Accommodations: Scandic Palace Hotel Copenhagen

The Kingdom of Denmark, including the Faroe Islands and Greenland, has roughly 1,400 islands and Denmark itself is characterized by sandy coasts, low elevation, and a temperate climate.

Denmark remained neutral during WWI, but its neutrality was violated in WWII by the rapid German invasion. It was finally liberated at the end of the war in 1945. In 1973, Denmark, together with Greenland, became a member of what is now the EU, however, it negotiated certain stipulations such as retaining its own currency, the krone. Denmark is also a founding member of NATO.

Denmark has the highest tax rate of the countries in the EU – 55.9%. Danish taxes are put towards an extensive social security network so that every resident is well-provided for at all times of life – services from education right through to retirement.

Denmark is very ecologically aware. Most everyone rides bicycles to and from work, and 4 out of 10 Danes owns a car. Denmark is the leader in wind energy. Wind turbines are a major source of energy and the country is actively working to further expand its wind energy capacity.

Denmark was the first country to allow same-sex couples to enter into partnerships, granting them the same rights as heterosexual married couples and in 2012, same-sex marriage was legalized.

After breakfast, we activated our Copenhagen card that OAT provided for us, which gives us free entry to 80+ attractions as well as free transport in the Copenhagen region! We will have it for the next three days – a great perk!

We then boarded our bus for a discovery ride around Copenhagen, stopping first to see the iconic Little Mermaid statue.

Based on the 1837 fairy tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, the small statue, posing nude on a rock, has been a major tourist attraction since its unveiling in 1913. It has been the target of defacement by political activists and vandals, but it has always been restored.

The sculptor Edvard Eriksen created the bronze statue. The statue’s head was modeled after Ellen Price, a ballerina in the Royal Danish Ballet of 1909, but she refused to pose nude for the statue rendering. Eline Eriksen, the sculptor’s wife, modeled instead.

When I was a little girl, my mom gave me a leather bound, gold trimmed book of Andersen’s fairy tales. As I read each story, I became more and more frightened. The Little Match Girl freezes to death as her last match blows out. Thumbelina, a loathsome mole, and the other unsavory characters that she encounters, had me worrying about monsters in the closets. The Red Shoes that were on a little girl’s feet, wouldn’t stop dancing, so an executioner had to cut off her feet. What???? (And, her red shoes continued to dance away on their own. Yikes!!) The Tinderbox with the three monstrous dogs. And… The Little Mermaid?? Don’t get me started. Suffice it to say, the Disney version has a happier plot. To me as a child, the book was pages of horror! So I decided not to read it again. I ripped the pages out of the book and tore each page into tiny pieces. To say my mother was displeased when she saw the pile of shredded fairy tales is an understatement. I, on the other hand, was relieved that I’d never have to read those fairy tales again. So, seeing the iconic Little Mermaid? Meh! (At least the Brothers Grimm had the courtesy to give a heads up about the scariness of their tales, by using their last name on the covers of their books! LOL!!)

Denmark happens to be a very flat country as I mentioned before, with no mountains to ski on. A Danish architect decided to change that. Bjarke Ingels got the idea to create a man-made mountain for skiing, built on…

Wait for it…

…the roof of a huge incinerator!!! This incinerator burns waste to produce heat and electricity!! An unbelievable innovation and creative use of a building that would otherwise only have one purpose: to burn garbage.

Next we visited Amalienborg Palace and museum. The Amalienborg Museum is located at Christian VIII’s Palace, one of the four palaces where the Royal Family resides when they are in Copenhagen. The Royal family were not in residence today. We witnessed the changing of the guard in the palace square and then we toured the museum. The museum houses the Royal family’s historic offices. We also saw the Gala Hall which is still used by the royal family on special occasions.

After the tour, we took a leisurely hour-long canal boat ride to see the beautiful sites of Copenhagen. It was such a sunny, warm day, and the ride was absolutely wonderful.

After the canal boat ride, we had lunch at Nyhavn Færgekro and enjoyed Danish smørrebrød! We all were given plates filled with roast beef, cheese, herring, shrimp, and salmon, as well as some delicious spreads. The bread was placed on the table and we were able to make our sandwiches. I enjoyed everything except the herring. Very fishy! Yuck! But I did have wine as well as a small shot of some liquor that was very potent! Wowser!!!

