Stockholm to Copenhagen

Tuesday 27 to 28 June 2017 - Canberra to Stockholm, Sweden

Sunrise:

Sunset:

Steps:                        5,868               4.05 km

Hi all,

Well, we have finally arrived in Stockholm after taking the “scenic” route.  Instead of flying direct from Sydney to Dubai to Stockholm, this flight was Sydney to Bangkok, Bangkok to Dubai and then Dubai to Stockholm.

We had the option of disembarking in Bangkok after the 9.5 hr flight, with all personal belongings and would then have to go through security again to re-board but when we realised that we would only have about half an hour out of the plane before having to line up to re-board we opted to stay on the plane.

My seat would recline but if I happen to lean forward, the seat would return to the upright, which was a pain in the butt for me and for the guy sitting behind.  I did let him know that it was the faulty seat, not me trying to annoy him.  Mary reported the faulty seat to the staff and during the stop in Bangkok, maintenance came onboard and fixed it. Mary also had a problem with her seat belt and that was replaced.

During this stop-over, the staff had to identify all the luggage that was still in the overhead lockers. If something was owned by any of the people who were not onboard, it was removed from the plane. Apparently some people just don't know what constitutes “personal belongings”. One woman seated near us was amazed that all her belongings had been removed. In this day and age, she shouldn't have been surprised. It was nice to see that this is what the airlines do.

After another 6 hr flight into Dubai, we disembarked, transferred to another terminal and then found our gate. Once we knew where the gate was, we then found the nearest emirates Lounge. I could use the Business Class one and Mary the First Class, so we went there, with me as her guest. When we eventually went to gate C38, we then boarded a bus for our 10 minute drive from the terminal, out to the plane before boarding the plane for our final leg into Stockholm.

The terrain in Iran is very bleak. We flew along part of the shore line of the Caspian Sea with the Elburz Mountain  range on the left. 

Not sure if this is the Elburz Mountain range or the Caucasus Mountains

Then a left turn heading over Russia with another snow covered mountain range, dividing Georgia from Russia. I have yet to go looking for the name of that one.    Found.  The Caucasus Mountains.

Approaching Stockholm.

Touch down was pretty much on time at 12:45 but there was a delay to us disembarking, because the mobile walkway didn't quite reach the doors. I think we were eventually off the plane by 1:15, then a fairly long queue at immigration. By the time we passed through there and made our way to the carousels, both our bags had already arrived. Once outside the airport, it was very easy to get a fixed price from the taxi driver and we were on our way and at the hotel around 20 minutes to 3. The airport is quite a way out of the city.

Check in was easy, although we turned down the first room we had been given keys to, as it had a double bed. We now have twin beds.  We went for a short walk around the area and found a supermarket, a noodle house and the alcohol store.

It's now after 9:30 and we are both feeling a little weary. Forecast for tomorrow here is 19c and partly cloudy.

Thursday 29 Jun - Stockholm

Sunrise:         3:35 am

Sunset:          10:06 pm

Steps:             18,354             12.66 km

We had the light out just after 10 last night, so it was dark by then and I had a good nights sleep and only woke once, around 4am, before getting up just after 5am. 

Mary & I sorted a few things out and eventually went down to breakfast at 7.30.  We had planned on going at 7am, but we are on holiday.   The place was packed. Quite a number of tour groups staying here and the suitcase size of some of the people are horrendous.  One Chinese guy was wheeling his & his wife’s suitcase and if he had had to carry them, he wouldn’t have been walking very far. 

The breakfast food was delicious and there is an omelette chef. 

We went back to the room to sort out the days activities and then left the hotel just after 9am.   We had a leisurely walk to Sergels Torg, where we joined the  “Free Stockholm Walking Tour”, which was a 1.5hr walking tour, that eventually ended just near The Royal Palace.  The guide, Ben, was British and very entertaining.  

Photo taken by Mary

He filled us in on some of Stockholm’s history.  The tour ended close to the Royal Palace and we decided to go and visit, or at least walk to it.  We were just about to walk toward the Palace, when a marching band and soldiers came along 

and eventually marched up to the Palace and into an outer  courtyard.  It was the changing of the guard ceremony.   By the time we arrived there, it was very difficult to see anything of the ceremony because of the huge crowd but the music was great.  This lasted about 30 to 40 minutes.

From there we had a short walk along the Skeppsbron, before deciding to amble back to the hotel and buy some lunch along the way.  I bought my usual souvenir of a fridge magnet and a couple of postcards. Stockholm is a reasonably walkable city.  We bought a salad from the local COOP supermarket and went back to our room to eat at leisure, finish the laundry and get ready for our “meet & greet” at 6pm at the hotel.

Our tour leader is Branko Struga and he is from Slovenia.

We all had a glass of champagne and he went through the tour itinerary with us and what is planned for tomorrow.  There are only 18 people on the tour and I met most of them but don’t recall all the names at the moment.

After the talk, Mary and I were planning on going for a walk around the block to check out what eateries were in the other direction from where we explored the day before. We only managed to walk about 50 meters around the corner when we came upon a Pizza place. Stockholm Pizza’s.  After having the various ingredients shown to us, we decided on a Quattro.  It was absolutely delicious. A huge pizza but just enough to share between 2. Nice and thin.  Just after ordering, another couple from the tour group walked in. David and Ann, so after they ordered, we all shared a table.

We walked back to the hotel around 9ish and had a latish night, not putting the light out until almost 11pm. 

Friday 30^th June:  Stockholm

Sunrise:         3:36 am

Sunset:          10:06pm

Steps:             10,283             7.1km

I was awake again around 5 am and Mary very soon after.  We went down to breakfast at 7am and were on the bus and away at 9:10.

Hakan is our local guide and Mats, the coach driver.

It was very windy today and rain was threatening and even though it ‘sprinkled’ once or twice, I think the wind blew the rain away.

First up we did a drive through the city as Hakan explained about the 14 islands that make up the city of Stockholm.  We saw the Concert Hall, where the Nobel Prizes for Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature and Economic Science, are awarded on the 10^th December every year.  

The Peace prize is awarded in Oslo.

We then visited the City Hall, where the banquet for the ward recipients is held and also where the City Council hold their meetings.

Old age retirement apartments are called ‘service houses’.

We heard that in Sweden there is a law that owners must not leave their dogs alone for more than 4 hours, so many dogs are either taken to ‘dog’ day care or a dog walker is paid to make sure that they aren’t left alone all day.

Paid maternity leave is for 18 months and can be split between the mother and father.

Systembolaget is a government-owned chain of liquor stores. It is the only retail store allowed to sell alcohol beverages that contain more than 3.5% alcohol by volume.  Can you imagine that in Australia????

We finally ended up at the Royal Palace and Hakan walked us through the area before we had just on an hour to have lunch/explore the Palace and meet up again an hour later.  From there we visited the Vasa Museum.  

All I can say is WOW.  What an amazing structure.  We viewed the video about the discovery of the ship and the recovery and preservation of it and then  had about half an hour to see it from the other levels, before meeting back at the coach. While viewing the video, I apparently didn't put my iPad back into my handbag properly and after leaving the theatre, discovered that it was missing. To cut a long story short, when I went to the reception area with the local guide, someone had handed it in. Thankfully it was pass worded, so was no use to anyone, unless they could unlock it. I just think that there are a lot of honest people visiting Stockholm.

We then returned to the hotel, before heading out again at 6:30pm for our Welcome Dinner. The dinner was at the Kvarnen restaurant which serves classic Swedish dishes.  1^st course was Herring, done 4 different ways,  hors d’oeuvres size.   Next was Swedish meatballs and then a extremely rich chocolate mousse for desert.  The courses were interesting to try but not something I would go out of my way to eat again.

We were back at the hotel  around 9:30pm and will be heading to Helsinki tomorrow afternoon.

The photos of the ship were taken by Mary.  

Saturday 1 July 2017:  To Helsinki

Sunrise:         3:37 am

Sunset:          10:05pm

Steps             20,108             13.87km

I woke around 5am and then promptly went back to sleep. Next time it was 5.45 and Mary was up having her shower.  As we will be taking the ferry to Helsinki later this afternoon, we decided that this morning would be hair washing morning.  We managed to get ourselves down to breakfast shortly after 7am for another delicious breakfast, although the omelette chef didn’t turn up for about another 20 minutes, so I missed having one.

Back to our room and finished packing our bags but we had decided not to check out until the 12 noon deadline.  On reflection we should have checked out in the morning.  It certainly would have saved us some walking.

We met with the rest of the group shortly before 9:30am and Branko then walked us to the indoor market, which is just adjacent to the Concert Hall.  There was a small outdoor market there too.  

Once the indoor market opened, we went downstairs to one of the stalls, where the owner had a selection of seafood’s for us to taste. 

Something a little similar to the first course at dinner last night, but this selection was far more tasty.  He gave us a short talk about the seasonal catches and how they usually serve them.

After that it was free time.

Mary & I chose to have a gelato and then, because we had to check out by noon, walked back to the hotel, checked out and then walked back to the Medieval Museum, 

which is just across the road from the Royal Palace. 

Before entering there, we managed to see the changing of the guard in the front of the Royal Palace.

After viewing the Museum, we then ambled back to the hotel, taking some photos along the way. We nipped into The Galleria,  (shopping mall) where we had a coffee and cannelloni shaped pastry for lunch.  We arrived back at the hotel around 2:30pm and then Branko explained to us what would happen once we arrived at the ferry terminal.  We departed the hotel just after 3pm and arrived at the ferry terminal after a very short ride of about 15-20 minutes.  Boarding was very straight forward and instructions on how to find cabins, the same. The ferry we sailed on is the M/S Silja Symphony.

After settling in, we then went down to the ‘shopping’ deck to see what was what

and then went up to the sun deck, to take in our departure from Stockholm. 

We found a bar and had a glass of bubbly, then went to a sushi restaurant, where we had some dinner. After that we found the Duty Free Superstore, where we bought some snacks, to spend the last of the Swedish SEK, then back to the cabin, to sort ourselves out for tomorrow mornings departure.  Wi-Fi was only in the public areas, hence I won’t be sending this until we are in our hotel in Helsinki.  Watches have been put forward an hour for Finland.  Absolutely beautiful scenery for the 3 to 4 hours it took for the ferry to reach the Baltic Sea and I noticed the change in the ships movement straight away.

Light out at 10pm Stockholm time or 11pm Helsinki time.

Sunday 2 July 2017:  Helsinki

Sunrise:         4:01 am

Sunset:          10:46pm

Steps             14,456             9.97 km

The light went out last night at 11:00pm Helsinki time and I had a good nights sleep.  .  The crossing was very smooth. Perhaps that is why I slept so well.  Woke up at 5:am then dozed again until 6:am, and then got up.  The breakfast room opened at 7:30 and we were there shortly after.  We headed to the back of the restaurant, as per the suggestion from Carolyn, Penny & Margaret and had no trouble finding a table.  The breakfast spread was reasonable and there was plenty of it, despite the number of people.

