Finse, Bergen and Voss {Norway} 2007 and more recently 2015.

Wednesday I flew into Oslo for my trip to the fjords of Norway and trekking. The first picture of Finse was taken 24 hrs. after the next 3 Finse pictures. Word of warning, most hostels and mountain cabins outside the large cities start closing Aug. 31st. When I got off the train in Finse I was told the hostel had closed days earlier so I caught the next train {5 hrs later} to Bergen. I could not find the hostel in Bergen and the cheapest room I could find at 1am was $250. Plan better is what I should have done. I caught the train the next day to Voss and stayed at a great hostel and prepared for my trip to the fjords of Norway.

Pulpit Rock outside of Stavenger, Norway. (2015)

2015 pics of Bergen with 3 beautiful sunny days.

"Norway in a Nutshell " and The Hot Dog Miracle

Friday September 14, 2007

After finally getting checked into my hostel in Voss, I was looking for a sign of better things to come. I went to the local market to buy sandwich meat for the next few days and that is when it happened. Right in front of me was a package of 10 hot dog wieners and 10 hot dog buns. That's right, an even number of both. Not sure if this would make the pope's list of miracles but it is certainly something that I have neither seen or heard of in my lifetime. lol This was the sign I was waiting for and I quickly purchased them.

The next day was overcast but had great visibility so I went on the "Norway In A Nutshell" tour. It started with a bus ride down the mountains on hairpin turns, then on a two hour ferry ride through the most beautiful fjords in Norway and then finished by train on the famous Flam Railroad. When we arrived at the town of Myrdal , high in mountain, it started to snow very hard. Overall, it was everything that I came to Norway to do. Trekking through the mountains would be nice but all the hostels in the mountains closed in August much to my dismay.

Sunday I take the train back to Oslo and Monday I fly back to Dublin 12 days earlier than planned. The fact that trekking is not possible and Norway is the most expensive country in Europe made going back to Dublin early an easy decision.

Oslo, The Viking Museum and Kon-Tiki Museum

Monday September 7, 2007

I spent Sunday night in a hostel in Oslo and will fly to Dublin today at 7pm. Earler today I took the ferry in Oslo to see the Viking Museum. They have 3 original viking ships that have been restored. There are also other viking artifacts such as wagons, carts and cooking utensils. It was quite a sight to see. I also visited the Kon-Tiki Museum which included the raft and the
boat made out of papyrus. This boat and raft sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and part of the Pacific to prove that ancient civilizations could have colonized far away countries many years ago

"I sought to see the amazing as normal, and the daily as unique, and in that swirling paradox I found the joy of travel."
Mary Poxon