Perhaps it’s because it’s a weekend, but Copenhagen is very crowded. There are hoards of people walking the streets and it’s hard to get around. Allan may be starting with a head cold, so we decided to forego any more touring and just went back to the hotel for a nap. We weren’t hungry for dinner so we read some and then it was off to bed.

Lots of fun things are scheduled for tomorrow.

The Little Mermaid

St Alban’s Church

Gefion Fountain, depicting the Norse goddess Gefion transforming her four sons into powerful oxen. She uses them to plow the island of Zealand out of Sweden, according to the legend. (Transforming her sons into bulls? This mom could have starred in one of good old Han’s fairy tales!)

Changing of the guard

The Royal palace

One of the offices in the museum

Frederik’s Church, commonly known as The Marble Church, is renown for its rococo architecture.

Believe it or not, people leave their sleeping babies outside while they go in and either eat or shop. Kidnapping is unheard of and the Danes believe children are healthiest when outside, even in the freezing cold. Today was a warm day, and this little one was sound asleep.

The canal boat ride.

Our lunch.

“Wonderful, wonderful, Copenhagen”, so the lyrics of the song go, however, ‘Copenhagen’ is pronounced incorrectly in the song sung by Danny Kaye in the movie Hans Christian Andersen. It actually should be pronounced “kow·puhn·hay·gn” and not ”cow-pen-hah-gen”. Danny Kaye pronounced it in the movie with a German-influenced accent.

Accommodations: Scandic Palace 

We left Bergen this morning and amazingly, even though it rains almost every day in Bergen, we had no rain at all for the three days we were there. We have been so lucky on this trip…it only rained one day so far.

We didn’t have to leave for our flight until noon, so we had a leisurely breakfast, packed our things together, and boarded the bus to the airport.

The flight was very nice and we arrived at our hotel, got settled in, and then we took a half hour walk with Heidi and the group for dinner. Copenhagen is very, very crowded! It is a Friday night and people are allowed to drink liquor outside (it’s not allowed in Norway) and people were partying everywhere. We walked down the main drag and saw Prada, Gucci, and all the big expensive stores as well as a huge Lego store. This IS the place for Legos!

Dinner was outstanding. Delicious steak and French fries. We also had a lemon mousse for dessert, but Allan and I didn’t eat it.

It was very late when we left the restaurant and even later by the time we got back to the hotel. It was a beautiful evening and the walk was lovely, mainly because the crowds had thinned out a bit. We have a very busy day tomorrow, so here’s to a good night’s sleep.

Accommodations: Thon Hotel Bristol Bergen 

This morning after breakfast, Heidi’s nephew Morgan gave a talk about what it’s like being a teenager in Norway. He is a very nice kid, almost 15 years old, and he spoke about his schooling (private school), his friends, his classes, etc.

He has been seeking Allan and me out very often to walk with us and then he shares photos of his sailboat, his artwork, and his prowess on the trampoline. He also loves to talk about cars with Allan and he was really just delightful. Heidi said he told her he really liked us. Aww…

After the talk we boarded the bus and drove through Oygarden, and once again, the scenery didn’t disappoint.

We had a delicious fish chowder for lunch, with flounder, shrimp, and mussels, and then we toured the beautiful restaurant with its gorgeous chandeliers and art deco motifs.

We then went on to the village of Vik to meet a man who works on the oil rigs. Norway is a major oil and gas producer, and it is a very controversial topic among Norwegians. The oil and gas industry is a significant contributor to the Norwegian economy, both through exports and employment. Norway supplies 2% of the world’s oil consumption. It also has one of the strictest timelines to eliminate fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions.

Norway was the first country to operate an industrial-scale carbon capture and storage project. Carbon dioxide is a waste product of the natural gas production and large oil companies have invested in carbon capture and storage technology. The man talked about the Northern Lights Project, the world’s first project with carbon capture and storage, signed by big oil companies. Norway was once a poor country, but oil has made Norway one if the richest countries in the world.

However, this has unfortunately caused a significant environmental impact, especially with regard to greenhouse gas emissions to the sea. Norway has made significant efforts to reduce its environmental footprint, but it still continues to expand its oil and gas production, much to the dismay of the critics.

We drove back to the hotel and had our Farewell Dinner at a restaurant. Most of us will be going on to Denmark, but one in our group will be leaving tomorrow.

We enjoyed venison for dinner and it tasted just like a delicious beef steak. We had crème brûlée for dessert which I passed on to Allan, and then we bid our new friend safe travels on her way back home and we went back to the hotel to get ready for our flight to Copenhagen tomorrow.

