The Great Norwegian IPod Crisis August 31,2006

I was up this morning about seven so that I could write the blogs before we go to get our haircuts at 10. I plugged my IPod into the computer to charge it and to my horror got a battery expletive message meaning the battery had gone Kaput! To those of you familiar with these little gems you know what this means. You have to find an IPod Service Center to have the battery replaced. Not only am I about a third of the way through a book, but I also depend on this device to insulate me in airports and train stations as well as lull me to sleep when I have forgotten and had coffee too late at night. In other words this was a major emergency! Holly reacted immediately by logging on and looking for the Norwegian Apple site. She quickly located this but as often happens in the movies this first attempt at disaster avoidance was plagued with a problem; the site was only in Norwegian. By now I was in a near state of panic. The situation was; this was our last day in Oslo we had one IPod down and absolutely no idea where or what form salvation would take.

The only things on the agenda today were haircuts and a trip to the Norwegian National Art Gallery. Maybe, with some luck, we could find a solution to my conundrum. While Holly was getting her haircut I followed a lead from the hair stylist (at US$65 I’m not calling them barbers) to a nearby store that sold IPods. The store informed me that there was an Apple store on the fourth floor of the building where we were getting our hair cuts. A quick visit and they directed me to the new IPod Battery Service Center about a mile away. The catch was the Apple Store didn’t have the street address of the service center only the block where it was located. We reached the block made a couple of passes but had no luck and then tried a nearby mall. No Apple but we saw another electronics store. The guys were very helpful even looking up the web site getting the phone number and calling the center. Thirty minutes later we were walking out of the center with an IPod that now had 80% more battery capacity than the original. Time to solve problem from detection: 4 hours 47 minutes. Life is good again.


The National Gallery was only a 5 minute walk from the service center but we stopped for a sandwich in the park before reaching it. It is another beautiful day in Oslo and we wanted to soak up a little sun as we were told this morning that autumn and rain are just around the corner. We joined hundreds of Oslonians in worshipping the sun while we dined alfresco.

The Norwegian National Gallery is best described as a nice little gallery. I say this after having toured the National Galleries in Washington, Dutch galleries a few years ago and then the Hermitage in St. Petersburg so my opinion may be slightly skewed. There are a few Manets, Monets, Gauguins and even a Picasso but the pride and joy of the house is the Edward Munch exhibits including such works as The Sick Child and The Scream. This really is a world class gallery deserving a visit if you find yourself in Oslo.

The afternoon was slipping by so we headed back to the hotel and started the blog and more trip research. Tomorrow we head further south to Malmo across the border into Southern Sweden.

Neat Stuff in Oslo August 30, 2006

Holly has cautioned me that I may be getting a tad cynical and I should stick to the positive aspects of our tour of Norway. I will do that after reporting that while checking several shops, the lowest price we found for a man’s haircut was US$65 and US$80 for a woman’s.

Today was set aside for fun museums of Oslo. By that I mean museums that the subject matter is interesting, focused and compact. Museums in which you would normally spend an hour to an hour and a half get maximum enjoyment and minimum standing fatigue.

The Viking Ship Museum
This museum houses the three oldest Viking ships ever found. The building is built in the shape of a cross and as you walk in at the end of the long leg you are greeted by the graceful upswept bow of a large wooden boat of typical Viking longboat design entombed in the arched white masonry of the museum. It is an impressive sight.

The three ships housed here were all found in the Oslofjord area and all ended their careers as burial ships. The ships were buried in peat and clay which prevents oxygen from reaching the wood and why the wood is so well preserved. All three ships contained items that the Vikings would have considered necessary for the voyage to the afterlife, such as food, cooking utensils, tents and personal effects as well as the bodies of those making the voyage.

The Oseberg ship, the one that you see as you enter the building, is the most well preserved and is thought to be the burial site of Queen Asa the only known Viking queen of the era. The ship is gracefully designed and looks as though it was more intended for pleasure rather than looting and pillaging the coasts of Europe. It is 22 meters (73’) long and was rowed by a crew of thirty. This is probably the oldest of the three ships.

The Tune ship the least preserved requires a little imagination to see it as it once was. It was excavated in 1867 and the lack of knowledge of archeological excavation and preservation may have contributed to its current state.

The Gokstad ship needs no imagination to see that it was built to sail the high seas and raid distant coast. A heavier built and deeper draft vessel than the other two it was manned by thirty two oarsmen and rigged with a classic square sail. It is 24 meters (80’) long and the upturned ends are simple and without decoration.

The Kon-Tiki Museum
The museum is dedicated to the life and work of Thor Heyerdahl. It struck a cord with me as I remember Heyerdahl’s Ra I and II expeditions from when I was a boy and that he was already well known at that time from the Kon-Tiki expedition. The museum houses the original balsa raft from The Kon-Tiki expedition and the papyrus boat from the Ra II expedition. Heyerdahl’s theory that civilization spread across from west to east was fostered by similarities in culture and technology in early cultures. This is a museum that you can enjoy and pays tribute not only to a great mind but also to the man that was willing to put his theories to the ultimate test.

The Fram Museum
The Fram although unknown to most of us from the US is a historic small ship that had an important roll in both Arctic and Antarctic exploration. She is a wooden hulled sailing vessel that was originally built around 1890 and fitted with an auxiliary steam engine. The Fram was heavily built to withstand the stress and strains of polar work. Along with numerous other voyages to help chart and explore the colder regions of the world the two voyages below are her most well known.

From 1893 to 1896 she was locked in the northern pack ice and drifted within a few degrees of the North Pole before being released after drifting across the Arctic Ocean. A first that helped the turn of the century scientist understand the ocean currents and prove that the polar north is water with no land mass. She carried a crew of 12 and provisions for five years on this voyage. She is the only conventional vessel (meaning except ice breakers) to reach this far north.

Her next famous voyage in 1911 was to deliver Roald Amundsen to the Ross Ice Shelf for his successful attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole. This was half of the great race to the pole that proved disastrous to Robert Scott and his team.

The amazing thing is that Fram is now housed in this museum and is in remarkable shape after all that she has been through. We were allowed to go into the ship where equipment from the polar expeditions is on display.

After the museum tours we took a ferry across the fjord and enjoyed the fine weather and views of Oslo. We had a late lunch on the quay just a couple of hundred yards from the hall where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded after which we strolled back to the hotel. We are researching the next legs of the trip and this takes some time as it means a jump from Scandinavian so we are in the room for a few hours but since I’m still resting my knee whenever possible that’s OK.

On to Oslo and the Poor House August 29,2006

We were up early and so went for a walk on a paved path that ran along side of the Aurlandsfjord before having the field ration breakfast offered by pensionat where we are staying. We then packed up and walked to the Flamsbana Station where we logged on and booked our room for Copenhagen. Another huge cruise ship pulled in during this time and the reign of peace ended. The lords of cruisedom wanted to be sure of their victory so sent another, albeit slightly smaller, ship in to anchor in the outer harbor. This ship used its bright orange motor launch to ferry passengers ashore and insured that chaos was the order of the day. We took the 11AM Flamsbana back to Myrdal at the top and the main line. The 11AM was fully booked with people having to wait for the next train which will also be fully booked. Four hours ago there were not enough people in this town to fill the train for one ride.

At Myrdal we caught the 12:25 east bound train for Oslo. The Bergen to Oslo line is supposed to be one of the most scenic rail trips in Europe. The scenery is fantastic when you can see it as the train ventures through a tunnel or snow screen frequently. Shortly after leaving Myrdal we were crossing a treeless plateau with large glacial lakes and numerous opportunities for hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter. We reached Geilo and were treated to a view of a mountain named Hallingskarvet and the glaciers which reside upon it. Another stunning Norwegian view.!

Our train pulled into Oslo on time and after loading the human mules we struck out for our hotel. After a short orientation period in which we inadvertently explored a few extra alleys and avenues we found the P Hotel Oslo. When checking in we were given a code for the wireless internet but quickly found out the fifth floor room did not receive the signal. A call to the desk and we were on the third floor and on line.

We decided to have dinner because of today’s logistics schedule we had had a very light lunch, but we were tired and did not want to go far. There was a Burger King next door which means cheap fast food in the world’s number one most expensive city. Actually in the surveys that I have seen Oslo is tied with London as being the budget breaking champion. You have to hand it to Oslo for trying to clinch a solo title as Holly’s grilled chicken salad with coke and my Whopper Jr meal cost US$28! We were talking with a Norwegian gentleman the other day and he told us that the minimum wage in Norway now is the equivalent of US$27. As much as we have enjoyed Scandinavia it will be nice to move on to more reasonable prices. Having said that we are planning on moving to London (co-champ) in about a week. Details to come.

The Flamsbana August 28, 2006

Our flawlessly executed plan today was to leave the Vandrerhjem Hostel at 8:30, walk to the RR station and catch the 9:08 east bound, get off at Myrdal (a forty minute ride) and the Flamsbana’s upper terminus. We then took the Flamsbana to Flam which is on the Aurlandsfjorden.

