be able to stop. If I take one more step, I will be farther north than I’ve ever been before. Today that phrase also included peddling, as we had a really neat e-bike tour of Tromsø, seeing the waterfront, a local beach (arctic swimmer sighting included), a local farm, a biathlon facility + phenomenal cross country ski trail, and a ski jump facility. Wow.
    After this, we bussed over to a cable car to take in a Birds Eye view of the city and surrounding countryside. We hiked our way back from there to our hotel and prepared for our final dinner together with the group at a local Italian restaurant. Afterwards the only thing that was left was to go back to our room and pack for our 4am wake-up time, and 6:45am first leg of our flight home.    Read more

  • Scandinavia 2023
    Day 9

    How much farther north can we go?!

    July 13, 2023 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Today is our last long travel day. We took a few busses northward through the Lofoten Islands, and eventually stopped in the town of Harstad, which when pronounced by a Norwegian sounds suspiciously like Hashtag. We walked around the port there, enjoying the unbelievable weather yet again. A few hours later our ferry arrived to bring us to our final destination of this trip, Tromsø. The ferry ride was uneventful, and we arrived at 8pm. Checked in, then decided to find the local Hard Rock Cafe, as Amanda has a collection of over 40 pins from them worldwide.
    Once we got back to our hotel we discovered a small challenge… with no sunset, the local (massive) seagull colony has no idea when to sleep. And their hatchlings are now adolescent. And demanding. Good night. I hope. 🪿😴    Read more

  • Scandinavia 2023
    1
    Day 8

    Scandinavian delights

    July 12, 2023 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    So, we end our Lofoten section of our trip with the opportunity for a sauna, a swim, and a feast.
    Our sauna was built right on the water, allowing us the perfect opportunity to do a cold plunge into the Arctic Ocean between sessions in the sauna. After an hour or so of this, we went next door to the restaurant and enjoyed some high-end renditions of classic Norwegian seafood.
    It was after 10pm when we finally left the restaurant and we walked back to the hotel before turning in for the night.    Read more

  • Scandinavia 2023
    Day 8

    Svolvær by foot

    July 12, 2023 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    So, after an absolutely SPECTACULAR ride on a RIB boat, going in and out of numerous fjords, learning about local fishermen’s lives, and the history of the area, we were free to plan our own events for the remainder of our time sun Svolvær. Jackie and I decided to walk out to Svinøya, one of the nearby islands. On this island is their main fish-drying facilities, and many really nice places to stay. Doesn’t sound like a good idea from a smell standpoint, I know… but it kind of worked. Afterwards we continued walking down the pier to the statue of the fisherman’s wife, who stands watch over the harbour, hoping to see her husbands safe return. A somber reminder of the many challenges these people faced. Afterwards we walked back to the hotel, and are preparing for tonight’s Sauna, and then a (hopefully) excellent dinner!Read more

  • Scandinavia 2023
    Day 7

    Vikings didn’t wear horned helmets.

    July 11, 2023 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Today we went to Borg to visit the site of the longest Viking age longhouse ever discovered. The first thing we saw was a full scale replica of the chieftains house. It reminded me a lot of the North American Indigenous longhouses I have seen, with multiple areas defined for various purposes. This site had been inhabited for at least a thousand years, and we saw glassware, ceramics, beads and various weapons. What impressed me most was the sheer size of this house (83m x 12m), and that it had stood at this site for so long. We also were able to take a ride on a replica of a small Viking ship for a tour around the harbour. The nearby church caught my eye, as it stood out in stark contrast to its surroundings.
    I’m the evening we went for a hike in Svolvær, where our guide told us folklore stories of how Norwegians use to believe that trolls were responsible for things like boulders in the middle of fields.
    Finally, the most important things I learned today is that the term Viking does not describe a cultural group, but rather only the activity of raiding… also, Viking helmets NEVER had horns on them.    Read more

  • Scandinavia 2023
    1
    Day 6

    Lofoten at last.