Our lunch restaurant

Candles burning in the tables

Tea cups for our coffee or tea.

Fish chowder. Delicious! They also served apple-cake for dessert.

Another room in the restaurant

Fishing village

Morgan walked with me and pointed out this sign.

Venison. Delicious!

Our hall to our hotel room. Could be a problem if you’ve had too much to drink!

Accommodations: Thon Hotel Bristol Bergen 
Last night I woke up about 1:30 am and since we are now below the Arctic Circle, it was actually fairly dark outside. I did fall back to sleep which was fortuitous.

This morning after breakfast, we met with our local guide for a walk around Bergen. The town is beautiful with interesting architecture and narrow alleyways to explore. We toured the wharf area (Bryggen), which boasts many historical buildings and because of that, UNESCO declared the city a World Heritage Site. There are beautiful wooden buildings that stand side-by-side to each other, that were built after the great fire of 1702. The houses stretch along the harbor and they served as the headquarters for the Hanseatic League. The buildings have been involved in many fires, the last in 1955. The fires kept recurring mainly because after each fire, the houses were built back exactly the same way – wooden and side-by-side – making them conducive to burn whenever a small fire started. Today, 62 buildings remain of the former townscape.

We passed the infamous hotdog stand where footlong hot dogs are sold, as well as the chocolate shop that apparently sells decadent candies and hot cocoa.

We thanked our guide after the walk and then a few of us went to hear a piano concert at the Edvard Grieg home and what a concert it was! The pianist, Mariana Kan Selvik, was amazing and she did a fabulous job playing some of the most beautiful pieces written by Grieg. The concert was only a half hour, but the selections she played were moving, exciting, poignant, and brought tears to my eyes a few times because of their beauty and the way she played. It was glorious.

Afterwards we toured Grieg’s home with original furniture, etc. and we also saw his small studio by the water, where he secluded himself to compose his music. The piano he used is still there.

After the concert, while we waited for the taxi to arrive, we had a cinnamon bun and a coffee and Allan and I chatted for quite some time with Morgan, Heidi’s nephew, and he told us about his interests and what he hopes to become someday. He is a talented artist, among many other things, and he is hoping to become an architect.

We returned to the hotel and Allan and I went in search of the footlong hotdog. Allan had the reindeer footlong and I had a regular pork one. They served them with grilled onions like in Iceland, but I have to say, the Icelandic hotdog is waaaay better!!! The Icelandic one has a delicious sauce on it, among other condiments, that is so delicious.

We went out to dinner with three of our friends and had a fun time. Lots of laughs.
Busy day tomorrow!

Bergen. Beautiful city

Interesting architecture

Just love that bike

The buildings are beautiful

The hotdog stand

The concert piano. Look at the view!

Edvard’s home. Everything is original.

This is where he composed his music. What a beautiful site for inspiration

The foot long reindeer hotdog!

I had a regular old dog.

Heidi took this of me yesterday standing by my lonesome, while everyone else was at the glass wall looking down to the city below.

The selections the concert pianist played. I highly suggest you download the selections and listen to them. You will be wowed!

Accommodations: Thon Hotel Bristol Bergen   

After breakfast we drove to the airport to board our first flight to Bergen. We had to take two flights, but our luggage was checked straight through. The flights were not long, the planes were dual propeller and were pretty roomy.

When we walked to our bus, we were greeted with a huge sign “BERGEN?”. The Bergen sign is the result of a competition won by an Icelandic artist. The letters stand 18 feet tall. The question mark is intended to invoke a sense of curiosity and anticipation. Who knows what you will feel or take away with you, as you tour this beautiful city.

Bergen is surrounded by “the seven mountains” and was once the capital of Norway. Tomorrow when we go out on tour, we’ll learn about the city with our local guide.

Bergen is Norway’s second largest city, but it’s first in all of Europe when it comes to rainfall! Bergen’s unique location between the seven mountains doesn’t just make it an unbelievably picturesque destination to visit – It also makes it particularly exposed to rain showers. How exposed? Well, out of the 365 days of the year, 202-239 are days you should expect at least some rain in Bergen. The sun can be out and then suddenly, it can be pouring. So I guess rain pants and raincoats will be worn while we’re here.