The Flamsbana is a 20km long railway that runs from Myrdal (866 meters or approx 2850’ above sea level) to Flam (2 meters or 6.5’ above seal level). Nowhere in the world is there an adhesion-type railway on standard tracks with a steeper climb. (If my understanding of the term “adhesion-type railway” is correct this would mean a standard railroad using flanged wheels on a track and is held on by gravity.) The other feature that makes this an engineering marvel is the rugged terrain. There are twenty tunnels along the 20 km of rail with several not only having significant altitude difference from one end to the other but also major bends. To us simple minded folks the scenery is what we come for. The waterfall at Kjosfossen is thundering and runs under the track and even now when the river is not at its highest provides a spectacular show. The train stops there for five minutes to allow for pictures. There was a young lady that was dressed in traditional garb and dancing in front of the falls as music was being played, a little strange but it made an impression. The remainder of the trip was made up of stunning views of the river valley and mountains even on this rainy foggy day.

We reached Flam and stepped into a world that reminded me of a theme park with no real theme. Lots and lots of people milling around this very small town (pop 600) and a full sized cruise boat from the PO line at the dock a hundred meters or so from the end of the train. The boat towered above the train and the town but was dwarfed by the mountains that rose almost vertically from the fjord. Add to this one ultra expensive hotel, a SMALL marina / hotel, our pensionat (cheap hotel), a couple of restaurants and numerous souvenir shops and you have Flam. There are quite a few small fjord sight seeing ferry boats that come and go all day that also add to the general confusion of the place. As the shadows lengthen and the cruise ship pulled out things started to settle down and peace once again returned. Not many people spend the night in Flam with most putting the Flamsbana notch in their guns and moving on.

We are settled in to our room which has a great view of the Aurlandsfjorden and are going to take it easy tonight as there is no internet access here at the pensionat or much of anything else in way of diversion. Tomorrow we will ride the Flamsbana back to the top and catch the train for Oslo and back to the “normal world”. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that the sky will clear and we will get the full views that the Flamsbana is famous for.

Has Autumn Fallen? August 27, 2006

The gentle pattering of rain on our window woke Holly and me from our deep kayaking induced sleep. A rainy Sunday morning and nothing to do and we were OK with that. We had the standard Norwegian breakfast of a hearty (read this as tree bark) musli cereal topped by cultured milk (read this as milk that looks as though it has been in the carton too long) followed by cold cuts, a few salad ingredients, toast, coffee and a sugary liquid they call juice. That behind us we proceeded with our day.

We are trying to finalize our Oslo through Copenhagen accommodations which will take us through the next week or so. We have internet access in the public areas of the Voss Vandrerhjem Hostel and we had sent several emails to different hotels but had only received one reply and that one was “no room in the inn”. Since we came to southern Norway it has been difficult to find lodging as it seems that vacation time is still in full swing added to what seems to be a general return to work and travel by the Scandinavians themselves. We spent hours on the internet today and finally booked a room in Oslo but we had to shorten our stay there by one night.

Hostels are homier than your average hotel with temporary citizens spending a lot of time in the spacious public areas. The Vandrerhjem has a general lobby area as well as a large TV area (there are no TVs in the rooms) with lots of seating and tables for eating, writing etc. A concert band was also staying here today and practice started around 9AM and was still in full swing when we left for lunch. I believe they were in the basement but it felt as though we had front row seats at a high school program.

We wandered to town in the rain around lunch time to stretch our legs and get away from the computer for awhile. It’s about a fifteen minute walk from the hostel to the center of this town of 5500 and on Sunday there are just 3-4 small cafes and a couple of convenience stores open. Voss is precariously situated between a lake and a mountain which makes for a pleasant scene even on a rainy day. Both Holly and I commented that it certainly felt like Fall and when we asked a young lady when they would expect Autumn to begin she looked out and said "maybe now". We had lunch at a small café with Holly ordering the special and getting three man-sized pork chops smothered in KFC gravy along with potatoes, sour kraut, carrots and cranberry sauce. I had nachos….and one of Holly’s chops. It was actually very good and at US$35 about the best deal we have had on food in a while.

Back to the hostel and the computer where we continued our search for what comes next. We are hoping that accommodations will be more readily available as we move into the UK, Europe and autumn.

Are You Paddling? August 26, 2006

We were up before 6AM getting ready to catch the 7:58 train and move on to our next stop, Voss. Voss is a small town just east of Bergen situated on a spine of mountains between Sognefjorden and the Hardangerfjord. Its main livelihood seems to be tourism and it is the jumping off place for adventures to both fjord regions.

Nordic Ventures offers kayaking, parasailing, paragliding and something they call parabungy. If I understood it correctly, they pull you up as if you’re parasailing and then you leap, I did say leap, off of the specially made platform to be rescued from the jaws of death by your bungy cord. I’m almost sure that I read one time that parasailing had a very high rate of spinal injuries. These guys just moved it to the next level. The guys at the kayaking center were competent and friendly (must be the crazy cousin that runs the parabungy thing) and we were soon kitted up and heading for the Naeroyfjord for a day of sea kayaking.

The first thing you will notice when you get to the head of the Naeroyfjord is the extremely steep and high walls of this fjord coupled with the relative narrow width make for a most dramatic scene. It is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the wildest and most prominent fjord landscapes in the world. I hate to keep saying this but please look at the pictures as I won’t even try to describe the scene. http;//community.webshots.com/user/davishongkong . Holly and I got a double kayak with me in the aft cockpit. The aft cockpit is where the pedals that control the rudder are located and being a guy I like the control. The other advantage to the rear seat was it was out of Holly view and allowed me to “coast” while the forward propulsion system, Holly, continued to supply power. Her cries of “are you paddling” echoed off the walls of the fjord. We stopped after 3 or 4 hours while Roscoe our guide from New Zealand built a fire and grilled pork chops and kielbasas which he served with a hot pasta salad. We asked Roscoe what he was doing in Norway. He told us that he guides in New Zealand during their summer and then comes here while its winter down there. Why Norway, “Because I wouldn’t go to a place that is not as beautiful as NZ”. Just as we finished lunch the first of several brief sun showers moved over us. The day was mostly beautiful with the showers passing quickly. We repacked the kayaks and pushed off, heading back for our starting point. The fjord was almost like glass with just a few ripples from a light breeze disrupting the mirror like surface. The calm was disrupted only by the passing of the coastal ferries that frequent this fjord with their trips to and from Gudvangen and offered a little excitement as we power paddled through the roller coaster wake. Before we knew it and before we wanted we were back at the small beach where we had launched our boats 6 hours before. With everyone pitching in we had the van loaded and were on our way back to Voss within thirty minutes.

Back in Voss, Roscoe dropped us at our accommodations for the night the Voss Vandrerhjem. This a hostel which is a first for us although we have a private room as opposed to dorm sleeping which hostels are known for. The room is Spartan but adequate with two single beds and two bunk style beds set perpendicular to the floor units, a bathroom and a row of six vertical cubbies that give each guest a personal place for their belongings. The Vandrerhjem has internet, a small food service area with a limited menu, a breakfast buffet and (thank you Norse gods) laundry facilities. We will utilize the latter before we leave on Monday. (Just so you understand our fixation with all things laundry, Scandinavia does not have laundr-o-mats (or at least very many) so if you’re traveling you look for these amenities in places you stay. As I have lamented in the past the option is doing it by hand.)

Bergen August 24-25, 2006

August 24

Last night was a watery version of the train the night before with the Vesteralen docking at several ports to offload and take on freight and passengers before slipping her lines and steaming south.

A breakfast buffet was included in our passage and we wandered down to the ship’s restaurant around 8. The rest of the morning was spent reclining topside, in a lounge or preparing to disembark once we reached Bergen. The scenery continued to amaze as it flowed by giving us an unending panorama of the Norwegian coast.

The Vesteralen’s lines were secured at the Bergen docks at 2:25PM, 5 minutes ahead of schedule. We had bought a bus ticket to the town “sentrum” early this morning as it looked as though it may be raining in Bergen and it is about a 20-30 minute walk from the boat to the town center where we were going to try and book a place to stay for the night. The bus let us off a block from the info center and even if it wasn’t raining we were glad we had taken advantage of the transportation.

Bergen is a town with a history. It served as Norway’s capital in the 12th and 13th centuries during which 70% of its population was wiped out by the Plague. It really came into its own when it became part of the German Hanseatic Trading League. The Hanseatic League at one time had over 150 member cities and was at its zenith northern Europe’s most powerful economic entity. Bergen was considered one of four major centers for the League. The city prospered in the League for almost 400 years and continued as a major trading center until the end of the 19th century.

The information center was packed when we walked in. They have a number queue so we took a number and yikes we had 118 and they were serving number 104. From experience we knew that the average time per customer is like 5-7 minutes (We do things like time studies to amuse ourselves as we stand and wait.) and there were three attendants assisting people. We found a place to drop the packs and started collecting information brochures about things to do in this area. Once again patience and a nod from Odin made our day a little better. Numbers 109 through 116 did not answer so our wait lasted only around 30 minutes. I believe that Odin did this because he couldn’t wait to see our faces when the attendant helping us said “there are no rooms in Bergen tonight!” She then rectified this by saying “Well there is an apartment but it’s the last one and it costs NOK1150 per night” (approx US$175). We asked again “you’re sure there’s nothing else available”. “This is the only thing in town” she replied. We told her to book it and after a minute or so on the phone she said “it’s no longer available”. We asked her if there was anything outside of town. She said “there is one apartment left”. We asked “how far from town is it”. “It’s in town she replied, not far”. I have to tell you that the Norwegians speak excellent English but we have no idea what they are saying about half the time.

