The train trip from Trondheim to Bodø (pronounced Booda) was stunning. Passing along huge fjords, lakes, snow covered mountains, frozen lakes, vast wilderness areas and endless forests – but did not spot any reindeer.
There was a rockfall on the track on the section that passes the Arctic circle so we had to change to a bus for that bit. As we passed the line V and I had a muted celebration, the rest of the bus was full of locals – nothing new to them I guess.
Bodø was hot (> 20C odd) but dead and dull. Sundays in Norway – most things are closed. Sundays in winter are even worse. We checked into the cheapest (still expensive) dive of a hotel in town and went in search of food. Nadda! Peanuts, an apple and a cereal bar for sups 🙁
Survived the 14hr night bus to Trondheim even though the bus stopped every half hour or so to drop and collect passengers in the middle of nowhere. Trondheim looks like an intersting town but we are just passing through. 12hr train ride coming up ! I’m longing for a shower.
Sim did not have such a good day today. Not only did he lose his sunglasses but he also got dragged around the art museums.
We think he might have left his sunnies on his bed at the hostel and someone has walked off with them. Not a good start to the day. sim: pretty sure they were in my jacket pocket and got removed while we were in the kitchen ! Lesson learnt
Took in the cultural museum and learnt a little bit about the Vikings. Seems they got around – Ireland, North America and Russia. Followed that up with the art museums. Paintings by Picasso and Munch plus some very weird contemporary stuff.
Noticed a lot of youngsters around town in uniforms carrying swords and beating drums. Not sure what the event was that was going on. It might have been some sort of competition or something to do with the upcoming public holiday on Monday. Bergen seems to have good accoustics for drummers.
We have decided to go from Bergen straight up to the Lofoten islands in northern Norway. To get there we are having to take a 14 hour overnight bus to Trondheim followed immediately by a 10 hour train ride to Bodø. We spend only an hour in Trondheim.
We set out early again in search of bigger, more impressive fjords. Our tour took us to the Hardangerfjord.
The first ferry stop was a tiny town (Eidfjord) with almost nothing to do, unless you paid another 250Kr for a tour of the nature centre. V and I strolled around ‘town’ for a while before asking the tourist office how to find some Viking burial mounds on the shockingly drawn map. Apparently a 90min walk – and that was all we had before the ferry was due to depart. We did the walk in 60mins – impressive even for Norwegian standards. The burial mounds turned out to be a few piles of rocks, but the walk was worth it with great views.
From there the ferry cruised along the fjord. Blue/green water (apparently to a depth of ~900m) and cliffs all around is pictureseque, but after a few hours we were completely fjorded out. Could not keep our eyes open and fell asleep in the ferry lounge.
Back in Bergen we headed for an Internet cafe to upload our growing collection for photos. Usually I work pretty fast on a pc, but with the clock ticking at 2Kr per minute it felt like I had never seen a mouse ! Gave up after 30mins having accomplished nothing – really frustrating. Will be more prepared next time. No galleries uploaded yet.
Thanks for all the recent comments. It is good to know that friends and family are interested in what we have been up to.
Swapped with Sim and scored the top bunk last night. Made use of the earplugs and slept well if a little late. Survived night 2 at the hostel. Actually the hostel isn’t so bad. The other people in the dorm are considerate and the linen clean. The fridge however needs a biohazard sign on it.
After a leisurly breakfast we strolled outside into another day of lovely sunshine. Today was a public holiday here in Norway. Think it might have been a religious one but am not sure. As a result everyone and their dog was out and most shops were closed.
We took the funicular up to the top of one of the seven hills surrounding Bergen and enjoyed the beautiful vista over the city. From the top there are a number (hundreds) of paths that make their way all over the hilltop. One of them is even lit up at night during winter for cross country skiing.
The trails were humming. We were not exactly off the beaten track here. For once though we did not stand out as tourists as everyone had walking pants and backpacks on.