We did an orientation walk and then went to ride the funicular, one of Norway’s best-known and most visited attractions. The journey up to the top is over 1,000’ above sea level and takes about 5–8 minutes. Given my fear of heights, I couldn’t go near the glass wall that you could go up to, in order to get a good view of the city, but I still could appreciate the view from afar.

We all went for dinner at an Italian restaurant and it was delicious!! Allan and I had pasta with beef and mushrooms. So, so good!!

Heidi’s nephew has joined us and will be with our group for the next three days. He is 14 years old, plays soccer and is also on his school’s sailing team. He was very sweet and we enjoyed having dinner with him and getting to know him.

Tomorrow we have a very busy day planned!

Our two prop plane

The bathroom in Bergen airport

Are we really here?????

View from the top after the funicular ride

Trolls are big here

A library to borrow books. Take a book…leave a book.

I’m a happy camper!!

Accommodations: Thon Lofote

After breakfast, we boarded our bus and drove to the first site of the day – Gimsøy church. The church is located right at the beach and apparently, due to its proximity to the water and without any barriers surrounding it, our guide said the church has been blown into the water a few times. That actually isn’t true. However, the church is now anchored with steel beams, cables, and rods to prevent it from blowing in the wind. The present church is a long wooden church and was inaugurated in 1876. The original church is first mentioned by Aslak Bolt in 1432. The church has been restored a few times over the years. There is an old cemetery at the church and Edmund Munch’s uncle is buried there.

Our next stop was to visit the Lofotr Viking museum. We listened to the museum guide tell us about the Vikings and then we went into the world’s longest reconstructed longhouse. We had reservations for lunch there and we all sat Viking style at long tables in front of a boiling cauldron where our lunch was simmering. Our guide told us more about how the people lived in the Viking age. Vikings from Norway were renowned for their raiding and exploring, often venturing into distant lands and establishing settlements. Vikings were also active traders, exchanging goods and establishing trade routes. The Viking Age in Norway is generally considered to have ended around the mid-11th century.

After the talk, we were served a delicious lamb soup, filled with root vegetables and lamb that was simmered for a long time in a broth. We had bread with it as well as mead. Mead is probably the most well-known of Viking drinks (mjød in Norwegian). It is an alcoholic beer-like brew sweetened with honey. It was very good! During lunch, a “Viking” came in and serenaded us with his lyre. The music was beautiful.

I asked about the recipe for the soup and they told me that rutabaga, carrots, leeks, celery, nettles, barley, Jerusalem artichoke, celery root, diced lamb, thyme, rosemary, salt, potatoes, and broth all went in and then it was simmered for hours. (I probably won’t be putting nettles in the soup if I try to make it.) And by the way, the man from the whaling restaurant yesterday sent me his recipe for potato soup. You can find the recipe at the bottom of this post.

After lunch we walked around and explored the “living museum”. We saw artifacts that were found during the archaeological excavations carried out in the period 1983-1989.  It was a very interesting (and very filling, given the soup) morning and afternoon.

On our way back to our hotel, we stopped at an untitled glass and stainless steel work by Dan Graham, who actually hailed from New York. It is a huge concave mirror overlooking and reflecting the water and the mountains, a very unique piece of art. 

We then stopped at Henningsvaer, a quaint fishing village, where we could walk around and browse the shops. Allan and I had a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll and enjoyed the sunshine.

Dinner was chicken and barley at the hotel and then it was to bed because we have an early flight to Bergen in the morning.
The photos from today follow the soup recipe.

Creamy Potato and Leek Soup with Crispy Bacon

Ingredients:

• 1 leek (white part only), chopped

• 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

• 1 kg potatoes, peeled and chopped

• 2 liters chicken or vegetable broth

• 4 dl heavy cream

• 100 g crispy bacon

• Fresh parsley, finely chopped

• A drizzle of olive oil (for garnish)

Instructions:

1. Preparation: Wash and chop the leek, peel and chop the potatoes, and finely chop the garlic.

2. Cook the soup: Place the leek, garlic, potatoes, and broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

3. Blend the soup: Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree the soup until smooth. Be cautious if using a blender with hot soup.

4. Add cream: Stir in the heavy cream and let the soup simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Garnish and serve: Serve the soup in bowls and top with crispy bacon, fresh parsley, and a small drizzle of olive oil as garnish.

The scenery is undeniably beautiful here in Norway. Dandelions grow all over and make for a beautiful yellow carpet wherever you look. Makes you wonder why we are so anxious to dig them up at home.

Gimsøy church

Anchoring the church

The scenery is always changing and always beautiful.

Bread and sour cream for our soup.

Our delicious lamb soup with mead and water. Love the holders for the glasses.

The lyre

Stockfish drying.

Dan Graham’s artwork

His mirror reflecting the water and mountains.

Accommodations: Thon Lofoten Hotel 

Breakfast at the hotel was really nice – probably the largest buffet so far. Allan had dried whale on a cracker and I had the yogurt that the fisherman from yesterday told us he makes and sells to the hotels. It was delicious with blueberries.

We are on the Lofoten archipelago, a beautiful place, where artists from all over come to sketch the scenic highlights.

After breakfast, we boarded an electric catamaran for a three hour Trollfjord Cruise over the beautiful blue waters and through the majestic mountains. We saw little hamlets along the way, where the fishing homes, painted the iconic red and white, are nestled into little coves. It’s amazing to think the people live here through the harsh winters.

We sailed into Trollfjord, a narrow inlet with a large population of sea eagles. We were very lucky to see many of them fly by. They are beautiful, with a wing span of about 8 feet. They are found in coastal areas, fjords, and around islands, where they hunt for fish and other prey.

We enjoyed a sweet potato soup with bread as we cruised along and it was truly a wonderful morning.

After the cruise, a few of us went on an almost 4 mile walk along the coast. On the way, we saw where stockfish are hung to dry. Stockfish (tørrfisk in Norwegian) is a traditional Norwegian fish that is actually dried cod. The fish is dried outside on huge racks.

As we passed by, you could smell the fish that were hanging on the racks. The bodies had apparently already been dried and removed and all that was hanging on the racks were the fish heads. The heads take longer to dry out and could be on the racks for months. The fish isn’t salted, but rather gets the salt content from the sea. Stockfish has been a major Norwegian export for centuries, even dating back to the Viking era.

We walked to the end of the coastal path and saw the statue that stands in the water – The Fisherman’s Wife. This is a statue by Per Ung, depicting a woman looking anxiously towards the sea, waiting for her husband’s return from fishing. It is rather sad when you think that many of the men that went out to fish in the rough seas, never did came back.

On the way back to the hotel, we were very excited to see a pod of orca whales swimming around. They usually leave the area in May, so we were extremely lucky to see them today.

When we returned to the hotel, we had an hour to rest and then we went off to see the Lofoten War Museum. The museum is small, but has an enormous collection of artifacts from World War II and William Hakvaag, the curator, has amassed an extensive collection of military and civilian items from the war, all on his own. It was unbelievable to see the actual uniforms, bombs, eating utensils, typewriters, and to hear the story of the Nazi invasion and occupation of northern Norway from 1940-1945. He even has a Gestapo room on display, with a prisoner handcuffed and hanging from a hook, while the Gestapo agents stand by in authentic uniforms, deciding the prisoner’s fate.

William has a signed watercolor, painted by Adolph Hitler, that he purchased from a young girl whose grandparents had it in their possession for many years. She had tried to find out its worth, but since it was dated 1940, everyone believed it was a fraud, since the thought was that Hitler only painted watercolors for about six years, in the beginning of the 1900’s.

William bought the picture from the girl for 250 euros and it was delivered in a fairly new frame. He took the frame apart and took out the watercolor, and behind it, were four other watercolors. Three were of three of the seven dwarfs and one was of Pinocchio. All four renditions are signed A H and dated ‘40’. Apparently, Hitler did paint in the 40’s, so the landscape William bought from the girl is signed and is apparently authentic.

We toured the museum and then we all went for dinner. Our appetizer was whale and it was excellent. It tasted like beef jerky and was very salty. Stockfish was served for the main course, which as you now know, is dried cod. Apparently, the dried cod is reconstituted with water and then becomes “fresh” cod. Dried cod can actually be kept for 30 years.

Well…this was the first fish here on the trip that everyone thought was positively awful! It had no taste and the texture was chewy and hard at the same time and tasted like…. Wait for it…. Dried fish! Yuck!!!! It smelled fishy too.

After dinner Allan and I did laundry in a little outdoor building with two washers and two dryers, but one washer wasn’t working. We downloaded the app…GoMarina…which allowed us to pay with a credit card and then get a PIN number that you enter to get the washer going. Then after the load is done, you put everything into the dryer. All this for $5 and change! A bargain!

Except…when the washer cycle ends and the door to the washer won’t open. Yikes!!! We tried everything, to know avail. Another couple came to use the laundry facility and they couldn’t figure it out either. (But in talking with them, they said they loved stockfish… so could I really trust them to know what to do???)

I finally contacted Heidi who contacted someone who runs the facility. The guy came and put a coin into the slot and the machine started up and finished running and voila, thankfully the door opened at the end of the cycle and we could move our laundry to the dryer, where the clothes could have the time of the lives after being ransomed, frolicking and dancing in the non-existent heat. Yes…after an hour and a half, the clothes were still quite damp. Fortunately, I had my trusty clothes line with us and we strung the clothes to dry in the bathroom. The man who came to our rescue to release our clothes from the washer said that the broken washer would work, but you’d have to stand there for the entire cycle and hold the door shut. So one washer door won’t stay closed…the other washer door won’t open. Go figure!! The man who came to our aid said they are having a lot of trouble with the app, and he also said that new machines would be coming, probably within the next three months. Too funny!!

At least the cost of the washer/dryer was a bargain. Remember the cost of our beers the other night? $25?? Our wines tonight were $16 a glass…and definitely not a big pour. After the laundry adventure, we treated ourselves to a Guinness at the hotel bar. It was 10:30 at night, but the sun was shining and it seemed like midday.

From the catamaran

Majestic

Waterfall along the way

Sea eagle. So lucky to see them

On the 3.5 mile walk

Gigantic nets for cod fishing

The cod heads drying. The bodies are laid on flat wooden slats but we didn’t see any today

The heads take a long time to dry

The fisherman’s wife

Orca whale

WWII – Authentic Nazi flag

Top secret Correspondence

Watercolor done by Adolph Hitler

A Hitler watercolor of one of the seven dwarfs. Apparently he loved the movie when it came out.

Whale appetizer

Stockfish. Bleh!

Accommodations: Thon Lofoten Hotel 

Fish farming in Norway is big business and salmon is the number one farmed animal in Norway by far. Fish farming in Norway is prolific along most of the country’s coastline, producing more than 1.5 million tons of fish per year, almost all of which is exported.

Mortality rate for the fish raised on the farms is very high, and the cause of the mortality rate is unknown. It is thought that the stressful handling of the fish while they treat the fish for lice can cause mass mortality. Disease is another cause of the fish mortality, although vaccinations have helped.

Fish farms are a source of controversy and they can impact the environment negatively. Escapees from fish farms can introduce genes into the wild and potential change the genetic makeup of other species. Also, escaped fish compete with other fish for food thus impacting the other fish significantly.

The treatment for sea lice can affect the environment and the food that the fish are fed in the farms, as well as their feces, can pollute the seabed and deplete the oxygen that other marine life need to survive. Farmed fish can give out more toxic emissions into the environment than a town of 50,000 people. Also, wherever a fish farm is located in the ocean, the ocean floor is ruined because of what the fish are fed.

The bus ride from the hotel to our next destination, Svolaer, was unbelievably scenic, with little red houses dotting the seaside and the majestic mountains springing up from the horizon.

We stopped in Lofoten, a seaside town, where families, who make their living fishing, reside. We enjoyed an amazing shared lunch at Livland Gård, where our host and hostess brought out a huge charcuterie board filled with moose meat, whale meat, chicken, pork, shrimp, reindeer, potato salad, potato soup, and other delicious treats. We finished the lunch with homemade vanilla and brown cheese ice creams. Our host gave us the recipe for his delicious fresh and spicy Livland salad with romaine lettuce, arugula, and peanuts as well as his potato soup recipe.

We then listened to our host tell us about the controversial subject of whaling in Norway. Norwegians still hunt whale and remain among the few countries where whales are still hunted for commercial purposes. Japan and Iceland are the other countries. Norwegians feel it is an old cultural tradition, but environmentalists and animal rights groups disagree.

The whales are killed with harpoons which are filled with explosives that hit the whale as it emerges from the water. The whale is dragged into the whaling vessel, sometimes alive and in pain.

Norway had dominated the whaling industry globally and in doing so, practically made many of the whale species practically extinct. The whales were a valuable source of whale oil which was used for fuel. Nowadays, commercial whaling in Norway is restricted to hunting only a particular type of whale called minke whale, which is not classified as an endangered species.

Whaling continues to be a controversial topic. Environmental groups are trying to get across the fact that whaling and its benefits are “mere fabrications made up by politicians and fishermen to hold onto a traditional practice that is long out of style and time”.