The ferry docked at 9:55am and we finally met up with Branko and were on the bus by 10:35.  We also met our local guide, who’s name I didn’t hear.  It was mainly a coach tour of the various places of interest around the city of Helsinki.

They have a number of public saunas, as sauna’s are enjoyed by all in the country. According to the guide, most people introduce their children to sauna’s when they are around 12 months old.

There are 2 main religions in Finland. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Orthodox  Church of Finland.

We drove by the Market Hall, Market Square, City Hall and the Neoclassical Presidential Palace.  We also saw the 5 ice-breakers  that are currently in the harbour. Finland have 8 of them.

We drove around Senate Square, down Mannerheimint and out to the Olympic Stadium. 

From there we went to Sibelius Park, to visit/view the ‘tree sculpture’. 

We also visited ‘The Rock Church”.

By then it was around 1pm and we had free time until 2.30.  Mary & I decided to have fish & chips at the Market Square BUT you have to watch those pesky seagulls.  As we were walking to seats, one of the delightful pests, swooped down from over my shoulder and stole my slice of lemon.  After that, we took great care to protect our lunch.  J

After meeting up with the rest of the group, we were then taken to our hotel to check in. The hotel is a former prison that has been renovated and changed into a modern hotel.  http://www.hotelkatajanokka.fi/en/

We all met up again at 5 and Branco walked us back to the town, via the short route.  Mary & I opted to have a coffee and sit and listen to some street musicians while we drank it,

before coming back to the hotel and catching up on emails, photos etc. 

The weather today has been perfect. The temp is around 20c here in Helsinki and lovely blue sky.  Unfortunately the forecast for tomorrow is a 90% chance of rain and around 15c.

Monday 3 July 2017:  Helsinki

Sunrise:         4:03 am

Sunset:          10:45pm

Steps             14,954             10.32 km

I had a very comfortable sleep last night and woke around 6:30am.  Breakfast was served from 7:30 and was filling.  The hotel that we are staying at, has an interesting history.  It’s an historic building that dates back to 1837, where it operated as a prison, making the outer walls, which are about a metre thick,  the perfect noise breaker. Our room is a ground level and facing the front of the hotel and we can’t hear anything from outside.   Following extensive renovations, the hotel open in 2007 and has 106 rooms surrounded by lush courtyards to sit and relax under the shade of the maple trees.  Or sunbake topless.

After breakfast, we all met up at 9:30 and then walked into the city to the market square, where we boarded a boat at 10:15 out to the Soumenlinna Sea Fortress. There was misty rain in Helsinki and by the time we arrived at Soumenlinna it was raining a bit heavier. Instead of doing a walk around the island first up, we went into the info building and watched a 20-25 minute movie about the history of the Fortress.  By the time that was finished and we had a look at the museum exhibition, it was almost midday and the rain had stopped.  So off we went for a walk.  Some info about the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress.  It is one of the biggest sea fortresses in the world, founded in 1748 and built by Field Marshal Count Augustin Ehrensvärd on islands off the coast of Helsinki. Suomenlinna remains as one of the most popular attractions in Finland and was included in UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991 as a unique monument to European military architecture.

 

After walking to the Artillery Bay quay,

we then went to the dry dock observation deck

and from there back to the information centre. While waiting for the next boat to arrive Mary & I went for a walk up the hill to have a quick look at the Suomenlinna Church. 

By the time we arrived back the boat was just starting to offload the arriving passengers, so we boarded and departed the island at 1:25pm.

We were back in Helsinki around 2pm and decided to have fish and chips again for lunch, as we did yesterday, though this time the seagulls didn’t annoy us, as we sat undercover.  From there, we walked through the markets, as I was looking for a silversmith that I saw there yesterday and I wanted to buy a pendant and matching earrings.  We eventually found her stall and I made my purchase.  From there we visited the Market Hall and had a coffee and cake for dessert.

From there we walk to the Senate Square and visited the Helsinki Lutheran Cathedral. A distinctive landmark in the Helsinki cityscape, with its tall, green dome surrounded by four smaller domes, the building is in the neo-classical style. It was designed by Carl Ludvig Engel.  It is surrounded by other, smaller buildings designed by him.  Sculptures of the 12 apostles guard the city from the roof of the church.

From there we walked back to the market square and bought some strawberries and cherry’s.  We had a fruit dinner tonight.

It’s an early start tomorrow, as we fly to Rovaniemi, so I’ll get this off and have an early night.

Tuesday 4th  July 2017:   Helsinki to Rovaniemi

Sunrise:         4:04 am in Helsinki

Sunset:          24 hour sun

Steps             12,140             8.38 km

I am going to have to turn my phone off at night, as some company or call centre, with a variety of phone numbers, keeps calling but I don’t answer.    I didn’t appreciate the call at 0304 & and 0436 this morning.  Mary wasn’t impressed either. At least I was awake and up when the 0607 one came in, as our alarms had been set for 0530.

The hotel had opened the breakfast room an hour early for us.  No hot food but enough other food to keep us happy.  Checked out and on the bus by 0715 and on our way to the airport.  The drive out there was only 30 minutes.  We had to Self check-in.  Mary & I had re-arrange our luggage because the limit is 20kg for checked bags, although you are allowed 2 checked bags.  We probably could have just checked 1 and still carried the carry-on but they are strict re liquids, so we just checked both the main luggage and the carry-on,  after re-distributing the load, so that both were under 20kgs.  Gerry, the other person from Canberra, decided to carry his bottle of scotch in his carry-on and it was confiscated. As it was, his main luggage only weighed 17 kg, so he could have left it in there.

Our flight departed at 1015 and we arrive in Rovaniemi airport at 1130. We had collected our luggage and were on the local bus by 1155, on our way to the Santa Village, where we arrived about 5 minutes later.  Free time here until 2:30pm.

Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland, in northern Finland. Almost totally destroyed during World War II, today it’s a modern city known for being the "official" home town of Santa Claus, and for viewing the Northern Lights. It’s home to Arktikum, a museum and science center exploring the Arctic region and the history of Finnish Lapland. The Science Centre Pilke features interactive exhibits on northern forests.

Mary & I took a few photos, bought some postcards and then found a restaurant, where we had a light lunch. 

After that, we wrote some postcards and later mailed them at the official Santa Village Post Office. From the restaurant we then went wandering through the stores, just looking.  Some very nice cold weather scarves, gloves, socks etc.

After meeting everyone back at the bus, we were then taken to out hotel. Another nice room but this time we can open the window, to let some cool air in.  After unpacking a few things, we then went for a walk around the city centre.  Rovaniemi has a population of around 60,000, so not a large city and our hotel is in the city centre, right next to the main pedestrian street, which has shops and shopping mall(s), restaurants, bars etc, along it. We found a pizza place not far from the hotel where we had a pizza for dinner but before that, we found a supermarket and bought some water & milk. 

Tomorrow will be a full day of sight seeing but the forecast is for rain.  I think the temp here today was in the 20’s. Very nice, although it was windy but that died down earlier this evening.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow, weather aside, as we are visiting a Husky dog training farm, so that should be interesting.

Wed 5th  July 2017:  - Rovaniemi

Sunrise:         24 hour sun

Sunset:

Steps:             11,780             8.13 km

We were woken up in the early hours of the morning by Mary’s phone. After the previous night with my phone waking us up, I’d turned the sound off of mine. I was back to sleep almost immediately.  When I finally woke, it was almost  6am, so a very good night’s sleep.

We went down to breakfast around 7:15 and the place was almost full with a tour group of Chinese. I guess they were checking out, hence their early rush to the breakfast room.  Cereal, juice, toast, bacon, small sausage & scrambled eggs, not necessarily in that order. 

Back to the room around 8:30ish, before heading down to reception to meet up with the rest of the group for a 9:30 departure.  We all walked to the Arktikum Science Centre and Museum, which houses exhibitions of the Provincial Museum of Lapland and the Arctic Centre.  It was raining lightly but by the time we arrived (9:50) that had stopped. First up we saw a short film about the seasons of the Arctic Circle. Very nice photography but no commentary. Then we had free time to wander at will.  The exhibition’s there are extensive, so we spent quite a bit of time viewing them.

Artikum is a science centre and museum. It’s on the bank of the River Ounasjoki. Kemijoki is the other river in Rovaniemi.  After viewing the exhibitions, we decided to have lunch at the café there. Soup, bread and all the salad you wanted, plus coffee and biscuits for €9.50. Very filling.

There were a few of us leaving the Artikum at the same time and a couple of them wanted to visit the Lauri Handicraft centre.  Branko was happy to walk to the centre with them and Mary and I went along too. From there, after checking out the goods there, we then walked back to the hotel.  Our room was still being cleaned when we arrived back around 1:30pm. 

Next was the visit to the Husky dogs at Huskypoint Oy. Temperature was around 11c, according to the reading on the coach and it was a slight misty rain.   I missed how many dogs they actually have but they are working dogs, although as it’s summer time now, they are on holiday, as it’s too warm for the dogs to race or do serious training. 

The dogs are bred for endurance racing.  Most of their dogs are Alaskan Huskies,

which are a mixed breed, as they apparently are better than the Siberian Huskies for the sled races. They pair the dogs up but some dogs have a falling out, so it’s back to the drawing board for that pair.  There are 14 dogs used in the races.  The majority of the dogs are ‘leaders’, those with the brains. Then there are the middle dogs, which are the leaders that are being rested from leading and those at the rear are the strong dogs.  


It was really strange seeing an Alaskan Husky with the blue eyes of a Siberian Husky. 

After seeing the dogs, we then went inside a hut to have a coffee and biscuit and watch a movie about one of the races that the owner has competed in (over 1,000k long) and what happens with the dogs during the race.  I found that very interesting.  After viewing that, the son, who was our host, then brought in a couple of 5-6 week old puppies. A boy and girl, who were more than happy to be the centre of attention of the group. 

We departed there around 4:15pm and were back at the hotel about 15-20 minutes later.

As tomorrow is a travel day, I’ll email this now, as I might not get around to it later this evening.

Thu 6th  July 2017:  Rovaniemi to Inari, Finland

Sunrise:         24 hour sun

Sunset:

Steps:             8,823               6.09 km

There isn’t a great deal to say about today.  Mary’s  alarm went off just on 5:30am. We had both set our alarms but yours truly had hers as pm, not am. Duh…. The Weather Channel has Rovaniemi’s forecast as a max off 8c and showers and Inara also 8c but 100% rain.  It had rained overnight here and the wind is blowing.

