No Moss For Us

As we hadn’t had enough of a workout or a sense of danger the day before, we decided to double down and also sign up for a longer, more challenging hike: Kjeragbolten!

It began with a long bus ride (no ferries this time, sadly) with a pit stop at a nice tourist center with goat pens, a waterwheel, and more grass covered roofs behind it. We perused the store and it’s aisles of fancy soaps, scented candles and locally made jams, and the back room which was built into the rock and showcased taxidermy’d specimens of all the local fauna – from badgers to bears and mountain cats!

Then it was back on the bus for the second half of the drive, and eventually we noticed it getting whiter… and whiter… and whiter outside. We had been climbing into what felt like the tundra, and were surrounded by valleys of snow, ice, and lakes (many with icebergs), when our driver confirmed it: we had just reached the highest point on the drive, and were driving on a one lane road at ~900m up!

Despite several near screeching halts to play chicken with on-coming traffic (note: the bus always wins, even if that means the car has to reverse back up the road to let us through!) we made it to the start of the hike at Øygardsstøl, located at 640 m.o.h. (meters above sealevel) and would be climbing several up and downs, peaking at 1020 m.o.h.

The hike supposedly takes ~5 hours roundtrip, and our bus schedule allowed for just over 6 hours, so we dove right into the hike. The first challenge was realizing that with lots of snow around, there was quite a bit of melting going on, of which the trail was often included in the path of the runoff. With that, we quickly realized that a “challenging hike” again meant fairly serious business. We were often climbing with one or two hands up the steep, slippery rock, that is, when we weren’t white-knuckling the safety chain that had been added in places of serious slope. Though there were steps and paver stones at some points, the majority of the hike was fairly choose-your-own-adventure(-but-follow-the-cairns) up huge slopes of rock, many of which were at grades of 30+%, if not 40+%!

Making sure we’re going the right way

Steep climbing…

…but worth it for the view!

After scrambling and sliding up the first hill, we were treated to a view of the next valley, which was simply gorgeous – a stream babbled through the grassy valley that was surrounding by the stark contrast of rock and snow on all sides. Some campers had the same feeling, and we saw them breaking camp after spending the previous night in this slice of Norwegian wonderland.

The other thing we saw as we gazed across the valley was that we had another steep climb ahead of us (literally) up and out of the valley. We dug deep and made it happen, and were rewarded with more crazy views as we neared the top of the fjord mountains that surrounded us.

The trail transitioned to a more even and moderate upward slope at this point, which meant we could catch our breaths and see where the path would wind ahead. This was quite nice, until we realized there were several long pieces of trail where we would have to slosh through slushy snow, as the train was still quite covered. Undeterred, we powered on and simply accepted the fact that though our mesh, barefoot running trail shoes were handy for gripping the rock earlier, the low profile guaranteed that we’d be hiking for the rest of the day in soggy shoes. All the more reason to keep on keepin’ on!

Flattening out!

Snow taller than Jess

Grant balances on snowpack over a mountain stream

The biggest cairn we ever did see!

Roughly 3 km of undulating hills of rock and snow later, and we had reached our destination: Kjeragbolten! There’s a chance you have seen pictures of this one before – it’s the picture of a large boulder wedged between two cliff sides with massive, plunging drops to nothingness on all four sides. Truly a beautiful sight!

Kjeragbolten! (bolten = rock)

And the view beyond it, with an incredible waterfall

Now for the real kicker: it’s a big deal, and surprisingly common for people to climb out onto this rock. In fact, it’s known that this is the goal for most hikers, but again, there’s no rangers or rope to try and prevent a ~900 meter plunge if someone slips.

Grant, not a fan of heights, but up for adventure, got in line (yes, there was a line to do this!) but the delay only gave him more time to accidently look over the edge a couple times and ponder the potential for his untimely demise… In short, his subconscious made a serious round of compelling arguments, and in the end, he decided it wasn’t his cup of tea (You’re welcome, Mom & Dad!).

Heart absolutely racing, he walked back to Jess who was eager to get in line herself and couldn’t wait to get that “toe tingling” feeling again (seriously folks, we really need to get her checked out about this). Grant assumed the photo position, and after a minute or two of anxious waiting, Jess popped out onto the rock with a huge smile on her face! Grant almost passed out, but managed to snap a few shots of this daredevil extraordinaire!

