| As those of you who follow my posts may have noticed (and I know you're out there; hello bella, hello leo), I've been away from the site for awhile.
So where was I? On a 24 day trip to Europe. The major part of this trip was a twenty day cruise up the Norwegian Coast to the North Cape at the very top of Europe and back down again.
And before any of you ask, no, I did not see the Northern Lights. I've lost track of the number of times I've been asked that question, both before I went and since I've been back. Come on folks and think about it. What time of day does one see the Northern Lights? Night. How long are nights in Norway in June and July? Even in southern Norway they are only three, four or five hours long. In northern Norway, north of the Arctic Circle, they don't even exist. Norway is the land of the midnight sun and there is 24 hours of daylight. Yes, I saw the midnight sun.
I've got a lot more to say about Norway, but I'll leave it at this to see what interest there is in this topic. If anyone has any questions, just ask. |
What did you think of Norwegian food? Did you find places to eat or did you have to carry food with you?
The fjords were indeed stunning. See my note to bella!
We were exceptionally fortunate with the weather. It did rain for one port in southern Norway, but we still managed to get off the ship and do some sightseeing. Except for that we had blue skies, sunshine and smooth sailing all the way. Even at the North Cape there was lots of sunshine and really mild temperatures, about 60F (15C). I had taken along a Russian fur hat I had bought in Alaska to wear there but I didn't need it. I wore it anyway.
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While browsing thru my previous Forum posts I came across this one. Ever since the very reasonably priced treat of having caviar in Norway last summer I've had a craving for it. It's not available in supermarkets here in Portland (I've asked).
So I went to a specialty foods store and found it there. After that treat of 100 grams for about three US dollars in Norway, the price here was a bit of a shock. I bought 50 gram containers of two different kinds for $16 and $18. Those who like caviar will understand. I just had a bit of one with my lunch. Yum!
For anyone who can make only one visit to Norway, my advice would be to go there on a cruise. Getting around by land, while doable, can be somewhat arduous in Norway and virtually all of the attractions one would like to see are close to or on the coast. If one can find a cruise like the one I took (20 days up and back down on Holland America) that would be best, but only a few ports in the fjords of southern Norway are worthwhile.
The scenery sailing in and out of the fjords of southern Norway is absolutely stunning. Snow capped mountains with cliffs and waterfalls everywhere. Towns and villages tucked into little coves along the coast with zig-zag roads up the mountainsides giving access to them.
I'll close here and save comments about northern Norway for another note, if you're interested.
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In my last sentence of the second paragraph it should have been "...but a cruise with only a few ports in the fjords of southern Norway would also be worthwhile." The way it reads as I originally wrote made it seem as only a few are worthwhile, when they all are.
More cruise options for coastal Norway will follow if you're interested.
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What are the urinals like?
On to your question. Urinals were pretty much the same as USA and Canadian urinals, porcelain fixtures lined up along a wall sometimes with privacy partitions between them and sometimes not. Alas, I did not see one multiple man trough style urinal any place in Europe.
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Did you know that Norway has no official Norwegian language?
Actually I saw that mentioned more than once in Norway.
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When it comes to the winter Olympics though they have won 118 gold medals!
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