After breakfast we went back to our room to finish the packing and catch up on emails etc.  We met with the rest of the group down in reception, all ready for our farewell to Rovaniemi at 9am.

Our drivers name is Riley, but I don’t think she is Irish. Or that is how you spell her name. She will be with us until we fly from Tromso down to Oslo on the 12^th. 

The drive from Rovaniemi to the Amethyst mine just out of Luosto, was very picturesque but as it was raining lightly, I didn’t get any photos.  Lampivaara Amethyst Mine is located in Pyhä-Luosto national park and is a travel destination all year round. The amethyst of Lampivaara fell was born 2 000 million years ago in the bowels of the ancient mountains. There is now a gem mine on the top of the hill that will sustain for the hundreds of years. Guided mine tour include the stories of geology, history and nature. Also you will hear about the properties of the gems and the uses of amethyst. There are positive beliefs and fascinating stories about amethyst in many cultures. Leonardo da Vinci always had an amethyst stone on his working desk. He wrote into his diary: “Amethyst dispels evil thoughts and speeds up thinking”. 

It was raining lightly when we arrived there sometime between 9 and 10am. but we still continued with the visit.  If it had been pouring with rain, that might have been a different story.  The climb to the top of the hill was along a timber stair case with over 200 steps.  Once we were at the top, the guide took us into a room where he explained about the quartz and the various grades and how they don’t have underground mining and don’t do any mechanical mining.  From there we walking down another set of stairs and thankfully that one was under cover, until we came outside to the area where we could ‘dig’ for our own amethyst stone.  It was a bit difficult trying to hold an umbrella and dig and had it been a rain free day, it would have been great fun but most of us cut the time there fairly short and we all left with an amethyst stone ‘find’.  From there we then went to a small sale room and after some more talk, we went down the hill to the café, some to have a hot coffee, others to warm up or use the facilities and then onto the coach and we were on our way again around 12:30pm.

Finland has 100’s of thousands of lakes. Inara, the place where we are staying for the next 2 nights, has Lake Inari, which is the 3rd largest lake in Finland.  The country side for most of todays drive, is very flat.  A lot of the houses along the way are painted red/brown. Some other colours are a grey/blue and lemon/cream

We had lunch in the café section at a petrol station in Sodankyla and left there at 2pm.

Branko then put a video on, which was about a Sami woman, a Finnish POW who was dressed as a German soldier and a Russian soldier, who didn’t speak each other’s languages, so didn’t understand what the other person’s were saying. I quite enjoyed it and it filled in an hour of so.

The screen on the coach was showing the outside temp to be 8c for most of the drive but it did drop down to 7c around 3pm.

We had a short stop at the Ivalo River Camping and Resort,

as one of the woman suffers badly from motion sickness and even though she has been taking lots of pills, had to have some time off the bus. We were on our way again soon and I think arrived at the Hotel Kultahovi, Inari, around 4:30pm.  

Check in was very quick. We are all in a separate building from the main one. 

Our room is pretty small but we have a sauna in the bathroom.  

Don’t know if I’ll have the time to take a sauna or not.  We went to the bar and had a pre-dinner drink and a chat to a couple of the other tour members.  Dinner was at 7pm and was a set course. A mushroom crepe for the starter, salmon and veggies for the main and a berry mousse for dessert and then a cake was brought in to celebrate Margaret’s birthday, which was a couple of days ago.

After that, back to our room, boring hand washing, caught up on the journal, can’t get on the internet, so will send this off when I can.

Fri 7th  July 2017:  Inari

Sunrise:         24 hour sun

Sunset:                     

Steps:             13,519             9.33 km

Woke up at 5:40 this morning and went to breakfast just after 7am.  The sun is shining, so a good day is in store for us.

We went for a walk around the hotel and down to Juutuanjoki river. Oh, joki means river, so I have repeated myself.   The river is a paradise for fly fishers and foreign fishermen came to the river as early as the 1930’s.  Mainly from England but also from Canada and Australia.  The Traveller’s Cottage, founded in 1937 is the predecessor of the present Hotel Kultahovi.

I still had a few € value postage stamps, so bought some postcards, wrote & addressed them and as the hotel has an official post box outside the entrance steps, I mailed them.  It will be interesting to see how long they take to get back to Australia.

We all boarded the bus and departed for the Reindeer farm at 9.30 ish and arrived about 15-20 minutes later.  The woman there gave an interesting talk about the reindeer farming. There were 4 young calves there, all around 4-5 weeks old and mainly white in colour. Most new borns are brown but she was saying that they was a very ‘strong’ white male in the stallion pack last year and these young are obviously his offspring. 

Lots of mosquitoes around too.  I must remember to get my insect repellent out before we take off tomorrow.

From the Reindeer farm, we then came back to Inari and visited the Siida (pronounced cedar) Museum, to learn more about the Sami Culture.  First we had lunch at the museum, which included my first taste of reindeer meat.  It’s somewhere between beef and lamb. Certainly not a strong flavour like venison is.  After lunch we had a guide take us through the museum for about an hour and then we had time to walk through the outdoor exhibition, which covered the old traditions of the Sami people. 

There were a number of old buildings there, that had been re-located from others parts of Finland.  After that, we walked back to the hotel for a short break and then walked back to the same area but this time to take a cruise on the lake.

That was very relaxing.  We cruised for about an hour, out to Ukko island. 

It’s 300 metres long, 100 metres wide and 30m high.  The other nearby islands are very flat, compared to Ukko.  We spent about 15-20 minutes there, climbing to the top, taking photo’s 

and then climbing back down again, to start the return journey back.   Have I mentioned that the weather has been lovely today?  If I hadn’t, it was.  Once back from the cruise, we then walked back to the hotel and went to dinner almost straight away (8pm).  A vegetable soup starter, grilled chicken with rice and a tomato sauce as the main and a blueberry type slice for dessert.  It was after 9pm by then.  Still can’t access the internet.

11 pm and the sun is shining brightly.  Will send this when I can.

Sat 8th  July 2017:  Inari to Honningsvag & North Cape

Sunrise:         24 hour sun

Sunset:                     

Steps:             7,809               5.39 km

The light didn’t go out until after 11pm last night and I woke just after 1am and then again just after 5am.  Mary was also awake and after about 15 minutes I decided to get up. Another bright sunny day and we could get on the internet.  No luck with that last night.

After going to breakfast shortly after 7am, the sky had become a little cloudy, compared to the clear blue sky earlier.  It doesn’t feel very cold, so could be around 8c.

Finally managed to get onto the internet just before breakfast this morning.  Back to our room for final packing and everyone was on the coach for the 9am departure.

At 9:20 we turned left off the road we were on and started to head to Norway. Just after turning onto this road, 5 people on motor bikes overtook us and vanished way ahead of the coach. The road appeared to be narrow and there is no centre line painted on it.  Quite a lot of roadworks going on, although, as it’s a Saturday, no workers are around.  Shortly before 10am a couple of ladies from Queensland became excited about seeing snow off in the distance.  The outside temp was showing as 14c.  We passed many lakes, mainly small ones and plenty of water lying around.  At 10:11 we crossed the border into Norway and turned our watches back 1 hour. I remembered to change the time on my small camera but forgot the DSLR and the phone for about another 4hours.

I think Branko said that Norway is 70% covered in forests, 20% mountains and only 5% of fertile arable land BUT I NEED TO CHECK THAT.  At its narrowest point, Norway is only  25kl from the coast to the border with Sweden.

We arrived at the Sapmi Park in the town of Karasjok, around 9:30 and had 1/2 an hour before starting the theatre experience which explains all about the religious history of the Sami people's.  After that, we then had a young local guide, walk us through the outdoor exhibition and explain how things used to be done.

  After that, there was time for an ice cream, as we are having a late lunch.  The one I bought cost me 17 krona. I think Mary’s was about 28 kr.  I also bought a couple of postage stamps for overseas postcards and they were 25 kr each.

We departed there at 11:42 and after a short while, we could see snow covered mountains away in the distance. 

The road then became gravel (more roadworks) and we came to a standstill at 12:02. We were the 7th vehicle in the queue.  I thought that they might have been letting only one direction pass at a time but nothing had come from the other direction, apart from a water tanker and another escort vehicle, that soon returned back in that direction.  Branko spoke to someone outside and other vehicles had already been waiting about 25 minutes.  Traffic started coming from the other direction and then at 12:22 we finally started moving again. We passed through the town of Lakselv at 13:02 and the outside temp. is showing as 17c with a lovely blue sky, with the occasional fluffy cloud.

We finally stopped in a small community called Olderfjord,

where we had a 45 minute break to have some lunch. A few houses, a large cafe, some cabins and a caravan park.  I had a salami, cheese, lettuce & cucumber roll. Cost was 70 kr. There was also a souvenir shop and I bought a couple of postcards. 8 kr each. 

On our way again and the next stop should be Honningsvag.

About 15 minutes later there was a sign on the road saying  Honningsvag 78 kl. Outside temp now 14c. Still lots of patches of snow on the hillside and there was even a waterfall shortly before we entered a tunnel.

I must check to see what the water is on our right. I'm sure it's some sea but I have no idea which one. What ever it is, it's a lovely deep blue colour.

Lot’s of motor homes on the road today. At 15:16 we entered another tunnel and the temp is now down to 13c.  There must be fish out there, as I have now seen 3 areas in the sea, where birds have been hovering or diving.

We passed through another tunnel which passed 212 feet under the ocean and is 7 kilometres long.  At 16:02 I saw a sign saying Honningsvag 16kl, Nordkapp 45 kl. And then shortly after that, we went through another 4 kilometre tunnel.

We arrived in the village of Honnisvag at 16:15 and first up was a visit to the Ice Bar. First they put a warm outer cloak over us and then we entered the ice cold bar.

The visit included 2 non alcoholic drinks, in ice shot glasses.  We were only in the bar for 15 or so minutes, then back out. Once outside we all went back to the coach and were on our way to  our hotel, which is 6 kilometres from the village,  There were 2 cruise ships docked in the harbour. The Pacific Princess and Costa Pacifica. 

We were at the hotel by 20 past five.

Very basic room.  Beds, bedside tables, arm chair, luggage rack with hanging space over that. Small bathroom, no hairdryer but it does have hand wash and shampoo. And it has a heater in the bathroom and one in the room.

After some free time we then boarded the coach to go to the North Cape.  The weather today has been great and we couldn't have asked for it to be better. Once at the cape, we rugged up well, as the wind was blowing a gale and it was very chilly.  Took some photos outside,

then met up with the rest of the group, to go and have dinner in the restaurant. The booking was for 9pm. A very enjoyable meal. A salmon a potato starter, pork & veggies main and a panacotta for dessert.  We then went and watched a 15 minute video about the seasons at the cape. We were hoping to post cards from the post office shop there but they closed right on 10:45 pm, just as we were reading the sign, with the times on it. Oh well, there was a post box, so another 2 postcards are in the mail.  Mary had bought a stamp & postcard, so we found a place for her to write and then mailed that too.

