We had a lovely breakfast in Flam in our very basic hotel with one of the smallest bathrooms we have ever had. The shower was in the toilet and vice versa.
There are lots of people cycling around Norway which sounds great. Our fantastic sunny weather which we have had for the entire trip seems to be changing which is not so good for cycling or carrying 4 bags of luggage down hill to the train station.
My selfie at the wonderful waterfall
We get back on the cute train and head back to Myrdal station and we again did the waterfall stop but this time there was no show. Apparently the nymph like dancing girl does not like rain.
At Myrdal, we change to the train to Oslo with lots of throwing bags on and off trains. It is to do trains with 4 heavy bags and only one able bodied person to carry the heavy ones. It is also very interesting how people often help me with my bags. Lovely fellow travelers offering a helping hand. This trip, I have the light bag while Paul's is heavier so it is only fair he gets to carry it. My lighter bag also has 4 wheels which makes it easier as well. Luggage is important when you spend so much time carting it.
On our arrival at Oslo, we walk to the hotel which is very close. Note: however, nothing is close when you are carrying 4 bags of luggage. That night we are to have dinner with colleague of Paul's and wife so we try to fit in Oslo in a day. At least the weather had improved and is sunny and warm
again. This also means that on a Saturday morning, the streets are full of Norwegians and tourists enjoying what is for Norway unusual weather. There were people sunbathing in the parks with just underwear on. No photo..
Our first walk was to the Royal Palace which we were told was not far and just up the Main Street to which we were very close. Our hotel again was well located but again with only a tiny room and only a slightly bigger bathroom, the shower, just curtains, was in between the basin and toilet but pretty much in the toilet again. The room was so tiny, the bathroom door could not open Completely as the bed was in the way.
Back to our expedition to the palace. Again the palace as with all interesting historic churches and famous things was at the top of a hill with a huge amount of gravel pathway to get up there. And stairs too. God I hate stairs.
We also saw the city hall, a couple of museums and 2 really nice fountains. On our way back, we wanted to go to the opera house and found the harbour and what appeared to be an Indian cultural festival. Not Indian as in tomahawks and casinos but Indian with elephants. And we saw a couple of green elephants On Oslo harbour. A little unexpected but interesting or at least it seemed so as there were many many people enjoying the spectacle. They were not actually in the harbour but on the edge.
We did find the opera house which was big and white, on a harbour. Does this sound familiar? However no comparison. It did have the steep climb and $&@&$ stairs one would expect.
Green elephants above slightly surreal
That night we were to meet Paul's friends at a restaurant and we asked the girl at reception for directions. Stupid really as she was the person who had tried to explain to us where the opera house was but gave up saying she was 'no good at directions'. While her English was good and she
presented nicely, I really think a prerequisite for her job might have been having some idea about her city and how to get to the main places like the opera house and palace!!!!
So it really was no surprise that her instructions to the restaurant left us lost with no idea where to go. I had left this to Paul for once so had no map and no idea. It was looking bleak when I asked an Indian taxi driver where the hotel was we were after. He kept pointing up with a strange look on his face which I could not decipher perhaps because I could neither hear nor understand what he was saying. Eventually I realised he was pointing up the hill where i could see a huge sign for the hotel.
Don't know how we missed it.
We trudged up the hill in the direction of the hotel which was really hard to find among all the little streets. And even when we found it, we could not find the entrance. A pretty frustrating hour or so but the friends came out on to the street and found us and escorted us to the hotel bar where finally our prayers were answered. We had a drink.
Note: Norway is the most expensive place to eat and drink. More so than Sweden where we had been. All our fellow tourists would comment about this. So we drank a lot of beer which seemed to be cheaper as it was more,local. Not sure which of us found drinking beer more difficult. The meal we had which was not amazing cost us over $100 per couple for just mains and a bottle of wine per couple.
the next day we had to be at the airport early so took a taxi. Heaven.
There are lots of people cycling around Norway which sounds great. Our fantastic sunny weather which we have had for the entire trip seems to be changing which is not so good for cycling or carrying 4 bags of luggage down hill to the train station.
My selfie at the wonderful waterfall
We get back on the cute train and head back to Myrdal station and we again did the waterfall stop but this time there was no show. Apparently the nymph like dancing girl does not like rain.
At Myrdal, we change to the train to Oslo with lots of throwing bags on and off trains. It is to do trains with 4 heavy bags and only one able bodied person to carry the heavy ones. It is also very interesting how people often help me with my bags. Lovely fellow travelers offering a helping hand. This trip, I have the light bag while Paul's is heavier so it is only fair he gets to carry it. My lighter bag also has 4 wheels which makes it easier as well. Luggage is important when you spend so much time carting it.
On our arrival at Oslo, we walk to the hotel which is very close. Note: however, nothing is close when you are carrying 4 bags of luggage. That night we are to have dinner with colleague of Paul's and wife so we try to fit in Oslo in a day. At least the weather had improved and is sunny and warm
again. This also means that on a Saturday morning, the streets are full of Norwegians and tourists enjoying what is for Norway unusual weather. There were people sunbathing in the parks with just underwear on. No photo..
Our first walk was to the Royal Palace which we were told was not far and just up the Main Street to which we were very close. Our hotel again was well located but again with only a tiny room and only a slightly bigger bathroom, the shower, just curtains, was in between the basin and toilet but pretty much in the toilet again. The room was so tiny, the bathroom door could not open Completely as the bed was in the way.
Back to our expedition to the palace. Again the palace as with all interesting historic churches and famous things was at the top of a hill with a huge amount of gravel pathway to get up there. And stairs too. God I hate stairs.
Me and the guard. He was cute.
We also saw the city hall, a couple of museums and 2 really nice fountains. On our way back, we wanted to go to the opera house and found the harbour and what appeared to be an Indian cultural festival. Not Indian as in tomahawks and casinos but Indian with elephants. And we saw a couple of green elephants On Oslo harbour. A little unexpected but interesting or at least it seemed so as there were many many people enjoying the spectacle. They were not actually in the harbour but on the edge.
We did find the opera house which was big and white, on a harbour. Does this sound familiar? However no comparison. It did have the steep climb and $&@&$ stairs one would expect.
Nice way to drink a beer.
That night we were to meet Paul's friends at a restaurant and we asked the girl at reception for directions. Stupid really as she was the person who had tried to explain to us where the opera house was but gave up saying she was 'no good at directions'. While her English was good and she
presented nicely, I really think a prerequisite for her job might have been having some idea about her city and how to get to the main places like the opera house and palace!!!!
So it really was no surprise that her instructions to the restaurant left us lost with no idea where to go. I had left this to Paul for once so had no map and no idea. It was looking bleak when I asked an Indian taxi driver where the hotel was we were after. He kept pointing up with a strange look on his face which I could not decipher perhaps because I could neither hear nor understand what he was saying. Eventually I realised he was pointing up the hill where i could see a huge sign for the hotel.
Don't know how we missed it.
We trudged up the hill in the direction of the hotel which was really hard to find among all the little streets. And even when we found it, we could not find the entrance. A pretty frustrating hour or so but the friends came out on to the street and found us and escorted us to the hotel bar where finally our prayers were answered. We had a drink.
Note: Norway is the most expensive place to eat and drink. More so than Sweden where we had been. All our fellow tourists would comment about this. So we drank a lot of beer which seemed to be cheaper as it was more,local. Not sure which of us found drinking beer more difficult. The meal we had which was not amazing cost us over $100 per couple for just mains and a bottle of wine per couple.
the next day we had to be at the airport early so took a taxi. Heaven.
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