We walked the ten minutes or so to the apartment and were greeted by a nice lady named Leev(?) who is the owner. The apartment is the ground floor of her three story town house that was built around 1900. We have a sitting room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom, not very stylish, but homey and with more room than we have had in quite a while. The neighborhood is a mixture of homes and apartments and Leev’s house sits near the top of the hill which is always the way when you’re on foot and carrying large heavy packs.

After settling in we explored part of Bergen and ended up at a movie theater. We saw “Miami Vice” (only one we hadn’t seen or cared to see) and for those of you who have not seen it; save your money and popcorn calories for something, almost anything else. They should have named it “Gratuitous Sex and Violence Movie”. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but you at least need some story line glue and decent acting to pull it off.

August 25

I woke up at 10AM and then only because Holly woke me up. I can’t remember the last time I slept until 10. It tells me this trip is turning into work. We have decided when we get through Scandinavia we are going to stop for a week or so and take some time off. Believe it or not the daily grind of finding a place to stay, actually FINDING the place that you found to stay, deciding what you’re going to do today where you’re going to eat, how you’re going to get to where you’re going etc. You’d be amazed at the effort it takes to do the smallest task when you have no idea where anything is and no way to get there. You get the picture even if you don’t believe how tiring it can be.

Today was a work day with setting up the next few days activities and places to stay. The area around Bergen is a playground for the Norwegians and Europeans. We have opted to go sea kayaking on the Naeroyfjord tomorrow with an expedition company. They had advertised a two day kayak camping trip but when we tried to book it we found out that the next “overnighter” would not begin until Monday. Our Scan Pass (rail tickets) run out on Tuesday and we want to be in Oslo by then. After the kayak tour we are staying in a town named Voss for a couple of nights and will hopefully find more Nordic fun on Sunday. Monday we are taking a scenic railroad to Flam (pronounced Floam) and staying there Monday night before catching the train to Oslo on Tuesday.

Bergen is advertised to have about 90 sunny days a year. We’re 0 for 2 as I write this. Most of today we wandered around in the rain attending to our chores and squeezing in an occasional sight seeing side trip when we could. We finally gave up about 7:30 and headed back to the apartment. We have to catch the 7:58AM train in the morning and we have a 20 minute walk to reach the station. Odin, if you’re listening, how about easing up on the rain for an hour or so about that time.

Back to the Sunny South August 22-23, 2006

August 22

We left Sortland around 9AM this morning and promptly missed the bridge and highway E10 that crosses the fjord here to take us back to Narvik. Back on track we were amazed as a dark and dingy day with a low hanging ceiling of clouds became clear and sunny. The difference here between clouds and clear is huge! Since being in Lofoten we have seen about half and half of cloudy and sunny days. The overcast days that we have seen have a low solid ceiling of clouds that obscure the view of the tops of the mountains. After a while you feel like you’re in a small room that is painted in grays. Claustrophobia followed by depression sets in and you want to find a very dull cod fish and start sawing at your wrist. On the other hand the sunny days are glorious and the sun is very intense this far north and removed from pollution creating population centers. The nice thing about our three hour drive back to Narvik this morning was that when we drove this road last Friday it was one of those oppressive overcast days. Today we got to see the mountains and the fjords as they should be seen; from top to bottom and in living color.

Once back in Narvik we had to arrange our transportation to Trondheim which means we will be crossing the Arctic Circle as we head south. This is the farthest north we plan to go during the Davis East West Expedition but we are glad that we came up here. We have enjoyed the time we have spent in the great northland and I would like to come back to the Scandinavian Arctic for some focused activities like hiking, biking, fishing and kayaking. I would also like to come back in the winter to see this rugged landscape with a covering of snow and to take in the Northern Lights.

Our routing for Trondheim ended up like this:
A 5 hour bus ride from Narvik to Fauske, 4PM -9PM, including a ferry ride. Buy the ticket from the driver.
A 9 hour and 40 minute train ride from Fauske to Trondheim 10PM-7:40AM. We were able to buy the tickets at the Narvik train station even though it’s a different railroad. (The RR here only runs back to Sweden.)
We have now decided to then catch the 10AM Hurtigruten in Trondheim for Bergen. (The Hurtigruten is the coastal ferry that runs the entire length of the Norwegian coast and makes 31stops during the 5 ½ half day voyage. From Trondheim to Bergin will take about 1 ½ days.

Once all that was taken care of we had lunch, returned the rental car and did a little necessity shopping at the mall where the long haul buses pick up. The bus ride wasn’t bad and only made about 6 stops in the five hours. It helps to have the dramatic Norwegian scenery to help the time go by.

We made it to Fauske waited 40 minutes or so for the train found our car and compartment. We decided to splurge on a sleeper compartment because of the duration of this leg. I am writing this as we rumble through the night, but will close now as we will leave the train early and a new day of adventures will begin.


August 23

A somewhat restless night on the train (at least for me) was followed by an early morning as the train continued its rhythm of stopping at small town stations and then moving ahead toward our destination of Trondheim. Holly was up first and used the sink that was in the train car compartment to clean up. I then got up and did the same. This is the first train we have been on that had sinks in the compartment and while it takes some of the already limited space it is a nice addition. We then put on the clothes we had worn yesterday as we were going to catch the Hurtigruten and planned to have a cabin with a shower in a few hours. When the train pulled into the station we checked with the information office and confirmed the sailing time of 10AM and that the dock was about a 15-20 minute walk away after which we had a light breakfast.

We arrived at the dock around 8:30AM found the Vesteralen, our ship, and had our gift from the Norse gods for the day. Hurtigruten was running a southbound special and the tickets cost us about half of what we expected. We were so elated that we upgraded to an outside cabin which only cost about US$20 more. The catch was that our cabin would not be ready until 11. That’s Ok as the ship is a big place and we found a place to hang out until then. We settled into our cabin right at 11 took a shower and changed into fresh clothes. What a difference!

We had another nod from the Norse heavens in that the ship has laundry facilities which allowed us to load our packs with freshly cleaned, machine washed clothes. Double Bonus!

The ship cruised down the coast and treated us to more views of beautiful Norway. We lounged around the upper outside deck and took in as much as we could but after a week or so it’s sensory overload and it becomes too much. This is a coast best explored on the deck of a sailboat. Moving at a speed that allows you to savor each vista as it unfolds around you. Maybe next time.

We splurged and had dinner tonight. The ships restaurant offered a set menu consisting of salmon with a mustard dill sauce followed by chicken breast on risotto and ending with a very light cheese cake and coffee. It was the best meal we have had in a few days and we took our time and enjoyed it. We topped off the meal by going to the lounge on the upper most deck and watching the sunset off the stern as the Vesteralen moved into the rain.

The Trollfyord August 21, 2006

We once again woke up to the sights and no sounds that surrounded the rorbu where we had stayed for the last two nights. We had breakfast, finished packing, had a quick chat with the daughter of our host and headed north toward Solvaer. Solvaer is touted as the busiest town in Lofoten and with four ferries and over 4000 residents it’s easy to see why. This is where we went to catch a tour / fishing boat for the Trollfjord.

The Trollfjord is a narrow high walled fjord that is located about 10-15 nautical miles north of Solvaer. We boarded the Orca, our tour boat, along with 8 other poor souls looking for fulfillment in nature’s grandeur and headed up the Raftsundet Channel. After about an hours run we turned west into a narrowing passage that would pinch down to about a hundred meters wide while at the same time the walls rose to about 500-600 meters. At the head of the fjord there are steep mountains that are crowned with snow and today set in a brilliantly blue sky. If fulfillment is what you want the Norwegian landscape is determined to deliver. I will again ask you to look at the photo site and again I will caution you that pictures do not do it justice. (We will try to upload the photos again tomorrow as our connection tonight is not fast enough for pictures.)

When we exited the Trollfjord it was time for fishing. The captain motored twenty minutes south toward Solvaer before suddenly stopping the boat and telling the mate to start fishing. The method was a hand line with several jigs and spoons attached just above a large weight. You dropped this over the side to undetermined depth and started jigging it up and down. The captain joined us after a few minutes and pulled in three before anyone else had caught anything. Another guy caught a nice fish but the captain gave the order and we pulled up and moved. Again we stopped and again we dropped our lines over the side. After 8-10 jigs I felt something and started to haul up the line. I had a fish! Oh the joy of hauling in my first Norwegian sea creature in a land that takes for granted that you know how to catch fish. I peered over the side and saw a silver flash deep in the water. Was it a white fish, a cod or maybe even a salmon? The line was alive in my hands as I wrestled to retrieve more of it, and then just as success was a few arm lengths away the wily Norwegian regained his freedom while dashing my hopes. It was the only chance I had as minutes later the captain announced fishing was over and to haul all lines up. The pain was eased by watching the mate throw fish parts to the seagulls and then toss whole small fish to a couple of sea eagles that were attracted by the gull commotion. Additional salve was in the form of fresh fish soup that the mate had whipped up in the galley after the last fishing stop. I believe what the other people were catching were white fish and coolfish. At least that was the closest thing I could find listed on the chart in the cabin. Holly had decided not to fish so she was taking pictures of the fast and furious action.

