Alesund was a delight of a city- both historic and beautiful. After the 1904 fire that burned most of the city, architects were brought in to design a new city in the new, “in” style, Art Nouveau or Jugendstil. You still see many of these buildings around downtown. One highlight is the Jugendstilsenteret, a museum of Art Nouveau located in one of the buildings built after the fire. Our guide told us that the guiding principle of Alesund was fish and you could see the influence of fish everywhere.
A warehouse that survived the fire.An Art Nouveau houseA tribute to fishermen.Another Art Nouveau houseAnother Art Nouveau houseAlesund
We stayed in the Brosundet hotel, which had one of the comfiest and warmest hotel lobbies. A large fireplace warmed the lobby, creating an atmosphere conducive to sitting, reading, visiting and enjoying a coffee or drink.
Lobby of the Brosundet Hotel
The restaurant in the hotel and the sandwich shop were excellent. However, the other two restaurants, Sjobua and Apotekergata, were awful, unless you love, and I mean love, salt. My husband, who actually likes salt, even had to send a steak back because it was too salty. At the second restaurant, when I request no salt, a man came to our table and said that some people like salt, some don’t, but he does.
The ferry from Aurland dropped us off in downtown Bergen that evening and we made our way to our hotel, Opus XVI, owned by relatives of composer Edvard Grieg. Bergen combines and old – UNESCO Bryggen Wharf – with a modern and vibrant downtown. Some highlights included:
Bryggen Wharf: Established in 1360 as import/export offices of the Hanseatic League, this row of brightly colored buildings hugs the harbor and offers a unique view of the past.
Floibanen funicular: This takes you up the mountain for spectacular views of the city and harbor as well as the resident goats.
Vagsbunnen neighborhood
Knosesmauet alleyway: full of charming shops
Bryggeloftet restaurant: The oldest restaurant in Bergen
Robert and I in Bryggen wharf.
For our anniversary, my husband and I had a “meteorological dining experience” at Cornelius Sjomatrestaurant, which is located on an island about a 30-minute boat ride from the harbor. The owner dropped by our dining room to tell many amusing stories about the founding and early days of the restaurant and it served as inspiration for the 2022 movie, The Menu.
Where you can buy everything you need for Norwegian traditional dress.A tired goat at the top of the funicular.Goats at the top of the funicular.A charming alley in Bergen.Homeless man sculpture in downtown Bergen. The inscription in Norwegian translates to “Nobody is just what you see.”
Our final day in Bergen we took a 3 1/2 hour boat ride through the Osterfjord and then boarded yet around boat, the Hurtigruten MS Trollifjord, for an overnight cruise to Alesund.
We took the train from Oslo to Myrdal, where we then boarded the Flam Railway, a scenic trip in a historic train car with views of fiords, waterfalls, and mountain peaks. Yes, the views were fantastic, and the railway car was indeed historic, but most of the time was spent going through tunnels and it is a bit touristy. I’m not sure it was worth lugging suitcases on and off the trains. But, I was glad we checked it off our list.
A view from the Flam railway of Huldra, an elusive forest spirit from Norse mythology, who lures men into the woods to seduce them.
At the Flam station we waited for our taxi to the hotel in Aurland. The driver was a little late as he needed to deal with goats on the road, giving us a glimpse of life in rural Norway. He took us to the Hotel Aurlandsfijord in the town or Aurland Both were charmers. We had a one of the best meals I had in Norway and the staff was so helpful and friendly.
The next morning our driver, a nice young man studying extreme sports at university, drove us on the scenic route Aurlandsfjellet, “the snow road between the fjords.” Our driver said that the road would be closed soon due to snow. We stopped at the Stegastein Viewpoint (from which we found see our hotel.) We also saw a stave church and the longest landbound tunnel, the Laerdal Tunnel.
The view of Aurland from our hotel room.The Borgund stave church.A pull off in the Laerdal Tunnel allows drivers a colorful break.