We bid goodbye to our hosts and continued along the coast, traveling along one of the 18 most scenic panoramic drives in Norway. It was just beautiful. Along the way we looked for sea eagles that sometimes are seen flying along the coast, but we weren’t lucky. Sea eagles mate for life and their large nests are reused, sometimes for many years.

Hiking in Norway is very big for individuals as well as families. All along the road we spotted cabins that people rent to go hiking, fishing, and just to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

We arrived in Svolvaer, had an orientation walk, and then had pizza for dinner and a Guinness to wash it down.

Can you even believe the beauty?

Picturesque spot

Perfect spot for a quick pic

Our charcuterie board

Homemade ice cream

Fishing boats

View from our hotel

Accommodations: Thon Hotel Harstad 

Norway has been a NATO member since 1949. However, it is not a member of the EU. It does maintain close relations with the EU through its membership in the European Economic Area (EEA)

Norway is known as the Land of the Midnight Sun. The midnight sun is a natural occurrence that happens north of the Arctic Circle, where the sun doesn’t completely set below the horizon during the summer months. Fortunately, the hotels have darkening drapes so the midnight sun does not bother us very much as we sleep.

Fish is a major part of the culture of Norway. People not only love to eat the fish – fishing is an important part of their livelihood. Of course, sushi has been a very old tradition in Japan, but what we didn’t know, is that the Norwegians introduced salmon sushi to Japan. In 1989, a former minister of fisheries in Norway, Thor Listau, visited Japan to introduce the salmon, and the rest is history.

Norway leads the all-time medal record for the Winter Olympic Games. More than half of the medals were awarded in cross-country skiing and speed skating.

If you’d like to get a drivers license in Norway, you have to complete mandatory training through a licensed driving school. In addition to passing the driving test, you also have to pass a test for driving in the dark, driving on slippery surfaces, as well as a first aid test. You need at least 18 hours of theoretical instruction and 16 hours of practical training.

Teslas are popular in Norway and reasonably priced, so many Norwegians can purchase them.

There is a popular saying in Norway: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” It is possible to experience all four seasons in a day, so it’s good to be prepared. Because of the Gulf stream, Norway has a much warmer and milder climate than other countries of the world at the same latitude. That being said, last winter in northern Norway, the temperature was a bitterly cold -61 degrees Fahrenheit. Brrrrr!

Norway has 240,000 islands and Harstad, where we will be for two days, is mostly located on the large island of Hinnoya.

This morning at breakfast Allan and I tried a delicious “cheese” called Brunost, which literally translates to “brown cheese”, even though it’s not technically a cheese. It’s usually eaten at breakfast on a thin cracker. As a by-product of the cheesemaking process, brown cheese is good example of “waste not – want not”. Leftover whey from the cheesemaking process is boiled down until it caramelizes. I would compare the taste to dulce de leche – similar to caramel. I thought it was delicious and had two helpings. It isn’t the healthiest because of its fat content, and I read that some schools have banned it from their menus.

Today we visited a local horse farm owned by a psychologist who specializes in equine-assisted therapy to treat alcoholism, substance abuse, learning disorders, etc. This is a holistic approach to promote physical and mental well-being. It involves tasks like grooming horses, feeding sheep, doing team work activities, as well as just listening and watching the animals and nature to recenter yourself.  

We walked to where the sheep were grazing and we were told to try not to speak or take photos, but instead, reflect on our lives, our goals, our sadnesses, our joys, etc.

After a few minutes, some of our group went into the grazing area to feed the sheep. I’m glad Allan and I did not partake because it was a free-for-all, as some of the sheep were particularly anxious for food and butted not only their sheep mates, but also the feeders.

After the sheep were fed we went to the stable and sat very still for a while to observe two horses while again, we were told to try to take the time to recenter. Afterwards, some in the group groomed the horses.

Then we were all invited to participate in a team activity. We broke up into two groups and using the different materials that were around the large stable, we were instructed to make a path on the ground that was not easy to traverse. Then each group led their horse through the mazes that we created. It was an interesting team activity, but to be honest, I’m not sure what the point was except to learn that our horse was not excited about stepping over the wooden pole we had put in his path, but rather bulldozed through and knocked it over.

