Category — places

August 1

The 1000 lakes are actually more than 180000 (one hundred and eighty thousand!), and this morning i didnt know what to do with them. There i was in the middle of Karelia, the Lake District, and i wndt have liked to leave without checking them out, at least a little. One option was a cruise to Heinävesi - about half way up towards Kuopio, and back by bus to Savonlinna (i like this name so much!). The second option was a small cruise around Savonlinna, about 2 hours. The third option was just leaving to Helsinki.
Another question - what to do with the luggage? Stay one more night here? Leave luggage here, but check out? Leave it at the railway station? Take it on the boat?

Eventually I decide to take it “downtown”, and see from there. So I walked down to town (no hurry this time), trying to find my way on the map. At first I ignored a car which seemed to want to stop next to me, but then I heard the honk. I look up from the map - the lady in the car was waving.

“You seem to need help”

“Er… yyeaa, I’m trying to find the way to the tourist office, for a cruise.” (in my mind i was doubting that she can help me with a cruise from behind the steering wheel).

“Well, i’m driving to the office anyway, and it’s nearby, hopp in.”

Wow. Ok. I jump in, she takes me there (while I realize that the shortcut i thought i took was a longcut), telling me that she used to be a tour guide and when seeing people in touristic need she feels the urge to help.

God bless.

“Are you traveling wiht interrail? Noo, you are too old”.

“Thanks :), but I am actually traveling with interrail”.

From the short conversation I find out that apparently “men are driving the good cars in Finland, women - what they get.” I think - this old car is perfect, my increasingly heavy backpack makes no discriminations at all.

She recommends to take a cruise even if it’s clouded like it is. We arrive at the touristic office, which is closed. It opens at 9am, it is 17 before 9. My patience is up at a quarter to 9, so I say - anyway the Heinavesi boat leaves at 9, so no point waiting here - better go down to the harbor and see what’s shippin.

I reach the harbor at 7min before 9. The small cruises leave at 10 or 11, cost between 13 and 20 euros. Well, one of these it is then, i say. Let’s just quickly check further down, maybe I can find MS Puijo, which is leaving for the longer cruise, see whats up with that, if i can find it. If not, fine.

After the first corner, i notice MS Puijo. I check it out, look around - there were two men outside, talking. The alledged captain comes out, looks around, goes back in - one of the two men outside calls him back, to see what’s with me. I ask out of the blue if they give discount for interrail travelers. no expectations at all in my mind, but doesnt hurt. The trip was ~60EUR, a bit on the expensive side. He says no, but we have student discounts. How much? 54 EUR till Kuopio. But i want only to Kerma and back. Aha. Let me look. He goes back in, but the same guy calls him back and tells him something. So the captain says - look, this man is the owner of the boat, he says you can come for 30 EUR, as an “interrailer” alright. Last offer.

…mmmmmmok. let’s go.

So off we go, immediately. Along the Savonlinna castle,

entering the Lake World.

I’m on board now, writing. Deck is full.

Cold.
It starts to rain.
Everything is blue-grey-ish. The lake, the forest, everything. It’s raining in the distance. The lady from the hostel was right, it’s not much fun when it’s raining. I imagine that on sunny weather, it must me much more colorful.

But the other lady was right to. I’m glad i took the trip. God knows when i’ll be back to Lakeland - at least i get a glimpse at what the 180000 lakes are about.

Rain has reached us. I’d better close the laptop.

(…)

Rain didn’t last long. And, miracle, a patch of clear sky!

I then had a chromatic revelation - probably one of the main reasons for the “clear sky and blue ocean” is the reflection of the sky in the water! It’s a logic thing, but for one who has rarely seen the sea, I never spent much time thinking about it. I just knew that the Black Sea was called that way because the first Greek colonists who entered it found it stormy. And if it was at night too… pretty clear, huh.

On the lake, you could clearly see how the water was blue under the clear sky patch, and grey elsewhere.

Causing general enthusiasm on deck (inhabited only by me at the time), the sun came up in the distance too! Which again changed chromatics

and finally reached us.

