2 Years in Germany
Year 2 came to an end with our first trip to Scandinavia. A couple months ago, we booked a trip to Oslo and the Fjords region along the western coast of Norway. A long holiday weekend here in Germany afforded us a brief window to take a rapid fire trip without holding the girls out of school for more than a day.
Thursday, we flew out and by early evening we were strolling the streets of downtown Oslo. The main pedestrian walking street in Oslo is along Karl Johans Gate. It is capped by the main train station from which our hotel was located on one end and the Det Kongelige Slottet (Royal Palace) at the other. With darkness not falling until 10:30 or 11:00pm each night there are opportunities to take advantage of long days. Another reality to get used to in Scandinavia is the scandalous prices ($55 for a large pizza, some chips, garlic bread and some water).
The sticker shock is offset by brilliant scenery and sights that are truly unique to the rest of Europe. Our stroll through Oslo the first evening was a pleasant way to get acquainted with the city as we geared up for a big day Friday.
From there we visited the Vikingskipshuset (Viking ship) and the Kon-Tiki Museet. The first is a small museum that contain three Viking ships that where built in the 9th century. The later houses the balsa wood raft and reed boat that Thor Heyerdahl used to sail across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans to demonstrate the abilities for past civilizations to travel and colonization across the world.
We were greeted by a steady rainfall as we ferried back to the main harbor. Seeking shelter we visited the Rådhuset (City Hall) where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented every December.
As the rain started to subside, we walked around and caught dinner at Aker Brygge – a shopping area along the Oslo harbor area. To close out the day, we visited the Vigelandsparken. It is an impressive park filled with 212 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland.
On Saturday morning, after a nice breakfast at the hotel, we ventured off for an adventure to the Fjords. 5 hours on the train to the small station in Myrdal, and then a dramatic descent nearly a thousand meters landed us at the base of the Sognefjord. One of the most significant sites along the journey was the area around Finse. With an amazing amount of snow and barren landscape, this area seemed popular with locals looking for a late season cross country ski excursion.
The descent from Myrdal to Flåm was made on the famous Flåmsbana train. After a long day of train travel, we let the kids play and took a walk through the hills around the Fjord. The brilliant scenery was something to behold.
With a boat trip through Fjord from Flåm to Bergen scheduled for later in the afternoon on Sunday, we had the day to explore the area. We chose to walk/hike to the Ostenes farm houses nestled in the mountains. The trip to Bergen on the boat from Flåm to Bergen provided for some fantastic views.
We essentially had little time to see much of Bergen as we simply strolled from the docks to the train station to catch our night train back to Oslo. The kids were cooked and ready to rest. The 7 ½ hour ride went quickly as we slept the entire way. The girls weren’t terribly excited about waking up and getting off the train at 6:30am, but we managed.
Thursday, we flew out and by early evening we were strolling the streets of downtown Oslo. The main pedestrian walking street in Oslo is along Karl Johans Gate. It is capped by the main train station from which our hotel was located on one end and the Det Kongelige Slottet (Royal Palace) at the other. With darkness not falling until 10:30 or 11:00pm each night there are opportunities to take advantage of long days. Another reality to get used to in Scandinavia is the scandalous prices ($55 for a large pizza, some chips, garlic bread and some water).
The sticker shock is offset by brilliant scenery and sights that are truly unique to the rest of Europe. Our stroll through Oslo the first evening was a pleasant way to get acquainted with the city as we geared up for a big day Friday.
Friday’s priority was to visit the outdoor museums and exhibits located on the Bygdøynes peninsula. From the city center the Bydøynes area is best accessed by a short ride on the ferry. Our first stop was the Norsk Folkemuseum. The highlights were the Gol Stave Church made of beautiful timber (from 1200’s) and the Setesdaltunet (buildings/farm houses from the Setesdal region in southern Norway dating from the 17th and 18th century).
From there we visited the Vikingskipshuset (Viking ship) and the Kon-Tiki Museet. The first is a small museum that contain three Viking ships that where built in the 9th century. The later houses the balsa wood raft and reed boat that Thor Heyerdahl used to sail across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans to demonstrate the abilities for past civilizations to travel and colonization across the world.
We were greeted by a steady rainfall as we ferried back to the main harbor. Seeking shelter we visited the Rådhuset (City Hall) where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented every December.
As the rain started to subside, we walked around and caught dinner at Aker Brygge – a shopping area along the Oslo harbor area. To close out the day, we visited the Vigelandsparken. It is an impressive park filled with 212 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland.
On Saturday morning, after a nice breakfast at the hotel, we ventured off for an adventure to the Fjords. 5 hours on the train to the small station in Myrdal, and then a dramatic descent nearly a thousand meters landed us at the base of the Sognefjord. One of the most significant sites along the journey was the area around Finse. With an amazing amount of snow and barren landscape, this area seemed popular with locals looking for a late season cross country ski excursion.
The descent from Myrdal to Flåm was made on the famous Flåmsbana train. After a long day of train travel, we let the kids play and took a walk through the hills around the Fjord. The brilliant scenery was something to behold.
With a boat trip through Fjord from Flåm to Bergen scheduled for later in the afternoon on Sunday, we had the day to explore the area. We chose to walk/hike to the Ostenes farm houses nestled in the mountains. The trip to Bergen on the boat from Flåm to Bergen provided for some fantastic views.
We essentially had little time to see much of Bergen as we simply strolled from the docks to the train station to catch our night train back to Oslo. The kids were cooked and ready to rest. The 7 ½ hour ride went quickly as we slept the entire way. The girls weren’t terribly excited about waking up and getting off the train at 6:30am, but we managed.
Our remaining hours were highlighted by a trip up to the Holmenkollen ski jump overlooking the Oslo Fjord valley. The jump itself is undergoing a dramatic reconstruction, but the views from the sight were a fitting end to the weekend.
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