After Scotland, we flew to Oslo, where we enjoyed some Norwegian licorice, the young and hip bar scene (complete with Norwegian Fatøl beer), and the fact that all the Norwegians seemed to speak perfect, fluent English! Then, it was off to Hardangervidda National Park for five days of backpacking through some of the most beautiful, desolate country I've ever seen. It rained throughout the second day, which really made us appreciate the good weather for the remainder of the trip. In the park, we met a guide who said "there is no bad weather - only bad clothing!" which I will definitely remember the next time I am so far north. In fact, we were so far north that it only got dark for a couple of hours each night! After hiking, we took a train to Bergen where our exploration of the city included a Ferris wheel, a leper museum, a traditional Norwegian dancing show, several pubs, an outdoor market (with caviar, fish and tons of tourist trinkets) and bizarre, communist-style buildings blighting the otherwise beautiful city. Then, we took a ferry through the fjords which was a great way to see how the cliffs rise out of the sea. That dropped us off in a little town whose only point of existence seemed to be to herd tourists onto a train that went up a steep canyon - the guides were keen to emphasize that it was the steepest railroad in all of Norway. At any rate, we ended up at the top of the canyon in a big basin, surrounded by spectacular peaks with eight hours to kill so we started hiking. We made it to the top of one of the peaks in time to see the sun just over the horizon, slowly making its way down. Then we took the night train back to Oslo for Jay's flight back and I waited another day in Oslo - which turned into two when I slept through my flight (at the gate!). We didn't make it as far north as the arctic circle, which has been one of my lifelong goals, but that's really just a great excuse to go back! View more photos.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Summer Vacation Part II: Norway
After Scotland, we flew to Oslo, where we enjoyed some Norwegian licorice, the young and hip bar scene (complete with Norwegian Fatøl beer), and the fact that all the Norwegians seemed to speak perfect, fluent English! Then, it was off to Hardangervidda National Park for five days of backpacking through some of the most beautiful, desolate country I've ever seen. It rained throughout the second day, which really made us appreciate the good weather for the remainder of the trip. In the park, we met a guide who said "there is no bad weather - only bad clothing!" which I will definitely remember the next time I am so far north. In fact, we were so far north that it only got dark for a couple of hours each night! After hiking, we took a train to Bergen where our exploration of the city included a Ferris wheel, a leper museum, a traditional Norwegian dancing show, several pubs, an outdoor market (with caviar, fish and tons of tourist trinkets) and bizarre, communist-style buildings blighting the otherwise beautiful city. Then, we took a ferry through the fjords which was a great way to see how the cliffs rise out of the sea. That dropped us off in a little town whose only point of existence seemed to be to herd tourists onto a train that went up a steep canyon - the guides were keen to emphasize that it was the steepest railroad in all of Norway. At any rate, we ended up at the top of the canyon in a big basin, surrounded by spectacular peaks with eight hours to kill so we started hiking. We made it to the top of one of the peaks in time to see the sun just over the horizon, slowly making its way down. Then we took the night train back to Oslo for Jay's flight back and I waited another day in Oslo - which turned into two when I slept through my flight (at the gate!). We didn't make it as far north as the arctic circle, which has been one of my lifelong goals, but that's really just a great excuse to go back! View more photos.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Summer Vacation Part I: Scotland
Jay, one of my best friends, had leave from the army to travel, so we decided to go to Scotland and then Norway. It was a much needed break for me to get away from Oxford, and I got a bit carried away and ended up returning to Boulder for a while as well. Jay and I traveled up the west coast of Scotland to see the Hadrian Wall, castles, the Isle of Skye, Loch Ness and many Scottish towns. We climbed Ben Nevis, tasted some good Scottish whiskey and were blessed with (geographically uncharacteristically) great weather. The Highlands were my favorite, followed closely by the stunning Isle of Skye. My favorite city was Inverness where we listened to a genuine Scottish band with bagpipes and all. View more photos.
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