Norway in a Nutshell
by J.D. Roth
After a week in Paris and a week driving around Great Britain, Kim and I moved on to the third leg of our European adventure. We flew to Oslo for a four-day crash course in Norwegian culture.
The real reason we were flying to Norway (and the entire impetus for this trip, actually) was to join Chris Guillebeau in celebrating the completion of his quest to visit every country in the world by the time he turned 35. His 35th birthday was April 7th, and a couple hundred friends and colleagues gathered to congratulate him for finishing his ambitious global adventure.
Before the big party, though, a smaller group took a two-day train tour (called “Norway in a Nutshell”) from Oslo to Bergen — and back again.
On the train from Oslo…
A Norwegian village…
Kim and Michelle, riding the rails…
The train from Oslo climbed the mountains to the western side of Norway. We saw lots of frozen lakes, snow-covered mountain cabins, and frosty fields. Eventually, we transferred to a second, smaller train for the descent to sea level. There, we boarded a ferry to take us through a majestic fjord to nearby Bergen, where we spent the night.
We didn’t intend to wear matching black turtlenecks, but it happened…
Sleepy Norwegian village at the top of a fjord…
Avalanche!
While in Bergen, Kim and I met with Henrik Larsen, a long-time reader of Get Rich Slowly. Henrik runs a very successful Norwegian financial blog and is a charming fellow. He spent several hours showing us his home town, leading us through the streets and up the funicular for a panoramic view of the city.
Kim knows how to deal with trolls…
J.D. and Henrik at Fløien, Bergen.
Henrik points out parts of Bergen to Kim as they ride the funicular.
The “Norway in a Nutshell” group…
Back in Oslo, we had time for a single morning of sight-seeing. We took in the Viking ship museum and the Kon-Tiki museum, but didn’t have time for anything else. In the evening, we joined a bunch of other folks for Chris Guillebeau’s “End of the World” party.
Chris Guillebeau talking to the party-goers…
Kim and J.D. hitting the dance floor…
I don’t have a lot to say about Norway. Our time there was brief, and we didn’t get to do much. We enjoyed the time we spent with Henrik, but to be honest, the rest our interactions with people weren’t that great. That’s unusual. We had many great experiences on our trip, but Norway was the exception. Maybe we need to see it in the spring or summer, when the landscape and the people have had a chance to thaw.
Updated: 13 April 2013