Kay and Sylvia's Norwegian Adventure 2015: July 2015

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Leaving Norway

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Today is our last day in beautiful Norway. We had a wonderful trip - nearly one month - visiting relatives and seeing the Norwegian coastline while on the MS Kong Harald. What a wonderful way to celebrate Mother's 94th birthday!

Mother at the Bergen International Airport with all of our luggage!

our last view of Norway from the plane

Monday, July 13, 2015

Final Day in Bergen

Monday, July 13, 2015

We began our final day in Bergen with packing our suitcases - checked and carry-ons. I had a few treasures to pick up at Kari's antique store, which opens at 11:00. After packing we went to breakfast around 9:40 and then set off on our exercise excursion. We could see blue sky peaking through the clouds and could tell that good weather was on the way. So, we began our trip with wonderful weather and are now leaving with the same.

After returning to the hotel, Mother took a nap and I set out for a couple of errands. I took a few photos of the harbor, Bryggen and Floien, with beautiful, blue sky. Compare to photos from June 26 to 29 when it was cloudy and overcast. I stopped at Sostrene Hagelin to pick up our fish soup for supper. We watched the news on the BBC station to catch up on the situation in Greece and Wimbledon. Around 7:00 we went down to the lounge for some tea and met a nice couple from Australia who had just arrived and will leave tomorrow to go on the Hurtigruten trip from Bergen to Kirkenes. This is but one week of a two-month trip to Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and a few other countries. They had lots of questions about the Hurtigruten trip and trolls.

I called Margunn when we got back to the room as I wanted to find out about their trip to Crete for the past two weeks. They left for Crete the day after we left Rosendal (June 27), which was before the latest crises in Greece when the banks were closed. We heard on the news while on the ship, that Greek citizens could get only 60 euros/day, but that tourists would be able to get what they needed. Margunn confirmed that they had no problems and were happy to help the Greek economy! They leave on Thursday to visit Kari & Hans and the boys and to celebrate Bjornar's 2nd birthday.

The swell cruiser in the habor, called the Savanah J, has left!

This is what Bergen is like with tourists! I'm glad to have gone up on the small train in non-tourist season!

Beautiful but sky on our last day in Bergen

Bryggen on our last day in Bergen

Bergen harbor is always busy; Haakonshallen ('notched' roof) is in the back

Rannveig and Terje at Langoy

Sunday, July 12, 2015

We spent the day with Rannveig and Terje Helleland; Terje is a cousin of Dad's and the brother-in-law of Else Helleland. Both Rannveig and Terje are teachers at Uskedalen skule and have served as cooperating teachers of ISU/USU student teachers, most recently this spring with one of my USU students. Mother and I have visited them in their home in Dimmelsvik (in Omvikdalen) and enjoyed meeting their family of four girls and one boy. Their son, Sander Elias, just graduated from 7th Grade and will attend Rosendal ungdomsskule next year so I will see him in the fall when we have two STs at that school. Sander Elias' graduation occurred when we were in Rosendal so we were unable to visit the family at that time; Rannveigh and Terje invited us to visit them at their home on the island of Langoy just west of Bergen. It was a fantastic day and a special experience for our last day of special activities.

The day began with Terje picking us up at our hotel around 9:30 am and driving us to Langoy. Their farm, called Langoy Kystgard, is where Rannveig was raised. She and Terje purchased the farm with several buildings 1.5 years ago. What a magical place. Fantastic views at every turn. Antiques galore! We had middag at their home including homemade bread, meats, cheeses, tomatoes, cucumber, and melkekake. We were joined by their two oldest daughters, Birgitta (a music teacher) and Christina (a midwife at Haukeland Hospital in Bergen), who also live on Langoy, as well as Sander Elias and the family dog, Nila. A bit later, Birgitta's husband, Alexander, and their two daughters, Ingeborg and Aashild, joined us. Then we all went about 200 meters to the old buildings on the farm. One was a bakery from 1884; Rannveig uses the old oven to bake skillingsbolle (cinnamon buns). The bakery is outfitted with 'cupboards' with narrow shelves to put the baking trays of rolls or tins of bread for raising. There is another building, which can be used for receptions as they did for Birgitta and Alexander's wedding. In the third building, a home, we were served fantastic rhubarb sauce and a combo cheese cake / ice cream cake topped with kiwi, blueberries and strawberries - fantastic and all homemade. Rannveig also heated up some of the skillingsbolle made from a previous baking day. On the way back to Bergen, Terje and Rannveig gave us a driving tour of Langoy. What a very special place. We so appreciated sharing time with everyone.