Walked around the trails then walked all the way back down to town. Sore feet now. We are finding the weather here unpredictable. One minute we are down to our shirts and sunnies because it’s so warm then the wind picks up and it’s fleece, jacket and beanie. Then the wind stops and it’s time to strip again.
Pizza for supps as the supermarket was closed. Looks like we are having leftovers for breakfast in the morning too. Met some Americans who were also complaining about the costs in Norway.
An enjoyable chilled out day. Tomorrow we are off fjording again. Saturday we should be able to upload photos.
Survived one night in a dodgy dorm. My ear plugs are fantastic but V didn’t get much sleep even though it was quiet.
We decided to be typical tourists today and got on the ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ tour. Taking trains, ferries and busses to see some of the sites. The Flåm Railway is scenic and it’s unbelievable what people can build but unfortunately it did not meet our expectations. I think we are still ‘high’ from Kjeragbolten – will be hard to beat.
The lavishly dressed Norwgian dancer up on the hill at a stop halfway down with folk tunes blarring from loudspeakers was insanely cheezy, and not necessary, the spot was beautiful in its own right.
The town of Flåm is a typical but quaint tourist trap made worse by the 3000 berth cruise liner from South-Hampton in the dock. The postcards at one of the tourist shops look like they haven’t changed since the 80’s and some contained odd subject matter – naked Weigie guys at scenic viewpoints !?
The weather forecast of cloud and rain was wrong. It was so hot (out of he wind) I think I got sunburnt.
We then took a ferry up the fjord to Gudvangen. Not as spectacular from the bottom as peering over 1000m drop – but beautiful none the less. V spotted some dolphins in the water. The bus ride back to Voss had an interesting and steep switchback section – crazy Norwegian civil engineers again. R20 for a packet of chips at Voss station – think they change the prices as a joke when they see a tourist bus offloading.
All in all it was good to be a passenger for a day. No thought, no stress – just follow the herd.
Decided on taking the bus to Bergen – much cheaper than a ferry. The main highway incorporates cool suspension bridges, undersea tunnels and ferry crossings.. Odd way to travel.
We crossed paths again with a French couple from the guesthouse and another French couple that we met at the Kjerag boulder (they were the only other people out there yesterday).
Sunny to start with, but it started snowing on the last ferry crossing as V and I shared a hotdog (grillpølse) for lunch. Tonight we are in a mixed dorm with 30+ beds (R250/p/n = nuts). Should be an interesting/exhausting experience. Tommorow we are fjording again.
Neither rain nor snow nor sleet will keep us from Kjeragbolten.
Kjeragbolten is a big boulder wedged between two cliffs a thousand metres above Lysefjord. It’s an amazing spot and we wanted to go there. Once again we found that we were too early in the season for the bus so we swallowed hard before coughing up an exorbitant amount to rent a car for a day. The weather looked alright in Stavanger but as we drove out of town the rain started. Further along the 140 km trip we had sleet and eventually even snow. The weather changed every time we rounded a corner or came out of a tunnel. The scenery along the narrow winding road was beautiful. Lots of lakes and rugged cliffs and was sparsely populated. The few towns we passed through looked relatively empty.
At the deserted car park we prepared ourselves for the hike ahead with our improvised gloves (socks) and scarves (travel towels). It started to snow lightly as we started the first steep climb. Thank goodness for the chains that had been put up to hold/haul yourself up the rocky face.
The hike was wonderful. Lightly falling snow in parts, howling wind in others and then all of a sudden lovely sunshine. Lots of steep ups and downs before we got onto the ridge. All in all It took us 2.5 hours to get to the top.
The boulder looks easy to get onto but you need to edge youself along a narrow ledge behind it. The ledge is unprotected and there are no handholds to prevent you tumbling to your death a thousand metres below. The fact that the ledge was also covered in ice meant we had to make do with a picture of ourselves near the boulder instead of on it. We value our lives far more than a cool picture.