We docked and Holly and I jumped in the car and drove to Fiskebol to catch the ferry back to Melbu. We arrived as the ferry was pulling out and had an hour and ten minute wait that we took advantage of and had lunch at a small store / burger joint. Once we had crossed the Hadselfjord we drove to Sortland where we decided to spend the night. We spent the evening looking for replacement shoes for me as the sole on my left shoes is falling apart. These are Montrails which I bought when we came through Hong Kong at the end of June and they are the second pair of Montrails that I have had prematurely fallen apart. I will write to Montrail just for the satisfaction of voicing my dissatisfaction.

The Sheep Trail August 20, 2006

We left the rorbu this morning about 8:30 and drove to Unstad and the trailhead where we were to start the hike to Eggum, a small village 9km up the coast. We have been told this is a very scenic trail, but have also been warned that it can be muddy and slippery in places. We plan to hike to Eggum and then turn around and hike back to Unstad. Both are small remote villages and the trip by road is about 25 km so short of hitch hiking the out and back (A-B-A) route is our best option. The Norse weather gods smiled on us and the sun shown brightly. This was the first sunny day we have had since being in Lofoten and it made the already stunning scenery even better. The temperature was around 50ﾟ F and with a good breeze blowing feels like 40-45. Perfect hiking weather.

We located the trailhead and studied the info board that had a very un-detailed map of the trail, but with the courage of the naive and uninformed we plunged ahead. The first part of trail was a gravel road that ran along the beach and then started climbing toward the headland that forms the north side of the bay at Unstad. About a third of the way up we went through a stock gate and the road became a trail. Another 100 meters or so and the trail became a sheep path hugging the 60ﾟ slope which became a 75-80ﾟslope during the next 20-30 minutes. To complete this picture the trail was just slightly wider than one of my feet, consisted mainly of damp earth and mud, the rocks and ocean were 50-100 meters below and did I mention that the trail was covered with sheep droppings? From the time we passed through the stock gate until we got to Eggum sheep were one of the main features of this trail. The trail is actually a conglomeration of sheep trails that criss-cross the slopes. The slopes themselves are covered with thick green grass which the sure footed sheep try to keep trimmed like a well manicured lawn.

When we encountered them the sheep would usually gives us a “what the heck do you want” look and then move ahead of us on the trail, but at last moving off to one side or the other once they decided we were not going away. The second group we met consisted of one ewe and two yearlings that refused to get off the trail. They stayed 10-15 meters ahead of us and would periodically turn and complain in a loud baa before moving along the trail. They were joined by a young ram that came charging down the hill and put himself between us and the “flock”. When at last we came to a wide spot at a navigational beacon that had been placed on the slope, the sheep moved over and let us by. This didn’t satisfy the young ram and he continued to baa at us as we moved on. Not one to be outdone or runoff I fired back a few baa’s myself. This went on for 3-4 minutes when Holly suddenly said shut-up he’s following us. I turned and sure enough the young ram was only a few meters behind Holly with his chest stuck out and a “you want some of me” look all over his face. Sizing up the situation (this means looking at the narrow trail and how far it was to the rocks below and that the sheep had a decided advantage in the balance / stability department) I did what I believe was the correct thing which was to shut-up.

The trail dropped close to the waters edge after a while at which time we got to play “walking on the rocks”. There were boulder sized rocks and there were pumpkin sized rocks. There were sharp jagged rocks and there were smooth round or egg shaped rocks. There were just no rocks that were easy to walk on. My knee started acting up on this stretch of the trail because of the ankle twisting terrain but we finally made it through to a section that leveled and became more even. We walked on toward Eggum and made it to a picnic area on the edge of the village in three hours from our start.

After lunch we explored a WWII gun emplacement made from granite stones that sits on high ground above the beach at Eggum. That done we turned our sights south and started back toward Unstad. We made the return trip in two and a half hours mainly because we didn’t stop to take as many pictures or get harassed by any young rams.

When we got back to the car we drove to Leknes, a town just south on E10, to find a grocery store for chili fixings. Holly had developed the urge while hiking and I sure didn’t want to get in the way of her happiness. The store had quite a few different packets for making sauces, gravies etc (all in Norwegian of course) and one that looked like chili that was conspicuously close to the taco / fajita ingredients. We decided to give it a try after asking several of our fellow shoppers if they knew if this was chili mix. Oddly enough none of them spoke English. When we got back to our rorbu Holly whipped up another of her famous MacGyver concoctions and we christened it Norwegian Fisherman’s Chili, a little tomatoey and a little sweet but good just the same.

Tomorrow we head back north toward Narvik, arrive on Tuesday, where we will be on a marathon travel leg involving busses and trains with our next destination being Trondheim, but not before we take a cruise up the famous Troll fjord tomorrow.

A New Crib and More Lofoten August 19, 2006

After breakfast and packing we wandered around Henningsvaer for a few minutes before walking into a small store that served coffee and the best Danish we have ever had. It tasted like pecan pie and Holly immediately started calculating how to reproduce this food of the Norse gods. We are offering sacrifices to these same deities in hopes that they will favor us with success in our quest.

We headed south with the thought of securing lodging for the night at a campground that we had read offered cabins in a small village named Unstad. Unstad is the site of a trailhead that leads to Eggum, 9km away, and is supposed to have some fantastic scenery. We plan to hike the trail.

To get to Unstad we took a side road from E10 that was just two cars wide and took us through two one lane tunnels. When we arrived at Unstad, this seaside village was set back from a beach and the campground did not look very appealing so we backtracked. When we had gone through one tunnel we spied a side road off of the side road we were on that had a sign for Maervoll Sohjous which we have come to learn means a lodging of some type. We took the tiny lane which wound down one side of a small bay with scattered cottages along the edge of the water. Providence then smiled on us for the second time today. We came upon a small sign that stated RORBUS. We turned in and after a minute of looking for the correct place to inquire Holly knocked at a cottage door and was greeted by an elderly woman that spoke no English. Between the cottage and the water there was a man working on a boat. Holly enlisted his aid in translating and found out that one of the small cabins cost half of what we had paid the night before but the location is twice as nice. We immediately decide to stay for two nights. The cabin has a general room with a small kitchenette, a bedroom with two sets of bunk beds and a bathroom with shower. The amazing part is we are now staying in a very small local village with a view that you would pay a million dollars for. Holly went up to pay the lady and found her daughter, who speaks English, had come to visit her mother. With her daughter’s help Holly found out that linens were supplied, they are usually not here unless you stay in a larger hotel. She also learned that the older couple have wireless internet which we can use for free if we can make it work. (I’m still working on that.) Needless to say we are in heaven.

The weather was looking iffy so we postponed the hike and instead decided to go tour the Viking Museum in Borg which is where the road to Unstad and Maervoll intersects with E10. The Viking museum was on the site of an ancient Chieftain’s longhouse that was discovered a few years ago when a farmer plowing his field uncovered some relics. They have recreated the longhouse, a blacksmith’s shop, weaving area and a leather workers area and a boatbuilding house. All the crafts are being done the way they were a thousand years ago. They also have two large longboats that are floating in the fjord down the hill from the longhouse. This is the kind of place that will bring out the kid in you.

After our tour we decided to drive to A (this should have a dot over it and the closest pronunciation we can come up with is Ohw.) which is at the southern end of the Lofoten Islands and the end of the road. I can’t describe the scenery as we drove the 80km or so passing through several fishing villages and as always here stunning scenery to reach A. Again I suggest you take a look at our photo web site. I will warn you the old cliché applies here: Pictures don’t do it justice!

We are now back in our rorbu and settled in for the night. Its 10PM and still light enough to see the most distant mountains at the head of our bay about 5 kilometers away. It just doesn’t get much better than this.

Lost in Lofoten August 18, 2006

My advice to anyone traveling in Scandinavia is do not use Europcar. We went to pick up the rental car this morning and for the third time a Europcar rental office was unmanned during regular business hours and the second time that we had an appointment to pick a car up at a specific time and the agent was not there. Considering we have only needed to visit a Europcar office three times, once each in Ostersund, Kiruna and Narvik, they are batting a negative 1000. This morning 40 minutes after our pick-up time I hiked down the road to a marina and where a very nice gentleman helped me track down the Europcar agent on the phone. He arrived at the office 20 minutes later without as much as an apology and was not very helpful. If we would not have been on foot we would have gone elsewhere and paid more if necessary, but the “cutting off one’s nose” saying came to mind and we bit our tongues, got the car and left.