It was after 11pm by then so we wandered outside to check out a good place to be, to take a photo of the midnight sun.  At this time of the year, it doesn't dip, so you can't get a photo of the sun on the horizon but I did take a photo at midnight.

  We were all on the bus and heading back to our hotel, just before 12:30am.  After arriving back at the hotel, I had set the alarm for 6:45am, was in bed and put my light out at 1:30 am. 

Sun 9th  July 2017:  Honningsvag to Alta

Sunrise:         24 hour sun

Sunset:

Steps;             12,862             8.88 km

My alarm went off at 6:45, after finally getting to bed and switching the light off at 1:30am.  When looking out the window, the sun was shining without a cloud in the sky. We went to breakfast just before 8:30am and the weather feels about 10c or more. I didn't feel hungry so only ate lightly. The coach was due to depart at 10am but we were all on board early, so departed about 10 minutes to 10.

We followed the same road back to the town of Olderfjord, having a few photo stops along the way.  Big white clouds are starting to build up in the distance but they are a long way away.

Shortly before we arrive at Olderfjord, where we had a half hour stop, the outside temperature showing on the bus, was 17c.  Mary had some retail therapy and I had an ice cream (27 kr).  After the stop at Olderfjord we were on our way again at 12:40.  This time we took a right turn, now heading to Alta, where we are spending tonight.  Current temp outside 20c, according to the coach reading.  Rile, our driver, has already taken 11 tour groups to the North Cape this season and our group is the first one that have had good weather.

There is still a lot of snow lying on the ground here, and there are actually some trees growing, so I guess we are away from the strong coastal winds.  There is a river running along the left side of the road.  After a short distance, we passed through the village of Skaidi and then took a left turn, crossing the same river and then passed a very small caravan/cabin park. There is now another river on the right side of the road.  Just saw a road sign saying that Alta is 80 kilometres away.

Passing houses on the left side, scattered along the lower parts of the hills.  All appear to be timber construction and all of them blend into the landscape.  More and more clouds appearing, as we drive and the coach is showing the outside temp as now being 21c at 1:15pm. Alta now 60 kl away. Passed over that river and it's now out of sight.

Back to flat non arable looking countryside.  It's a shame that they can't or don't grow something during summer but perhaps their summer is just too short for that.

I pretty much rested my eyes until we reached Alta, just before 4pm.

A pretty little town of about 10,000 people.

The 200 kilometre long river Altaelva empies into the Altafjord, in Alta.

A large number of prehistoric rock carvings have been found along the fjord, particularly at the bay Jiepmaluokta.   These locations are assigned a UNESCO World Heritage Site,

First up we visited the Alta Museum, which has a number of the Rock art carvings. We had time for a lunch break, so I had a cappuccino (35 kr) and a small egg, cheese & tomato roll (84 kr) which was delicious and fresh.  We then started the outdoor walk to the rock carvings at 3pm. 

Finished that around 3:30 and then had free time to visit the indoor exhibitions, until 4:15, when we then went to our hotel and checked in.  Alta has a beautiful cathedral, the Northern Lights Cathedral.  I didn’t visit it though but we have a great view of it from our hotel room.

We went for a quick walk around the local area and found a mini mart, so bought a couple of cans of Pepsi Max. 14.90 kr plus the 1.00 kr per can, recycling deposit charge.  So far, Sweden, Finland & now Norway, all charge a re-cycling deposit fee, on all can’s and bottles. I’m assuming that Denmark does the same.

We are heading to Tromso tomorrow via a couple of fjords and ferries along the way. The weather forecast is for showers in the PM but still about 18c temp.

Mon 10th  July 2017:  Alta to Tromso

Sunrise:         24 hour sun

Sunset:

Steps:             7,953               5.49 km

I woke a couple of times during the night but just rolled over and went back to sleep. Woke again at 5am but then sleep again until Mary's alarm went off.  We went down the breakfast at 7:30 and it was a very nice spread.

We were packed and downstairs shortly after 9am, ready for our 9:30 am departure.  Away on time. The sun is shining, it's 22c but it is a little windy.  The forecast for Tromso isn't too good for this afternoon. A max of 17c and a 90% chance of rain.

We had to stop for some roadworks about 15 minutes out of Alta but only for a couple of minutes.  We have already driven through 5 tunnels, not that they are exceptionally long.  Maybe today is the day of tunnels.

There are quite a number of houses built between the roadway and the Altafjord.  Some look as if they have been there for a very long time.

We reached the end of the Altafjord around 10:30am and started climbing a bit. Very lush vegetation here and we are back into a more forested area.

We are now travelling alongside another fjord and I have no idea of the name of it.

It's now 10:50 and the bus temp gauge is reading 20c for outside. We have just passed some roadworks and we are travelling very slowly. Just had a look up ahead and it seems that we are in a convoy, with 12 or 13 vehicles ahead of us, following a roadworks “lead” vehicle, which has just pulled off the road, ready to lead the vehicles going in the other direction, back past the roadworks.  I wonder if it's a way of ensuring that the drivers stick to the recommended roadworks speed limit.  We are climbing again through forested area, then suddenly back to almost treeless terrain. More mountains in the distance.

Norway certainly is a beautiful scenic country.

We finally pulled into a road stop area around 11:30am, which has a large cafe and some nice food. Gildetun is the name.

  It also has some cabins and overlooks a fjord with mountains in the background and a large island plus a few smaller ones.  A picture perfect setting.  I had cauliflower soup and an almond topped slice. 130 kr. Around AUD$ 23 to 24. I'm glad I upped my cash budget for Norway from my usual AUD$50 per day to AUD$100 per day.

We departed there about 12:20 and continued on. Another fjord. Oksfjord I think. Just don't quote me.

13:40 and we have come to a stop in the town of Olderdalen because of roadworks.  Only a 10 minute hold up. We then proceeded to the ferry terminal, 500 metres away, for our ferry ride to Lyngseidet.   The ferry departed at 2:10pm  

and we drove off the other side at 3:00pm. Blue sky and big fluffy clouds in one direction and overcast and misty looking, right next to it.  I just noticed the latest temp.outside. 18c.

We arrived at the next ferry crossing at 15:25. Boarded almost straight away and were on our way again at 15:30.  A crossing of only 20 minutes and we were on the road again.

The drive this time is taking us away from the fjords and through a valley.  I can see some water in the distance.  16:15 and we have come to a t-junction and turned right for Tromso. That body of water is now on our left. I don't know if it's a fjord or a lake.  Still surrounded by mountains, with forests in the lower regions of the mountains.  Quite a lot of traffic on this road.

Tromso is 350 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle and is supposed to be one of the best places in the world to view the Aurora Borealis during the winter months.  From late May to late July, it's the land of the ‘Midnight Sun’ but can also have extra long twilights in April & August too.  Tromso’s island setting, combined with the historical charm of its centuries old wooden architecture, make the city a beautiful place to explore.

It is also a very important port town. May arctic explorations departed from here.

We arrived around 5pm and after checking in and going to our room, we left our bags and went for a quick walk to a local shopping mall, as Mary needed a new battery for her watch. That done, we came back to the hotel and went up to the bar on the 11th floor, for a drink with a few of the others from the group, who were already there. 1 glass Pinot Grigio  95 kr. $AU16.  Don’t think I’ll have another one of those here in Tromso.  After that, we then went looking for somewhere to eat and after asking the girl in a local supermarket, ended up sharing a very filling pizza, at the Egon restaurant, in Storgataqa 50. That was 198 kr. By the time we finished dinner and left the restaurant, it was raining and we didn't have our brollies.  It was a quick dash back to the hotel, without getting too wet.

Once back in our room, we did some ironing of clothes for the next couple of days, catching up with the journal etc. etc. etc. before the light went out.  Our room is very modern and very suitable for a single traveller.  I just wonder if the people who design hotel rooms, ever really use them.

Tue 11th  July 2017:  Tromso

Sunrise:         24 hour sun

Sunset:

Steps:            12,394             8.55 km

The alarm went off at this morning at 6:15 and we went down to breakfast at 7:30.

The group departed at 9:00am and the first port of call was the Arctic Cathedral.

Tromsdalen Church, also known as Ishavskatedralen (The Arctic Cathedral) was dedicated on November 19, 1965.

Architect Jan Inge Hovig succeeded in creating a masterpiece. The cathedral is a landmark visible from the Tromsø Sound, the Tromsø Bridge and when landing in Tromsø by aircraft. The 11 aluminium-coated concrete panels on each side of the roof provide the cathedral’s form.  The main entrance on the western side is surrounded by a large glass façade with a pronounced cross. The fantastic glass mosaic on the eastern side was added in 1972.

The glass mosaic is one of artist Victor Sparre’s most prominent works. It depicts God’s hand from which departs three rays of light: one through Jesus, one through a woman and one through a man. The glass work contains many symbols and generates considerable attention among visitors.

The oak pews, the large prism chandeliers, the altar rail and pulpit are the most significant fittings, all of which are in a style that agrees with the cathedral’s severity and simplicity.

The cathedral’s organ was built in 2005 by Grönlunds Orgelbyggeri. It has three manuals and pedal and 42 stops, and is built in the French Romantic tradition. The organ is adapted to the cathedral’s architecture in a masterly fashion and provides associations with sails and ice floes.

The organ comprises 2940 pipes, the longest of which measures 32 feet (9.6 m) and the smallest just 5 mm. Much of the woodwork is in solid pine and the bellows are made of reindeer hide.

From there we then went to the Tromso Museum, where we arrived at 9:50am.  First up we watched a short video of the Northern Lights and then entered the exhibition areas. 

The exhibitions provide an insight into the North Norwegian culture and nature.  Science is presented in many forms.  The collections are varied.  The museum is a university museum, and their exhibits are mainly based on thorough and recent research.

After that visit, we then proceeded to the Arctic-Alpine Botanical Garden. 

The Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanical Garden is home to thousands of plant species from all parts of the world. The emphasis is, however, on plants from the polar regions or the high mountains, which have difficulty surviving in the milder climates where most botanical gardens are located. With its long, snowy winters and cool, moist summers, the Tromsø climate is ideal for these plants, providing the perfect conditions for tough little plants that are a little sensitive to heat. The garden also features rock formations and areas of gravel that recreate the conditions where the hardy plants grow wild.

