Back home

Well what a bad blogger am I!! The last 3 days in Norway still not accounted for!

We decided to get the train from Voss to Bergen mainly because my husband loves trains! I had packed up all my things in a backpack and abandoned my suitcase with Doug so that made things easier!

My last trip to Voss was on a school ski trip when I was 12 so it was quite nice to go back! Voss is huge (population 10000) compared to laerdal (population 1000)

Here are a few of my Voss pics 

Again I had to take a picture of a house! I love them they have south character!

We caught the train to Bergen and that's where we spent the next two days (and after a little moan and change of room - twice-  we were upgraded to a business class room!) Bergen is pretty and we enjoyed walking around the streets stopping for a hot chocolate in a gorgeous quant cafe - all books and comfy chairs. 

The weather was glorious on our last day and we climbed the hill which overlooks Bergen (with most of the population of Bergen it seemed) and enjoyed the views. 

At 3.15 Doug left to catch a train back to Voss and I waited in the hotel lobby before catching an airport shuttle bus.

Bergen airport has to be the most confusing in the world but I did eventually find my departure gate! It was beside the duty free and it was amusing to watch arriving Norwegians descend on the shop like locusts - they just about stripped it of alcohol and left with as much as they could carry!!

Anyway a smooth flight later I landed at Heathrow where it was raining - like a monsoon!!!

It was a fantastic week with the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen so I would highly recommend a visit there if you get the chance (just take food!!!)

And the fish market too -

That was the ugliest fish ever!!!!

A day on the fjords with a train ride in for good measure

A boat trip through the fjords - had to be done and that was our day out yesterday! We caught the bus to Gudvangen which went through the long tunnel (again!) followed by more tunnels and got off at our destination 2 hours before the boat was due. Luckily the sustantial shop and coffee shop opened at ten so after a quick perusal of the gift shop (seal fur?? Awful) we had a hot chocolate and a hot waffle. 

The scenery is spectacular and I took quite a lot of pics before the boat arrived:

We all rushed to get tickets and our seats  on the boat. Lots of people took the chairs outside but since it was a little chilly we grabbed a table and made ourselves comfortable...

Then off we went!! And there is no need for any more words.... 

After 2 hours the boat arrived in Flam where we then caught the train to Myrdal.

When we got up to Myrdal it was snowing which was lovely - this is on the main Bergen to Oslo line but as we were going back to laerdal we headed back to Flam and a coach back through THAT tunnel again!!

Walk and a bike ride today

This morning we went for a bike ride and then a walk beside the river - the waterfall is beautiful as was the scenery. Pictures of today's adventures coming up!

Tomorrow we are hoping to take a boat down one of the most picturesque fjords followed by catching the train at Flam which is the steepest railway in the world (this is going to be interesting following my trip up Mt Pilatus in Switzerland in the  summer which was rather steep!!!

On another note here is dougs food stash!!!! I think he has enough for another 7 weeks!

Houses!

Just back from a quick visit to the Co-op - look at these beautiful houses I passed on the way:

Pretty!!!!!

Laerdal

So after a few tunnels and hours I arrived on laerdal - Doug was waiting to meet me and after a 5 minute walk we were in the cabin he is sharing with fellow student Sophie for 10 weeks.                    

I emptied out about 26kgs of food from my backpack and suitcase Doug couldn't believe what I had brought! 

After a shower and dinner I was so tired so it was off to bed.

Doug woke me up at 6 as he was leaving for his shift. After a few hours I decided to have a little walk to explore Laerdal - here are some pictures :

Norway!

I As I may have mentioned a few times my husband has a nursing placement in Norway for 13 weeks. So I had to visit over half term! Quite a trek though - I left at 3.30 on Friday afternoon and stayed at my daughters godparents house on Friday night! Knowing we wanted to leave at 5.30 am it was an early night after a lovely meal and a few bottles of vino (the lack of any alcohol since 31st August meant I felt merry rather quickly!)

Anyway alarms were set for 5 am ...

I woke at 2....3... And 4 .... 

Then at 4.25 Sam knocked at the door saying 'get up we have slept in ... It's 5.25!!!' Panic stations.... Until Madeleine realised it was actually 4.25!!!! We were up so left at 5 and were at Heathrow on plenty of time!

The flight was with British Airways to Bergen - it was a lovely flight - smooth even though due to high winds over London we were warned about the possibility of turbulence!

The weather in Bergen was breezy but the Temp about 11 degrees so not too bad. As the bus to Laerdal where Doug is wasn't leaving for another 4 hours I stayed at the airport for 2 hours before catching the bus into Bergen. This was ok as I had free wi-fi!!! 

I got on an empty coach - followed by a Norwegian couple who sat beside right behind me and an Australian couple who sat right in front of me - so an empty coach bar the little cluster at the back around me!!!!!

So off into Bergen - I managed to get off at the right stop and find the right place to pick up the next coach .... In 1 1/2 hours!!!

So after being approached by a tramp who rambled away in Norwegian before realising I hadn't a clue what he was saying the coach arrived....

And what a coach journey it was!!! Four hours later and a lot of beautiful scenery later! The only thing I found difficult were the tunnels - 5km, 12km and then the big one 25 km.... Apparently people here can become phobic of them and have panic attacks which is why periodically there are domes so people can stop if they find it too much.... I managed last night to not panic but I am not looking forward to the return trip through them!!!!

Norway!!!

Well hubby is in Norway and I am set to visit in a month!!! Excited!!! Yes!!!

I have been so lucky in the last few years to travel to Botswana and South Africa, New York, Singapore and Australia. In Europe the last few years have included visits to Malta, France,Switzerland and Ireland. Lots of fabulous memories!

On my last visit to Norway I was 12 and I can still remember the beauty if the fjords... So watch this space for lots of pics!!!!