We would have loved to have spent more time hanging out with the boulder and enjoying the spectacular views but the weather started to turn and the howling frigid wind made us decide to head back. 2 hours later and we were back in the still deserted car park.
It was an awesome hike. We were well chuffed with ourselves for not having given up on getting there. We finished up the day with a quick drive down to the town at the bottom before heading back to Stavanger. Some minor confusion with how to use a Norwegian petrol pump and worries about toll roads (no booth u just drive though and it either picks up a transponder in the car or photographs the number plate – guess they will add it onto the car rental bill) and we were done and dusted.
In all it was an incredible day. It is for experiences like this that we are doing this trip.
With little sleep (combination of noisy Russ kids and excitement) we caught the first ferry to Tau. For about R200 you get a return package ferry and bus to the trailhead. There was only one other hiker on the bus.
The 3.4km hike up took us 2 hours (not bad considering how unfit we are) and was cold in places with the odd patch of snow on the ground.
The Pulpit did not fail to impress! A 604m drop to the fjord floor. Stunning vertical cliffs on 3 sides. Sneaking up to a edge was truly thrilling – and peering over the lip.. WOW ! 30m kills just as easily, but it is an impressive chunk of rock.
We took the obligatory photos (will upload when we get to a pc) and found a perch to have lunch. We have taken to fruit, hard boiled eggs and a desert for ‘pack lunches’.
The trek back down went quicker even though the trail was choked with hikers on their way up. From kids to grandparents and chihauhaus (no kidding) to spaniels – all were out for a Sunday afternoon hike.
On returning to Stavanger we took in the petroleum museum – expensive, but not as boring as it sounds. We had been asking various people all day about getting out to Kjerag with no luck (it’s just too early in the season). The evening was spent hatching a cunning plan – V will explain…
P.S. Excuse the long posts. The ‘more’ tag doesn’t work from the WordPress iPhone app !
Our LP guide is out of date…We eventually gave up looking for the tourist info office and headed for our accomodation (some 3km away uphill). We arrived at a delapidated old house with junk strewn across the garden. I was worried, V even more so. Turned out to be a place the guesthouse owner is renovating. Apparently our host would have collected us at the station and taken us to the guesthouse perfectly located some 500m away from town. Should have checked email and confirmed the address before we arrived. Another lesson learnt.
In stunning sunny weather (hot when the wind stops) we headed into town to check out some museums and get some info about fjord tours. No surprise , the tourist info office and all the museums were closed.
The town was full of the Norwegian equivalent of ‘Matriculants’ celebrating the end of exams. Apparently 16000 Russ had decended on Stavenger for a weeknd of debauchery – explaining why we battled to get accomodation.
The town centre is beautiful. Narrow winding streets of old and modern buildings lining the harbour and surrounding hills. Since we are staying here for 3 nights we stocked up on supplies – eating in is significantly cheaper than eating out. We found Marie biscuits ! They look the same but taste different 🙂
Norway is imediately more impressive than Denmark. Rocky coast, hills, forests, more than 3 people per street. We arrived at Kristiansand and after ditching our gear we went for a walk.
Four hours later we had walked around the slightly scenic Odderoya Island, along the bay and beach, and around the old and new town. We had no luck finding the famous palm trees. They must still be locked away for the winter. Really (its in the lonely planet so it must be true), they are the only ones in Norway and are brought out of hiding to the beach during summer.
The 17th century fort was closed until next week (a trend begins) so we opted for an earlier night and domestic chores.
In the morning we were planning on going to see the canon museum, but again.. closed for the winter. Pity, it’s the second largest canon in the world. A WWII relic that could fire half way to Denmark. So we got up and strolled around town before catching the train to Stavanger.
We are not ‘yet’ accustomed to travel. The daily grind of finding food, accomodation and transportation along with seeing what we have come to see is far from relaxing. We expected nothing less.
Hirtshals was as dead as Hamlet. We ate dinner in one of the 2 open resturants. Being the only patrons they closed up as soon as we left – the sun was still up!