A variety of species and hybrids of the Tibetan blue poppy are to be found in the garden’s Himalaya section. The best-known – the giant Tibetan blue poppy (Meconopsis“Lingholm”) starts to bloom in late June, standing proud with metre-high stems and giant flowers of an intense shade of blue.

There are also white, Burgundy and yellow species. There are few other botanical gardens in the world where Tibetan blue poppies thrive as well as they do here.

From the botanic gardens, we then went to the top of Storsteinen Mountain, via a 4-minute trip by cable car.  Storsteinen is 420 metres above sea level. At the top there is a magnificent view.You get a fantastic view of the whole town.
Tromsø is actually on an island, Tromsøya. The Tromsø sound divides the town from the mainland, where the famous Arctic cathedral stands with its unique architecture.

We departed from the mountain around 2:30pm and were soon back at the hotel. The rest of the afternoon/night was free time.

Mary and I went for an extended walk. There were a couple of statues that I wanted to take photos of,

plus a Norwegian ship had docked near the hotel and I wanted a photo of that too.  We found a bakery and had a coffee and pastry and then continued with the window shopping and exploring. 

We eventually ended back at the hotel, where we had an hours break and then heading out to buy our selves some dinner.  A couple of the men said that they had dinner last night at a sports bar near the hotel, called O’Learys, so we decided to eat there.  A delicious fish & chips (189 kr) and a glass of chardonnay (86 kr) for me.

Back to the hotel to catch up on things and get the suitcases ready for our early departure tomorrow at 7:45, as we have a 10:20am flight down to Oslo.

I almost forgot to mention the weather today. Around 20c or could have been more and sunny with a gently breeze.  Perfect touring day.

Wed 12th  July 2017:  Tromso to Oslo

Sunrise:         24 hour sun

Sunset:          10:27pm  Oslo

Steps:            12,180             8.4 km

Both our alarms went off at the same time this morning and we were up, showered, dressed and looking glamorous by the time we went to breakfast at 6am.  There was an omelette chef there today, so I had an omelette.  We were back to our room by 7 am. 

We departed the hotel at 0740 and went via the underground tunnel system to the airport.

13c outside, according to the bus gauge. and it's raining. Not heavy, more like a constant shower. It only took 8 minutes to reach the airport. There are even  a couple of round-abouts inside the tunnel. The 1st one was mainly to exit the tunnel, in case you entered by mistake.

Self check in again and the luggage slightly different from the last one  Through security and our gate is right next to it. My carry on was checked, as there was a question about my bottle of caltrate pills.  Perhaps the shape looks too much like a mini bottle of alcohol. Anyway, they didn't pick up on the tube of hand cream that I forgot I had in my handbag.

Our flight wasn't for another 2 hours, so we sat and waited.  Went for a walk and bought a banana and some mixed nuts to eat on the plane.  Mary  & I managed to get seats next to each other, not that it matters as the flight is only about 1.5 hrs.

We boarded at 10:00 and the flight lifted off at 10:30am. A full flight and we are in row 24. Only 25 rows on this plane. The pilot made an announcement that they had a passenger who had a nut allergy, so was asking anyone who had packets of nuts on-board, not to open them.  Bummer. We will have to eat our mixed nuts another time.  Lovely blue sky up above the clouds.

We landed at 12:15 and had collected our luggage and on the bus by 12:45.  We have 2 drivers who’s names I didn't hear.  I'll have to ask tomorrow. The temp was 16c, a bit of a  breeze blowing and very cloudy and overcast.

Very green farmland along the 4 laned highway and then areas of housing and light industry, then back to farmland again. Plus lightly forested areas too. Passed a large IKEA store.  One thing I have noticed here in Norway, is that some businesses have their hours of business in large print on the side of the buildings.  I first noticed it in Tromso and saw it on a couple of buildings on the drive in to the city.

The Oslo (pronounced Ooshlo) airport is about 35 km from the city and the drive in to our hotel took somewhere between 30 and 40 minutes. We checked into the hotel. Our room is just around the corner from the elevator, so we can't really get lost.  We had a banana and mixed nuts for lunch and then met up again with the rest of the group, for a short walking orientation, at 3pm.

Branko walked us down to and past the City Hall, to the port area, pointing some things out along the way. We all then went our separate ways.  Mary and I took some photos and then walked across the road to the City Hall

 and spent some time in there taking photos and visiting the rooms that are open to the public.

We did some people watching next to one of the fountains and then it started to rain lightly, so we just opened our brolly’s and continued on. It showered off and on for the next half hour or so.  Checked out a small shopping mall.  There are a lot of eating places along that pedestrian street.  We did some more walking and taking photos and then went into a 7 eleven shop and bought a chicken, cheese & pesto panini. Walked back to the hotel and ate the panini, while watching some TV.

Sight seeing starts tomorrow at 9am, so an earlyish night tonight.

Thu 13th  July 2017:  Oslo

Sunrise:         4:17am

Sunset:          10:26pm

Steps:             12,151             8.38 km

I woke up shortly before 6 this morning, opened the drapes and it’s a beautiful clear blue sunny sky.  Showered, dressed and we were down to breakfast by about 7:15, which on reflection was perfect timing, as the place really filled up just after 7:30.  A very nice spread and they have bananas, apples and pears for people to take out of the breakfast room.

We met up with the rest of our group and the local guide, who’s name is Ivana.  She is originally from Belgrade in Serbia but is married to a Norwegian, so has lived here in Oslo for the past 10 years. She has a great sense of humour.  I also found out the names of our bus drivers.  Damian and Dorel and they are from Romania.

We were away by 9am and did our city drive by.

Drove past the art nouveau History Museum, the Oslo University, which was built in 1811. The National Theatre, currently under renovation. The first performance was held there in 1899. Past the Hotel Continental, the City Hall, top of the Oslo Fjiord.  The Oslo (Akershus)  Fortress. The building of Akershus Castle and Fortress was commenced in 1299 under king Håkon V. The medieval castle, which was completed in the 1300s, had a strategical location at the very end of the headland, and withstood a number of sieges throughout the ages. King Christian IV (1588-1648) had the castle modernised and converted into a Renaisssance castle and royal residence. 

Oslo has a lot of electric cars. This article tells more.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/feb/07/power-to-the-ev-norway-spearheads-europes-electric-vehicle-surge

Next was the Opera House, where we were supposed to get out but there are road works happening, so couldn’t stop at the Opera House. Instead, we drove to a wharf not far from there, to get some photos. 

  From there, we then visited Vigeland Park.

The Vigeland Park is the world's largest sculpture park made by a single artist, and is one of Norway's most popular tourist attractions. The park is open to visitors all year round.

The unique sculpture park is Gustav Vigeland's lifework with more than 200 sculptures in bronze, granite and wrought iron. Vigeland was also in charge of the design and architectural layout of the park. The Vigeland Park was mainly completed between 1939 and 1949.

Most of the sculptures are placed in five units along an 850 meter long axis: The Main gate, the Bridge with the Children's playground, the Fountain, the Monolith plateau and the Wheel of Life.

We arrived there around 10:00am and departed at 11:15.  The story behind the sculptures was all about the life cycle, or the cycle of life.

From there we then visited the Holmenkollen Ski Jump. Hplmenkollen has hosted the Holmenkollen Ski Festival since 1892.  It also hosted the 1952 Winter Olympics. The hill has been rebuilt 19 times; important upgrades include a stone take-off in 1910, an in-run superstructure in 1914, and a new superstructure in 1928. During the Second World War, the venue was used as a military installation, but upgraded in the late 1940s. Further expansions were made ahead of the 1966 and 1982 World Championships, as well as in 1991. Between 2008 and 2010, the entire structure was demolished and rebuilt.

Our final visit for the day was the Viking Ship Museum.  This museum is on the Bygdøy peninsula with the world's best-preserved Viking ships and finds from Viking tombs around the Oslo Fjord. We watched the adventure film, The Vikings Alive, which is screened throughout the day on the ceilings and wall inside the museum. The Viking Ship Museum shows discoveries from the Gokstad ship,

Gokstad Ship

Oseberg ship

Oseberg ship

and Tune ship (also known as the Haugen ship),

Tune ship

plus small boats, sledges, a beautiful cart, tools, textiles and household utensils. All of the latter are behind glass and trying to take photos are impossible, because of the reflections. All 3 ships are from the 9^th century and approx. 20 metres long.

The Oseberg ship is graceful looking.

After that visit, we were brought back to the hotel, although a few people were dropped off at another museum and caught a ferry back to the mainland.

Mary & I visited the shopping arcade under the hotel and then went for a walk to the Royal Palace. 

We were thinking about doing a guided tour but there was a queue, so we kept on walking around the grounds. 

We then helped an India family find the City Hall, before taking some more photos and then deciding to have dinner.  We ate again at an Egon restaurant on Karl Johan. We also ate at one, the first night we were in Tromso.  I had a chicken salad, 186 kr and a large glass of chardonnay, 122 kr.   Mary had a bottle of ginger beer, 43 kr and homemade lasagne, 179 kr .  After that we returned to the hotel.

It clouded over a bit this afternoon but looking out the window now, almost all the cloud has gone.

Tomorrow we head to a small town named Sogndal.  We were supposed to be staying in Laerdal but apparently we have been bumped from the hotel, hence the change in town and accommodation.  Tomorrow’s forecast for Sogndal is a max of 20c, partly cloudy and 10% chance of precipitation.  Today was around  20c.  Certainly a t-shirt day.  We don’t know what hotel we are staying at tomorrow, so don’t know if there is Wi-Fi or not, so you might not hear from me until we get to Bergen on Saturday.

Fri 14th  July 2017:  Oslo to Laerdal Sogndalsflora

Sunrise:         4:19 am                     

Sunset:          10:52 pm       

Steps:             9,800               6.76 km

Our alarms went off at 5am, giving us plenty of time to sort ourselves out, before we went down to breakfast at 7am.  One thing we discovered, is that the power point on the floor near the window, works on the room lights.  Turn the lights off and the power point stops working too. So much for charging things overnight. J

We were all on the bus and had departed the hotel by 8:50 this morning. Sunny with a few scattered clouds as we departed Oslo.  The forecast for Sogndal is partly cloudy and 20c.  Perfect.

By 09:30 we were well out of Oslo, heading in a north westerly direction towards Bergen but don't get there until tomorrow (Sat) night.  We passed through a couple of short tunnels.  Back into the green forested countryside and fjords.  The water is smooth, so I guess there is no wind to speak of, at the moment.

A few farms growing wheat, although it's very green.

Some orchards with apple trees. Semi industrial area, then back to forest. Farms dotted behind forested areas.

I think I'll have to start carrying my power pack in the backpack on travel days, instead of putting it in the carry, which goes under the bus.  Much easier to keep the iPad mini charged up that way.