    July 10, 2023 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    I do not remember when I first saw, read or heard about the Lofoten Islands, but this has been the main reason I’ve wanted to come to Norway. Adding that I needed to cross the Arctic Circle to get here just made me even more excited to come.
    The flight to Bodø was quick, the views from the air spectacular, and the short trip from the airport to the ferry terminal uneventful. After a few hours wait for the ferry (when we were free to hike around the pier area, we boarded, and all tried to find seats on the port side, which had the best views… well, the best views from inside. The top deck gave the best views, but it was also quite sunny, and very windy. I spent at least an hour up top snapping pictures of every mountain we passed, and kept an eye out for sea birds. From time to time we went inside and grabbed a bite to eat, or chat with our tour mates. After a leisurely 3.5 hour cruise we arrived in Svolvær, the town which we will be staying in for the next few days. A short hike to our hotel, and we are ready for bed. Only challenge? The sun won’t set u til July 17th, so it’s just a bit bright out. Thank god for sleep masks!    Read more

  • Scandinavia 2023
    2
    Day 6

    Breakfast.

    July 10, 2023 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Thon Hotels advertise themselves as having great breakfasts, with slogans that imply “Good Breakfast, Good Day, Good Summer”. They aren’t wrong!
    We tried some traditional Norwegian goat cheese (brown, melts instantly, caramel/chocolate flavour), had some AMAZING homemade blueberry, raspberry and strawberry jam on a small croissant, and a variety of eggs, sausages and bacon. The most interesting however was the mackerel with tomato spread and the homemade pickled herring. The herring was fantastic (which I honestly wasn’t expecting.)
    After breakfast we packed and prepared for the bus ride to the airport.    Read more

  • Scandinavia 2023
    21
    Day 5

    Trondheim on a Sunday

    July 9, 2023 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Today was an early morning to catch a 7.5h train ride north to Trondheim. This trip took us through some valleys, alongside Norway’s largest lake (Lake Mjøsa, with its 362 square km of surface area), through the town of Lillehammer (home of the 1994 Olympic Winter Games), and finally on to Trondheim. Once in Trondheim our guide brought us on a amazing walking tour of the City, covering the main plaza, the courthouse, the Nidaros Cathedral (the northernmost Gothic Cathedral in the world), the university, the Kristiansten Fortress (where in 1718 they successfully defended the City of Trondheim from a large invading Swedish army), and then down to some good eating areas where we were free to find our dinner. Unfortunately the restaurant that we had intended to try was closed (due to it being Sunday), so we found a neat place called CowSea, which served the odd combination of sushi and hamburgers… the burgers were good, the sushi wasn’t the best, but passable. After dinner we returned to the hotel, and are settling in for another travel day tomorrow, off to the Lofoten Islands!Read more

  • Scandinavia 2023
    Day 4

    On to Oslo

    July 8, 2023 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Today we left Copenhagen and made our way to Oslo. A short 1 hour flight, and we arrived in Oslo, and a beautiful, warm day.
    We met up with Amanda (who had taken the overnight bus instead), and we walked to our hotel. After checking in we headed to the Royal Palace, and were able to get last-minute tickets to tour inside.
    After going through security, we had to leave all our belongings in a locker (including cameras & phones) and put silly little booties on so that we didn’t damage their floors. This is still where they royal apartments are, and during the non-summer months, the royal family lives. While not a large castle by European standards (a measly 173 rooms!) it was designed to look significantly larger. Inside they used rooms that progressively got larger, and you we needed to wind your way around, making the visitor more likely to assume they were in a huge palace. After the palace, we went back to our hotel and met our tour group. For dinner we ended up at a neat location with traditional Norwegian fare, where Jackie had a lamb burger, I had a fish soup, and then we shared “meat cakes”, which were like large meatballs in a brown sauce. Tomorrow is a long travel day (7.5h train ride), so we went to bed, and prepared for an early morning.    Read more

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