Now that that is out of my system on to more positive things; we left Narvik around 11AM and headed north on highway E6 in route to Lofoten. Let me say now that the drive was spectacular. The E6 and then the E10 run along the fjords and provide the scenery that you come all the way to Norway to see. High craggy mountains plunging a thousand or more feet into the fjords, small picturesque fishing villages and more waterfalls than the average human would expect to see in ten years. We ended our three hundred kilometer drive on a one and a half lane road that detours off of E10 to a village named Henningsvaer. You will need to look at the photo site to see the pictures here as words do not do it justice.

Lofoten is a group of islands that jut into the North Sea about ¾ of the way up Norway or between 68 and 69 degrees north latitude.

We are staying in Henningsvaer tonight in what is called a rorbu. This is a fisherman’s hut that sits on pilings over the water. The real ones are used in the wintertime by the fishermen who work the waters here for cod, herring, salmon and crab. Ours is a small cottage with a kitchen, bath and even comes with the omni present smell of the fish processing house that sits less than 500 meters away. Like everywhere its all about location and what you pay for is the view. Our rorbu does not disappoint in this department and we can see for miles in several directions taking in the mountains, islands and the endless ocean. It is much cooler here with a temperature of about 50ﾟF (10ﾟC) and wind chill of around 40Fﾟ. We will sleep well tonight although with the proximity of the fish house Holly may need to add a nose plug to her nightly arsenal of ear plugs (my snoring) and sleeping mask (20 hours of daylight).

Into Norway August 17, 2006

Today was an easy day. After a few hours of messing around the Hotel Fjallet in Bjorkliden, we caught the 11:56am train to Narvik, Norway. (One curious thing is that the hotel does not provide a shuttle service to the train station which is a 15 minute walk down the mountain from the hotel. They will take your luggage if you put it outside the hotel’s front door at 10am and it will be left outside of the train station exposed and unattended until you walk down. The strange part is that they have a full sized passenger van that goes down to meet the 11:56 train to pick up luggage. The van is equipped with seats. This is a remote area and there are no taxis or buses.

The train to Narvik gave us our first view of the dramatic Norwegian scenery with a ride along Vestfjorden. Areas of the walls of this fjord plunge vertically almost 1000 feet and the tracks of the Ofotbanan Railway run within feet of the edge at times. (See accompanying picture)

The Ofotbanan Railway was built in the late 19th century to facilitate movement of iron ore from the mines at the inland town of Kiruna to the seaport at Narvik. The Norddal Trestle is an impressive structure that was built by the German engineering firm Man which ironically the Nazis were unable to destroy during WWII even after several attempts. Currently the Ofotbanan Railway carries 16-18 million tons of ore annually between the two towns.

The town of Narvik was the scene of fierce and prolonged fighting during WWII. Because of its iron ore production and shipping facilities and links to the mines in Sweden, the Nazis sent a fleet to capture the town in April of 1940. The British dispatched a squadron but the Nazis took control of the town and its port. In May, troops from Norway, Britain, France and Poland took back the town, however the Germans didn’t retreat and ultimately regained control which they held until May of 1945. As a result of the prolonged and continued fighting, the town was decimated. The town has since been rebuilt in a postwar industrial style which does not fit the surrounding landscapes of forests, mountains and fjords. Today's rainy, misty weather does nothing to improve the look of this place.

It was a short one and a half hour train ride from the station in Bjorkliden and when we arrived at Narvik we got directions to the Victoria Hotell from the information desk at the train station. 15 minutes later we arrived at the hotel and settled in. After a late lunch I started on the blog and picture postings while Holly attended to her laundry. I had done my laundry by hand yesterday after the hike (see picture of laundry in the "Sweden 2" folder on the Webshots picture website). They offer free use of laundry facilities at the Victoria and Holly took advantage of it. Sometimes it pays to wait.

I updated the photo site today with the latest pictures of Sweden. The site address is http://community.webshots.com/user/davishongkong

(Holly here: thoughts on Sweden - I loved Sweden! A metropolitan area in the south and a beautiful wilderness in the north with freedom to roam and explore. The public right of access law grants people the right to hike, fish, hunt, camp, etc. anywhere within reason and as long as you are not interfering with or damaging someone else's property or rights. We met some really nice people who enhanced our journey with their own stories and advice. Several people we met brought up the issue in the US of everyone being able to sue or be sued and they find that frightening and crazy. The only negative thing I can say about Sweden is that no hotel that we stayed in had a bathtub and the shower facilities are shall we say, less than adequate. You know it can't be good when an industrial size squeegie is provided in the shower to mop up the floor because the design of the shower allows water to go everywhere.
This is a hiker's paradise and we could easily spend months wandering around. Gary has seen a lot of photos of what it looks like in the winter with snow everywhere and the ghostly strands of the Northern Lights which has made him keen to come back, he knows he'll have to find another travelling partner for that trip!)

Home from the Hill August 16, 2006

We woke this morning to warmer temperatures and misting rain. The landscape that was a little bleak in yesterdays sun shine is now devoid of warmth or charm. A good breakfast and gallons of coffee help and we are on our way back to Bjorkliden by 9:30.

We were told by two other guests that the trail that we plan to take down is the drier trail. So we are somewhat cheered by the thought that we have that going for us. Fifteen minutes into the hike we come to a large snow field that we must cross. The slope here is about a 45 degree angle and the rain has given the snow an icy surface. We carefully start across picking the spots that have indentations or rough spots that will give us better footing. It’s slow going but we seem to be making it alright when Holly looses her footing and starts to slide down the face of the field. She digs her finger into the icy mixture and manages to stop herself after just a few feet. The bottom is about 50-60 feet below us would have almost assured some kind of injury if she had been unable to stop. Slowly but surely she makes her way to the edge of the snow and finally sets foot back on the rocky slope. As we continue on we have one more snow field to cross about an hour later but the slope is not so steep and the snow is a little softer making for an easier crossing. The trail we have chosen runs along a ridge for part of its course from which you can see the lake and other mountains beyond, but with the weather that has moved in the view is somewhat limited today.

We do get to see three reindeer feeding on a mountain plateau and since we never got closer than 300 yards or so they don’t pay any attention to our passing. We also met a young lady from Germany on the trail that has been hiking in the mountains for the last 5 days and stayed at the station last night although we did not get the chance to talk to her there. She was very friendly and we ended up standing and talking for 20 minutes, again about travel and her home in Heidelberg. She said we must visit there when we come to Germany as has a lot of the German culture and history. We say we will we start hiking and is soon distancing herself as she has a much faster pace than we do.

We had been told by several people here that this was the begging of cloudberry season. They should be red now and will be turning yellow shortly. We were also told that we should be able to find them a few yards off the trail. After tasting cloudberries with our waffles yesterday we decided that we would see if we could find some, rain or no rain. We ranged out to a hundred yards or so of the trail in several areas and Holly was especially diligent in her search for the elusive fruit and we found some small bush-like plants that looked like they should hold berries, but no berries. Close to the end of the trail we met some local people o the trail and when Holly mentioned the cloud berries in unison they said it too late for those berries they’re all gone. My guess is we turned the six mile trail into ten with all of the wandering we did.

We finally topped a ridge and Holly pointing said I know what that is, it’s the golf course! Sure enough we were within a half mile or so of the course and that meant close to the hotel. We love to hike but the rain had not stopped since we left the station four hours before. We were ready to take off the rain gear and have lunch.

After lunch our old friend Mr. Laundry was waiting for us and he took most of what was left of the afternoon. After which we got our packs ready for tomorrow and the next leg of our journey which will have us crossing into Norway.

A Hiking We Shall Go August 15, 2006

We have reservations tonight to stay at the Laktatjakko Mountain Station. We take a bus from the rail station below the hotel to the trail head about 20 minutes away. This will allow us to take one trail to the Laktatjakko and then another tomorrow back to the Hotel Fjallet at Bjornklidden. Several people get off the bus at our stop but they are quickly out of sight in the thick brush along the lower trail as we are moving slowly.

It’s a five mile hike up into the mountains to reach the station and after a half of mile the trail runs into a landscape that is devoid of trees or any plants over 12 inches tall. The ground is covered with lichens and moss and as we climb higher we pass snow fields that have survived the warmest part of the summer and will begin to grow again as the snow will start here in the next three to four weeks. We take our time on the hike up partly because I’m trying not to stress my knee (I have it wrapped with an Ace Bandage and covered with a thick neoprene brace) anymore than necessary but also because the environment is alien to us and we want to stop constantly to examine items of interest both near and far. We stop for a rest and a snack at a mountain hut about three miles up the trail. The hut is about 8 feet by 8 feet and has two bunks and a stove. We stayed for 15 minutes or so and then start the climb again. The trail has been paralleling a large snow run-off stream and the rocks are strangely white. When the trail finally crosses the stream we can see that the rocks are coated with a white material. We speculate that it is either lime or gypsum but we are not sure. We reach the station around 2PM after an enjoyable hike and without having any knee problems.

The station was built in 1938 and has been in continuous operation since then. It’s a large three floored building, including the basement which holds the showers, toilets and sauna. The ground floor has the reception, dining room and den while the upper floor has the bedrooms. There are pictures and books in the den about the construction and operation which makes it more interesting. This is the highest altitude hotel in Sweden at just over 4000 feet and is one of the hot spots for viewing the Northern Lights. Unfortunately the lights will not be making their appearance for a few months. I’m trying to talk Holly into coming back in the winter for a viewing.

