Norway

May 18-27, 2007
AC856 YYZ-LHR, SK804 LHR-OSL, SK805 OSL-LHR, AC849 LHR-YYZ

Norway was high on Tom’s list of places to go, and to be honest, it was not previously on my radar.  Tom planned the entire trip with the help of Rick Steves, and managed to pack the highlights into a week.  We got to fly on the new 777 over, and Tom experienced the new lie-flat seats, but unfortunately, despite strong efforts by an excellent concierge in Toronto, my upgrade did not come through.  I did, nonetheless, manage to sleep some.  With the tight security and one-carryon-bag limit, transiting in Heathrow was a nightmare that I would not wish on my worst enemy, but we did make it.  To combat the ungodly cost of living, our checked suitcase of affordable food from home arrived, thankfully, and was supplemented with reasonably-priced wine from the duty-free.  Norway has amazing scenery and is very accessible, but it comes at a price.  Other than hotels, everything was two or three times a reasonable price (e.g. $30 for the train from the airport, $40 for a medium pizza, $100 for ordinary restaurant wine, $15 for a draught beer).  They’ve used the money well, though, and have an excellent infrastructure.  Although there are still some narrow, winding roads, they have engineered amazing tunnels through almost everything.  It meant that, with the car, you could get up close and personal to mountains, fjords, and glaciers.  It was reminiscent of New Zealand, but much more accessible and with a lot more daylight – we were often touring until 10:00pm, as it wasn’t dark until 11:00pm.  I would probably go back to cover more of the North, but next time I will buy more wine at the duty free.  Luckily for Tom, my upgrade came through on the way back, and we got a retrofitted 767 with the lie-flat seats and got home on schedule.  

May 18-19
Fly to London, arrive next morning and fly onwards to Oslo.

Akershus Fortress, across Oslofjord, Oslo

Det Kongelige Slott - the royal palace, Oslo

May 20
Oslo and surroundings

Nationaltheater, Oslo

House on a hill in Bygdøy

Gord tries to walk with stilts at the Norsk Folkemuseum - Norwegian Folk Museum, Bygdøy

Traditional sod-roofed buildings, Norwegian Folk Museum, Bygdøy

One of only a few remaining stave churches, Norwegian Folk Museum, Bygdøy

Traditional elevated farmhouse, Norwegian Folk Museum, Bygdøy

Gord toes the company line in a replica gas station, Norwegian Folk Museum, Bygdøy

The Viking ship Oseberg unearthed from burial mound, Vikingshipshuset - Viking Ship Museum, Bygdøy

Busts of Helge and Anne Stine Ingstad matching these can be found in L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland.

Oslo Rådhus (City Hall).  Each year, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded here.

Boats at the Rådhusbrygge Quay, opposite City Hall, Oslo

View of Oslo, from the top of the Holmenkollen Ski Jump.

The Holmenkollen Ski Jump, soon to be demolished and replaced by a new structure.

One of the statues by Gustav Vigeland in the Vigeland Sculpture Park, Oslo

Monolitten - The Monolith, Vigeland Sculpture Park, Oslo

May 21
Oslo to Bergen via scenic railway

Top of the pass at the Hardangervidda Plateau, on the train from Oslo to Bergen

When the train stops, everyone gets out for:
1. Pictures
2. Smoking

A suspension bridge crosses a fjord, approaching Bergen by train

Along the waterfront in Bergen

Gord poses in front of the Bergen panorama, from the top of Mt. Fløyen, reached by the Fløibanen funicular

View across Lille Lungegårdsvann, before a tasty $20 fish and chips dinner on the waterfront

May 22
Bergen to Stavanger by car

Inside the Norsk Oljemuseum - Petroleum Museum, Stavanger

Outside the museum.  Norway is the world’s second-largest petroleum producer, after Saudi Arabia.

Boats in Vågen, the inlet that forms Stavanger’s harbour.

The hilly streets of Stavanger, without the cruise ship crowds

View of our hotel across Breiavann, Stavanger

May 23
Stavanger back to Bergen, with some hiking

A nice last picture in case we fell off the 600-meter-high cliff.

The view on the way up.  Luckily the rain never arrived.

First glimpses of the Lysefjord, 600m below

The payoff for 2 hours of hiking.  Gord is the third shadow from the left.  Preikestolen, Lysefjord.

It’s difficult to show the full magnitude of the drop.

Tom hiked up higher as I waited on the edge.  A class of students sits in a line.

It’s starting to get a little crowded at the top.

After a long hike, we drove North along Nedstrandsfjord going inland, avoiding a few ferries.

One of many waterfalls along the way, this one near Odda

The weather turned on us for part of the drive, but we had a clear Ferry crossing from Utne to Kvanndal

May 24
Bergen to Sogndal

The shops in the Bryggen area of Bergen are tilted from a 1944 explosion that shifted the dock’s pilings.

The weather was still gray, but we got a good moody photo of the Arlandsfjorden. 

Waterfall near Flåm

After driving through the 24.5 km Aurland-Lærdal tunnel, we arrive at Borgund stave church.

Borgund is a 12th century Stave church typical to Norway – one of the few preserved (best, too).

Church grounds, cemetery, and mountains in background.

Part of an old road recently replaced by a tunnel

Lærdalselvi and rapids after a return trip through the tunnel

Ferry from Fodnes to Mannheller across Sognefjorden

May 25
Sogndal to Ålesund via Route 55 Sognefjell mountain pass

Hafslovatnet Lake and surrounding mountains

The end of the road in Jostedalsbreen NP.  With the snow we couldn’t make it to our planned glacial lake hike.

Yes, we drove through this narrow, one-lane, unlit and propped-up tunnel, just before our turn around point.

Nigardsbreen glacier forming a lake in the national park.

Closer to the lake and a little brighter

Lusterfjorden from the roadside

Looking back on the valley as we climb Sognefjell mountain

The snow and clouds came on quickly as we were climbing the pass.

The 1½-lane road is plowed pretty well here, but still a lot of snow on either side.

Near the highest point in the pass 1450m – the highest in Northern Europe.

Some back-country downhill skiers stop short of the road, just above our car.

After 20 minutes of the same, we looked forward to the end and hoped to tell about it.

First look at Geirangerfjorden as we head back towards the coast

Geirangerfjorden from above the town Geiranger (pop. 210, but 600,000 visitors from 150 cruise ships each year)

Gord over the fjord, luckily too early for ships.  It’s hard to believe the QE2 can navigate 75 km inland to here.

View looking back on fjord after taking ferry (our last of the trip!) to Linge.

The sun is bright, late in the day, along Ålesund wharf outside our hotel.

A look across the harbour to Kniven viewpoint and the rest of the town.

May 26
Ålesund to Oslo

A different view of the fjord near Linge, as we backtrack from yesterday.

Another snowy mountain pass on Trollstigen, but this time the sky is blue.

Our first look into the valley on the other side of the mountain.

After hiking along the side of a snowy cliff, we see the Trollstigen road winding down the mountainside.

Tom standing in front of the valley, prepared for the road ahead.

We end at the troll-crossing sign, at the beginning of Trollstigen, with a 6-hour driveto Oslo remaining for us.

May 27
Oslo to Toronto via London