Finally, in the afternoon we boarded a ferry to take us to Bergen sailing Norway’s longest and deepest fjord, Sognefjord. Next post – Bergen.
Waterfall from the ferry.Another view from the ferry.
When we arrived at CDG we definitely got our steps in wandering around the airport and immigration. When our flight landed in Oslo we took the convenient Flytoget train to the downtown train station, which was just across the street from our hotel, the Amerikanlinjen, From their website: “Here the journey began for thousands of hopeful Norwegians. They were going to travel with Amerikalinjen to the land of opportunity. The Norwegian America Line’s venerable headquarters opened their doors in 1919.” This was my favorite hotel in Norway. It was embused with the history of the ship line that took many Norwegian emigrants to America (and perhaps my grandparents). Also, the breakfast and bar were most excellent.
A room on our floor of the hotel displayed historic artifacts from the shipsMore from the historical room.
One of the first things we did was purchase an Oslo pass from the transit agency. We mainly used the trolleys, finding that we could get almost anywhere we needed to go.
Dining room in the hotel.
The next morning we met our guide for an architectural walk around Oslo. Oslo is a clean, vibrant city with innovative urban development and beautiful architecture. We visited the library (of course), the Opera House, Barcode and more.
Inside the Deichman – Future Library looking down,Art is everywhere.The fiction section of the library.
Another of those ”must do” places is the Vigeland Sculpture Park. According to many guidebooks and Rick Steves videos this park is grand, beautiful and thought-provoking. Of course, I didn’t believe it until I actually saw the park. We took the trolley and entered through the park area of lush gardens and sculptures. But, when you enter the sculpture park the sculptures in bronze, granite and cast iron are almost overwhelming.
The entrance to the Vigeland Sculpture Park,You can spend a lot of time just looking at the base and sculptures around the fountain,Another view of the fountain. Vigeland park.In the park and other places around Norway, I noticed the “little free libraries” in phone booths. I had to wait awhile to take a photo with no one inside as it was in continuous use.
We also visited the National Museum, the Opera House, the Barcode, and took many long walks around the city. We did not do a sauna at the floating saunas in the harbor followed by a quick dip in the cold water. Other fun included a night of American and Norwegian jazz at our hotel.
A statue in a restaurant. Marketplace by the cathedral.
2024 was the year I finally got to see the place from which my grandparents left to come to America and eventually become American citizens. My husband and I took 2 weeks to explore southwest Norway, from Oslo to Bergen and a few stops in between.
Our trip would not have been as exciting were it not for the wonderful folks at our travel agent, UpNorway. Using a brief questionnaire, Thea and Katharina crafted a perfect itinerary for us. They even provided a handy app which listed all our hotels, restaurant reservations, tours, and transportation. They turned us on to experiences we would have never found in all our research.
Robert and I have met so many brilliant people in pubs in Ireland. Fascinating people we’ve met in pubs include:
A bass player whose bass was rubbish
Two young women from Australia, interning in London and traveling through Ireland
Numerous folks from all over the EU who wanted to discuss American elections
A young man from the Netherlands named Bart
A man who explained exactly how the Celtic Tiger economy effected regular people
And on and on….
And now for some tips on how to talk to folks in pubs in Ireland:
Sit at the bar. If you sit at the bar it is assumed that you are available to talk. If you sit at a table, not so much so.
Be open to others. You will meet not only Irish folks, but people from all over the world, especially the EU.
Talking gets easier the later in the evening.
Ask questions. We asked lots of questions about Ireland, places to go, Irish history and politics, etc. We got great answers and conversations.
As for the famous anti-American sentiments…Some folks may not like American politics but they do like individual Americans. Don’t be afraid to express your own opinions but be sure to listen to theirs. One fascinating thing about talking politics in pubs is that opinions are often not what you expect or they’ll have quite a different perspective.
Tell a joke. Robert has lots of bad ones he loves to tell.
Many Excellent Adventures 