Sognefjord to Bergen to Os-Day 14

Today we ascended the Vikafjeil to Voss and then descend to Bergen, Norway's most cultural and naturally beautiful city.

Our trip across this area the last two days was called "Norway in a Nutshell" and included train, ferry and bus to catch all the views.  Norway is a beautiful, beautiful place.

 

We have a sightseeing tour which includes the home Edward Grieg and one of the Stave Churches originally built in 1150 but reconstructed after a fire in 1992.

A Stave church according to Wikipedia is a medieval wooden church with a post and posand beam construction related to timber framing. The wall frames are filled with vertical planks.

 
All of the surviving Stave churches except one are in Norway and we saw a few along our journey. 

Home of Edward Grieg

We finally arrived  at our hotel in Os for a wonderful supper and free time to explore.

 

Geiranger to Sognefjord-Day 13

Actually this was a picture from the day before but more views like it as this is a day of driving and looking at the views.  We saw a lot of falls which I didn't pictures of for some reason but very beautiful.

The striking contrasts between the fjord and alpine peaks and between fertile field and snow and ice are characteristic of the Tafjordfjella mountains.

 

We stopped to view the Boyabreen glacier and I bought a card to show that the glacier has been shrinking every year.  Somewhere along here the Tour Director had a snack and a taste of Skol for everyone!



We finally reach the beauty of the Sognefjord Hotel.  We visited the Leikanger Church here and I think this is the place Denice and I went down to listen to some music being played in the bar that evening.

 

Herdelssetra (Summer Farm)-Day 12

We visit the largest dairy farm cooperative for goats in Norway.  The modern day farming is based on and at one with 300 years of tradition.  This summer farm with its 400 goats, some cows, sheep and horses is reached by a private toll road of high standard.

The goats were very friendly.

 

This was a fun experience and the bus trip was interesting as well.

 

The lady in blue is the manager of the farm.

 

 Denice kept encouraging me to mingle with the goats.

Young girls are in this little huts stirring the brown cheese.

 

Hamar to Geiranger-Day 11

This is a Stave Church in Lom.  Before reaching it we traveled along the shores of Lake Adjosa and spend time at the Olympic town Lillehammer and see some of the ski slopes that are still in place.

 

Then we travel into the mountains and along the fjords --and what scenery that is.  All this before we reach our fjiord side hotel in the town of Geiranger.

 

The hotel is called "Hotel with a View"

Before we get there we travel on the last ferry of the year 2000 because winter will soon begin.  The scenery is more beautiful than we ever expecxted to see.

There were farms up in this precipitous mountains as recently as 1961. The farms were a testament to man's ability to survive. History tells us of children and animals being tethered so they didn't fall over precipices, of walking several miles to fetch the midwife or doctor. And of paths being blocked up when the tax man came!

Picture taken on the ferry. 

Walking in and around the hotel area.

 

 

More scenery from our ferry.

Stockholm to Hamar-Day 10

My ancestors did come from Stockholm.  They also came from Karlstad which is where the next two pictures are taken.  Notice I have my red and black on--just like the Stockholm ladies I thought. 
 

As we were going by in the bus I noticed the name of Karlskoga on this trailor, this was another city my relatives came from.

 

Our destination for the night was to be this Scandic Hotel in Hamar.  I loved the comforters and warm towels we found in all the hotels.  Denice like to sleep on her comforter but I liked it on top of me.

Another city we spent some time in was medieval Orebro and I had heard my aunt's speak about Orebro, yes we had relatives from there, too.  After Orebro and Lake Vanern we drove through Varmland which we had many relatives from. 

We drove along the Glomma River before finally reaching the Sweden/Norway border marked by this huge monument.   Denice's ancestors came from Norway and the reason she had been planning this trip for four years.  I was anxious to compare Norway and Sweden.  So far I no knew why I liked pine trees, red houses, and candy, plus wearing red and black.  All part of my dna I guess.

Finally we reached Hamar which became a trading center in the 11th century and an advanced city as far back as 1849.   Within walking distance from the hotel was a huge Cathedral, and also the oldest operating paddle steamer in the world plus the Viking Ship which is a new tourist attraction. 

This is Viking Hall of the Winter Games.

Stockholm Sightseeing-Day 9

Our morning sightseeing trip includes the City Hall.  The City Hall is amazing, right on the water and absolutely beautiful inside and out. 

 

 

They give out the Nobel Prizes from here.

So beautiful, you have to see it to believe it.

This was the Royal Dramatic Theater.

We explored Old Town by ourselves, such a fun place with good things to eat and fun things to buy.

 

Earlier in the day at the Royal Palace I took this picture of students touring.  They looked just like Americans I thought.

There was a fun marketplace where vendors were selling lots of different things near our hotel and we had fun talking to an American who had gone to Sweden to study and then married and stayed there.  He made wooden toys and puzzles and I believe I bought some from him. 

Denice and I really enjoyed walking all over Stockholm and going into the modern area as well as old town.  In the downtown area so many of the young people were wearing red and black.  Very noticeable.  We also found there were candy stores on about every corner.  No wonder I love candy, it is in my genes.

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One of the most interesting museums was the Vasa Museum on the island of Djurgarden in Stockholm.  There is much to see but the main thing is the royal warship Vasa which was built in 1628 and sank on her maiden voyage.  The Vasa was the most expensive and richly decorated naval vessel that Sweden had ever built.  She was the King's pride.

In 1956 Andersw Franzen found the ship and began the salvage and restoration.  It is one of the world's foremost sights and best preserved 17th-century ships.  As of 1994 over fifteen million visitors from various countries had viewed it and the adventure is still in progress and being seen by millions more.

It was also in Stockholm when I finally let Denice know how frustrating it was when she positively said she knew something (for instance when people would ask how to get to a certain place) and then she was wrong.  She was so eager to be of help but it is not help when we walk four blocks out of our way beccause she is so sure she knows the way.  Other than that we got along just fine but I began to doubt her assurances and depended more on my own directions than to ask for her help.

We thought the most beautiful people we saw were in Stockholm (on the whole trip).  Norway has beautiful scenery but Sweden has beautiful people.

Copenhagen to Stockholm-Day 8

We take a morning ferry crossing of the Oresund to Sweden.  Then on to Granna, at the head of Lake Vattern.  I thought I would love to live there, didn't get many pictures though as we were driving in a bus.  I loved seeing southern Sweden, the countryside and houses.  Lots of red houses.

 

 

We stopped at this wonderful place for the best lunch.  We ate so well on the whole tour.


This was actually just to see the thatched roof!

 

Can't remember where this was but so picturesque.


And then finally we arrive in Stockholm where we will stay two nights.

We will have lots of free time to do lots of walking of Old Town and our hotel is located so we can walk many, many places.