Norway (pictures!)

I'm selfish enough to open a new topic for this. But otherwise, where should've posted it. Perhaps we need a new category where people can post about their travels? I love reading those anyway.

As you may have noticed, I'm back since a week and all I could say when I was back, was that is was definitely the best trip ever. What I have seen of sights, nature, spectacle and atmosphere, was just amazing.

Below is a checklist of what I wanted to see/have done/experience if I ever went to Norway:

- see a fjord ----------------------------------------------- check! (I saw more than one obviously )
- see more stars than here in Belgium ----------------- check! (and I saw a lot!)
- see the Northern Lights --------------------------------- damn! I'll have to go back....
- camp in the wild (aka not a camping) ----------------- check! Alan, something you should consider
- hike towards the top of a fjord ------------------------- check! And that was the absolute highlight!
- kayaking the fjords --------------------------------------- check! (even in a mild stormy weather )
- see Bergen ------------------------------------------------- check! really cosy and cool city.
- eat moose/elk --------------------------------------------- check!
- having a waterfall power shower ----------------------- check! (= going close to a high waterfall, with rain clothing though )


A quick report:
We visited the region of Bergen and the Sognefjord, the second largest fjord in the world. 204km long and sometimes almost 2km deep. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sognefjord). We also spent a few days in the Hardanger fjord region (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardangerfjord).

We arrived in Bergen at night. Because we hadn't booked a hostel, we thought of sleeping at the Comfort Zone in the airport, but it was completely full. So we decided, lets go to Bergen and see where we can stay for a couple of hours (because we had to take the ferry to Sogndal at 8AM that same day). Eventually, as expected, everything was fully booked in the center, so we went to the Nordness area and slept in the park there. Beautiful to see the sun coming up there, at the port of Bergen!

So, on the ferry, we decided to go to Solvorn, and stay at Eplet Bed & Apple/breakfast (www.eplet.net). If you're ever in the region, stay at Eplet! What a great place (away from campers and such), friendly and interested host (Trond!), what a cosy town, right at the Lustrafjord, a ferry away from Urnes. In Urnes we visited a famous stave church (a typically built church in Norway, the oldest one) and mountainbiked to Feigumfossen (200m height), where we had the "power shower". Quite freaky because the force of the water was so strong, that it was like standing in a big storm. We also could hear cracking the walls and rocks because of its power.

In Jostedal, we kayakked to the Austdalsbreen glacier, part of the Jostedalsbreen glacier platteua (the biggest in Europe!). After wo hous of kayakking on the lake, we prepared for a walk on the glacier itself! Holy mother of ice god! These glaciers are mighty. We finished by seeing Nigardsbreen, the largest one of them all. Impressive to look at, especially since it's also such a beautiful one.

We also wild camped at Gudvangen, along the river there. Fantastic view again, one of the highlights. The overnight kayak tour (3days) with Nordic in Naeroyfjord and Aurlandfjord (from Gudvangen to Undredal) was stunning. Especially the hike on the second day (close to Dyrdal) to the top (1200m) of the fjord. After 4 hours of climbing, we had an incredible view on Naeroy and Gudvangen. Holy shit!

We didn't visit the Flamsbaane and other tourist traps though, as we heard of people along the way, that it was not worth it. Only one time we were tricked, at Eidfjord, in the Hardangerfjord (which is also called the orchard of Norway, full of fruit trees). We just wanted to find a bus to Voringfossen, but the lady at the tourist office said, we could only do that with the tourist bus, that also visited the Hardangervidda museum. Afterwards, this was just a total ripoff.

Disappointed we were, we decided not to stay any longer in Eidfjord and we took the boat to Lofthus in the Hardangerfjord, where we had again a fantastic camping place for our tent, right in front of the point where many waterfalls come together at the other side of the fjord. Pretty stormy night though there. Our tent was shaking in all directions and the "roof" was pulled down on our heads a few times. Since our tent was on the edge of a terrace that went down 2 meters, I didn't close my eyes very quickly that day. Freaky yes, but the more spectacle and adventure, the better!

Our final two days in Bergen were very cool. We were surprised about how much fun we had here. Some excellent (quite cheap) (student) bars, great food for reasonable prises and some really nice places, even Floybanen, which was very touristic, but worth the visit because of the nice view on Bergen. (Floyen is one of the 7 mountains where Bergen is built around).

Anyway, the weather during our stay was better than here in Western Europe I heard. 20 degrees and more during the day. Though, around midnight and especially in the early morning, around 5AM, it sometimes was extremely cold. Lucky we slept with 3 in one tent. Three guys, of which the one in the middle, we called "it's his birthday".

Anyway, so much more to tell, but I'll do that once when I post pictures later this week. If you ever doubt of going to Norway, then please go. I hope I can go back once, perhaps to the Lofoten region then (to check my Northern Lights point) and obviously to visit Hans and Thor!