She’s on the rock!

Grant thinks she’s nuts but still takes the shot

Jess wants to get off the rock, but isn’t sure if Grant took the photos — communication is challenged!

Grant was at least willing to get this close. You can see it from the backside with the line of folks waiting to climb onto the boulder

After hopping back to the (relative) safety of the rock ridge next to Kjeragbolten, we realized we were truly lucky: 1) We were both alive; and 2) It was starting to rain, so was time to head back. We wolfed down a quick lunch of the usual variety – salami, cheese, bread, and Norwegian chocolate – and hit the path back. The rain was pretty persistent, so we hustled as best we could back to the start. We were making great time, until we hit the downslopes that we had climbed up earlier. Cold, soggy, and starting to tire, we managed to shimmy, climb, slide, scoot, and scuttle down the slopes. Big takeaway: going up hill on wet, sheer rock is infinitely easier than going back down!

Direction checking

Grant conquers the mighty torrent

Hiking selfie!

Careful footing on the wet rock…

Time to stop to enjoy the view

Cairn building to pay it forward

More steep downhill

More awesome view

It got windy and rainy pretty quickly

But there’s always time for tricks!

We made it down in one piece, and even had time to spare, which was spent in the lodge where we snacked on waffles and celebratory beers on a successful day, all while admiring the view (the lodge was built right up on the side of the cliff overlooking the fjord!) and warming back up.

The rest of the trip and day was uneventful. We bussed home, thawed out with hot showers, and hunkered down in the apartment as the rain continued. Though we’d usually be bummed by lousy weather, this time it provided the perfect excuse to opt for some relaxation over more exploring!

-G & J

For our first big day of hiking, we chose the most popular target: Pulpit Rock. While Stavanger is the most common starting point, the trip to the trail head still involves another bus+ferry combo, which made Grant a pretty happy camper. However, it did also mean that our transit started at 8:30, so we still had an early morning ahead of us, much to Jess’ chagrin.

After a quick breakfast and the good ol’ bus-ferry-bus dance, we reached the trail head, along with ~a bajillion other tourists. Seems like this trail is more like the Disneyland of hiking as we saw groups of all ages and capabilities strapping up and heading out. Not ones to be left behind, we immediately did the same.

After a short while on the trail, we could see why it is so popular – it’s impeccably well maintained, with almost cobblestone like quality to the trails, and a fairly gentle, though consistent grade. The climbs, when they did happen, where fairly short and well spaced out and the trail excellently marked, even without the scads of brilliantly clad tourists traipsing up and down the hills. In short – it’s basically the most family friendly hiking trail I’ve ever been on that still feels like you’re actually hiking. A++ Norway; Croatia, take note!

At the start!

Here’s the route… UPHILL

Climbing started right at the beginning

Lots of folks along the winding trail

But some spots were flat 🙂

Double Jess!

Highway to the….

Gorgeous (gorges?) valleys for days!

Ohhhh! Ahhhh!

What goes up, must come down!

In addition to the nice trail, there were, of course, beautiful panoramas and waterfalls. This IS Norway, after all! We dutifully stopped and “oooh-ahhh” and took lots of shots, but we didn’t want to be slowed down too much as we wanted to make it to Pulpit Rock before it got to crowded.

And finally, 1.5 hrs and ~4 km later, we turned the corner and there it was, jutting out over the fjord (and thankfully, not crowded at all!). Pulpit Rock is a naturally occurring, semi-square rectangle platform that stands ~604 meters above sea level, which is a lot when you realize it’s base rests at the fjord! It’s an amazing thing to see and experience, especially how close they let everyone get to the edge – no rangers, ropes or guard rails here, friends! So of course, we had to take advantage:

Lady on the edge!

Everyone queued so politely for the death-defying spot

Can you spot the Grant?

It’s a LONG way down

Edge of the cliff selfie!

Scrambling up for a better view

Ahh yes!

So many colorful jackets!

Kung-fu Pulpit Rock style

Fjords, anyone?!

Oh look, she’s on the edge… again.

Seriously – so broken

Hello down there!

