On into Norway!

We had a wonderful cruise from Denmark over to Norway. Norway is a beautiful country, so much like the West coast of Canada. We took our coach up to the top of one of the beautiful fjorrds of Norway. Here there is one of the power plants which was to be used the Nazis to start their nuclear programme. we learned about how some Norse commandoes stopped a shipment of heavy water which may have turned the tides against the allies during the WWII. The plant is situated on a deep gorge with a tiny bridge to cross. However, our bus took a small road even further up the mounatin to our hotel. We really love the misty landscape round us which is more of the nature scenery we were hoping for. Also, the temperatures are much cooler here than in the cities we have visited. It is a great relief.

We took a ferry to Flam which is located in Sonjenfjord. The ferry ride was fantastic and the scenery was spectacular!. Since Sharon and I had some extra time before supper, we changed quickly and went out sea kayaking in the fjord. It was beautiful, and it allowed us to get in close to some of the falls that line the fjord. We were about two hours in total on the water and everything was going well until my right leg cramped up in the kayak. Problem was that I was the one steering the boat. The larger tandem kayaks like we were using have a small rudder which is steered by foot pedals while you use the paddles for forward motion. Thankfully sharon could padle us forward back toward the beach and I could steer us with my paddle. Needless to say we worked up quite the appetite while we walked back to the hotel. Following the stay in Flam we took a scenic ride up to Oslo.

Oslo the capital of Norway is another bustling city, with an international feeling similar to that of Copenhagen. There is a lot to see and do here, such as walking on the roof of the Opera House (great views of the harbour and downtown from up there!), the many pedestrian streets lined with every type of shopping imaginable, to visiting the viking ship museum which has three nearly intact viking ships on display. You can also enjoy the boardwalk at ayers brygge which is very upscale and trendy. However, Sharon and I enjoyed touring vigalund park which houses all the work by this artist. It is filled with beautiful sculptures, a unique monolith, and gorgeous fountains. Everything in the park was designed by the artist.

We also visited the Nobel Peace Center, which is a museum of all the Nobel Peace Prize winners. The prize is awarded in Norway, and the other Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden. The Nobel Peace Center is quite unique in that a majority of it's installations are quite interactive and it really is a combination art gallery/museum.

We had our last group meal with the tour, and as we said our good byes it was sad to see some of our new friends go. We both thought that at the beginning of the trip that because of the huge age difference that we wouldn't have much in common, but there were many interesting people with wide diverse backgrounds who we met on the trip. We'll certainly have some people to visit if we are ever in Wisconsin, that's for sure. Ah well on to the next leg! (P.S. Stay tuned to the slide shows because I will add some more photos than these!) Sorry for the delay!