We had lunch at the farm, a dish called Lapskaus, which is a stew made with lamb, potatoes, and vegetables that is cooked slowly until the vegetables blend together. It was delicious. For dessert we had lefse, which is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread. It is made with riced potatoes and can be filled with soft butter mixed with cinnamon sugar. It was very tasty.

After lunch we rode the bus to visit Trondenes Church, the northernmost medieval stone church in the world. Built around 1250, the church is well preserved and the exterior is still close to its original state. A church host met us in the church, who was very kind and knowledgeable and shared a lots of interesting facts about the church with us.

After we toured the church, we started walking the two mile path along the sea to go back to our hotel. Along the way, we stopped at a sea house, built of untreated larch wood, with seating for about 20 people. It has a glass wall for protection against the north winds and Heidi surprised us by serving us Kvikk Lunsj (“quick lunch”) chocolate candy bars. They were first introduced in 1937 and have been sold ever since, except during WW II. (Between 1941 and 1949, its production was halted due to a sugar shortage.) The bars are almost like Twix and they are often taken as a snack on skiing trips where quick energy might be needed.

We continued our walk along the sea path back to the hotel and then met a few of the folks on the tour at a Thai restaurant to celebrate the birthday of a fellow traveler. The food was delicious.

Tomorrow is another day we can sleep in as we don’t have to leave the hotel until 10 am. I’m looking forward to that brown cheese again for breakfast!

Brown cheese – Brunost

Feeding frenzy

The delicious Lapskaus

The church

The original font

The original entry way

Along the two mile sea path

There were four, but I ate one. Much too sweet.

Where we tasted the candy

Inside the wrapper which translates to:

1. Plan your trip and inform others about the route you have selected.

2. Adapt the planned routes according to ability and conditions

3. Pay attention to the weather and the avalanche warnings.

4. Be prepared for bad weather and frost, even in short trips.

5. Bring the necessary equipment so you can help yourself and others.

6. Chose safe routes. Recognize avalanche terrain and unsafe ice.

7. Use a map and a compass. Always know where you are.

8. Don’t be ashamed to turn around.

9. Conserve your energy and seek shelter if necessary.

Have a good and safe trip!

Globe flowers

Accommodations: Thon Hotel Harstad 

After breakfast, we boarded our bus and took a scenic drive to Norway. On the way we stopped at Abisko National Park.

Located about 121 miles inside the Arctic Circle, Abisko National Park is surrounded on three sides by the Abisko Alps and on the north by the Tornetrask lake. Abisko is apparently one of the best places to see the northern lights, but of course that is only in wintertime.

We arrived at the Norway/Sweden border and Heidi gave us all a small glass of Linie Aquavit, which is a potato-based spirit that has Nordic greens and spices in it. Whoa!! It’s potent! We had lunch at a local restaurant in Narvik and dined on salmon which was was very good and the little potatoes that came with it were delicious.

The drive to our hotel in Harstad was beautiful. The snow capped mountains, the lakes, the forest – every minute postcard perfect.

On the way we passed wind farms. The construction of wind farms in Norway has been a major point of controversy. Apparently, Sami traditions and cultures have been seriously affected by the wind farms. Reindeer herding is a traditional way of life for the Sami people, and the wind farms are located in areas where they graze their reindeer. The turbines disrupt the reindeer’s natural movements and grazing patterns.

The conflict has been ongoing for years and is a hot item. Some people feel that the goal should always be for the renewable energy the turbines provide, while others strongly oppose the wind farms because the rights of the indigenous people are being violated. There’s no easy answer.

We checked into the hotel and Allan and I decided not to go on the orientation walk. After the walk, when the group returned, just about all of us went to the restaurant in the hotel for dinner. Allan and I had the fish and chips and probably the biggest glasses of beer we have ever had. I couldn’t finish it! 0.75 liters is a bit much. Even Allan couldn’t finish the entire glass. We really got snookered since we had no clue it was going to be that big AND that they would charge us $25 for each glass. Wowser!

Tomorrow we can sleep late since we don’t have to start the day until 10 am.

Another pic from the ICEHOTEL 365

More pics from ice hotel

Abisko National Park. We’re still in Sweden on our way to Norway.

Powerful waterfall because of the snow melting in the mountains

Beautiful area

The scenery is beautiful. The lake is half frozen in June!

Sweden Norway border

We had a welcome to Norway drink at the border.

Norway

Lunch in Norway

WOW!! 0.75 liters. It was Brooklyn lager. I wanted a dark beer…but this really wasn’t.