In the morning we headed to the only tourist attraction, the largest aquarium in Europe. Impressive 8m high piece of glass, playful seals and huge sunfish, but no sharks. They are renovating the place so we scored ‘meal’ vouchers – if you can call coffee and cake a meal.
The ferry (Fjord Cat) to Norway was quick, and rough. It sounded like the bottles in the duty free shop were not going to make it. V and I avoided getting sea sick by keeping our eyes closed for most of the trip.
We have blitzed through Denmark faster than the Germans. Esbjerg was not too intersting, but we did just stroll through it from the ferry to the train station.
The Danes, their trains and the weather have been great. ‘Rural’ Denmark seems to consist of flat green farmland, wind turbines, waterways, freakishly considerate people and manure (hopefully just the time of year).
I’ve been looking out of the train window in search of the famous Lurpak Cows. Don’t believe everything you see on TV – the cows here don’t seem to have their own fun-fares.
Tonight we are in Hirtshals (if you say it like it is written the ladies at the ticket office will have no idea where you want to go). Then tomorrow morning it’s off to Norway – that’s where the cool stuff starts.
Denmark! Country # 2 If you include England – we do.
V was reading me a bit on their history, culture etc. Seems we will be fine as long as we don’t; tip the waiters (they earn too much), insult the monarchy or the flag. And we will need to be on time, walk fast and never.. ever.. order tea (they drink more coffee per capita than any other nation).
Posted
on May 5, 2010, 15:05,
by Simon,
under On the Road, UK.
We’ve passed the Greenwich Meridian by train and boarded the DFDS Dana Sirena to Denmark. The next imaginary line of any significance we’ll be crossing is the Arctic Circle. Once again I was stopped at security for a ‘random’ check. I must look really guilty – it seems every time I go through security I get stopped (a little confirmation bias possibly).
Next stop – Esbjerg, Denmark.
A note on posts. We will try write posts as often as possible, but will only be able to upload when we get access. Pics with posts will be iPhone photos, so excuse the quality. I will upload galleries when we can use a pc (wish iPhone took an SD card !)
The train trip from Trondheim to Bodø (pronounced Booda) was stunning. Passing along huge fjords, lakes, snow covered mountains, frozen lakes, vast wilderness areas and endless forests – but did not spot any reindeer. 
We set out early again in search of bigger, more impressive fjords. Our tour took us to the Hardangerfjord.
Survived one night in a dodgy dorm. My ear plugs are fantastic but V didn’t get much sleep even though it was quiet.
Neither rain nor snow nor sleet will keep us from Kjeragbolten. 
At the deserted car park we prepared ourselves for the hike ahead with our improvised gloves (socks) and scarves (travel towels). It started to snow lightly as we started the first steep climb. Thank goodness for the chains that had been put up to hold/haul yourself up the rocky face. 
It was an awesome hike. We were well chuffed with ourselves for not having given up on getting there. We finished up the day with a quick drive down to the town at the bottom before heading back to Stavanger. Some minor confusion with how to use a Norwegian petrol pump and worries about toll roads (no booth u just drive though and it either picks up a transponder in the car or photographs the number plate – guess they will add it onto the car rental bill) and we were done and dusted. 
Perfect (acceptable) weather for the first ‘must do’ excursion on our list – 
Our LP guide is out of date…We eventually gave up looking for the tourist info office and headed for our accomodation (some 3km away uphill). We arrived at a delapidated old house with junk strewn across the garden. I was worried, V even more so. Turned out to be a place the guesthouse owner is renovating. Apparently our host would have collected us at the station and taken us to the guesthouse perfectly located some 500m away from town. Should have checked email and confirmed the address before we arrived. Another lesson learnt. 
In the morning we were planning on going to see the canon museum, but again.. closed for the winter. Pity, it’s the second largest canon in the world. A WWII relic that could fire half way to Denmark. So we got up and strolled around town before catching the train to Stavanger. 
Denmark! Country # 2 If you include England – we do.