10:35 we have our first break at a Thon Hotel at Bjorneparken (Bear Park). A hotel, shopping mall and service station. And a McDonald and that was about it. 

We departed there at 11:10, passing some very serene looking scenery.  We passed through a small village called Bromma just after 11:30.  There is a fjord on the right side of the bus, with some fabulous reflections of the hills behind, in the water.

I’ve noticed many wood piles next to some of the houses near the road.  I guess part of the summer is being spent, preparing for the next winter.  Nesbyen is the name of another village we passed around 11:40.

We arrived in Gol at noon and this is our one hour lunch stop.

Mary and I found the bakery that Branko told everyone about and ate there.  I had a ham and cheese crescent shaped roll 45 kr.  A couple of the ladies were late getting back, so we didn’t quite get away on time. They are usually the last to arrive, whenever we have an extended stop.  Just had a look at the temp reading for outside and it’s 21c.

We continue on through Hemsedal Valley.  The Hemsedal Ski centre Outlet is a lonely shop, next to nothing else other than a car park. The Hemsedal Ski Resort is on the other side of the village of Hemsedal and has a number of ski runs. At the moment all is green but I can see some snow high up on some mountain behind the resort. It's now 2pm and according to the bus temp gauge its now only 16c.  We are climbing, so maybe that has something to do with it.  A quick photo stop around 2:30pm

and we are heading down hill now. 2:44pm and we are driving through a tunnel.  Not a very long one though.

2:48 and we have just turned off the main road for our visit to Borgund, which is just a few kilometres up the side road, for our visit to the Stave Church.  The timber for the church was felled during the winter of 1180 and the building erected soon after.  The complicated structure was built by travelling craftsmen with skill and experience.  Of the original 1,000 churches built throughout Norway, with most being built between c.1130 and 1350, only 28 remain and Bogund is the one with the least alterations.

We departed there at 3:45 and headed back the way we came, to enter the 3 km tunnel and shortly after that, another tunnel.  It has become quite cloudy.

We drove past the village of Laerdal, which is where we should have been staying, at 4:10.  All the old houses there are timber houses and are heritage protected. Apparently, all new houses also have to look like the old timbered houses.

We made a right hand turn and entered the 6.6 km  Fodnes Tunnel.  Once on the other side, it was a short drive to the ferry that will take us over to the island. We drove onto the ferry at 4:22:20 and it departed at 4:23:00. I think we were almost the last vehicle to board.  We docked at 4:35 and were off the ferry by 4:37  straight through into a 3 km tunnel.  We arrived in Sogndal at 4:52  and at the Quality Hotel Sogndal, shortly after.

Looks like they are building a new bridge over the fjord inlet, leading into the town.

We have room 221. This hotel is supposed to be an upgrade from the one we should have stayed at.  If it is, I'd hate to think what the other one was like.

I wrote that comment, having seen the room that we had. A very basic room.  Since then we have had a buffet dinner at the hotel.  The food was quite nice. A choice of chicken, pasta or fish hot dishes. Plus some vegetables. A cauliflower soup. An offering of cold meats, vegetables, etc, plus a good selection of desserts.  The service was excellent, re clearing the table of dirty dishes.  We are only in the hotel for the one night and the view from our room of the surrounding mountains, can’t be sneezed at.

We are departing for Bergen tomorrow at 8:15, so I’m sending this off and then bed and lights out.

Sat 15th  July 2017:  Sogndal to Bergen

Sunrise:         4:23 am

Sunset:          10:49 pm

Steps:             8,184               5.65

Alarm went off at 5.30am and down to breakfast at 6:30. A pretty good spread. Finished breakfast and back in the room by 7:45 to pack up and load onto the bus for our 8:15 departure. We arrived at the ferry and had approx half an hour to stretch our legs. The bus boarded the ferry just before the 9:am departure.

Ice cream 30 kr

It was very windy and cool when we first went up on the top deck of the ferry. 

After a while I went down to the next deck and into the lounge.  From there I'd go outside to take a photo, when something interesting popped up.  Bought myself a warming coffee for 25 kr. 

The scenery was fantastic. 

We passed a number of passenger ferries going the other way.  

We arrived at Gudvangen just before 12 noon. We were now on the Naereyfjord, which  branches off from the Sogndal fjord.

We then drove to Stalheim, which is only a short way, for a photographic stop and coffee and shopping, if so inclined.. There is a huge hotel there with a largish gift shop. We departed slightly after 10 to 1, as one of our ladies was late back again. 18c according to the bus temp gauge.  Back through the 2 tunnels we passed through on the way there but not back to the ferry.

Our 2 bus drivers are very strict about what can be bought onto the bus and what can be done.  No ice cream is allowed on board. One woman likes to have a snooze on the back seat and they only realised that today. She can snooze but no shoes up on the seats.

From there we drove to Undredal. We passed through a tunnel that is 11 kilometres long.  Once out of it, we turned off but I could see that the next tunnel was 5 km long. Once in Undredal we went to the Kafe Resepsion OST

where the owner gave a short talk about the village, their way of life and the brown cheese.  We then had a tasting of 3 different white cheeses and their brown cheese. Then we had some lunch, which was a very deliciious homemade thick puréed vegetable soup with bread and a non-alcoholic drink and coffee or tea.   When lunch was over, most of us managed to find our way to the Stave church that is in Undredal.  The outside has been modernised over the years and looks nothing like the Stave church we saw yesterday.

We departed there at 2:45, heading to Flam and the first of our train rides today. It was a short drive and we were there shortly after 3pm.  The train was due to depart at 4:05pm, so we were meeting up with Branko again at 3:45.

The train departed Flam on time and once again the scenery was lovely.  All of Norway is lovely. Flam is at 2 metres and Myrdal is at 867 metres, so the train climbs a reasonable way.  I managed to take a couple of photos through the open top part of the window but then decided to just enjoy the views and the chatter.  There was a stop and people could get off to take photos of a lovely waterfall.  It was a bit of a bum fight. I had somehow managed to change the setting on my camera to manual and the photos I took, which I didn't check until I was back on the train, were a major fail.  Mary got a couple of good ones and she said she would share with me. 🤗🤗

The train arrived in Myrdal just after 5:00, where we got off and transferred to the Bergen train.  We departed  Myrdal at approx 5:10pm.  Upsete was first station on the way to Voss. Stopped at Urdland at 5:55pm and we got into Voss, sometime after 6:00pm.  We were finally on the bus and on our way to Bergen, where someone said it is currently raining.  7:08pm and we just passed a sign saying Bergen 58 km.

The drive from Voss to Bergen took approx 2 hours.  We arrived  at the hotel shortly before 8pm. A light dinner is included in the room price. It's served between 6 and 9pm.  Once the bags were in the room and we had re-arranged the furniture to fit our suitcases in and have some room to move around, we went and had something to eat.

Back to the room around 9:30. Some washing done etc and updated this, which I'll now send and go to bed.  Great weather today, again. cloudy at times but still around the 18 to 20c range I think. Bergen is cooler though. And wet. And windy. 

Night

Sun 16th July 2017:  Bergen

Sunrise:         4:40 am

Sunset:          10:47pm

Steps:            14,873             10.26

Our alarms went off at 6am and we were down to breakfast at 7am.

We met our local guide Kay, who was born in Chicago to Norwegian parents, who then moved back to Norway when she was thirteen, 40+ years ago.  She has a very broad USA accent. 

The population of Bergen is around 276,000 people. 30,000 local jobs are connected to or with the oil industry.  Bergen is expecting 320 cruise ships to visit this year. Bergen is a trading city and has between 250 to 300 days of rain per year.

Today was one of them BUT it would shower, then the sun would come out, then the brolly would come out, then be put away etc. etc. etc.  
In other words, even though it was a “wet” day, it didn’t really impact on the sight seeing at all.  I think the temp was somewhere between 13c and 16c. It certainly didn’t feel cold.

We departed at 9am for our included bus tour of the city sights and then continued out of the city a short way, to Troldhaugen, the home of the composer Edvard Grieg. 

The building was designed by Grieg's cousin, the architect Schak Bull. The name comes from trold  meaning troll and haug  from the Old Norse word haugr meaning hill or knoll. Grieg is reputed to have said that children called the nearby small valley "The Valley of Trolls" and thus gave the name for his building as well. Edvard Grieg himself called the building "my best composition hitherto", as he made many changes to the original design.

Edvard and Nina Grieg finished building Troldhaugen in 1885.  They live there when he was home in Norway, mostly in the summer. Troldhaugen was the home of Edvard Grieg from April 1885 to his death. After the death of her husband in 1907, Nina Grieg moved to Denmark where she spent the remainder of her life. Grieg's and his wife's ashes rest inside a mountain tomb near the house.

We departed there at 10:30 and drove back to the city for our walking tour. We walked through the timber houses in the Bryggen area

and saw St. Mary’s Church.  The construction of the church is believed to have started in the 1130s or 1140s and completed around 1180, making this church the oldest remaining building in the whole city of Bergen. There have been a few fires that burned the church, as well as several renovations and reconstructions, most recently in 2013.

St Mary's Church

We then toured Hakon’s Hall, a stone hall built by King Hakon between 1247 and 1261, that served as a royal residence and banquet hall. It was the largest and most imposing building of the royal resindency in the 13^th century, when Bergen was the political centre of Norway. It’s still used today for royal dinners and other official functions.

Our local guide left us then and the group then walked to the funicular railway and we went  up to the top of Mount Floyen.  Once we were up there, the sun came out, so we had lovely views over the city and port. 

View from Mount Floyen. Photo taken by Mary.

Mary & I took a few photos and then wandered around.  There are goats up on the mountain and I found the following out about them.

Fløyenguttene (The Fløyen Boys), the Goats on Mount Fløyen, are cashmere goats, and help us keep the greenery at bay. Come visit them during spring and summer time!  They have spent the winter with our good friends at Askøy (Ash Island, right outside Bergen), but after Easter they are finally back home on Mount Fløyen.

The nine billy goats were born in 2011 on Radøy. They gre up on Storøyen in Eidsvåg where they together with Bergen Coastal Association made a great effort to clear that island of thicket and forest. Because first and foremost they are bred to clear vegetation, they were all castrated when they were babies. They like to keep each other company and for the most part stay with the herd.  The summer of 2016, the goats moved to Mount Fløyen where they enjoy lazy days. They eat themselves big and strong within a restricted area. The goats are restricted with the use of modern Norwegian pasture technology, a virtual fence solution for grazing livestock.

Mary & I then had a coffee and pastry, (78 kr) for a snack before coming back down to the city.  We then wandered, taking photos here and there.  

We were near the Tourist Info Centre, when there was a particular heavy shower, so we nipped into the restaurant on the bottom floor and had an ice cream.  Double scoop in a cup 50 kr.

