Today’s adventure found us traversing Copenhagen in a masterfully planned 15 km loop that hit all the city’s major highlights, many historical areas, and some hidden treasures.  Thanks to Christina and Thomas’s expert tour guiding, we saw the city through the eyes of locals.  If you look closely at the map, you can see the route we took in black (start and end in the bottom left corner).

We enjoyed walking around the Parliament building at Christiansborg Palace (complete with marble-columned horse stables left from when the facility housed the royal family).  A special treat was Christina’s “secret garden” between the Parliament and the Royal Library – though not so secret since it was a major Pokémon stop last summer.

We passed by Nyhavn (“New Haven”) which is a bit reminiscent of Bergen, and then had a lunch of sandwiches at a local restaurant, including juices of rhubarb and elderflower. Delicious, but hard to get at home!

At the Amalienborg Palace (current residence of the royal family), we were impressed by the guards, though we didn’t envy them their 8 kg bearskin fur hats!

Of course, no visit to Copenhagen is complete without a visit to the Little Mermaid statue – good thing she is now back from her trip to China last year as part of a Danish exhibition.  And, that journey took us close to the Kastellet fort, where Nick remembered seeing a windmill many years ago – and it is still there!

Our walk back toward the center of the city took us past the Rosenborg Castle and gardens where we were treated to an outdoor concert as part of the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, just started a day ago.  A highlight for Susannah was the trip up the Round Tower (with a circular ramp instead of stairs so the king could take his horses and chariot up), which affords views of all the places we had walked around the city.

We ended our day – of course – at Tivoli, the famous Danish pleasure garden replete with parks, rides, restaurants, and entertainment that is a favorite destination.  We had a marvelous meal at one of the oldest restaurants in Tivoli – good food, good friends, good times!

That’s “Happy Birthday” in Danish – Ben turned 15 today!  He’s had birthdays in lots of different countries (one of the consequences of our family vacations nearly always being in early July) but this year’s birthday was done up properly, Danish style, thanks to Christina and family’s wonderful hosting.

We started with a traditional Danish breakfast (featuring, of all things, danishes – but much better than those we can get at home), dining al fresco with decorations of Danish flags, and serenading Ben with a traditional Danish birthday song emulating 3 instruments of his choice.  (Can you guess which he chose?)

The main activity of the days was a visit to the Vikingship Museum in Roskilde.  The museum was memorable because of its 5 reconstructed Viking ships excavated from a nearby fjord (imagine this puzzle: 5 ships and 50000 pieces, and more than half missing!) but we especially enjoyed the many activities: trying on (replica) Viking clothing, playing Viking games, and making our own model Viking (well, wooden at least) ships.  We even ate a restaurant featuring new interpretations of Viking food using ingredients that would have been available in their time.

Next we explored the city of Roskilde a little, including the magnificent Domkirke where all the deceased Danish royalty are buried, a number of art installations in the city center, and – of course – a trip to the local ice cream store for some mid-afternoon birthday ice cream!

Birthday celebrations continued in the evening – Christina made a scrumptious and festive birthday feast and her sister Maria made the traditional Danish birthday cake (“lagkage”) which was absolutely delicious.  Ben’s never had it so good on his birthday!

Back in Oslo, we took the opportunity to explore the city a little more and see some new museums.  Our main destination was the Bygdøy peninsula, which houses a number of great museums.  We could have taken a short ferry ride there, but decided instead to try out the tram and bus – Oslo’s public transportation is so easy and reasonably priced!

We spent several hours at the Norwegian Folk Museum, a living history museum with many open-air exhibits and live demonstrations.  Susannah especially enjoyed the folk music and dancing, which included a number of traditional Norwegian folk instruments such as the one pictured below.  Our guide on the mid-day tour was a font of information, regaling us with stories and descriptions of Norwegian lives and customs in centuries past.  Did you know that a man who wanted to marry would carve a clothes iron out of wood and present it to his intended  bride?  If she accepted his offer, she would take the iron (presumably thus being all set to iron his clothes), but if she rejected his offer he was supposed to hang the iron in his house in shame – and he couldn’t offer that same iron to anyone else.   We visited several historic houses, getting to see the log and stave construction and sod roofs up close, and we also saw another stave church – this one from 1200, and much more spectacularly decorative.

