Sunday, July 14, 2013

Norway

What can I say about Norway?! It was the country that I was looking forward to the most on my Scandinavian tour, so I spent the most time there, 5th-10th June. If you ever get the chance to go to Norway, do it. Don't think twice about it, just go. Let me tell you, it does not disapoint. I would have loved to explore this beautiful country more thouroughly, but alas time was against me. So I only spent time in Oslo, Bergen and the surrounding areas. Here's my thoughts.

First impressions:
Nature is everywhere. Having been living in the dead flat country of NL, it was so amazing to see all the mountains and valleys. I took the train for 7 hours between Oslo and Bergen and it was spectacular! Each corner that the train rounded gave a stunning view of mountains, trees, water and valley. In the higher sections of this trip there was also snow! I tried reading and watching tv on this trip, but my eyes keep gravitating to the window and the view. Needless to say, I didn't get much of either done.

The capital- Oslo:
A couple of days in Oslo at a youth hostel gave me a chance to relex a little without have to chat to a host, as I was still feeling a bit sick from the cold that I had before I left on my travels. I feel a bit guilty about staying indoors rather than sight-seeing, but I was able to see the main sights on the day that I left. Although I felt like it was a very industrial city, the harbour was spectacular. Driving into Oslo on the bus we also had a great view of the islands and inlets. On the 7th there was a regatta in the harbour, which made for some pretty views. 

town hall

Akerhus Fortress on the harbourregatta on the harbour

Norwegian National Ballet and Opera houseRoyal Palace


Out west- Bergen:
The second biggest city in Noway is situated on the west coast and deep in fjord country. I took the train across the mountains, which had stunning views at every turn! The city of Bergen itself is very hilly with cute little houses and stone streets everywhere. It's also surrounded by the mountains, which makes for a great backdrop. While I was there I went on a train/bus/boat tour to and on two of the fjords. I could share so many photos with you (I took about 250), but here's just a few.

 
 
 


1 comment:

  1. Wow! I've never been very interested in travelling through northern Europe, with my fascination being Spain. But these photos, and your enthusiasm are contagious! I'd love to have an opportunity to go through scenes like these!

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