We made our way into the station and find that you are asked to take off your shoes as you come in but they provide slippers to wear inside. We are met by a young man named Jay. Jay is an American that was hiking through this area five years ago stopped at the station and was immediately taken with a young lady that worked in here. The rest as they say is history. Jenny and Jay work at the station for eight months of the year and travel the rest of the time.

We settled in quickly and went down stairs to address our real reason for coming here. The station is known for its waffles with cloudberries (more later) and whipped cream. Holly and I each had one and they were quite good. We then took a shower and visited with Jay and Jenny, swapping travel stories and getting advice on where we should go in Norway. There are eight guest total tonight and the station will hold eighteen. Jay tells us that it is much busier in the winter with people snowmobiling, skiing and coming up to look at the Northern Lights. We do meet some of the other guests and enjoy hearing how everyone has come to this out of the way spot.

Dinner, which was served at 7, is Jay’s lasagna and is delicious. Dessert was a small chocolate walnut brownie with an excellent vanilla ice cream and warm spiced apple slices. (They may have to force me out of here tomorrow.) We sit in the den after dinner and talk some more before retiring for the evening.

Cars and Trains to Bjorkliden August 14, 2006

We left Jokkmokk at 9AM so that we would have plenty of time to turn in the car and get to the train station for the 3:25PM train at Kiruna. The drive was uneventful except for when we gassed up in Kiruna and the total was US$65 and this was on top of US$75 we had put in the tank in Storuman. We had driven about 900 kilometers or 460 miles. Gas in Sweden is around US$7 per gallon. They must love to drive here. The other point of interest around Kiruna is that the famous Ice Hotel is built every winter about 18 km east of here in Jukkasjarvi.

We turned in the car and made our way back to the train station. There’s no ticket agent at the station in Kiruna so you just board the train and get your ticket from the attendant there. This is a small train as we are reaching the far end of this line and there were plenty of seats available. We are now in extreme Northwest Sweden nearing the Norwegian border and the countryside is mountainous. The Hotel Fjallet where we are staying tonight is situated on the slopes of Mount Kappastjarro and overlooking Lake Tornetrask. The hotel is about 1600 feet above sea level. The mountains here top out around 6500 feet and are bare from the level of the hotel up except for lichens and moss covering the rocks. Lake Tornetrask is about 60 miles long and 7-8 miles across at its widest point. Our room has a great view of the lake as well as a mountain called Lapporten which is a huge saddle shaped formation that is quite distinctive. The hotel is also the sight of the Bjorkliden Golf club which according to the Lonely Planet travel guide is the world’s most northerly course.

Crossing The Arctic Circle August 13, 2006

We were up early and said our good buys to Gunnar and Sui as we continued our north bound odyssey. We drove for about an hour with Holly back on moose watch when her startled shout shook me from my road hypnosis. We were passing an area that had been logged and as I pulled to the side of the road and looked in the rear view mirror I saw a large animal cross about 100 meters behind us and go into the brush on the other side. Holly said she saw another on the side that the first one had come from. The area had been logged but still had brush and small trees and was open enough to get a pretty good look. We backed up to a side road got out of the car and walked up the gravel road hoping for a glimpse of the second animal. We were rewarded after a few minutes with a sighting of two, more not moose but reindeer. We stood watching as the animals moved in our direction and again we took some great pictures. We continued to see reindeer for most of the day. Holly was researching the guide books and found out that the reindeer are domesticated, and have been for a few thousand years, by the Sami people or what I believe we called Laplanders when I was in school. This all makes sense now as we are traveling through the Lapland district of Sweden.

We stopped in Storuman at one of the ever present ICA grocery stores for the makings of a picnic lunch before going to the tourist information office to find a place for our noon time meal. We were looking for a lakeside park in hopes of getting in a little more fishing but instead chose a hilltop lookout that gave us a great view of the town. The road passed by a park where the local kids were having a soccer game that was well attended by the parents. It must have been an exciting game as we could hear the cheers while we picnicked.

The highlight of the day came just before we reached today’s destination when we passed the Arctic Circle. This is a first for us and we had to stop for a picture under the sign and a high five. After dispensing with the ceremonies we drove into Jokkmokk where we are staying tonight.

We have a room at the Hotel Jokkmokk which is on the edge of the small town and sits on a lake. Very uncrowded this time of year as it seems, oddly enough, the big season of the year in northern Sweden is winter. The Swedes it seems love their winter time sports and we got an off season rate at the hotel. Holly and I sat on the veranda of the hotel overlooking the lake and tried to imagine what this must look like in January. At 65 Fahrenheit it is hard to imagine.

The Fish Camp August 11-12, 2006

August 11, 2006

We picked up the rental car in Ostersund this morning and headed north on highway 45 but not before I made a stop at the outdoor store and bought a few necessaries for the fishing expedition. Just the basics to get me on the water but as anyone who has bought fishing equipment lately it will make you cringe when they tell you the total.

We drove 160 kilometers to a lake just north of Hoting. The countryside here is rolling hills, pine and birch forest with lakes and rivers everywhere. It is a sportsman’s paradise with fishing and hunting being a large part of life.

We pulled into the camp around 3 PM and were met by Gunnar and Sui Persson the owners of the camp and two of the nicest people that you will ever meet. In minutes we were set up with a cabin. The cabin was small but had two single beds, a kitchenette and a bathroom. The bedroom was about the same size as the compartment we had on the Siberian Express but was comfortable and with a private shower and bathroom more than adequate for our needs.

We drove back to Hoting to pick up some groceries for breakfast and lunch and were back and ready to fish by 5PM.

After Gunnar set us up with an aluminum boat and a 2HP motor we shoved off and started trolling 100 meters from the bank. The first fish, a perch, hit about five minutes later and another almost as soon as I got the line back in the water we caught another. These were small fish, but as I was using ultra-light tackle good fun to catch. After reaching a somewhat sheltered bank we drifted along as I cast various lures toward weed beds and other bits of structure. The net was too many perch to count and two northern pike that had too many teeth to count. Holly stayed occupied with her puzzles and taking pictures of me with multiple fish and seemed to have a good time. She had declined fishing but said she was happy to ride in the boat and make sure that I didn’t drown. After three hours or so we did a bit of cruising around the lake before calling it a night and heading in.

Laundry waited for us back at camp and without going into detail it was not the perfect end to the perfect day’ but I think we came out ahead. The front of our cabin looked like a laundry with the clothes hanging everywhere.
August 12, 2006

No need to get up early as we were told that the chilly northern nights stop the fish from biting until the sun warms the water. We took advantage and didn’t push the boat into the water until 9AM. We followed Sui’s suggestion and went to a railroad bridge where she said that 2.5 kilo fish were sometime caught. This wasn’t sometime but I did continue to catch the smaller perch. After a while I decided we would try trolling and seeing more of the lake at the same time. I couldn’t keep the lure in the water! Within minutes of starting the motor and letting out the line another fish would hit. These were a little bigger and one or two came in around one kilo. We reached the end of this arm of the lake and it turned into a narrow channel that round its way through the woods. Several small neat cabins dotted the banks. These cabins can only be reached by boat and do not have electricity, but they are well kept and I’m sure a peaceful get-a-way for their owners.

We were back at our cabin around noon and after lunch decided to take the car for some land based exploring. We had read about 5000 year old cave paintings just outside of Dorotea, a town just north of the lake. We were also hoping for a moose sighting as we have heard that there are quite a few in this area. The guide books warn drivers to be watchful for them, but mostly in early and late hours. We ended up driving miles over gravel roads and seeing a lot of country and a few grouse. These are large birds that would sit in the dust of the road. It appeared to us to be a mother and her chicks although the chicks by this time of the year are about ¾ of their mother’s size. They took their time getting off the road and we managed to get some good pictures. We didn’t get to see the cave paintings but did enjoy the drive as this was the first time we have a car to ourselves since Australia.

Back to the cabin where we watched the parade of camping trailers and motor homes come in for the night. It seems that most are heading south and we believe that this means that vacation time is almost over and people are going back to their normal lives.

Even though it’s almost two months since the longest day of the year, it is still light until almost 11PM. We missed the midnight sun by about a month but it gets light between 3 and 4 AM so there is still plenty of daylight should you choose to use it.

A Day in Ostersund August 10, 2006

Nothing too exciting today. We walked around this town of 58,000 and then visited Jamtli, a living history museum. This open air museum is sectioned off into different periods of history displaying farm and small town life. People in period costumes go about everyday life while interacting with the visitors. The only problem was that it was all happening in Swedish so a lot of the one liners they were throwing out were lost on us.

After the museum it was a late lunch and then back to the hotel. We are staying at the Hotell Jamteborg. This is a small hotel that is part of a conglomeration of hotels and hostels here in Ostersund. Nothing fancy but it’s clean and comfortable for the most part. We do have one issue. There are two twin beds in the room. One is a rollaway that in our case has legs that will not lock in the up position, so I spent the night at floor level but slept well.