In the afternoon, we split up, some staying at the folk museum, others visiting the nearby Vikingship museum, and others exploring the neighborhoods and harbor of the Bygdøy peninsula.  We reconvened at our hotel to give one last goodbye to Oslo before heading to the airport.

At the train station, we were approached by two young entrepreneurs to give some product feedback on their latest prototype for a personalized cinematic experience – check out MovieMask for more info…

We were all spread out on the airplane to Copenhagen so the kids got to board at the back of the plane.  They look nearly ready to head off on their own – so glad we still have these family times together! 

We arrived safely in Copenhagen, hopped in our rental car, and zipped over to our B&B in the village of Borup, the home of Susannah’s dear friend Christina.  We were greeted with a warm Danish welcome from Christina and her family – more details of our adventures with them to come…

Today we bring you the sequel to “Train, Boat, Boat, Train, Train“.  Today’s episode is called “Train, Bus, Boat, Train, Train”. Actually, the tour guides call it Norway in a Nutshell, but we like our name better. Whatever you call it, it required getting up early to catch the local train out of Bergen. At Voss, we joined the throngs of other camera-toting tourists who had booked a similar journey and were waiting to board a fleet of buses. Our driver told stories as she navigated the steep hairpin turns down into Stalheimskleiva gorge, stopping for photo-ops at all the waterfalls along the way. Well, she had one story at least, and she drove very slowly past the falls. The route used to be the post road from Oslo to Bergen, and reaches an 18% gradient at the steepest point, so it felt like the coach was performing Downward Dog the entire way.

Once in Gudvangen, we grabbed a picnic lunch and boarded the good ship Fanaraaken. Holy hordes of people, Batman – the boat was crowded! Finding space where we could, we took as many photos as possible of the beautiful scenery while avoiding the chock-a-block deck chairs. Our route took us down the Nærøyfjord and its 1200 meter walls, then up the Aurlandsfjord to the resort village of Flåm.

Flåm is the terminus of the Flåmsbana railway, built with great effort in the early 20th century. It rises half a vertical mile over its 12.5 mile length, passing through twenty tunnels along the way. (It is nicknamed the 20 railroad: 20 km long, 20 tunnels, and 20 years to build.). The cars are driven by hydroelectric power produced onsite at the Kjosfossen waterfall. The train makes a stop here so everyone can get pictures, but the line seems to have some trouble with Huldra (local fairy spirits similar to the Sirens). During our stop, one of them appeared near the falls and held everyone entranced for several minutes before letting us board the train again.

In Myrdal we boarded an Oslo-bound train on the main Bergen line. Dinner from the cafe car, more fabulous views, and even wifi and power!

Our last day on the MS Finnmarken (July 4) dawned clear and bright, perfect weather for sailing up the fjords into Bergen.  We passed under two bridges on the way in, plus many others over the past few days.  All the major fjord bridges in Norway seem to be about the same height – just tall enough that the Hurtigruten ferries can slip under them with a few feet to spare.

Bergen is built in the middle of seven mountains, not quite where you’d expect the second largest city in Norway to be!  We were excited to explore Bergen’s historic wharf area, called Bryggen, marked by the rows of gabled warehouses shown on all the T-shirts and in our photos.  These were dominated for centuries by the Hanseatic League, who operated an autonomous outpost within the city to profit richly off the hard work of the local fishermen. 

We learned more about this era on our visit to a restored guildhouse where they prepared the fish (example shown below) and sorted it into 23 grades of varying quality. In the winter they retired to warmer quarters where the museum exhibits led us to believe the main pastimes consisted of drinking beer and hazing the youngest apprentices.

We ate dinner harborside at the city fish market, soaking up the sun and the breeze.  The fish and chips were very fresh but the market’s summer ale left a bit to be desired.

