Scandinavian Adventure 2014 - Norway in a Nutshell Oslo to Flåm

July 25, 2014. We rolled out early eagerly anticipating the first leg of our Norway in a Nutshell tour. After packing out, we packed in another delicious buffet breakfast. It was hard to leave Hotel Oslo City Center and Oslo with so much left to explore.

Our cab driver was most pleasant and delivered us to the train station promptly. En route we were delighted to catch a glimpse of the famous Oslo Opera House, designed by the same architect that designed the new James Hunt library on the Centennial Campus of North Carolina State University.

Then the "fun" began. Tom had braved the elements and another long walk the night before to get our our train tickets and instructions for catching the train. It should have been easy. Enter the main door, exit to the right. We located the platform, but not the train. Hmm. Many workers with orange vests were stationed throughout the boarding areas. When we asked for help they would shrug their shoulders and act like they didn't want to be bothered. No one inside the station could help either. Finally someone told Tom to cross several tracks and board a bus. Now that was fun trailing our luggage! Tom found the vehicle, a van, and was trying to verify that we were in the correct place. Another van pulled out, so Ann stepped back behind a large van to wait for Tom's instructions. Suddenly a stranger grabbed her and pulled her to safety as the large van began to back up, totally unaware that she was standing very near the rear bumper.

Tension mounted as we boarded the van - which was not labeled as a Norway in a Nutshell vehicle. Others were just as confused, but we had little choice. The driver was a man of few words and fewer answers. The van delivered us to Grefsen station (huh?) where we found a crowd of tourists waiting for the Norway in a Nutshell train. Gratefully it was late and we made the connection. 

When the train arrived we searched for our car. A rail employee directed us toward the end of the very long train. We ran, again trailing our luggage. Panic set in when we got to the end of the platform and there were still more cars. We jumped down and dragged our luggage through the gravel toward the end. Our car was not there. By now, no other passengers could be seen outside the train. Ann burst into tears when she realized that she could not get up onto the train because it was too high above the ground. We bolted back to the platform, climbed back up and scrambled up into a car, lifting and dragging our luggage.

We plopped down into empty seats just before the train left the station. A very nice couple and their daughter recognized that we were in great distress and began to comfort us. Several people walked through the car and we fully expected them to claim the seats. The conductor came through and assured us that it did not matter where we sat. 

Now the fun began. Our "comforters" spoke with Southern accents. This music to our ears hailed from South Carolina. They were just as excited to find that we were from North Carolina. We shared a delightful morning of drinking in the scenery and the companionship. Nicer people could not be found on the face of the earth. 

When we later connected to the network and received news, we discovered that the confusion had been caused by a terror alert. A Norwegian national was returning from ISIS training and was expected in Oslo. Apparently all those workers in orange vests had been security officers.

These glimpses of our views pale in comparison to the beauty we enjoyed. Click on the picture for an expanded view.

That's the front of our train on the right, where we were supposed to be sitting.

This reminds us of Western North Carolina. 

 Who gets the wishbone?

 Oh my! This is a hiking trail. 

Hardangerjokulen glacier- from Finse

Waiting for the Fläm train in Myrdal

Flam Railway 

 Our delightful traveling companions from South Carolina 

All aboard!

Kjosfossen, home of the Lady of the Mist

Fläm

For the complete photo album visit Train Ride from Oslo to Fläm

Scandinavian Adventures 2014 - Oslo

By 4:30 PM on July 23, 2014, we arrived at our train stop near the National Theater in downtown Oslo. Pulling our bags, we emerged with the masses through a tunnel and stopped to soak in our first glimpses of the city. In many ways it could have been any city. The hustle and bustle of people, passing traffic, buses, trams, kiosks with posters, and a stand selling coffee and treats all looked familiar. The charm of the city shone through the familiar revealing elements that are distinctly Oslo, beginning with the clanking of our bags on the cobblestone plaza and the commanding view of the National Theater. 

Picture of the National Theater from

Wikipedia - Architecture of Norway

Our first challenge? Locate our hotel. We knew the address and that it wasn't far, but were totally disoriented. Tom charted our course and we took off for the three block walk. It got comical as our "gypsy" loads shifted and we had to stop and readjust several times. We discovered only block numbers are posted, not individual addresses. Tom had previously looked for the hotel with Google street view, so we knew approximately where it should be. Studying the movie theater at our Google destination, we realized that it was also the entrance to our hotel. We checked in and were delighted to learn that "appetizers" would be served later that evening. After the tiny, nondescript lobby, hotel desk, and elevator, we were surprised when the elevator doors opened on a classically appointed older hotel with maze-like halls adorned with rich dark woodwork, beautiful mirrors and artwork. Our room was even better! Without even knowing to ask for it, we were given one of the rooms that had been recently air-conditioned. What a godsend in the unseasonable heat of this Norwegian summer! As a part of the renovation, our room and bath had been beautifully decorated. The room overlooked a park. Score!!!

Adventure awaited, so we wasted little time settling in before hitting the streets. Guided by our quest for our first Norwegian geocache, we took off toward the docks.

 Score! These pictures show the view from our first geocache find.

Classic and modern architecture blend nicely. 

The Norwegian parliament building is to the left of the classic building.