Tomorrow we pick up a car and drive north a hundred miles or so to a fishing camp. Stay tuned for pictures of the ones that got away.

Ostersund August 9th

We Move to Ostersund August 9, 2006

We needed to leave the hotel at 5:45am this morning so that we could take the T- bana (subway) and get to the Central Station in the city center (this line is 4 layers down), navigate the maze of the underground and then find the correct platform. Sound confusing? Our Intercity train from Stockholm to Ostersund was scheduled to leave at 7am. (We missed the 5:45am T-bana because I was moving slow and we then had to wait 15 minutes for the next train. (See the picture of Happy Holly)

We made it to central in plenty of time, found our Intercity train and it left on time. We had a pleasant enough trip, except for a group of local youths who were behaving badly, and arrived in Ostersund around 2pm. We continue to be amazed at the clean efficient train systems in Sweden, although they are not inexpensive. These trains are much more modern than the ones across the Trans-Siberian Rail. These toilets do not flush directly onto the ground and they are available all the time, even while the train is sitting at stations.

Ostersund is about 500 kilometers north of Stockholm and the countryside consists of rolling hills with numerous lakes, forests, streams and rivers. This quaint town sits on the shores of Lake Storsjon and at the foot of the Oviksfjallen Mountains.

We walked the half kilometer to our hotel (Hotell Jamteborg) from the train station and after checking in, we headed for the tourist office. I have wanted to do some fishing so we were looking for information. There are a lot of options and when we pick up the car on Friday we will find somewhere to fish on our way to Kiruna.

We strolled down by the lakeside, hoping to find a waterside cafe, but at 3pm, nothing was open. We walked a few blocks back toward town and found a nice pizzeria where we enjoyed very delicious and very expensive pizza.

We did some browsing as we strolled around the center of town, generally working our way back to the hotel and calling it a day.

Solo in Stockholm Aug 8

Tuesday, August 8, 2006

Holly speaking…Gary needed another rest day in the hotel for his knee before we move on tomorrow, but I felt the urge to get out and about, so today’s blog is about me and my adventures!

But before any fun could be had, there was work to do. The day started soooo early as we needed to do more laundry and around here, you’ve got to get in before everyone else wakes up. There are only 4 washing machines and 2 dryers on our floor and the washing machines will only hold about 4 or 5 articles of clothing. All the knobs are, of course, in Swedish and it is a bit of a guessing game to get the machines going. Laundry continues to be the bane of traveling light…

Stockholm’s city center, which is the main hub of tourist activity, is built on a group of islands connected by bridges, which makes it easy, interesting and fun to explore on foot. After taking the metro into town, I walked to the nearby tour boat ticket office and booked the Historical Canal Tour that lasts a little less than an hour. The boat slowly circled one of the city’s islands and with the nice weather and beautiful scenery, I enjoyed the ride. One thing you might not think about – I didn’t – many people in Sweden love to work on their tan. During the short summer, there are hoards of people baking on every flat surface. I think they are trying to soak up as much sun as possible before the long, cruel, dark days of winter set in.

Also, interestingly, about 16% of Stockholm’s people are immigrants which makes this is a vibrant, culturally integrated city.

After the canal tour, I crossed a bridge and walked to another of the city’s islands to roam around and take some photos. There are so many architecturally interesting buildings every direction you turn and in town and along the water’s edge, they make incredible cityscapes.

I stumbled upon the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace and this was truly a spectacle worth seeing, complete with uniformed soldiers playing drums and trumpets while on horseback.

I managed to let 2 hours slip away before realizing how hungry I was. I wanted to catch the 3pm tour of the City Hall and hadn’t allowed myself time for a proper lunch.

I stepped into a café and picked up a tomato/cheese sandwich and ate it while I retraced my steps through Old Town and back towards Central. City Hall is not that remarkable a structure other than it is big, has a tower and occupies prime real estate. The main reason it draws tourists is that it is the location of the awarding of nearly all of the Nobel prizes and the tour passes through the space used as the banquet/presentation hall for the awards.

Nearly 4pm and I was ready to head for the barn. I had to start organizing my stuff in preparation for moving on in the morning. One last item on the Stockholm agenda, I wanted to have a little more authentic Swedish food before leaving.

We treated ourselves to a wonderful meal of Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes (kottbullar och potatis) served with lingonberries. We also shared some hash (pytti panna) served with beetroot and a fried egg on top. Just for your reference, based on our personal experience, a few more things they do extremely well in Stockholm – ice cream, pastries and chocolates.

Rest Day August 7, 2006

Rest Day August 7, 2006

Holly and I took a day off today, but we did catch up the picture site. Please take a look at the site at http://community.webshots.com/user/davishongkong . We now have pictures from Helsinki, Tallinn and Stockholm.

Stockholm Explorations August 5-6, 2006

August 5

Krista (pronounced Sheesta) is about a 20 minute subway ride from the central station. We transferred over and took another train to a stop that was a short bus ride away from the Karolinska University Hospital. We didn’t have to wait long after registering and I was taken back to see a doctor who after a short chat, six x-rays and consulting with an orthopedic surgeon the diagnosis is that I have pulled or torn my medial collateral ligament or possibly might have a torn meniscus. Either one is not too bad and can be treated the problem is with both it means a considerable time off my feet. The good news was that the doctor said it was unlikely I would do additional damage by walking. We plan to continue on to northern Sweden and Norway and then decide what to do based on how the knee feels in about three weeks.

After the doctor we caught a bus that we were told would take us to the central station. It almost did, that is it made a stop that was a few blocks away. Unfortunately for us we didn’t know to get off there and ended up riding around the whole bus route and back to the stop closest to the station. We then caught another bus that took us to within a couple of blocks. This is part of the fun of not knowing a town.

From there we went to see something that I have wanted to see for years. It’s a ship called the Vassa. This vessel is unique in history for a couple of reasons; One it rolled over and sank within hours of being launched because of poor design and ballasting and two it was salvaged almost intact three hundred years later in 1961. The ship is housed in a special building and is an amazing sight. The Vassa was ordered built by King Gustav II and was launched in 1628. It was meant to be a statement of Sweden’s might and was not only heavily armed but also ornately decorated. The state of preservation is amazing due to the cold water and mud. They have invested hundreds of thousands of hours of restoration and the work goes on still today. We spent several hours in the museum and thoroughly enjoyed it.

We then walked a short distance to Skansen; the world’s original open air museum. This is a park like setting that covers a hill not far from the middle of Stockholm. Exhibits consist of farms, an old village, a zoo, several houses of famous or near famous Swedes and several gardens. It is a peaceful area in the middle of a bustling city and a nice place to take younger children. Speaking of younger children, Holly and I believe that Stockholm must have more children under the age of five than almost any other city or the parents take them out on the streets more. There are kids everywhere and we have seen lots of parent(s) with multiple young children. Maybe it’s the glorious weather we have had the last few days that has them out and about.

We hopped a ferry to Gamla Stan (old town) and found a place to eat our late lunch along one of the narrow lanes that make up this section of the city. A great meal (Holly’s official birthday dinner) and great service to boot. After dinner we wandered around not really knowing where we were going when we came to the old town square. Here we found a beautiful ornate fountain / well where the townspeople once drew their water and the Alfred Nobel Museum. We may go back to tour this museum Monday or Tuesday.

We found the subway again made the transfers we needed and managed to get home without getting lost. That was the end of a long and tiring day.

August 6

We took advantage of the laundry facilities here at the hotel early this morning before it got crowded had a late breakfast and then headed for the train.

First order of business was to get our reservations for the train on Wednesday when we head north. We’re excited about this part of the trip as it will take us north of the Artic Circle which is a first for us.

Reservations made and two trains later we were at the National Historic Museum which is in a part of town named Ostermalm. This is another museum that is very well done. It starts in prehistoric times and has a really comprehensive section dedicated to the Vikings as well as later periods. We spent a couple of hours here before finding a place to eat at a small sidewalk café in Ostermalm. Holly wanted traditional but we settled for modern trendy after walking for a ways and not finding much of anything open in this section of town.

We made our way back to Krista took in another movie and then shopped for knee supports. We found a couple that I bought and will give them a try in hopes of minimizing the problem. Another busy day but one well spent.

Stockholm August 4, 2006

Happy Birthday Holly!

We woke up on the ship about two hours from Stockholm and scrounged breakfast at the ships fast food restaurant. Choices were that or a buffet which we have had enough of lately. The fast food place had muffins, Danish, yogurt and fruit so it wasn’t too bad.

We docked on time at 10AM and it took about 45 minutes to get through the immigration line. Outside of the terminal we relied on the kindness of strangers to point us to the right bus that would took us to the Central Station where we caught the subway to Kista and our hotel. We boarded the wrong train that was headed in the right direction and after changing to the correct train we arrived in Kista at 12:30 to find that Holly had picked another winner. The Accome Hotel and Apartments is reasonably priced and our room has a small kitchen, internet connection, LAUNDRY FACILITIES and a TV with three English channels that are not CNN or BBC. As a bonus it is connected to a mall that has a movie theatre. In short everything that these weary travelers have been looking for. There is also a super market in the mall so we stocked up on breakfast foods which will allow us to keep things simpler and more relaxed while we are here.