That didnt last for long either, we turned towards more clouds

but still. I had prayed for a little sun, just to see how it is, and i got it. Thank you!

In the meantime we entered more narrow channels, also seeing first traces of “civilization”,

finally coming close to the image i previously had about the “land of the 1000 lakes”.

The trip went on amidst this kind of landscapes,

cold, but not too cold,

clouded, but with some sunny intermezzos, received enthusiastically.

And with other things learned, for example about the Saimaa seal species, endangered, but with protection they managed to grow the population till about 300. 300, like the last Spartans of Leonidas. I’m afraid they will have the same fate…

Meanwhile, we reached the locks.

making the transition between lakes where you have level differences.

Most of them apparently made by russians, when Karelia was under their rule. Boats were the main means of transport then (even now, not many roads or railroads).

First lock was ~20cm level difference, the second one ~1m, the third one, where I got off, almost 2 metres (!).

Here in Kerma i got off the Puijo

and took a minibus back to Savonlinna. Where it was raining. I realized that I had taken this trip to Northern Europe unprepared for the most likely meteorological phenomenon I was going to meet: rain. I had taken no umbrella. I figured, my rain coat should protect me + camera alright if it rains. What i didnt think of is how it could protect me + camera + 2 backpacks, one of them huge. Luckily, rain was rare during the trip, and even now in Savonlinna it didn’t last for long.

So after a delicious salmon soup at the “Red Salmon” restaurant on the lake, on to Parikkala and finally Helsinki, for the last night in Scandinavia. Time flies.

July 31

I dont know exactly why i expected this trip with so much excitement. Maybe because it’s “off the beaten path”, maybe because everything is “on the edge” and has to work perfectly within narrow margins for it to happen, donno, but i was bursting with excitement.

Train was at 7:15am. Well, yeah, had to cross half of Finland. Half awake, managed to catch it. Plan was to see Lapland from the train, so naturally I fell asleep instantly and woke up in Oulu, where Lapland…ends.

From Oulu to Pieksämäki I was at least planning to see lakeland Finland. So I slept 4 hours out of 5 like a log, managing to catch very few glimpses at some lakeish landscapes.

At 15:10, 3 minutes before the expected descent in Pieksämäki, ticket control passes. I ask the guy, just to be safe – Pieksämäki? Joo, joo. I take my backpack, prepare to descende - somebody taps me on the shoulder - the controller. Tells me something I don’t understand, seems stressed. Asks around if anyone speaks english. A nice lady offers to translate, says - “we are late, this is Suonenjoki, not Pieksämäki.” My jaw drops. I have a connection at 15:20. “You won’t catch it”, she says. Damn. “But the company helps you with a taxi to Savonlinna.” Oh. Another young fella was listening with interest - was going in the same direction. So he helped me once we arrived in Pieksämäki half an hour late, where after a few kiitos-es (thank you) to the lady, i went with the curly guy and found the bus, which was waiting for us. Had to pay the ticket though - 25 euros. Oh well.

The driver managed to cut some of the slack, so we entered Savonlinna at 17:45. My hostel was far away from the centre, I was worried I don’t have enough time. So I asked the driver if he knows the place, and - leaves me 20m away from the hostel! Kiitos!

I quickly check in, change into the best clothes i have with me (i.e. the old jeans unused yet, so at least clean, and the only shirt with a collar i have, bought from Greenland because it was the only model available). No other shoes available but the dusty sneakers - oh well. Small backpack ready, asked at the reception how I can get to the centre FAST. By cab. How much? 10 EUR. That’s all I have left cash… Ok, call one.

Where should I leave you? asks the cabby. At the castle gate, or, maybe no, at the tourist office. It’s closer, 8 EUR. Where do you get tickets from? i ask. No idea. It’s late anyway, he says, you have to get in at quarter to 7. It’s 25 past 6 when I get to the tourist office.

“Do you still have tickets?”

“Yees, plenty.”