After dinner, what better way to digest than to ride the funicular railway to the top of Mt. Fløyen and experience Bergen from above.  We were treated to panoramic views of the city and the drifting strains of a major outdoor rock concert somewhere below.

While the others headed back to the hotel for some much-needed sleep, N+S had a date with some hiking trails atop the mountain.  The Norwegians really know how to make a park!  Photos can’t really capture it, but if you’re ever in Bergen, don’t miss mossy tussocks, huge boulders, sudden vistas through the woods, “Do Not Feed the Trolls” and other helpful signs, amazingly well-marked paths, and an inviting ropes course tucked into a pine grove and open to all passersby.  We wished we could have kept hiking all night, but this far south, the sun sets at 11:30 PM, and we had a busy day planned for the next morning.

Our ship arrived at Trondheim at 6:30 AM so we got up early to explore the city while we had the chance.  Although most things were closed at that hour, we had a wonderful walk around the city (grey, but no rain!), seeing the main shopping area, the Nidaros Cathedral (a destination along the Pilgrim’s Way), several bridges spanning local rivers, and the Kristiansen Fort with views overlooking the city.  Trondheim, which loosely translates to “home of the good life”, is eminently accessible by foot and pedal, and even includes a free “bike lift” to assist cyclists up a particularly steep street.

Back on the boat, we spent most of the middle of the day relaxing inside at “Babette’s Cafe” on deck 7, keeping dry from the rain and fog outside.  We missed the sun, but the scenery was still very striking with the peaks shrouded in cloud.  And, as we understand it, the grey conditions are more representative of typical Norway weather than the bright sun.

In the late afternoon, we joined an excursion to visit the award-winning Atlantic Ocean Road, an 8-km long stretch of road and bridges connecting a series of islands between Vevang and Averøya.  On the way, we stopped at a historic stave church, which, at 700 years old, is one of the youngest of the stave churches.  For dinner we stopped at a local restaurant to sample their bacalao, a tomato based fish stew made from reconstituted dried stokfisk, as pictured.  (A staple of this area, it tastes better than it looks!) 

You know how it is when you think you have a full fifteen minutes in port and you walk behind a building for just two minutes, and when you come out you discover the gangway on its way up and the crew in the midst of casting off?  Neither did Susannah, until this morning.  Turns out that when the boat is a little behind schedule, they shorten the stops – who knew?  We’re very thankful that Captain Einarsen, consulted by the crew via radio, was willing to wait long enough to let her back on board, rather than leaving her to her own devices in tiny Ørnes at 7:30 AM on a Sunday morning in the rain.

The rest of this rainy day was filled with sea travel punctuated by various events and landfalls. We departed the Arctic around mid-morning. Fortunately, someone had placed a metal globe on a nearby island to mark the crossing of the Arctic Circle. Later we all participated in a fun-filled cod liver oil eating contest!  No, just kidding – but you had to taste a dose to get the souvenir spoon. 🙂

At lunch, we managed for the first time on the boat to all get seats at the same table – skoll!

We had short stops at both Brønnøysund and Rørvik, in between passing by the famous “mountain with a hole in it”, locally known as Torghatten.  Sure enough, you can see right through it.

For dinner, the boat served stokfisk, which is dried on wooden racks outside in the wind.  In Rørvik, we got to see the drying process up close.  We also said hello to the Finnmarken’s sister ship Lofoten, the oldest currently in service in the Hurtigruten fleet.

Our first full day on the ferry started cloudy and became grayer as the day went on, but this didn’t stop us from seeing the sights.  The ship makes about a half dozen stops per day at small towns along the water and passengers have the opportunity to disembark and explore (or take photos of friends back on the boat – see Nick waving on the lower balcony).  One such stop was at the tiny town of Stokmarknes, which featured a museum devoted to the history of the Hurtigruten Ferry service.  What began as a twice weekly express steamer route from Bergen to Tromso later developed into daily mail delivery and tourist cruises along the entire western coast.  The fleet currently has 11 vessels – one of the retired ones is now on display ashore at the museum.