The rain stopped, so we continued on our walk, nipping in and out of buildings, eventually arriving back to the hotel around 5ish.  The info in our room said that you can have coffee, tea or water, all day in the 11^th floor lounge, so we went up there. The door was locked, so we came back to our room and had a cup of coffee here instead.

We will head out shortly to find a restaurant for dinner, so I’ll finish this now.

Another longish travel day tomorrow.

Mon 17th July 2017:  Bergen to Vradal

Sunrise:         4:42 am

Sunset:          10:23 pm

Steps:             6,159               4.25 km

We walked down to the fish market area last night and had dinner at the same restaurant that we had the ice cream at yesterday.  Lokalt & Lekkeyt. We both had their Signature Fish and Chips 199 kr and I had a glass of Claude val Blanc 89 kr. The equilivant of AUD $35 for the main and $16 for the wine.  We arrived back at the hotel about 20 to nine and went up to the 11^th floor to get a cup of coffee but that machine wasn’t working.  Anyway, we eventually found extras creamers and sugar to take back to our room, as we had a large supply of coffee, left by housekeeping when they cleaned the room but only 2 sugars and 3 creamers.

The alarms went off at 5:30 this morning and we went down to breakfast at 7am

We departed ahead of time, at 08:50, heading eastwards.  Very solid rain falling as we left Bergen. 

Driving through forested areas again this morning and valleys with houses dotted through out. Some mountains in the distance still with snow up on the peaks. I would have thought that the snow this far south would be gone  by this time of the year.

09:55 and we were driving downhill through a very curvy tunnel.  Some of the tunnels we have passed through here in Norway, have almost gone in a full circle. Back out of the tunnel  and still heading down through a valley. 

We stopped shortly after, to take a photo of a waterfall.

Steinsdalfossen is the name.  Branko said that fossen means waterfall.  We departed from that stop at 10:36 and the town just up the road is called Hardanger and Hardangerfjord is the fjord.  The Hardangerfjord is  179 km long and is the  3rd longest fjord in the world. Greatest depth is 900 meters. The definition of a fjord is a long, narrow inlet from the sea with steep sides or cliffs, created by glacial erosion during the ice ages.

We then stopped around 11:00, for an early included lunch at a small farm called Steinsto Fruit Farm. 

The farmer has a roadside cafe, selling the produce from his farm, which has been in the family for 9 generations.  We walked up to the restaurant, on the other side of the road and had a delicious  pork, cauliflower & potato main dish,

home made apple cider and an apple cake with cream and raspberry jam for dessert. 

Some people thought the meat was turkey.

We were supposed to do a bit of a walk around but it started to rain as we were walking up to the restaurant, so we all gathered in the garage while he told us about the farm. The farm grows fruit and berries and they now also process and preserve some of their own produce. Apples, pears, cherries, strawberries, raspberries and plums.  We departed there around 12:30 ish.

13:00 and we just arrived at Kvanndal to catch the 1pm ferry over to Utne.  The journey over to the other side of the fjord only took about 20 minutes. The sky is still very overcast but not raining at the moment.

We travelled alongside the Sorfiorden on highway 550.  The climate here is fairly mild and there are a number of orchards in this area.

2:20pm and very slow going as we approached the magnificent Latefossen waterfalls.  The falls are special in that two seperate streams flowing from Lotevatnet Lake meet in spectacular fashion midway down the falls.    We had a 20 minute stop for photos.  There was a huge spray coming from these falls.  There is just so much water thundering down.  Mini waterfalls all throughout this area.  On our way again just after 2:40pm.

3:41pm we had a stop for 30 min. I think our driver needed a required break, even though we have 2 drivers, plus a few of us needed a loo break.  The sun is shining but the temp is about 10c and the wind is very strong. The place we stopped at is the Haukelister Mountain Lodge.  Lots of activities on offer for all the seasons of the year.  Dog sledding, skiing, kiting, trekking and hiking.

At 5:pm, after travelling through a very pretty valley, I could see that the outside temp had gone up to 13c.  Many of the houses through the valley, have earth roofs, with grass growing on top.

This helps with the insulation of the house.  We hit the Telemark area about half an hour later.  Telemark lent its name to Telemark Skiing, a style invented by Sondre Northeim and the characteristic Telemark landing of ski jumping.

Shortly after  that we turned off the road that we had been travelling on and started down an even windier road towards Lake Vravatn.  18c according to the bus temp gauge.  We crossed over a bridge passing over a lake and then started climbing up the other side.  Lots of hair pin bends on this stretch of road.

Our final destination for the day is the town of Vradal, a 3 hour drive from the falls at the Eastern end of Lake Vravatn.  Vradal is a gateway town to the beautiful Lake Nisser.  Hiking is popular here in the summer and skiing throughout the winter months.  We arrived just before 6pm.

Check in was easy and the room (122) is pretty spacious.  Buffet dinner was served at 7pm and it was a decent spread. Lots of people staying here and the dinner must be included. Back in our room by about 9pm.

We are heading off again tomorrow at 8:30, heading to Denmark.  Only 3 nights in Denmark and then we fly home.

Tue 18th July 2017:  Vradal to Aalborg

Sunrise:         4:41 am         

Sunset:          9:58 pm

Steps:            6,836               4.72 km

I woke about half an hour before the alarm was due to go off and just rested my eyes for another 20 minutes and then got up.   Breakfast is served from 7am but the hot food doesn’t come out until 7:30.

We were due to depart at 8:30 but once again, were early and got away by 8:20.  Bus temp gauge showing 15c.  It felt a bit cooler than that in the shade.

We have a long drive to the ferry at Kristiansand.  Branko was saying that it departs at 1:30pm but we need to be there by 12:30pm, to check in and the drive takes about 3 hours, plus a stop or 2 along the way.  One of the ladies has developed a tummy bug and can't keep any food down, so she has moved to the front of the bus. 

The start of our drive took us along the edge of Lake Nisser, We passed the occasional caravan park.  We have been seeing a lot of camper-vans and caravans on the roads over the past few days.  We also saw some up north but not as many as here in the southern part of Norway.

09:00 am, 17c and we had a short photo stop at a village/town Nissedal.  Amli is the next town 43 km away.

Petrol prices 15.39 a ltr.  The roof line of some of the houses remind me of Dutch houses.

09:40 am.  We had a 30 minute stop in Amli, to have apple cake to celebrate Caroline’s birthday, one of the ladies from Sydney. 

Caroline, Margaret and Penny are travelling together.  I have been told that husband and wife, Patrick and Ira celebrate their birthdays tomorrow and on Thursday but I don't know who’s is on which day.  I bought a coffee 27 kr. That leaves me with 48 kr in coin, that I'm hoping I can spend on the ferry, as I'll change the notes I have left to Danish Krone.  19c partly cloudy sky and almost no wind.

10:20am and we are passing what appears to be wheat crops on a farm between 2 tracts of forest. 

We are seeing some lovely scenery but the reflection on the windows in this coach, makes it impossible to get a good photo. Sometime’s the iPad mini ones turn out ok but not very often.

10:45am and we just drove past a couple of little farms/properties, sitting between the roadway and the lake.  One had about 40 or 50 small apple trees growing and the place next door had a couple of turkeys and black ducks in the back yard.  The rail line had been running along side the shore but I can't see that anymore.

11:05am and we have just passed through Birkeland.  The sign for Kristiansand pointed to the right but we have turned left, so I'm assuming that the drivers are heading for a freeway that will take us there quicker.  Yes, we are now travelling on the E18.  Well, we were for a short while.  We have turned off that and pulling into a service station, as they need to put some fuel in the coach.

A 20 minute stop there and I managed to spend the last of my Norwegian coins.

12 noon and we have arrived at the ferry terminal already.  Kristiansand is the 5th largest  town in Norway with a population of 80k population.  We are crossing the North Sea and landing in Hirtshals, Denmark.  The North Sea is a sea in northern Europe. It is part of the Atlantic ocean. The North Sea is between Norway and Denmark in the east, Scotland and England in the west, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France in the south.

At 12:30 a girl on a bike indicated that the bus had to follow her, which it did. She then peeled off and another girl on a bike took over, so we followed her. We are now stopped just short of the ferry.  Other vans and cars are starting to line up here as well.

The incoming ferry has just arrived (12:40) and is about to offload. That didn't take too long.

1:20 pm and cars are still being loaded on to the ferry.  Most of the camper vans and mobile homes have been loaded.  So far we are the only coach lined up.

There are a few semi trailers sitting in an area near us and a guy in a prime mover cabin drives up, attaches the trailer and moves it but the thing that fascinated me, is that he just swivels/reverses his seat and drives the trailer in to the new parking area, instead of having to reverse in.

1:40pm and 1 car, 3 mobile homes and us are all that are left to be loaded on. We were still climbing up the stairs to the seating area, when the ferry departed.

Mary & I found a place to sit, eventually. There are seats on the next level up but they have to be reserved ahead of time. As buses are loaded on last, Bunnik should pay for the reserved seats, so their clients don't have to stand around or wander around, looking for somewhere to sit.  Rant over.

The ferry landed in Hirtshals at 4:15 pm. We thought we would be last off but it's not a drive through ferry, so we just reversed off the ferry and were away within about 2 minutes of docking.

After travelling through Norway, Denmark is flat.   Very green though and plenty of agricultural land. That is what we were driving past, once we were away from the port.  Wind farms also.  Very cloudy but 18c outside.

Arrived at the hotel at 10 past 5. Another Radisson Blu, almost on the water.

The bridge leading to the town has to open to allow masted yachts to passed under. About half a dozen went through while we waited.

Aalborg is a university city in the north of Denmark’s Jutland region.  It can trace its history back to Viking times.  Today it features a modernised waterfront on the Limfjord, which has been transformed into a cultural quarter. Also notable are the Aalborg Havnebad outdoor pool, exhibitions at the Utzon Center and concerts at the futuristic House of Music. Nearby is the 16th-century, half-timbered Aalborghus Castle. The Aalborg Historical Museum tells the city’s 1,000-year history.

When we went to our room, we found a double bed, so down to reception to have the room changed.  We are now on the 3^rd floor (the first room was on the 1^st floor) in a corridor that is behind a keyed door, (fire door)?  so only the people who have keys to the 12 rooms along here, can enter the corridor. 

We think we are the only ones here. J

We changed some NOK  to DKK at reception, so we could have some dinner.  Went walking around (it was 6:30pm by then) the neighbourhood. Lots of restaurants and eateries around this area and we settled on a meal at The Irish House. 

I had Irish stew 85 kr and a glass of Jacobs Chardonnay 50 kr.  Mary had a mad cow burger 85 kr.  Very enjoyable.  Walked back to the hotel, caught up on the journal and will send it off when finished. 