With a geocache under our belts, we wandered onto a side street on our second quest.  Kim Nugent had requested that we bring back a troll for her collection. We had no idea if this would be readily available or an insurmountable task, so sought to find out. We were lured into a promising little shop by a display of trolls, Norwegian sweaters, and t-shirts. Ann realized that because Kim had a collection we might possibly duplicate a purchase, so tried to take a picture of the trolls. A young lady stopped her, explaining that they did not allow pictures. No amount of begging moved her, so Ann went stealth to write down product numbers. Meanwhile Tom was exploring the store when he found the real troll, the shop owner. She took a liking to Tom and decided she would like to keep him. When Ann finished her covert activity, she came to reclaim Tom. We weren't sure the "troll" was going to set Tom free, or if she did if it would involve a curse. We finally broke away with promises to return the next day to make a purchase. She's still waiting for his return. 

Waterfront Oslo beckoned. We so enjoyed viewing the fjord and exploring the docks. Many Norwegians were on holiday, so few others were with us. 

 City hall

 Gotta go?

Akershus Castle and Fortress beyond the docks 

Christiania

 City Hall dominates the waterfront. 

Regretfully, we had to leave the waterfront to return to the hotel in time for appetizers. We took a different route back and made some more discoveries. On this busier thoroughfare near the waterfront, we found that tourist shops abound and trolls are a main feature. Most gratefully, we found no living trolls running those shops!

The back of City Hall

Stepping into hotel breakfast bar, we found that these Norwegians take "appetizers" to a new level. The spread was most impressive and appreciated. Homemade soup, hearty breads, pasta dishes, salads and fruit were all beautifully presented and delicious. We sat at a table by an open window overlooking the park and dined while enjoying watching the people mill past. It was the perfect ending to a very long, exhausting day for two weary travelers who had not seen a bed for 36 hours. Blessed sleep came easily in our cozy quarters.

Ready or not we were now on Norwegian time, so we peeled out early to take advantage of our one day in Oslo. Breakfast, our first treat of the day, was a much needed eye opener. Hearty fresh bread, fresh and smoked salmon, a variety of cold cuts and cheeses, hot and cold cereal, fresh fruit, relishes, and traditional English breakfast fare set the stage for many delightful Norwegian breakfasts to come. With plenteous salmon free for the taking, Tom's Viking heritage began to overtake him. In addition to worrying about the troll lady kidnapping him, Ann began to fear that Tom was going to emigrate to Norway for unlimited salmon. 

Our priority of the day was to visit the National Library to research Tom's ancestors in bygdeboks (farm books), but we decided to spend the morning visiting museums on Bygdøy. We boarded a bus and sat down next to boy who appeared to be about 11 or 12. He was engrossed in conversation on his cell phone until we got excited about spotting the National Library. He promptly interrupted his conversation so that he could speak with us in English. What a delightful young chap! He was very proud of his county and was eager to show us points of interest including the king's summer home. He was headed for a day at the beach and urged us to join him, but we had to disappoint him so he helped us get depart at the proper bus stop. Hearts warmed, we felt very welcome in Norway.

Looking around Bygdøy, we heard of this place that has used boats, so we checked it out. They had some old classics, muscle boats you might say. Tom looked them over, "kicking the tires", so to speak. But he just couldn't find one that was in his price range that wasn't going to need a lot of repair. But it was fun to imagine what it would be like to take one for a test ride. 

Viking Ship Museum

Oseberg ship

Gokstad ship

The tire kicker

Our Viking Ship Museum pictures

After striking out on the boat purchase, we moved on to the Norsk Folkemuseum. Time was running short, so we went first to the stave church (stavkirke). 

 Gol Stave Church c. 1200

The stave church is one of five medieval buildings purchased and moved to his summer home by King Oscar II in 1881 and opened to the public a year later. They were added to the folk museum in 1907. 

The Hove house was built in 1738 as a guest house and "fine" room for important events, and is therefore larger and more luxurious than most houses. However, the floor plan and furnishings are basically the same as other houses in the area.

This delightful lass told us the story of the house

and life there. 

 Many memories were surely made

around this table. 

The family recorded the baptisms of their children on the woodwork.

 Tom was disappointed that the boat deal didn't work out,

but Ann found a nice little summer cabin to console him.

  We enjoyed the buildings from Setesdal in Aust-Agder

Even the outbuildings from Telemark had decorative carving.

Library research called so we had to leave this museum much too soon. We hope to return with plenty of time to explore the 160 buildings.

Our Norsk Folkemuseum pictures

 The walk to the ferry was picturesque.

 One of the best ways to see Oslo is from the fjord.

Our Oslo pictures

After a lovely morning, we spent the afternoon in the national library researching Tom's ancestors in their extensive collection of farm books. We worked until it closed, then made the ten block dash back to the hotel, dodging rain. We enjoyed another delicious buffet dinner. Tom made a twenty block round trip trek to the train station to pick up our Norway in a Nutshell train tickets while Ann did laundry. We hit the sack early to prepare for a very early wake up call. We needed to pack, eat, check out, and catch a taxi to board our train scheduled to depart at 8:05 AM. 

Most of our travel planning was very effective, but we could have made this leg of journey more enjoyable. If we have the privilege of returning to Norway, we will spend more time in Oslo. Wherever we arrive in Scandinavia, we will allow more time at the beginning of the trip to adjust to the time change before beginning major tours.