The land here is sparsely inhabited but from time to time we pass small farms and fishing communities nestled against the shoreline with a backdrop of snow-capped peaks.  One highlight along the journey was the Trollfjord, whose narrow walls leave barely enough room for a ship our size (in fact, they won’t enter when there is threat of rockfall).  Many of the passengers flocked to the bow of the boat to watch us glide between the cliffs. 

After dinner we reached Svolvaer, where we were greeted in the harbor by a statue of the Fiskarkona, the fisherman’s wife.  We were scheduled here for a land excursion through the Lofoten Islands, correctly described in all the guidebooks as a not-to-miss destination.  In all, there are 80 islands, only 8 of which are inhabited, 5 of which are connected by road.

Passing by the locally famous Svolvaergeita rock formation (the Svolvær Goat, complete with pinnacles resembling horns) on the way out of town, our tour bus navigated narrow winding roads and bridges to the destination of Henningsvær.   This is a working fishing village whose picturesque setting has drawn the attention of the tourist industr, and is now home to many fine craft and souvenir shops best explored on foot.  We had a few other short stops on our bus tour, including the grand Viking valley.  Here a local farmer dug up remains of a Viking longhouse that was reconstructed in detail as a living museum (sadly closed to visitors at 10 PM). Overall, the combination of views from the boat, bus, and feet really helped us get a flavor of the memorable Lofoten Islands.

… at least not today (more details below)

Susannah started the day with a run to the Vigeland sculpture park in Oslo, which featured expressive stone figures expertly captured.  Lovely running destination!

We then caught a plane to the northern city of Tromso, above the Arctic Circle. Although it is summer, snow still grips many of the mountain peaks, as we could see from the plane.

Our first stop was food (lunch at 4 PM!) and a quick jaunt to the Mack Brewery (the world’s northernmost) to pick up a few cans for later.  After reviewing Tromso’s many attractions, we decided to visit the Polaria Museum, where the highlight was a tank of friendly bearded seals. Pretty neat to be able to stand in a transparent tunnel as the seals zipped by overhead.

The museum closed at 7 PM, but the sky was still bright and the cable car was still running, so we took a jaunt up the mountain.  The views were astounding, and the two parasails riding the thermals added to the spectacle.  Several of us decided to hike down, a steep but rewarding scramble down a slippery slope.

Our tour package included a five-course dinner at Tromso’s finest restaurant, called Emma’s Dream Kitchen, where we sampled a number of local delicacies.

Nick and Susannah scooted out of dinner quickly to make it to a Midnight Sun concert at the Arctic Cathdral.  We really enjoyed the program of Norwegian folk music on voice, flute, piano, and organ.The acoustics were so good that a single soprano filled the whole room, and the church is oriented so that the rays of the midsummer sun stream down its entire length.

At midnight (though it felt like late afternoon!) we boarded the Hurtigruten mail ferry for our 4 day trip south to Bergen. The sun’s lowest point was still well above the horizon and its golden rays saw us off as we departed Tromso’s harbor.

This year’s adventure is to Norway and Denmark.  After an incredibly turbulent plane ride to Copenhagen (who knew the jet stream was so bumpy?) followed by an equally sleep-deprived second leg, we landed in Oslo.  Our self-guided but packaged tour included an opulent hotel (check out the lobby chandelier!) with an old-world Europe feel right in the middle of downtown Oslo.

We explored our environs a little, including fountains and parks, and then headed for the water to see the Astrup Fearnley museum, an architectural marvel (thanks to Renzo Piano) that houses “interesting” contemporary art.  The crucified sheep carcasses in formaldehyde courtesy of Damien Hirst were a little much, but the Ai Weiwei installation and the museum’s picturesque setting were worth the visit.

Perhaps the coolest part of the day (literally) was a trip to the local ice bar, which featured famous Munch images rendered in frozen H2O, drinks served “in the rocks”, and complementary parkas for all visitors.  Very cool indeed!