Like now, 9.37pm

Wed 19th July 2017:  Aalborg to Copenhagen

Sunrise:         4:54 am                     

Sunset:          9:38pm

Steps:            9,762               6.74 km

Synchronised alarms went off at 5am and we went down to breakfast at 6:45. A fairly small breakfast area but what was on offer, delicious.  We were all once again onboard the bus and departed Aalborg at 08:25 

It's a very overcast day today but rain is not included in the forecast, so here’s hoping.

Our first stop today is at Aarhus.   Aarhus is a city in Denmark on the Jutland peninsula’s east coast. ‘Den Gamle By’ is its old town open-air museum, with centuries-old timbered houses. Nearby are the greenhouses of the Aarhus Botanical Garden. In the center, the multistory ARoS art museum shows global contemporary works. The underground Viking Museum explores early local history. Nearby, Aarhus Cathedral has restored 14th- to 16th-century frescoes.

Farming country along the freeway. Looks like grains of some sort and also what looks like fields of corn also.

9:14 and the sun has broken through the clouds, or should I say, the clouds are going away and we have a blue sky again.  17c. The forecast for Copenhagen is sunny and 20c.

We reached the outskirts of Aarthus at around  9:40. The population is around 60 thousand.

Our stop today was to visit the Den Gamle By, old town open-air museum. We had 1.5hrs there and could have done with another half hour, at least.  The older houses were really fascinating and the presentation in the various houses, excellent.  Well worth a visit, if you are in the vacinity.

Back on the bus and on the road again by 11:30. It's Ira’s birthday today, so tomorrow must  be Patrick’s.  I don't think I ever said how many people are on the tour. 18. Val & Tricia, Caroline, Raelene & Francesca, Ann & David, Caroline, Margaret & Penny, Diane & Kerry, Ira & Patrick, Terry, Gerry and Mary & me.

12:41 and we passed over a bridge Lillebaeltsbroen or New Little Bridge, from Jutland to the island of Funen.  That bridge is 1,700 metres long, 600 mtrs between the spans and it was built in 1970.

I'm starting to see solar panels on the top of houses now, which I haven't seen before or maybe just hadn't noticed.

We arrived in Odense at 1:15pm, Odense is the third-largest city in Denmark. It has a population of 175,245 as of January 2016, and is the main city of the island of Funen. Famous as the birthplace of Author Hans Christian Andersen.

First up we walked to the Museum and in the little park next to it, there was a performance going on. Apparently about fairy tales but I have no idea what ones, as the commentary was in Danish and it was just finishing. 

We were given half an hour for lunch, so Mary & I grabbed something quick. Me, a toasted sandwich and Mary a couple of sausage rolls. Both cost 32 kr.  As we both needed to change the NOK we had to DKK, we asked the waitress if there was a bank near by. There was. About 200 metres up the road from the cafe. So we now have some Danish cash, that should last until we leave on Friday.  We even got back to the meeting place for the museum visit in plenty of time.

Even though Hans Christian Andersen didn't live in Odense for the majority of his adult life, the museum contains a lot of material, relating to him.

I found the following on the internet :

Hans Christian Andersen Museum

The beloved author’s birthplace in the old town has been open as a museum for more than a century now.

The son of an unsuccessful cobbler, Hans Christian Andersen was born in this humble little abode in 1805.

The home and its modest furnishings take you back to the time in which the author grew up and worked, displaying a number of his drawings and manuscripts, as well as personal items that shed some light on his personality and friends.

Hans Christian Andersen’s Childhood Home

So you’ve seen his birthplace, now you can see where Hands Christian Andersen lived from two to fourteen.

It’s a small half-timbered house and you’ll hear how the Andersen family didn’t even have it to themselves; they shared with a glovemaker’s family who occupied the living room.

Exhibits in the home help to tie Andersen to the city of Odense and even the furniture arrangements have been devised to conform to the author’s personal recollections of his childhood.

We all met again at 3pm to return to the bus but another performance was just starting in the park, so most of our group took some photos and then started to watch the Danish performance. I stayed for a short while, then let Branko know that I was walking back to the bus.  I wanted to take some photos along the way.

We were all back onboard and travelling the 180 kilometres to Copenhagen by 3:20.  Temp around 24c.  Yeah, summer at last. ☀️.

3 bridges now join most of Scandinavia. The 2^nd bridge is actually 2 bridges. Storebaelt Bridge , Great Belt East Bridge and Great Belt West Bridge.  Built in 1998, 1,624 metres between the spans and 6,790 metres long, including both the bridges. The whole bridge goes from the island of Funen or Fyn to Zealand via another small island, whose name I don’t know.

Noticed a Big Mac advertisement just outside of Copenhagen. 30kr.

I think we were at the hotel just after 5:30pm.  Road works going on, so it was fun collecting luggage and avoiding cars.

  Room is okay but no bar fridge, so we cant keep our water cold.

Walked up the road to check out restaurants, once we were settled in the room and found a square with a number of restaurants.  Decided on the Obelix  and had their traditional roast beef and a glass of red.

Just before we were about to leave, Kerry & Diane came along and they decided to eat there as well.  We headed back to the hotel shortly after 8:30, buying a coffee from the 7 Eleven, as no coffee in the room.

Thu 20th July 2017:  Copenhagen

Sunrise:         4:54 am                     

Sunset:          9:36 pm

Steps:            13,858             9.56 km

A lot of the following is courtesy of Mary, as I wasn’t taking any notes yesterday and she was and some of the facts and figures we both weren’t sure about, we looked up on the internet.  So the following is a joint effort.

This morning we had 3 hours of sightseeing with a local guide, from 9am to midday.  I missed her name but knew that it ended with an A.  Mary thinks it is Malika.

We boarded the bus and were driven around the central area of Copenhagen to view some important buildings.  We started our walking tour at the City Hall Square first,

then walked along Hans Christian Anderson Boulevard, passing the City Hall as we walked. There was   an array of colourful flowers blooming along the edge of the footpath. 

We passed the Danish Design Centre building and one entrance to the Tivoli, which was across the road.

We then viewed the Carlesburg Glypotheque building. 

This is an art museum set up by Carl Jacobsen, the son of J C Jacobson the founder of the a Carlesberg brewery. 

We then  walked down Ny Vestergade, past the National Museum, to Christiansborg or the Old Palace,

which I think now houses the Thorvaldsem’s Museum.

From here we boarded the bus again for a short drive to a parking area with a gift shop and rest stop so we could then walk to the Amalienborg Palace.

 Directly across the canal from  there is the new Copenhagen Opera House.  This is the national opera house of Denmark, and among the most modern opera houses in the world. It is also one of the most expensive opera houses ever built with construction costs well over US$500 million. It is located on the island of Holmen.

The Royal family aren't in residence at the moment as they go elsewhere for their summer holidays. It consists of four identical classical palace façades with rococo interiors around an octagonal courtyard. The royal family live in these.  In the centre of the square is a monumental equestrian statue of Amalienborg's founder, King Frederick V.

The queen's palace is recognised by a necklace hung on the statue at the top. King Frederick the 5th's Church could be seen from the courtyard.

We returned to the bus to go to look at the Geflion Fountain,(It features a large-scale group of animal figures being driven by the Norse goddess Gefjon.)

St. Alban’s Anglican church and then the statue of the Little Mermaid which is 100 years old.  There were so many tourists there it was hard to get a good photo and the sun wasn't in the right position either, so I gave up.  We then loaded up on the bus again and were dropped off near the canal that all or most canal tours of Copenhagen start from and from where our tour was starting at 1pm. In the meantime we went to have lunch at a bakery recommended by the local tour guide. Mary & I enjoyed a very nice piece of pizza and coffee each before returning to meet Branko to board the boat for our hour trip on the canal.

That concluded around 2:pm and by the time the bus returned us all to the hotel, it was around 2:30-2:45.

The group met up again at 5pm in the hotel lobby and we then walked to the Tivoli Gardens, which was only about 10 minutes walk from the hotel. 

Once there, we had over 45 minutes to wander around before meeting up again shortly before 6pm, to have our farewell dinner at the Promenaden Restaurant. This was our tour farewell dinner and a delicious 3 course meal it was.  The meal was followed by a birthday cake for Patrick. Raelene gave a speech on behalf of the group to thank Branko and he responded very positively regarding our cooperation in making it an excellent tour. Most of us decided to return to the hotel having said our goodbyes to those we wouldn't be seeing again.  We dropped in to pick up coffees from the 7Eleven store nearby to have back in our room, as there are no coffee or tea making or fridge in this hotel BUT there is an iron and ironing board, so that was a plus.  Swings and round-abouts.

Friday 21^st July – On the way home

Woke up this morning without the alarm at 5:45. Mary was already awake.  Finally got out of bed around 6am and checked outside  It had rained overnight and was very overcast and misty.  We finally went down to breakfast around 8am.  A few of the others were there.  Kerry & Diane had left at 5am this morning. Raelene,  Carolyn & Francesca, Anne & David and Patrick & Ira, were all picked up at 9am.  Tricia & Val had left earlier on their way to Switzerland.  Margaret & Penny weren't leaving until Sunday and Terry, Gerry, Carolyn aka CJ, Mary & I, were all picked up at 12 noon.

We were out at the airport by 12:25 and found the Emirates check-in counter shortly after.  Once the luggage was checked in, Mary and I then found the Duty Free refund desk. We lined up at 12:40 and were finally out of there at 5 past 1, thanks to an Indian family who seemed to take forever. They were at the counter when we arrived and there were another 6 or 7 people ahead of us. The other people were attended to fairly quickly and when the family were finally finished with, we were attended to quickly also.

From there we passed through security and found the currency exchange booth and I changed the DKK I had left, for USD.  After that, we finally found the lounge ( 1 hour after arriving at the airport) and had a bite to eat and a glass of wine. We also caught up with Carolyn, Terry & Gerry.  Our flight was boarding from 2:35 and we had a 15 minute walk to the gate, so we left there around 2:20 ish. 

Through passport control and on the plane before 3pm.  The flight was due for departure at 3:25.  Pushback was at 3:25 And airborne at 3:42. 

I put my watch forward onto Dubai time.  Drinks were served around 7pm and then dinner approx. 7:30pm.  We were flying over the Black Sea while I was having dessert.

8:45pm and for the 3rd time there is a foul smell in the vacinity. Someone or some baby has foul smelling farts or nappies. Not pleasant at all.  We are currently flying over Turkey and the sun is fast setting.

We are on the left hand side of the A380, so can't see the mountain range that we should be flying over at the moment.  Van in Turkey is ahead and to the left.  It has suffered from 2 earthquakes in 2011. Syria is  somewhere over to the left too. The plane will be taking a right turn soon, to get further away from that border.