Enjoying the view

…from a higher elevation

Grant also experienced a few moments of “brokenness”

Jumping for joy – we’re heading down!

After clambering all over the rock itself, and then climbing higher for a bird’s eye view, we realized we’d cut our timing to get back down a little close, and had only an hour to get all the way back to the parking lot if we didn’t want to be stranded there for the next 3 hours! Driven by ambitions to not be left behind, we started a mad dash down the mountain when disaster struck – Jess dropped the Nikon SLR camera, breaking it into 3 pieces 🙁 THIS IS WHY WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS! But Grant was an awesome sport about it and quickly bundled it away, for later inspections and hopefully, repairs. The mad dash continued, and we made it back in a record 57 minutes and onto the bus – the camera did not die in vain!

The camera might not have made it down in one piece, but we did!

Once back in Stavanger (we only napped on the bus – don’t get too excited), we decided to get clean and then visit one of the more popular burger bars – Døgnville – for dinner. We both had a pint (Jess, coincidentally finally finding one of her favorite beers on tap!) and while Grant enjoyed a burger with brie, Jess had a tasty salmon fillet with soy-honey vinaigrette. Then, inspired by the menu, we both had adult milkshakes for dessert! Grant had a tasty double chocolate with bourbon, while Jess got an almost pancake tasting Vanilla + Blueberry with Bailey’s. It was a scrumptious way to end the day!

We also FINALLY managed to buy beer at a Norwegian grocery store. The day is full of victory!

Dinner and a view – who could ask for anything more?

After dinner, we wandered around Stavanger’s downtown for a bit, but it had started to get cold (in Norway? Shocking, I know!) and we had another big day of hiking ahead of us, so we decided to head back. Laying down never felt so good!

On the way to dinner we found a statue we just HAD to replicate!

– J & G

After finally being able to milk a chance to sleep in, our lazy morning leads to a simplified plan: lunch then running to catch the bus to our next stop: Stavanger, to the south.

Jess was on restaurant research duty, and found an awesome gastropub that served Norwegian food, named Pingvinen (‘penguin’ in Norwegian, we believe!).

Pingvinen = Penguin!

Grant made a dish of mash potatoes and fish disappear in what seemed like seconds, while Jess warmed herself with a traditional lamb stew. And seeing as it was after 12noon, we of course sampled more tasty local brews!

Stewed to perfection!

Potatoey, fishy, bacony goodness!

On the way back to the apartment we crossed through the University of Bergen campus, and then swung through the largest church in Bergen (the tower is 200 meters tall) and enjoyed its beautiful stained glass windows.

Beautiful gardens in Bergen, with Grant for scale

From there, it’s all transit, folks. We grabbed our stuff and headed for the ~5 hour bus to Stavanger. About an hour and a half in to the journey, were informed the bus was going to be going on A FERRY and that we cannot stay on the bus during the crossing.

The front of the ferry opens like a shark’s mouth, and then the vehicles pour out

Grant in awe: buses on a ship?!

Seriously, the bottom level was filled with every vehicle type you can think of

Fortunately, this is Norway, so the ferry had lots of tables (both inside and outside on the upper deck) and a full café with hot food and drinks galore. We enjoyed a beverage while Jess read her book, and Grant marveled at both the view and the sheer idea that underneath him on the boat are something like 4 buses, 3 tractor trailers, and many cars! We docked at an island and then reboarded, drove the length of the island only to find out it was bus ferry time AGAIN! Grant was obviously overjoyed, as he thought these giant ships were boat-acious (huzzah, puns!) and Jess was overjoyed at the smoothness the ride J

Upon arrival in Stavanger, we quickly oriented ourselves, then hit a grocery to resupply for the several full days of hiking ahead!

-G & J

p.s. Check it out Durham: Norway loves lemurs too!

We’d meant to be up and out early to catch breakfast at the hotel before heading out for the day, but the beds were so comfy and warm that we ended up sleeping in a bit too long… So ex-nay on the breakfast as we had to run down to the ferry to catch our 7:55 am boat across the fjord to the small town of Vik.

No time for breakfast, but smelling the flowers? A-ok!

What had us up, out and without food so early? We were heading over to see a Hopperstad Stave Church in the wild! We also had intentions for hiking later in the day so intended to use the morning to get breakfast in Vik, see the church and pop back over. However, like so much of our planning, Norway had other ideas. You see, noting opens in Vik until 10am. So, not knowing what else to do, we hiked to the church.

“Hiking” to the church means meandering through the city streets till you get there

The church is set amongst the town’s farms. But it’s view is pretty sweet

Built in 1130, the Hopperstad church is a traditional stave church set on a hill just outside of the main part of town, set against a backdrop of farms and fields. It’s a pretty cool feeling to turn out of a suburban street and see this beautiful church just at the top of a hill! We also lucked out as the church opened at 9am, and so only had to wait about 10 minutes before we were able to do a tour. As we waited, we struck up a conversation with a friendly Indian retiree who spends a few months every year traveling (!).

The church as seen when coming from town

Jess plays hide and seek

From some angles, the church looks like a dragon

The guy who built the church made sure to include his own eulogy, but then had to change the date when he died later than expected

The church wall is full of holes – if you were sick or otherwise “unclean” you had to listen to the sermon through them!

Some of the old 12th century frescos are still very bright!

Grant enjoys the carvings inside the church

The roof of the church is supposed to look like Viking ships.

Did we mention the view from the church is pretty sweet?

Once the tour was over, we all headed back into the city where our new friend waited patiently while we grocery shopped for additional supplies. When the cafes all FINALLY opened at 10, we all headed in for a warm cup of coffee and pastries before taking the ferry back to Balestrand. As he was planning to do the walk we had done yesterday, we said goodbye at the port – we both want to be like him when we retire!

Even the port of Vik is scenic – we couldn’t resist a few more photos on our way back to Balestrand

From the port, we headed straight to the main hike. We’d been told by the Tourist Information (“TI”) that we could hike up to the top peak, experiencing a few challenging climbs, amazing panoramic views, and even walk in the snow. With a few hours to kill, that sounded right up our alley, so we headed up, thinking we’d eat lunch at the top.

The plan was to hike from the base to the top and frolic in the snow!

No chips till we summit!

What we weren’t expecting is that when TI said “Challenging” he meant that the whole hike was basically 1.5 hours of sustained vertical climbing. We were only 20 minutes in when our lungs and our calves were already protesting, and it seemed like snow was going to be impossible. But we like a challenge, and so kept at it, stopping every once in a while to “appreciate the view” (i.e.: catch our breath and rest our legs).

Nothing like a fjord view to help you catch your breath

Way station one…

but no stopping – chips are for summiteers only!

Now look who’s “enjoying the view”

Last stop till snow!

We were happy to find the views of the Fjord and neighboring towns from the top were definitely worth the burn, and yes, we did finally make it to snow!

Shortly after this photo, Grant threw the snowball at Jess. Is anyone surprised?

Unfortunately, the fact that everything is thawing meant we weren’t able to get all the way to the top of the peak, as the melt had turned the entire path into a soggy, boggy mess (and in parts, snow/slush covered!). Grant even went so far as to hike down without his shoes since his feet were going to get soaked either way. On the flip side, we now know what melted permafrost feels like (hint: it’s mushy, but not really like mud at all – most peculiar!)

Barefoot, in the snow… Someday he’ll complain to his grandkids about this 😉

We did our descent in double-time, as we knew we had to get back to the hotel, grab our things and make it to our evening ferry to Bergen, which we made with plenty of time to spare.

The trusty Norled Ferry, which we’d been taking so frequently the crew was starting to recognize us

When we finally got to Bergen, all the activity of the day caught up to us. While we’d intended to try and do a little more sightseeing before calling it a night, it was just too cold, too hilly, and we were too tired to do more than have a hot shower and settle in with a good book.

Bergen port has a sweet little skyline… if you ignore the ominous clouds gathering

Double rainbows on our way to the Airbnb. We took it as a good sign for the apartment

Dinner at ‘Chez Hara/Boyadjian’ was nothing fancy – just finishing off the food from our grocery run – and then bed! It’s still weird to head to sleep when it’s still quite sunny out, but thanks to all the hiking, we definitely managed it!

– J & G

As a creative way to celebrate our anniversary, Grant decided to book something extra special that includes the two things Jess loves: ….getting up early, and zipping around on a tiny boat in the cold ocean wind and spray!

Yes, folks, we went on a “Fjord Safari” which left bright and early in the morning, and included the chance (/requirement) to suit up in all the clothes we had AND THEN donning a super waterproof and insulated Norwegian jumpsuit, complete with gloves, hat, and goggles:

We only know this is Jess because of the shoes

Needless to say, we were more than happy to have this gear once we got rolling.

Two minutes after getting into the boat, it hits us: Jess had not put on her motion sickness patch, which caused a bit of anxiety. Luckily, the boat is surprisingly smooth (when not going over the wake of other, larger boats, at least).

Nervous, but down for adventure

The cold air actually helped a ton, so we were both able to enjoy the scenery nausea-free!

The trip was about 2.5 hours during which we toured the whole Sognefjord, from Flåm to Gudvagen and back. We saw a pod of porpoises, a family of seals, and a large herd of young goats that greeted us like a pack of puppies, and which our guide informed us would jump into the boat if we went too close to shore. We also saw the oldest farm in Norway, which has been continuously farmed for 2,500 years!

Fjords were all carved by glaciers and so have U shapes, unlike valleys carved by water, which have V shapes

The 2500 year old homestead – still being farmed!

Cute little towns dot the fjord’s coast – some have no road access at all!

It’s hard to know where to look – everything is so pretty!

Also, we saw a bajillion waterfalls. Honestly, there were too many to count, but we have tons of pictures!

The leftmost waterfall may not look like much, but it has a drop of 600 meters!

Waterfalls that lead into pretty little towns? Check!

We even got up close and personal with a few falls

The Fjord is actually a UNESCO heritage site and as you can see, is truly beautiful. It’s also deep, like really really deep; so deep in fact, that if we took this mountain and inverted it, it would fit under the water and still have space for water above it!

This mountain is 1400 meters high

We were well and properly frozen by the time we got back in, and Jess nauseous to boot, so we tried walking it off.  Walking turned into shop browsing, which turned into shopping, and Jess foundsan awesome soft-shell rain jacket (which was a lifesaver a few days after – more on that later!). Jess felt the guilt of avarice, but Grant assured her it’s not only a practical purchase, but also a great deal.

From there we grabbed our bags from the hotel and over to the ferry dock, where we are well fed by an outdoor restaurant – delicious seafood lunch that was more than earned!

The stand had tons of fresh seafood

And a huge kettle of curry that smelled sinfully good

Once we ordered, we got to watch them fry it to perfection

Ready to enjoy…

One mixed plate with 4 kinds of fish,

and of course, the seafood curry. Yum!

Then it’s off to Balestrand on the ferry (Jess this time wearing her super patch) and make the 1.5 hour voyage in the open air to enjoy more fjords, even though it was VERY windy.

Yes, this ferry had even more views of waterfalls!

So windy, Grant’s about to be blown away!

Upon arrival in Balestrand we dropped our things and head out for the “Heritage Walk” stroll around the town’s waterfront. Balestrand is a small town, but we took our time and saw St. Olaf’s church, a few traditional styled Norwegian villas, and several Viking grave mounds!

This status reminded us of the sea organ in Zadar, as it made inexplicable noises

Balestrand is a pretty town, don’t you think?

First stop on the heritage walk was this lovely hotel

St. Olaf’s – the only Anglican church in Balestrand

Pausing inside St. Olaf’s to admire the view

St. Olaf’s is a mullet church – Christian on the front, and Viking in the back!

Viking burial mounds – both have been excavated, so one one is home anymore

Grant is inspired by the local art

Some of the Norman villas – note the dragon head gutters

The villas seemed more like castles than houses

Grant tests out the playground equipment along the way

Our final stop on the walk was dinner: Ciderhuset for a fancy anniversary dinner. We didn’t get the whole back story, but the menu at Ciderhuset is a fusion between Turkish and Norwegian food (most served tapas style in shareable small plates, right up our alley). Also, as you might have guessed Ciderhuset is also a cider house! So of course, we treated ourselves to a “cider” flight that included two ciders and three spirits (apple brandy, raspberry aquavit, and a fortified plum dessert wine). We were stuffed to the gills, but fortunately enough used the long meal to wait out the rain showers that had blown in.

