Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Norway Trip 2015 no. 3

Evenin' Folks,
  I've got some more scenery photos from our trip.  I hope you're not sick of them yet!  I'll have more fishing posts up soon.
  Tight lines,
    -Nick



More stunning scenery from the train traveling from Bergen to Oslo.
The end of a fjord off in the distance.  I loved the shadow of the clouds on the mountainside. 
So many places here that I could easily and happily call home!
The Oslo Cathedral was originally built here in 1694.  This corner sculpture was brought from the first church in Oslo and, if memory serves, is getting close to being 1000 years old! Unfortunately, I forgot to get a picture of the church!
The only fish I saw in Oslo, that wasn't on a plate or in a grocer's case!
Built in 1825 and containing 173 rooms, this is Norway's Royal palace.
I love all the masts in the harbor.  No idea who the person is that walked into my shot, but it just seemed to work.
Walls of the 13th century Akershus Fortress.
The Alfred Nobel museum, the father of dynamite and the founder of the Nobel Peace Prize.
11pm overlooking Oslo in the rain.
I was quite admittedly fascinated with the fact that we had an operable window...on the 7th floor!
Another beautiful sailing ship in the Oslo harbor.
A Loft Storehouse from around 1750 located at the Norsk Folkemuseum.  Many old buildings were moved to the grounds to be preserved.
A Stave Church ca. 1200!
The interior of the Stave Church was far more ornate and decorated than I expected.
The detail is incredible.  Those small portholes are the only source of light inside the church.
Amazingly intricate carving around the door.
There is a small working farm within the Folkemuseum!

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Norway Trip 2015 no. 2

 


Evening Folks,
  Here's the second installment of photos from our trip to Norway.  I hope you enjoy and I'd love to hear your thoughts!
  -Nick
We stopped at a lovely cafe on one of the piers for a cup of coffee.  Norwegians know what they're doing when it comes to coffee, it was all fantastic!  And, I had to show my Smith Optics Serpico shades.  We didn't get a whole lot of sunlight in Scandinavia, but when we did I was sure glad I had these!
The inside of the Bergen train station.  I loved the steel and glass architecture.
Peace!
How's that for a backyard?
Cruising on the Nærøyfjord from Gudvangen to Flåm. This is the village of Bucha, the mountain in the background is called Buchanosa. The mountain is 1200m high and the fjord here is only 12m deep.  The church was built in 1859 and, if memory serves, there are no roads in or out of Bucha!
The village of Flåm coming in to view.  We were afraid we got a crappy seat because it was the last left and the stern was up when we boarded.  Turns out the boat was docked bow first and they lowered it when we left!  We got the best seats in the house! 
Ægir BryggeriPub in Flåm.  This was the coolest place to sit and enjoy one of their house brewed beers!  Unfortunately we were too early for dinner, but the ambiance was awesome!
The wood burning in the fireplace had such a sweet aroma to it, I was disappointed when we had to leave to catch our train!
The restaurant was full of carvings of vikings, trolls, and gnomes, but this goat on the bar was by far my favorite!
Amazing scenery on the Flåmsbana on our way up to the Myrdal Mountain Station.
Flåmsbana is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world!
At a 5.5% gradient for more than 80% of the trip, Flåmsbana is considered one of the steepest trainlines to run on standard rails!  See the next picture for information on the stunning waterfall.
Tell me that's not impressive!  Plus, we're close to 800m above sea level at this point!
The tunnel we just came through.  They stop the train on this platform to allow photos of the waterfall.  There are 20 tunnels along this route running through the solid rock of the majestic mountains!
Now we're really getting into some snow! Think there's any trout in there?
Taken from the train platform at Myrdal.  There was about 3-4 feet of snow on the ground, but those drifts are easily covering the first story of those houses!
Simply gorgeous! 
Our dinner in Geilo was at Sofia's Cafe & Bar in our hotel The Bardøla.  I got a hamburger thinking it would be small and simple after a full day of traveling.  Boy was I wrong!  This was worlds away from small and simple!  Hands down, this was one of the best hamburgers I have ever had, anywhere!