Tor and Emma's Norwegian adventure 2017

Just before we got back on the bus to the hotel, Em requested a photo in the phone box. This is it.  But did you know that none of the Norwegian phone boxes work now and they were decommissioned?  In 2007, one hundred were preserved for their cultural legacy and this is one of them - imagine that.  The other people in the group that we are travelling with think that we are totally bonkers. We carried onto the hotel and the guide started speaking which began 'I'd like to begin with a story of creation' (after the rape and pillage really? There is a 9 year old boy in our group) and a right hoo hah ensued because the guide took us to 3 different doors to get in, none were open and I found the right one whilst she was doing something else.  Finally checked in and avoiding the wrath of the guide we went for an explore before our buffet tea. Lovely waterside wander, there were lots of information boards for learning that Em was very good at reading out to me, well I am 40 ...

So, after leaving Andrea and a tiny mooch in the rain, Em had a cinnamon pastry for lunch and I had cheese roll courtesy of the breakfast buffet, yum, we began our journey to Norheimsund and the amazingly beautiful Hardangerfjord. Tour guide Kelli started the journey with an immensely loud CD of Norwegian music which I think you have to really be in to into order to appreciate it; musical interlude over, she told us about trees as we travelled along.  Did you know that spruce has bad energy, pine is good for your lungs and rowan has good energy and really good healing powers (but we know that that already because we are from the UK, apparently). Good fact for Hels though with the Wicker Man reference. We travelled through lots of long tunnels through the middle of mountains and were told about Vikings , Em now thinking that we are related to Danish Vikings and we should do a DNA test.  Kelli also read out to us almost a dictionary full (oh yes from A to Z) of words in the Engl...

So, after our tour round the centre of Bryggen we went into the wider wharf area and into the suburbs for some more facts. Here are a couple: 1.  There were dramatic events on the peninsular in 1944. A Dutch cargo ship carrying explosives (120 tonnes of dynamite) went boom and lots of buildings were lost, we saw the surviving ones from the 1700s 2.  Edvard Grieg is a very famous Norwegian composer and he used to live in Bergen - did you know he is only 1.5 m tall but in the day when he played his violin ladies fainted (not sure Dad has that knack yet, more practice to do!) 3. The Norwegian national anthem is called 'yes we love our country' according to tour guide Kelli, it is written by a Nobel peace prize winner. 4. Trams used to run in the city  but were decommissioned in 1960, they didn't know what to do with them so they drove them into the fjord at the end of the line and they are still there today! 5. There are more than 300 types of rhododendron in Bergen - we saw...

So we've begun our day by flooding wet room/bathroom, well I think the floor was jolly wet for a wet room. The water is meant to go down the drain. Off for buffet breakfast with all the Spanish people which seems to be a bit of a theme.  Emma got asked again where something was as if she was a member of staff, we put it down to idiot bums yesterday but maybe today it's because she's wearing a pinny and her hair is in plaited bunches? She's practically Norwegian now. 3 different cheeses, no mushrooms but a big side of poached salmon or smoked available.  I had an odd plate of potato, 3 cheeses, poached salmon and tiny tomatoes with a bread roll and a jolly in cup of coffee.  Good people watching, one gentleman got an entire plate of tiny tomatoes and lots of cheese slices, he's going to be there a while.  Right off to collect our cases for first adventure with mad staring eyes Kelli (from Estonia, she usually only works with the Australians and has been everywhere in...

So we got on a plane and did flying What will the weather be like when we land ? This? This? Oh, look it's this Velkomme Bryggen! Smooth flight, nots really anything entertaining to shar apart from me getting wedged in my seat with my rucksack when I first sat down and then having a mid flight incident with my water bottle and finger getting stuck in the net thing on the seat in front of me.  Landed, through passports and baggage collection.  All the Norwegians travellers bought loads of stuff in duty free next to the baggage reclaim - odd you might thing but we know why now! A very helpful man who was very smiley and polite loaded our cases onto the Fly buss and we set off for Bergen centre (FYI, £12 single for @30 minutes journey).  We got off at the fish market as instructed to find out hotel and this happened. All the rain came :-(. So, checked in and off to explore hurrah! We consulted the guide that we picked up at airport info; most of Bergen is shut on Sundays or ...

Well, after a jolly toss and turning, slightly too hot hotel bedroom stay, we're getting ready for the hotel breakfast buffet feeding frenzy in the Garden Restaurant before a jaunt across the car park to departures in Gatwick's south terminal.  Still have to pick up toothpaste and an adaptor; isn't it funny we're going on a flight that is shorter that the one I'll be taking to the Burgh in a few weeks time but still have to have all the provisions? Last night Emma modelled the bath, as you do, I'll see if I can find that NZ equivalent pic at some point.  She's just washing her BBQ hair now so that she is fresh as a daisy for the day of exploring ahead! Oh yes, the NZ one, which has the best Rod hair? Washed and ready to go we popped down to a slightly discombobulated Hilton breakfast buffet, only 4 types of cheese and no mushrooms and strict instructions on the toaster for sliced bread only, no breakfast muffin for me :-(. Grapefruit starter and a very sweet...

So, today is Saturday 15th July 2017 and I have done some very good dithering and re-packing.  After a pretty uneventful train journey to Gatwick and a quick jaunt via the car park to the Hilton, I am in the Executive lounge with a wine and crisp and cheese starter.  My holiday is here ! Just waiting for Em to arrive, smelling of BBQ after baby juggling in Brighton town. People watching is fascinating - free booze and buffet has been going for 33 minutes. I think the gentleman with a Midlands accent to my right has consumed a significant amount of the bottle of JD and German family have refilled their plates a number of times already - phew! Feeling a tad underprepared for our jaunt from Bergen to Oslo; life has been so busy I've forgotten to be organised ! Will catch up with myself by the time we land.  Quite excited about the prospect of brown cheese and caviar in tubes and lots of nice smoked salmon.  Tiny bit unsure about the prospect of lots of pickled herri...