Fjell kirke on Langoy

Langoy

Langoy - the large white house in the back close to the water is part of the farm we visited

view from Rannveigh and Terje's farm

Sander Elias having fun

part of an old bunad from Rannveigh's family

belt for a bunad from Rannveigh's family

lunch with things to make open-face sandwiches and melkekake

Sander Elias

Birgitta and Christina

Rannveigh, Sylvia, Kay, Terje

buildings on the Langoy farm

sheep we met; the one on the left jumped over the fence (right)

oven in the old bakery, which Rannveigh still uses

shelves for raising breads before baking; 'tarp' covers the shelves with hot water in a pan at the bottom

items from the old buildings

view from the second home on the farm

Ranveigh's skillingbolle made in the old bakery oven

fabulous ice cream/cream cheese cake and rhubarb sauce

Birgitta & Alexander, Ingeborg & Aashild

another farm on Langoy

other homes on Langoy

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Final Day on the MS Kong Harald

Saturday, July 11, 2015 (Day 12)

Our last day on the ship! We had been given all of our 'marching orders' for leaving the ship. After breakfast, we finished the packing and put our suitcases by the elevator near our room around 9:30. Then we went to the Panorama Room to enjoy our last day of relaxing and watching the beautiful scenery. We sailed through the narrow sound Steinsundet around 10:30. We had lunch at 12:30 with some of our new friends from Tasmania and saw lovely photos of Alison's home (built out of stones by her partner and herself) and her greenhouses. Alison should be a PR person for Tasmania! Seeing the photos makes me want to travel there someday!

We enjoyed our time on the MS Kong Harald and met so many interesting people from a variety of countries: England, France, Germany, Holland, Mexico, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, and a few from the U.S. There was a group from China with us for a few days and one of our waiters was from Poland. So, quite the international group. We met a couple from Boston yesterday who were so happy to meet other Americans. Mother and I were surprised that there were so few Americans; we rarely heard people speaking in English, however, we had no trouble meeting people and, again, most people spoke English quite well.

We spent the last hour or so with Louise and Gunilla. We had the carry-on carefully packed with all the Russian treasures, my purse/bag with my computer, and Mother had her walker. We arrived in Bergen around 2:30 and were called by deck to leave the ship: Deck 6, 5, 3, then 2. We really appreciated having our room on Deck 3 right next to the reception desk and the exit from the ship for all excursions. Today, we left the ship from Deck 5, having our identification card scanned for the last time. We collected our two checked bags and headed for the taxi stand, which took us to the Augustin.

We arrived at the Augustin around 3:15 and collected our two carry-on bags, which the hotel management had stored for us while we were on the ship. After getting settled in the hotel, I went out to check on the details of how to do an embroidery project I purchased at the embroidery shop on Bryggen. Then I stopped to buy fish soup from Sostrene Hagelin, which is the place Margunn recommended to me when she knew I liked fish soup - especially at a reasonable price. The great thing is that take-out is cheaper than if you stay in the small front area of the shop. I told the attendant how much I liked the soup. She said that the shop had been opened since 1921 and that King Harald comes about once/month for fish soup whenever he is in town. Another good recommendation!

There is always a lot of activity in the harbor of Bergen. When we arrived back at the Augustin last night, we noticed a swell, sleek ship with an Australian flag. It looked like a ship of the future. Steien, the receptionist/manager I know the best at the Augustin told me that it is a private 'cruiser' but no one could find out who the owner is. Must be someone rich and famous. It was quite interesting to see it positioned next to one of the tall sailing ships and near Rosenkranz Tower and Haakonshallen from the 1200s.

We were both so tired that we fell asleep after eating the fish soup. Mother was still sleeping while I started to do my last entries for the blog so I am current with the entries. Then I called Terje to confirm the details for tomorrow when we will visit Terje and his wife, Rannveig, and their son, Sander Elias. Now we are both awake and watching Out of Africa. Just three more days til fly home!