Caroline Donohue had emailed us the name and number of her aunt who is a nurse and lives here. I spoke to her this afternoon and she suggested how and where to have my knee looked at. We will do that in the morning and I wanted to say thanks to Anga for her help and Caroline for the information.

Holly wanted a special birthday dinner but decided to put it off until tomorrow after carrying the packs around for half the day. We did go see a movie and had popcorn which all of you familiar with our habits know that this was a treat being the second time in two months. We hope to start exploring Stockholm tomorrow after the doctor’s visit but we plan to do this at a leisurely pace.

Tallinn, Day Two August 3, 2006

We started our walk around 10AM into Tallinn’s town center with a goal of seeing several historic sights and museums as well as having lunch before being back at the ferry terminal by 5PM.

We first skirted the old town walls which afforded us with several good views and photos. When we did enter the walls through one of the gates we immediately came upon the Maritime Museum. When given the chance we will always tour a maritime museum and this was no exception. This museum was not large but was well done and we spent about an hour there looking at the exhibits. Our only lament would be that all information was not in English which left us with some questions.

We next headed for high ground to find Toompea Castle which is located on a hill within the walls. We found the “castle” but were a little disappointed to find that it looked more like a small Russian palace because it had been rebuilt I the 18th century to house the provincial government. While on the hill we were able to take in a couple of panoramic view points. One in particular looks out over the old town and provides a great view.

We made our way back to the square and found the Estonian National Museum. Tallinn is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and certainly deserves the honor and protection. Estonia was ruled by the Danes during parts of the 13th and 14th century who then sold it to the Germanic Teutonic Order who established Tallinn as a member of the Hanseatic Trading League of towns. Estonia aligned itself with Sweden against the Russians which was not the best decision because our old friend Peter the Great defeated the Swedes and took control of Estonia as part of the terms. The Russians ruled Estonia until 1918 when after the Russian Revolution Estonia declared itself independent. Independence lasted twenty years when the Soviets established both Army and Navy bases in anticipation of German aggression. The Germans defeated the Russians here in 1941 and retained control until September 1944, but not before massive damage was done to Tallinn during Soviet attacks. After the Soviets took control wide scale reprisals were initiated against the people of Estonia because of their co-operation with the Germans. Finally on August 20, 1991 Estonia again found itself independent with the fall of the Soviet Union although Russian troops remained in the country until 1994. The museum traces much of this history although it is somewhat small.

Lunch was next and again Holly picked a winner. We both agree that Tallinn is the best food we have had on the trip so far. It may because prices are more reasonable here and we are willing to try better restaurants because of this.

We toured the city hall next. We mistook the building for a church when we first saw it yesterday but our waiter set us straight. The exhibits in the hall focused on the history of building techniques in Tallinn including limestone quarries and working the stone into building material. It may not sound like the way to spend an afternoon but it was actually quite interesting. We climbed all the way to the attic above the vaulted rooms on the third floor where we could see the rafters as well as the top of the vaulted ceilings from the rooms below.

We headed back to the terminal after spending a few minutes with a tourist surveyor who was focused on food and beverage services here. We gave them high marks in all categories. Back at the terminal we picked up our packs that we had stored in lockers this morning, cleared customs, boarded the ship and found our way to our cabin.

This ferry will take us to Stockholm, a voyage of sixteen plus hours. The ship is large, my guess is 400-500 feet, and has everything we will need for the next 16 hours. We even have a TV in our cabin which has CNN, BBC and what looks to be the Australian version of The Travel Channel. Life is good for now and we look forward to reaching Stockholm where we will take it a little easier for a few days.

Tallinn August 2, 2006

We were up early to catch a 9AM ferry that took us from Helsinki to Tallinn, Estonia. We have met several people during our journey that have recommended that we visit Tallinn since we were going to be as close as Helsinki.

Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, lies about 50 miles across the Gulf of Finland from Helsinki and since we were taking the slow ferry (this would be cheaper at US$20 pp or about half the cost of the fast ferry) which takes about three hours. The ferry was late pulling out and slow to get going but we were finally under way. It took almost thirty minutes of running time to clear the last channel marker so I guess the ship channel runs about 7-8 miles into the gulf. That gives you an idea of how shallow the water is in the approaches to Helsinki. This area is studded with small islands that are mostly bare granite protruding from the grey-blue water.

We arrived in Tallinn about 12:30 and after clearing Immigration and Customs walked out of the ferry terminal and directly across the street to out hotel. Holly did good on this one. The hotel wasn’t luxurious but it was clean and had all that we needed for 60 Euros (about US$76) and being across the street from the ferry meant a short haul with the packs. The Portus Hotel has a 60-70’s rock and roll theme and is actually a fun little place. The only question we had was why were the room numbers printed in large white block letters on the doors. It reminded us of a cell block. When we asked at the desk the young lady said it was so people would not go into the wrong room, but it did not always work?

Our first task after getting checked in was to see if we can buy a ScanRail Pass here. The ScanRail Pass allows for unlimited travel on trains in Scandinavia for a predetermined period and since we are planning on traveling to the northern parts of Sweden and Norway, stopping numerous times, it seems that this will save us money during this part of the trip. It also gives you discounts or free travel on buses and ferries, both important parts of our plan to explore the great North Country. The trick is that you have to buy the pass outside of Scandinavia as it is designed for foreign visitors. We found out about the pass when we were already in Helsinki, so Tallinn was our only chance outside of Scandinavia to make the purchase. We found a travel agent while walking through town but she didn’t handle rail passes. The nice lady did, however, give us a lead on another agent that she believed could help us. We followed her directions, located the agent, and another nice lady helped us with the passes. We also want to get Eurail passes for travel in Europe (after we leave Scandinavia) and the same rules about buying them outside the country apply, but they are not sold here in Estonia. We will contact our Hong Kong agent to see if she can help us with these.

From the travel agent’s office we walked to the Old Town square and felt like we were moving centuries back in time. Old Town Tallinn looks like the pictures of old European cities that you see on the Travel Channel. Narrow cobble-stone streets, stone buildings and steeples rising high above the tile roofs of the surrounding buildings give a medieval look and feel to the town. We enjoyed walking through the winding streets but it was close to 3PM and we still had not had lunch. There were several sidewalk cafes around the town square and we played an epicurean version of spin the bottle and came up with a winner. If you ever find yourself in Tallinn we suggest trying “Turg Restroan”. The food is much better than the name.

After lunch we walked through town to get our first look at Tallin’s landmark, its town walls. Tallinn was established as a trading post in the 10th century and the walls were constructed between the 12th and 14th century. The walls were about 2.5 km long and today about 75% of the walls and 19 of the original 66 towers still stand although the walls have been altered over the years into living space and there are now windows built into the walls in several areas. The walls and towers are impressive limestone structures that vary in height from 8 meters (25 feet) – 15 meters (48 feet) for the walls to approximately 20 meters (65 feet) for the tallest towers.

When fatigue finally overcame us we walked back to the hotel and enjoyed the evening on the patio outside of the hotel after which we called it an evening.

Easy Day August 1, 2006

Still in Helsinki and in need of some personal maintenance my lovely bride and I did not plan anything for today with the exception of visiting the Finland National Museum.

I’ve been having a little problem with my right knee that I managed to injure while we were hiking in Indonesia earlier this year. All of the hiking and walking plus carrying the heavy packs seem to have aggravated that injury. I decided to try and find a doctor today to hopefully get reassurance that I am doing no further damage and some relief from the swelling. A stop at the hotel desk netted us a recommendation and directions to a clinic. We found it only to be told that they were remodeling, had limited rooms and limited doctors with most being on vacation, it would be Thursday before they could see me. They also do not refer patients to other doctors. I’ll wait until we get to Stockholm in a couple of days as we plan on staying there for several days for sightseeing, planning the northern Sweden / Norway expedition and a much needed rest. You read right, a much needed rest. While invigorating, the touring we are doing is both mentally and physically tiring and we have been at it for almost two months now.

With no luck at the doctor we turned our attention to other matters. We both needed haircuts so we found a small shop and I was immediately shown a chair and with sign language and a few common words the lady proceeded with my coiffure. I think Holly let me go first as a test, a guinea pig so to speak. While I was getting my cut another customer came in that seemed to have an appointment so Holly was going to have to wait for about an hour. As we were leaving Holly said “that worked out OK as I didn’t trust her to do my hair because I couldn’t tell her what to do”. We immediately found another place and Holly made an appointment for 3PM.

This gave us a few hours to go to the National Museum which was a ten minute walk from the salon. The museum laid out the history of Finland from the Stone Age until the twentieth century with numerous exhibits including archeological finds dating back eight thousand years. We managed to browse away three hours after which we returned and Holly got her hair cut.

Well needless to say we both are now both beautiful with our blonde silky hair and Euro cuts.

One other note if you’re ever in Helsinki be sure to mail something from the main post office. Its modern efficient and staffed by friendly helpful people, in other words everything that the Moscow post office wasn’t. It even had a café. Now this a post office that you can spend some time in.