Two Curious Souls

The Opera House in Oslo From Bergen to Oslo is a two-hour, non-stop flight. We opted instead for a 7-hour train trip that rewarded us well. The route took us once again to Myrdal, the same route as the we took the day before to go to Flam. We got another chance to travel along beside the inland fjords and rivers draining the snowmelt. Today the sun was shining rather than the overcast skies of yesterday. The rivers were rushing. We briefly stopped at Voss. We remembered from the day before that this town is known as extreme sporting capital of Norway. Everything is available from hang gliding to extreme skiing as well as whitewater rafting. I drifted back to my youth of kayaking and rafting rushing waters and could feel the adrenaline building.   Beautifully set in a snow-covered alpine setting. We could envision a winter vacation spent there. We then continued to Myrdal and stopped at the station. As we left we entered a tunnel into the mountains and when we came out, we found o...

Bryggen - The older trading district At approximately 400,000 residents, Bergen is the second largest city in Norway. Its origins trace back, like Amsterdam, to the early trade routes. But also, like most of Norway, it's roots trace to the Vikings. In 1066, but before William the Conqueror prevailed in conquering England, the English defeated the Norwegian King Harald Hardrade at the battle of Stamford Bridge. His successor, Olaf III, returned to Norway after seeing his father perish. He became known as Olaf the Peaceful and his 26-year rule was about making peace with everyone and he did that. In the process he also established the town of Bjorvin, now Bergen as the capital of Norway. This little ferry crosses the harbor every 10 minutes. It served as the capital of Norway for a couple of hundred years. Right next to our hotel was the old Bergenhus Fortress. If walls could talk, this place would have 1,000 years to report. We arrived in Bergen on the ferry from Leikanger. There’...