Happy 4th anniversary to us!

“Cider” flights for both of us made the walk home so much better

We had a full table, but who’s complaining?

Sigar Borek – stuffed with cheese and herbs

locally made sausage in a herb & cream sauce

Fresh greens salad with dried apricot and pomegranate seeds

Deer Manti – a Norwegian take on a traditionally Turkish meal

Local cheese board – the one that looks like bread is made from Whey (and is super gross)

Locally smoked Salmon – yummt!

Local meats plate

Fried feta, with honey and walnuts – this was 110% delicious!

Then it was a leisurely stroll home as we had big plans for another early morning (and Balestrand was too small and cold for anymore exploring!)

-G & J

We just couldn’t bring ourselves to rise and shine liked we’d hoped due to the dreary weather, so alas, there was no time for a final visit to our favorite coffee spot en route to the train from Oslo to start the “Norway in a Nutshell” portion of our trip.

Outside Olso Trainstation

Prepped for transit!

Fortunately enough, Norwegian trains are AMAZING, and coffee and fresh baked cinnamon rolls were only two cars away on the train. The Nutshell is a famous transit route that spans from Oslo (inland from the coast to the east) to Bergen (by the sea, on the west coast of Norway) and winds through the most famous countryside and fjords of Norway. We try our best not to be lulled into naps from the rhythmic sounds of the tracks, but eventually we succumb for a few winks. The first leg of the trip took us from Oslo to Myrdal station, about a 4 hours journey. We cruise through the countryside and see farms, homes, and cities of every size.

As you can see, the railway was oh-so picturesque

In between the pretty forests were equally pretty farms

and bigger farms!

Really, it’s pretty impossible to see a bad sight…

See? Norway is made for sightseeing

Grant just couldn’t get enough!

Then, a few stations before Myrdal, we shake off the temptation of sleep and get to witness the change from lush, green fields to towering pine forests and then finally to arctic tundra (literally, more snow that we ever expected!).

Our first hint of July snow

Wow – those peaks are really covered!

Um, is it us or is the snow getting closer?

Waterfalls from snow packs? I guess that’s ok…

Ok seriously – did anyone tell Norway it’s July?

WHY ARE WE IN SIBERIA?!

Pro tip for those of you considering the same journey: sit on the left side for better views!

Additionally, there is one stop on the train where the train lets those who dare off for ~5 minutes to walk straight into the splash and spray of the largest waterfall along the route!

We got drenched, but the photo was worth it!

At the stop in Myrdal, we have about an hour to pass, so we hunker down in the station cafe, enjoy our handy bag of bread, meats, and cheese, and wash down the meal with a local beer brewed fresh from our next destination: Flåm!

The cup may say Hass, but it contains Ægir, brewed in Flåm!

Beer and beards – these are a few of Grant’s favorite things!

On the ride to Flåm, another train line, we snag seats next to a nice South African couple who gush about their country (rightly so, we believe!) and enjoy a ride filled with gorgeous waterfalls, sheer cliffs, and tunnels dug by hand (1 meter of tunnel reportedly took 1 month of work!). The track is steep, too, with an average grade/decline of 55%!

It’s hard to stare out the window

The train flies through tunnels on it’s way down

We almost biked down that windy road, but the big bags stopped us

And yes, there are beautiful waterfalls at every turn

Getting off at the bottom!

Upon arrival in Flåm we hike to our hotel (backpacking FTW!) and get tips on a hike up to one of the big falls nearby. Since the sun doesn’t set until 11, we decided to go for it. (After stopping to consider getting Grant a traditional Norse wool sweater – they look crazy warm, but are yarn expensive!)

Our view of the town as we hiked to our hotel. Apparently they get cruise ships that size daily…

Grant didn’t find a sweater, but he did find Hawai’i!

