Author: Ella

Post by Ella. This morning, we dropped anchor at Ålesund, a port town of around 48,000, that sits at the entrance to the Geirangerfjord. Having been rebuilt after a fire ravaged the town in 1904, many buildings feature the Art Nouveau style.  First order of business in Ålesund: climb a bunch of steps. 418. To…

We had three ports of call before arriving at Alesund, all about 15 minutes for pick up and drop off. Florø Arrival: May 24, 2023 at 2:45 AM. Departure: May 24, 2023 at 3:00 AM Måløy Arrival: May 24, 2023 at 5:15 AM Departure: May 24, 2023 at 5:30 AM Torvik Arrival: May 24, 2023…

Post by Ella. I imagine it to be like a downscale cruise. The passengers are dressed sensibly for exploring. Even at dinner.  Most look fit (and many at least as old as we are and that’s pretty old). There are backpackers village hopping, port to port, because at every stop, there are mountains to hike. We’ve…

Post by Ella. Late this afternoon, (now I suppose that would be yesterday the 23rd because it’s early morn the 24th as I write this)  we boarded the MS Nordnorge, run by Hurtigruten, bound for Tromsø in the far north of Norway. We arrive the afternoon of the 27th. There is WiFi aboard so we will…

Walked, strolled meandered, mondered, around Bergen with stops in 2 art museums Boarded the MS Nordnorge in late afternoon. Departed Bergen at 8:30pm Currently ferrying in a northerly direction.

Bergen photos from today’s wandering https://photos.app.goo.gl/6xA1GdYvGTVHQntD9

Two objectives today: Beyond that, we wandered up small lanes ever higher And back down to the neighborhoods around the quay Let’s just say we zigzagged our way around the town

At Professor Keysers Gata 4, a rooftop, small but airy two bedroom apartment (AirBnB), just a few blocks up a hill from the center of town. A quiet area. Three flights of steepish stairs.

Post by Ella. Time for a little googling about weather in Bergen. It rains all the time. 98 inches (2490 mm) per year. The driest month, May (yay!), gets 4.3 inches. The wettest is December coming in at 11.4 inches – which is more than New Mexico gets in a year. During the summer, even…

Post by Ella Present day Bergen, second largest city in Norway, population not quite 300,000, seems dominated by the University and tourists. The University of Bergen (one of six Universities located here) is well known as a marine research institution with 17,000 students. Cruise ships regularly dock here bringing thousands of tourists, while the train…

Some photos from today’s troll hike. https://photos.app.goo.gl/DCEBmmr2V4HwiVf17

Post by Ella. Last night we ate at Bryggen Tracteursted, a little place tucked away from the busy dock area. They serve “traditional” Norwegian food.  Aquavit of the day. It’s growing on me. But pricey. You can see what we each chose. Mine was a disappointment. Stock fish prepared Italian style? What was I thinking?…

Post by Ella. In case we left you behind, we are in Bergen. Walked to the funicular and did a ride to views and hiking Rode the funicular back down Wandered the dock area Another gorgeous weather day in a town where it rains all the time

Post by Ella. Todays ride from Oslo to Bergen was awfully stunning. But is there really a best? Name your top couple of favorite train rides. Be fun to see where they are. We started and ended at sea level but went as high as 4,000 ft., up through lush meadows, craggy mountains, frozen lakes, snow…

Beautiful 6-1/2 train ride from Oslo to Bergen