Norwegian Sunsets

Hi All,
We got patches of clear sky around dusk and the sunset was awesome.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Alesund to Geiranger

Hi All,

Right after breakfast we docked at Alesund. This town was destroyed by a fire in 1904 and rebuilt in an early Art Deco style. Our half hour walking tour (that's as long as the ship was in town) showed off the decorative architecture.

Back on board we cruised the scenic Geiranger Fjord with snow covered mountains and abundant waterfalls.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Sandy Mugs with a Troll in Bergen

Our Ship Docked at Alesund

Art Deco Buildings rebuilt after the 1904 Fire destroyed the town

Architectural Details

More Architectural Details

Ferry comes alongside to offload passengers in Geiranger

One of hundreds of waterfalls

Geirangerfjord from the bow

More Bergen & Aboard Ship

Hi All,
We had a free morning before starting our official tour so we wandered the streets of the old town shopping and seeing more sights. In the fish market we spotted some good looking lobsters. After the mental gymnastics of converting kilograms to pounds and kroner to dollars, we realized the price was $47 per pound!!!

We visited the Hakon's Hall, built in the 13th century by King Magnus. The wooden truss ceiling and tapestries were beautiful.

In the afternoon we boarded a bus for a tour of some interesting Bergen sites including the home of famed Norwegian composer, Edvard Grier and a beautiful stave church.

We then boarded our ship, the Richard With, named in honor of the Hurtigruten founder. We unpacked, which was a great relief after five nights in five different places. We had a delightful dinner and went out on deck as our shipping departed.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Wooden Statue of a Dried Codfish

Tapestry in Hakon's Hall

Check out the Ceiling

Stave Church

Sunset among the Antennas

Exploring Bergen

Hi All,

We wandered around Bergen today on an unusually mild, sunny spring day. First stop was the funicular that brought us to the hillside overlooking the city. The view was spectacular. Next we walked through the old part of town, past the Norwegian sail training ship, Statsraad Lehmkuhl and out to the 15th century fortress at the end of the peninsula. 

On the way back through the old town, we visited the Hanseatic Museum. The Hanseatic League was a 13th to 17th century commercial confederation of northern European cities. Here in Bergen they managed the wholesaling and distribution of tons of dried fish from northern Norway. The museum preserves some of the artifacts and the original building from this interesting era.

Back at the hotel, we relaxed and reviewed photos from all of our fabulous sightseeing. Later we had dinner with the other participants on our Vantage Tour.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

View of Bergen Harbor. Note the funicular tracks in the foreground and the sailing ship in the harbor.

Norway's sail training ship, Statsraad Lehmkuhl

The Fanciest Manhole Cover in Europe!

Shops in the old city

Hanseatic Museum

Original Ledger from one of the 149 Hanseatic Merchants in Bergen

Apprentice dormitory gives new meaning to the term "close quarters"

Farms & Fjords

Hi All,

Even though we are at the beginning, we are all pretty sure that today will be among the best of the trip. We started with a three mile hike along the fjord. The wind was calm so the mountains and picturesque houses reflected off of the still water. Everywhere we looked was a picture postcard.

Our destination was Otterness, a cluster of four farms dating back to the 17th century, now operated as a cultural heritage site by a delightful docent named Leila. We visited with the sheep and goats and explored many of the 27 buildings preserved at the site. We also learned about the history of many of the families that had lived in the area. We then enjoyed coffee, tea and Lappas, a pancake with delicious raspberry jam. Leila encouraged us to stay longer for the tour and she then drove us back to Flam for our afternoon fjord cruise to Gudvangen. 

This two hour cruise took us along narrow fjords surrounded by soaring, snow capped mountains, tall wispy waterfalls and more picturesque villages. The few pictures included here really cannot due justice to the scenery.

We also saw quite a bit of wildlife today including harbor seals, dolphin and many new birds including shag, oystercatcher, great tit and white wagtail.

At the conclusion of the fjord cruise we took a bus to the nearest railway station in Voss then continued to Bergen by train. A short walk to our hotel brought an end to a long and fantastic day.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Flam Harbor from our hotel window 

View along the fjord

Leila telling us about the farm

Off we go on a fjord cruise

One of many beautiful small villages

Waterfall comes right into town

Narrow winding fjord

Trains to Flam

Hi All,

After a Kick-Ass breakfast in Oslo, we took a train up the mountain, over 4,000 ft, to the town of Myrdal. In the "small world" category, we met Ken Wilner, an acquaintance from Nashua, NH, in the train station. Once up in the mountains, the snow cover was solid and there were lots of skiers getting on and off the train.

From Myrdal, we took another train down the valley to Flam. The mountain scenery was beautiful and our hotel room overlooking the harbor was great. We wandered the quaint town of Flam nestled in a steep valley at the head of the Aurland Fjord.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Our Oslo Hotel

Hi All,

From the greeting on the TV in our room to the night view of the Opera House to the shameless promotion of the breakfast buffet seen in the elevator, our first night in Norway was a delight.

Now we take a train through the mountains to the town of Flam.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone