On the last day of April, we spent the day at sea, although it was difficult to see the sea.
I was hoping that the skies were not an indication of what we would find in Flåm as I had booked a scenic train ride there. So, while I awaited our arrival I joined my trivia team to do what we did best: come in second place, again. The rest of the day and night were kind of quiet as we sailed along in the fog.
Where am I – May 1
Sailing up the fjord and into Flåm
On the morning of May 1, we sailed slowly up the Aurlandsfjord taking in the morning sun. This was my first time sailing through a fjord and to say it was breathtaking truly does not give the experience enough credit.
A little luck came my way as the skies had cleared up and the views were spectacular as we sailed up the fjord and into the tiny little town of Flåm.
As re approached he town, I could feel excitement brewing inside me as I now knew that my train ride promised to be everything I had been expecting. The train from Flåm to Myrdal and back took about 90 minutes and it is said to be one of the top 10 rail trips in Europe. Having now experienced it for myself, I’d have to agree that it is most certainly one of the most scenic train rides I’ve ever taken.
After the train ride, I piled into a bus with about 50 other people to go to the top of the tallest mountain behind Flåm to step out onto a platform that simply hangs out in the air and provides incredible views of the fjord below and the snow-covered mountains on the other side.
And, finally, I took a little self-directed walking tour around the town during which I somehow took myself inside Flåm’s only craft brewery. Can you imagine that?
After that, I had just enough time to get back aboard the ship in time to depart the amazing and largely hidden part of the world.
I’ve intentionally kept my comments brief because today I’d like to try something a little different. Rather than droning on about my experiences and flooding you with photo, I’ve created a little video to allow Flåm’s beauty to speak for itself.
I woke up this morning well rested and ready to resume my roll as a tourist with a renewed energy and the events of the day in Copenhagen well behind me.
I was up early and just in time to watch us sail into the harbor in Oslo, Norway.
Sailing into Oslo
In my planning for this trip I did not develop any real plans for Oslo. I spent so much time considering what I’d like to do in places like Petra, Mont-Saint-Michelle, and the Rijksmuseum that I didn’t even consider what joys I might find in places that are not as world famous. As a result, I was greatly surprised with the beauty and culture that surrounds Oslo.
For my shore excursion today, I simply signed up for something that would give me a little exposure to a place that I knew so little about. The outing I chose took me to two places I’d never heard of, so I guessed that met my needs. The two places were the (very) little town of Dröbak (just south of Oslo) and Frogner Park in Oslo.
When the time came, I piled into the bus with one of my travel buddies (Kathleen, whom you might remember as the one who bought the Belgian Fries in Zeebrugge) and we headed off to Dröbak.
Dröbak
After a scenic drive of about half-an-hour we came into Dröbak and were simply allowed to wander about on our own for a couple of hours. And, as it turns out, that is the very best way to get to know this little town and the people that live in it.
Which way to go?
Kathleen and I decided that the first thing we needed to do was to visit the local coffee house to gather up some caffeine and learn what we needed to be sure to see before we left.
The little neighborhood coffee house
While enjoying our coffee we learned that Dröbak is full of shops where one can buy art, clothing, food (both market and café types), and some of the best Christmas “stuff” you can imagine. So, as soon as we finished our cappuccinos, we headed off to see about Christmas “stuff.”
Robert visits the Julehuset
The Christmas store is a place called the Julehuset. Inside is an incredible array of Christmas items, and a big surprise to go with it. The Julehuset is open all year round, which is wonderful for “whovillians.”
As it turns out, Christmas is celebrated a bit differently in Norway than it is in the US and the decorations in the store show it. We saw not only Santa, but all of his family and some of his descendants! Everything in the store seems to be red including red-clothed reindeer, elves, and even a Christmas troll. (Actually, they only had a single Christmas troll. I loved it and asked its price. As it turns out, the troll was the only object in the entire store that wasn’t for sale! Bummer.)
Inside the Julehuset
After taking in both floors of the Julehuset (and buying nothing as the prices seemed quite steep) Kathleen and I proceeded to simply walk around town an check out the stores, markets, and galleries. We saw lots of great art, including some that seemed directly targeted at people from the southwestern US! We ran out of time before we ran out of things to see and it was, too soon, time to return to the bus. I really felt like I was not yet ready to leave. This friendly little town had stolen my heart and if I get a chance to return I most certainly will!
Frogner Park
The bus took us back into town for the second half of our trip which was a visit to Frogner Park. The park was practically walking distance from the cruise ship terminal (about a 45 minute walk.) I’d never heard of Frogner Park and perhaps you never have either.
As I learned, Frogner Park was once a smaller park centered around Frogner Mannor. The City of Oslo bought the property just before the turn of the 20th century. A few years later, they turned the property into a public park.
In the 1920s, the Norweigian artists Gustav Vigeland was given a studio and a home in Frogner park. In exchange, he promised to donate all of his future work to the City of Oslo and today Frogner Park has over 200 of Vigeland’s marble statues.
I learned this background information just after entering the park and walking past Vigeland’s old studio. I still knew nothing of the work Vigeland donated, but it didn’t matter to me at that point. It was a marvelous day in Oslo with unseasonably warm temperatures in the low 80s! A great day to be visiting a park.
Oslo, Norway, in April and in the 80s
When we reached the part of the park where Vigeland’s statues could start to be seen, it took my breath away! I really can’t describe in words how striking and beautiful it was to see marble carved the way Vigeland had done. Each piece was nearly life-sized and there was so much expression! Here’s a little gallery of some of the statues I saw. Be sure to click on the images to see them in a larger format.
Once again, the end of our turn came far too soon and long before I could take in 200+ sculptures. Frogner Park will remain in my memory for the rest of my life. Again, if I’m fortunate enough to visit this park again, I will allow myself adequate time to really soak it all in. How could I have not known this place existed?
The end of the day
So, back to the Amsterdam. I was done touring for the day, but I was still hyped and not ready to call it a day. Before boarding the ship, I did a little shopping to try to find great souvenir items for myself and my friends.
At a shop on the pier, I was welcomed by this little guy.
Greeted by a troll
After a bit of souvenir hunting success it was time to call it a day an board the ship. Once everybody was aboard we started to sail out of Oslo and on to our next stop. What amazing things might I find there? I was most certainly surprised by what I found in and around Oslo, and there was more Norway yet to come. I was so excited at the possibilities, I needed a sunset and a drink to calm me down.
Sunset leaving Oslo
SO, WHAT’S COMING UP?
Tomorrow, a day at sea and then a visit to Flåm, Norway.
Perhaps you’ve had a day like this. Well in advance, you’ve made big plans for the day. You’ve got activities mapped out, and perhaps even pre-paid. You’ve imagined all of the fun the day will offer and you’re anxious for it to arrive. And then, something goes horribly, unexpectedly, unfortunately wrong.
That happened to me today.
The marvelous pub crawl last night was lots of fun and the liquor flowed in rivers. Mostly, it seems, down my own throat. I don’t actually remember returning to my cabin, nor what time of the morning it was. Late, I think.
So, when I finally came around this morning…oh, I mean afternoon…I stepped out onto my balcony to see our ship docked in Copenhagen. When I checked the clock it was (OMG!) 2pm!
For a moment, I panicked. I had scheduled a Segway tour for the early afternoon that would take me around the historic area of Copenhagen with a stop at the world famous “Little Mermaid” statue that I was so very anxious to see.
I sure wish that I had taken this photo. But, I didn’t. Missed my chance.
By 2pm the Segway tour was half over, so no need to dash to the pier to the Segway office to try to salvage my visit to Copenhagen. Segway office? On the pier? Yup! I could see the Segway tour office from the balcony of my room so, had I awoken at a reasonable hour, I would have been right there and ready to take the tour. No taxis, no buses, no delays. Just a hundred steps or so.
I considered just going down and trying to cajole some Segway tour guide who might be asleep in the office into taking me on a private tour. I was ready to pay any price. Unfortunately (and that’s the word of the day) our ship’s departure time today was earlier than usual, 5pm, with the “all aboard” at 4:30. It was already after 2pm so the possibility of that plan ending well seemed rather low.
I was emotionally crushed. I also felt as though my head had been crushed; I had a massive hangover. I stood for a moment on my balcony, trying to cope with the fact that my visit to Copenhagen was over. I had seen the pier where the ships docked. I had soaked up the view of the Segway tour office on the pier. I had seen all of Copenhagen that I was going to see. So, I took a deep breath, tried to calm myself, and then crawled back into bed.
The end.
SO, WHAT’S COMING UP?
Tomorrow, we’ll dock in Oslo, Norway and I promise not to miss two ports in a row!