YES!! so it worked out!!

Please give me the cheapest one.

Sure. 78 EUR.

Ouch. the ones costing 29 or 33 EUR are sold out… Dang… Well, since I got here anyway, whatta hell… I’ll sacrifice something else. E.g. the boat trip to Kuopio tomorrow, let’s see. Gimme one ticket please!

Where do you wanna sit?

No idea. wherever.

We have one spot in front, very lateral, and some very at the back.

So…? I can’t make up my mind. Where would you sit?

In front.

OK.

I take the ticket, hurry through the town centre

Towards the “objective”.

As i was getting closer I realized that there still were quite a few people on streets obviously going to the same event I was, since they looked fairly smartly dressed.

And here we are.

The Savonlinna castle is home of the biggest festival in Finland, an opera festival.

It lasts for one month and it is held here:

I had found out in Rovaniemi that the festival is not over, and tonight they play Verdi’s “Othello”, which is the closing show as well two days from now. So I thought that is a good enough reason to get down from teh Arctic Circle. Just making it in time was a problem, so I didnt’ buy tickets in advance, to leave it up to the destiny. Somebody Up There arranget things so I get in time, and therefore - Opera night tonight!

I mingled with the spiffy crowd

and joined the atmosphere.

The 2 EUR from my pocket were not enough to buy a libretto, or a bottle of water, or a minusculous cookie for that matter. You can do NOTHING with 2 EUR in Finland.

My place was in row 5, and I was seeing this

and i was NOT seeing the translation screen on top of the stage.

Music starts. And all of the sudden, a whole bunch of Chinese people invade the stage. Othello’s Chinese Army!

Because it is a production of the Shanghai Opera. Everyone is Chinese, from the Moor to Desdemona. Rodrigo looks a bit like Jackie Chan, I have this surreal expectation that would initiate some pretty cool fighting schemes in the opening scene.

But no. Everybody is serious about business. They sing in Italian, and eventually I manage to read some of the subtitles.

At the break though I went to the back looking for a place, which I found, only to observe that… some structure was obtruding the view to the subtitling board! Damn. After a while I noticed that the structure itself had a subtitle screen on it, so i watched the second part with a “big picture” view.

Waz nais. In spite of the fact that I understood almost nothing of what they were singing, I didnt get bored almost at all, except at Desdemona’s song during the 3rd act (neverending!). Music was so-so. Ok, but nothing memorable. At least, not for me. No Nabucco choir, no Aida march. Just the Moor’s drrrama and the handkerchief crisis.

And, of course, the sentimental value Othello has for me, since i had to play the bastard at the Shakespeare festival, ages ago. God was that tough.

I also remembered mom saying she saw or heard of Othello in Russian, and he was saying “davai zdreantza, Desdemona!” ”Kakaia zdreanţa, Atielo?”.
These people should have said something like “tígōng shoupà, Des De Mo Na!” “nǎxiē shoupà, O Te Lo?”
Or they could have started to sing Othello’s song:

At the end of the day, everything went according to plan. The rug was a trap, and everything fell apart. Grand applause at the end:

Spiffy people streamed out of the castle

(speaking of spiffy, during the second part I sat next to a guy in a black suit and flipflops. I felt overshoed with my sneakers.

It was not dark yet, so I quickly took some more pictures of the castle.

Looking for a good spot, asking myself if it is ok to step on the grass, i saw these young people

doin a picnic, so i relaxed and stepped on the grass.

Then I hear “hey, guy”. Hmmm… I ignore it. “Hey, guy!”. I turn around - they were talking to me. If i want to take a picture of them drinking, eating and playing poker. Seemed tipsy too. Another one says - “no worries, dont listen to him. where are you from?”
“Romania”.
“Oh, we’re almost neighbors, I’m from Ukraine”.

“We are neighbors.”

At first, I was cautious - being raised to avoid talking to strangers, especially tipsy ones seeking conversations. But he stood up, came closer and started chatting away. Told me about the castle, about the opera festival, made a download of his point of view about Finland (it’s very nice, but people are cold), about his life as a peacekeeper… At the end, he invited me to join them for the poker and drinks, but when i politely declined he just said - “well, good luck then, enjoy Finland!” and returned to his comrads.

I left, a bit ashamed of my early suspicions. I have not found one unfriendly person in the entire Northern trip (except Yul, but he’s not nordic). I walked along the lake shore - L.Planet was saying that the evening view of the castle is “dramatic”. Let’s see how dramatic:

I made dozens of pictures, donno which one to put here. Let’s finish with this one:

On the way home, dark clouds were gathering above the horizon. Hmmm… tomorrow, weather will be a key element. Hope no storm.

Back at the hostel, I fell asleep on a thunder-lightning-rainfalling background. Good night.

July 30

I’m at a terrace in the center of Rovaniemi, surrounded by talkative Finns. I am wearing shorts and a Tshirt. It’s 9pm, sunny and warm on the Arctic Circle.

The first impression in the Rovaniemi railway station were the probably American boy in flipflops. Dude, you’re on the Arctic Circle!!

Out in the street, though, I realized that the kid was not far from the truth: It was pleasant outside, and it was barely 8am. (excellent conditions in the 12.5 hours train from Helsinki, managed to sleep pretty well)

The most expensive overnight stay on the trip so far, the City hotel is a decent 3-star. I had found it thru booking.com; hostelworld.com didnt have anything free! Or rather a poor database - there are more hostels in Rovaniemi than you would think from their site.

After checking in, I go straight to the tourist office, to ask for help with the next accomodation, and start with the standard question: “where do i find a public phone”?

“There are no public phones in Finland.”

After a confusion pause, it rings a bell, and I unwillingly mutter “damn those mobile phone guys”. “I’m sorry?” she asks. Before I can say “nothing, nothing” with a little embarrassment, she says “yes, these Nokia people, what can you do”. So she heard. Still, she is very friendly and calls up a hostel (from her… mobile phone) to find accomodation for me. Which she finds.

Happy, I hurry to catch the bus, which I obviously miss, which gives me time to change into shorts and T-shirt. Well, it’s already 11am and it is… warm outside!

I reach Santa Claus’ Village around half past noon. S.C.V. is the main touristic attraction here. It is said that Santa lives somewhere in the North, in Lapland, on the Arctic Circle. Well, this is Lapland, and this is the Arctic Circle.

Napapiiri, în Finnish.

I took a few moments to take it in, made a few calls and sent SMSez marking the moment, got used to the idea of the 25 degrees Celsius I was feeling, and then had a look around the village. First, the building

which hosts

Santa’s Office

I could have gone in to meet him, but I heard a kid crying inside and got scared away. Looked at the countless souvenirs and jinglebells instead.

And this was just the souvenirstart. The whole village is full of them. Some are pretty cool - unfortunately (or fortunately), my luggage is not suited for much shopping on this trip, so I move on to Santa’s Post Office

which receives apparently around 500000 letters per year, and a staff (elves, of course) help him out to answer almost half. Probably, to kids who have been behaving that year.

There is only one other functional “objective” in summer, the husky camp. Around 200m from the center. So I go, nobody at the gate. I open, get in - nobody. Just a tied up tired sad sick dog. I see/hear others further on, barking. There’s a cabin, a small bench and a TV on. No human around.

I go out and in and out and in again, hesitating… about the time I’m about to leave, I hear voices and stronger barking - the guide was returning with some tourists after a small tour. For 6 EUR I also did a small tour, on my own, in a large garden with cages hosting 40 dogs, huskies and some spitz, and a REINDEER.

You can play with them, but since I have a deep respect for the canine race, I just took a few pix.

This guy apparently played a part in a Lordi clip.

Now he was all chillin - well, rock star.

The reindeer

looked sleepy and clumsy, almost drunk. Nice antlers, though. Didn’t know that they were covered in fur

and only in autumn the fur comes down to leave the empty bone. Mating is done exclusively on the “antler principle”, correlated with “size matters”. The largest antlers get the girl. Period, no discussion. They apparently grow twice this size, and after the mating season fall off again, and in spring it starts all over.

At least I learned something. And it was not the only thing. Back in Rovaniemi, I went to the LP-recommended Arktikum museum

which was interesting, informative, interactive. Sami people have fantastic traditional costumes, I had no idea, thought they wd dress all in furs. Nope, only at the beginning, after cloth came to these areas they developed a spectacular dress. I learned more stuff, and saw a simulation of the northern lights. Cool.

I walked back, along the river

and ended up enjoying this cranberry juice at this pub terrace, on the small cobbled stoned street which is the center of Rovaniemi.

The sun is about to set. It is “only” 9pm - sign that autumn is coming. It’s almost august, nights start to grow again - the “white” ones are in june.

With this, the utmost northern point of the trip has been reached. 66°32′35” northern latitude. The place starting where, at summer solstice, the sun doesn’t set. I recommend a visit in winter, it must be an eerie landscape. 1m snow, all sorts of “safari” activities with much more energetic huskies.

That being said, starting tomorrow, it’s all back South…

July 29

The first target in Helsinki was the railway station, to buy tickets for the next destination. The lady at the counter was called Ms. Ruotsalainen, which I found very cool :). That’s when I felt it - I’m in Finland!

When you leave your luggage at the railway station, you should be careful and take everything you need with you. If you forget something and have to reopen, you have to repay. Like I did.

Lonely Planet advised a breakfast at Esplanade or Sindberg, so I did

and then, on the way to the harbor, I take a random look left and see this

What’s with the crowd? I had planned the big Cathedral for later, but adjusted flexibly and checked it out to see what’s going on with the crowd.

A fanfare was playing, people applauding… I was wondering what it could be, when someone tapped me on my shoulder: “you have the American air, you should know: what’s going on here?”

I turned and said - “Ai hev nău aidia! Ai mast ask maiself.”

Confusion. She probably didn’t expect that weird accent coming out under a boston red sox hat. “Another converted russian”, she must have thought. Many people think my accent is russian, which mesmerizes me.

I finally found out it is a military fanfare festival in town, and this was a “teaser”.

3 orchestras, the Whites,

the Blues

and the Riders.

Very enjoyable performance:

It was soon over, so I went on, into the church, since I was there already. Not much decorated inside, but with nice sounding organpipes:

Returned to the harbor, just in time to catch a public transport boat to Suomenlinna. On the way I saw Marinella, the boat that brought me here:

anchored lazily

letting a sailor tickle its bell.

Suomenlinna is a fortress-island, UNESCO heritage, constructed by the Swedes, taken by the Russians, damaged in was, and finally taken by Finns.

Rocky beaches with people sunbathing,

Russian cannons shooting at 8km,

the Vesikko submarine, the only one Finland kept after the war, as a museum

which i visited

to see how submarines lived.

Tough life.

For example, they slept here. And loaded the torpedos as well.

Back to town,

to the Upensky Orthodox church, with a rich exterior

and interior architecture.

Next, after taking a picture called “blue”,

I went to follow my King Kong syndrome, to the highest panorama point in town, the Ateljee bar from hotel Tornio.

On the way back to the harbor I met these creative gentlemen at Kappeli,

on the way to see the symbol of the city, the Havis Amanda statue

playing with kids.

Birds

said goodbye, and after a last stop on the steps of the great white cathedra

I hit the road to the railway station, in anticipation of the last major Call of the North on this trip.

July 28, 23:41

Announced by a lighthouse

and overtaken by a boat,

We reached the Åland islands around 11pm, the first and last stop on the way to Helsinki.

Funnily enough (or maybe not), the red light had moved from west to north, falling behind the harbor

where another Viking Line ship was anchored, empty.

We docked next to it,

and when turning around, a Silja Line ship was coming, “competition”. They are more expensive, and it seems with newer and shinier ships.

It tuuuurned

and parked close to us

so we could exchange waves with people aboard. I don’t know where this impulse of waving to unknown people you meet like this comes from, but it’s fun.

By the time Silja was anchored, we were already on our way,

drifting apart,

faster and faster, till you could barely see the ships.

Suddenly I saw how the light had stayed only on the left side of the sky, the other was pitchdark, quite clearly delimited.

Not long after that, we were out of the islands, and immersed, a small flicker of light, deep into the night.

July 28, 21:13

Live transmission from the deck of the ship Marinella: sunset.

Before getting here though, the highlight of the short visit in Stockholm was meeting Stefan. Very pleasant, ideal for battery-charging before the Final Call of the North. I’m sorry that I haven’t spent one more day here.

After a “recovery sleep” till 10am, loading up the previous post on the blog and preparing the luggage, I reached town by noon. Left the luggage at the central railway station - very efficient luggage storing system, like everywhere in these countries - and proceeded in taking the pulse of Gamla Stan, the Old Town (I think Gamla means old).

It’s exactly as I left it this spring, charming, with narrowissime streets,

even more tourist-crowded than last time.

Oh, but before I got to take this pictures, i went through a characteristic frustration. I forgot the SD card in the laptop, and the laptop in the luggage, and the luggage at the station. Would have been no problem had I taken the small camera with me as well, as I do ALWAYS. EXCEPT this time, when I said - nnaah, won’t take it with me, i wont do any minimovies in 2 hours. So… I had to buy a new SD card, and grunting my teeth I said - no more swedish t-shirt for me. I have one from the previous descent anyway. There also was a moment of hesitation - what if i DONT TAKE ANY PICTURES? But then I thought - I’ll get to Gondolen and will want to.

I got to Gondolen,

and wanted to.

Remembered the black roof phenomenon - trapping heat.

Laziness tax is 10 SEK to go up and down, so after doing that i strolled back to the city, endulged in a pizza and a blueberry pie, then went on to the royal palace, empty now,

where this lady was posing for something, making a very serious face.

when passing by our eyes met, and i suddenly grinned at her, she had to laugh, so the very serious photographer had to redo the picture. Content with the outcome of my actions, i moved on cheerfully.

[I’m lazy, don’t feel like getting up to pic the sunset. ok, fine, let’s do it…

This is where I’m writing.

The reflection in the window is the sunset I am seeing if i peek above the laptop screen. Like now.

I didn’t get to take a picture of the ship we are in, as they told me at the ticket office I have 7 minutes to board! So this is an identical one we met.

Stefan was saying that these people make money almost exclusively from booze, since ships are duty-free, local folks travel mostly in order to get cheap booze and have some fun.

I share the cabin with a Finn, Juha (like Juha Kankkunen), and a Russian. Donno the name of the Russian, as when I reached my hand to greet he looked weirdly at me and started mumbling something. Completely smashed.

It’s almost 22:30. We sailed a lot through the islands

till we made it into open sea.

You can already see the Åland islands, the first stop. Good night.

P.S. Lonely Planet about the Stockholm population: “(…) the population is overwhelmingly gorgeous”. And: “Known for its impeccable style and a population as conspicuously beautiful as its surroundings, Stockholm is a thoroughly attractive destination”.

If Lonely Planet says so, so it is.

July 27

I couldn’t leave Oslo without paying them a visit. I mean, I literally could have, but it would have been a pity.

Train to Stockholm was leaving at 4pm, so I took a boat to Bygdøy, museum island. First stop, at the Fram museum,

specially built to host the famous polar exploring ship.

Started by Fridtjof Nansen and continued by Roald Amundsen, these were the voyages I was amazed by when i was a kid. Had no idea what a huge post-polar personality Nansen got to be, humanitarian work done after the war, with famine in Russia, the Nansen Passport for war prisoners repatriation, with the armenians - he was the only Westerner Lenin and his folks would talk to. He did so many things, and was still surprized when getting the Peace Nobel prize.

But before all that, there was Fram,

with its peculiar  egg-shaped body, so it doesn’t get crushed by ice, but lifted above. That was the revolutionary idea, to be lifted on ice and drift on polar currents from Russia to Norway. It took 3 years, but it worked. The ship passed closer to the North Pole than any other conventional ship before, or since then (!).

The museum is nice for fans, cheap (~3 EUR, like 0.5L of mineral water), you can climb the bridge,

go to the wheel,

get inside, where it’s both austere

as well as with traces of elegance.

I liked it, I learned/remembered about adventures I was once reading about. About Scott, too (Fram had taken Amundsen to Antarctica).

Fore example, I didnt know that Amundsen had disappeared in a rescue mission for Umberto Nobile, who had stranded somewhere on the ice with his zeppelin. Amundsen was asked to help, he said 2 words - “right away” - and those are the last words people know him say. He left on a plane to find them, and never came back. 30 people died trying to save Nobile, who eventually was indeed saved, but his name is on the Norwegian black list…

The second objective of the day was related to a very different, although similarily crazy explorer - Thor Heyerdahl and his Kon Tiki.

The museum displays stuff about several of his expeditions, most notably Kon Tiki itself – this is the balsa wood raft he crossed the Pacific on - rebuilt, as the original one shattered on the pacific reefs

6 people crossed from south america to polinesia, with this

Then the RA II expedition, a papyrus raft

crossing the Atlantic with a multinational crew, to prove that Europeans (even ancient Egyptians) could have reached America before Columbus.

Back to the city

whee I boarded the microwave train. That because it was unbelievably hot, no air conditioning, no reserved seat… Some swiss people had my seat, and their approach was interesting. Whenever someone is sitting on MY seat, I ask a tentative question - do you have these seats on your ticket, are you sure? type thing, always assuming that i might be wrong or it could be a simple mistake. This lady on the other hand told me bluntly - “these are our seats”. Period. No doubt. Getout. Now.

It annoyed me. Kids however were very polite, said “thank you” twice, even though, after all, it was their damn seat.

I remembered the Japanese family on the train to Bergen. Parents + 2 kids. Very interesting dynamic. parents were very “japanese”, quiet, speaking rarely, and then with their mouths closed, very polite, very “proper”. kids, however, seemed raised in a “western” way (indeed I found out they had been raised in Israel, where the family was living), and they were filling the whole train with their crystal voices, loud, laughing, speaking a lot, opening their mouth when speaking japanese - I realized I had never heard this language spoken like this, “with full heart”. Enjoyed it a lot :D.

Anyway, back to the Stockholm train, i finally found a seat and kept it for the whole journey.

July 25-26

The simplest way to see some of the fjords is “Norway in a nutshell”, a package trip taking you to the most famous UNESCO heritage fjords. Train from Oslo to Myrdahl, one of the most scenic train routes in the world, from there bus to Voss, and then by boat to I dont’ remember the name, from where you take the train to Bergen. All in one day, leaving at 8am from Oslo, at 8pm arrival in Bergen

It’s worth it.

Of course, I was tired, and the train effect kicked in - I cannot stay awake in trains, so fell asleep during the first part of the scenic route. When I woke up, I saw stuff like this

The Mirror-Lakes are what I remember most vividly from this region. Something I haven’t seen before.

Like a trip companion said, “I thought this exists only in postcards”.

.

Another defining element for the area are cascades, big foamy ones

or narrow tall ones.

We “reached the water” and started the boat trip, with seagulls playing with the air currents around us.

I learned that fjords are glacier valleys where the sea water infiltrated. The difference between a glacier valley and a river valley is that glaciers can “dig” till below sea level, which rivers obviously don’t. This way the sea water could enter in these valleys once the Ice age with its mammoths and saber tigers & squirrels melted down. Now it looks something like this

like bit swiss lakes, more complicated maybe sort of large Vierwaldstaedter See’s.

With waterfalls thrown around like by a God’s dice,

This was the scenery for a few hours. Then, by bus we cruised Transfăgărăşan/type valleys,

more waterfalls, more mirror-lakes.