The hike is quite scenic, and on the we past a herd of shaggy haired… cows. They’re clearly well groomed, though most of them have opted for the “emo” look and have hair over one eye, while others just went for the “sheep dog” look, and have both eyes hidden by their gorgeous locks 🙂

This was Jess’ favorite cow

This was Grant’s favorite Cow

Grant attempts to lure one closer…

But Jess is the better cow-whisperer

Finally, we find the actual trail and head up a steep ascent, and almost step on a few sheep sitting on the trail about halfway up!

Having perfected cow-whispering, Jess tries her hand at a different barn-yard beastie

At the top, we turned a corner and immediately get hit by the wind and spray from the waterfall. Wo of course stand in the spray for a few too many photos…and get completely drenched (worth it!).

Heading out towards to distant fall

This way to waterfalls!

Our target – and a house that probably gets a lot of lost tourists

The view of Flåm from halfway up

You can’t tell, but we are getting SOAKED

Flåm from the top of the waterfall!

As the sun finally starts to dip, we descend as fast as possible and head to the local brewery / brew pub, Ægir Brewing for well earned tasting flights. The beer is tasty on all fronts, and we learn the impressive fact that their beer is internationally distributed, despite coming from Flåm, which has a population of roughly ~400.

Tasty, tasty beer flights!

The brewery was built to look like a traditional Viking house

Grant decides we’re ready to go home

From there it’s back to the hotel for a tasty Norwegian dinner, and of course, early to bed as we have another early a.m. planned!

-G & J

Thanks to the late night soccer shenanigans (Huzzah USA!!) we slept in a wee bit, but then rallied for Day 2 of Unlimited Oslo Pass-enable adventure.

Our first stop was the Norwegian Resistance Museum, which tells the tale of Norwegian’s role in WWII, including a long period of Nazi occupation of much of the country. It’s a dreary day, so our walk up to the museum is brightened by the fact that it is located smack dab on the top of an old fort overlooking the Oslo harbor!

Entering the fort

Though cloudy, the main port area of Oslo is beautiful.

Diving into the museum before the drizzle turned into anything worse, we were pleasantly surprised to find that: 1) This was actually an amazing museum; and 2) The story of Norway during WWII is filled with incredible strength of resistance and many movie-worthy acts of sabotage!

Outside the museum

The exhibits walkthrough begins with a swasticka made of AK-47s from the war. Powerful image to start.

The exhibits wove info with pictures and relics of the time.

And included some munitions for perspective…

We enjoyed seeing the ingenious ways Norwegians were able to hide, transport, and distribute independent newspapers and communications among themselves, while under the watchful eye of the occupying Nazis

Lucky, we dodged most of the rain while we were inside, so our walk over to the Nobel Peace Center is mostly dry.

Near the Noble Peace Center there was a long mural depicting multiple paintings of waves (Grant almost got hit by a tram while taking this picture… but fortunately a local said “Excuse me……” and he noticed just in time!)

Grant almost gets washed away by the Great Wave…

This “museum” showcases the most recent Noble Peace Prize winners (from 2014) as well as provides oodles of info on all past recipients with some of the most technologically advanced and interactive exhibits we’d ever seen. There was also a special exhibit on the Dalai Lama, who just turned 80 (and his birthday was the day we were there!).

Beautiful facade of the center

Creative exhibit inside, like pages of books with famous quotes

The 2014 Prize was awarded to two individuals — Malala, from Pakistan…

… and Kailash from India; both of which have been fighting tirelessly for women and children’s rights.

The center also has an amazing interactive exhibit which is a field of lights interspersed with tablets for each prize winner. The tablets automatically recognize when you are standing in front of them, and start to scroll info about that year’s winner!

Another exhibit was a wall of LCD screens where you could flip through and read about past winners using the scroller

Happy Birthday, Dalai Lama!

After that we peaced out (get it?) and headed home for a couple homemade grilled cheese sandwiches to warm us up. After a quick nap (we’re tired, believe it or not) we head out to dinner only to (again!) find our first choice isn’t serving. Realizing most restaurants will be in the same predicament of closed kitchens, we head to the Kebab shop near the house for Kebabs the size of your head. Grant basically melts his GI tract after say “Yes, very spicy, please.”

Mega kebab!

With absurdly full bellies, we are unable to update the blog (or move) so we celebrate the American tradition of Netflix, and enjoy a chill evening before bed for an early a.m. departure!

-G & J