Shortly after arrival in Bergen, the sun set

with a fish and chips with two good friends made on the trip. My friends then left to their “appartments”, while I continued to roam the city

since I had only one night available. Climbed with the last cablecar up to the panorama spot (alone in the car, had it all for myself)

and it was worth it.

The Bergen harbor sunset view is eerie, with a mercury-colored water.

After descending with the last cablecar down, continued roaming the city

a must being the trademark hanseatic houses in the harbor

next to party-full boats.

I felt the place “decadent”, and thought that even though Bergen is sheer splendid, I feel here less “at home” than in a Copenhagen-type metropolis. Guess this extreme partying atmosphere is tiring me. Partly age, partly preference. So I thought of checking out a more quiet place, e.g., the cathedral

and this artificial lake behind some houses in the centre,

before going to bed. In the morning, my bus was leaving at 7:30, when the city was still asleep.

After a little stress with finding accomodation back in Oslo (I had decided to return), I managed and felt much relieved starting the trip back along another fjord, the Hardanger (pronounced “hardanyer”, and Oslo is pronounced “Ooshloo” :). It was “more of the same”. From Bergen, bus to Nordheimsund,

take the boat through corners of Nordic paradise

towards Voss.

At the beginning, when climbing the boat,

I thought I heard the guide saying “hi, my name is Adina and I will be your guide today”. Hm… Adina sounds Romanian, and haven’t heard it in any other language. I’ll look into that, I said, and then fell asleep in my chair. Woke up later, coz it was cold at 9am on the water, and went to look for the guide.
She is indeed Romanian, from Tulcea, summer guide in Norway and winter guide in Lapland, Finland. Wow.

We made a stop and at her recommendation I took a trip to some waterfall

in the middle of nowhere, where I found… another Romanian girl working at the hotel.

After a pleasant conversation in mother tongue among fjords and cascades, we went back along more waterfalls

and incredibly green valleys

and - there I was, back to Oslo, in a room with two fun Polish guys who had come specifically for the Ice Cube concert (what a transition in 3 days, from Iron Maiden to Ice Cube). Let’s get some sleep, coz tomorrow is a(nother) long day.

July 23

The first words I heard in Oslo were “stai, ţine asta”.
Turned around - 2 blondes. I thought I heard wrong. But then - “La cât vine autobuzul?”
Come on, that’s too much Romanian to be just in my mind. So I turned to them and asked them for the Storgata street - “nu vă supăraţi, unde e strada Storgata?”
They didn’t know, but in good Romanian fashion, still pointed at a certain direction, and then hurriedly climbed the bus.

I went in that direction, which turned out to be wrong. After a while I found the street though, and reached the hostel when it was starting to get dark. Around 10-11pm.

I enter “my” room - 4 girls. Oops. Reception told me afterwards that they had promised them to try a “girls only” room for them, if possible. Obviously, I was the one making it not possible, as they didnt have any spare beds. I asked the girls (2 american, 1 german, 1 polish) if it’s ok with them for me to sleep there. They said ok, fine. So i left the luggage, took the laptop and went down to check internet and write stuff up. Came back late, went straight to bed.

Woke up late, around 10 am. Just couldnt earlier, was too tired. I sit up - no trace of the girls. Just a…boy who was yawning, waking up as well. Hmmm… it means their “ok, fine” wasn’t entirely “ok, fine”. Typically feminine? :P. They must have “escaped” last night before I came back.

Went to the railway station, and made the decision to buy an Interrail ticket - the second half of the trip is going to be “on the ground”. Advice: buy the interrail ticket from OUTSIDE the country where you will start your journey. You get better conditions. For me it was too late - I had been lazy in Copenhagen, didn’t want to stand in a queue - price to pay was not so good conditions for the ticket, (10 days in 22, instead of one full month), but it should do for my purposes. Of course, I needed my passport, which I wasn’t carrying with me, so I had to turn back to the hostel to fetch it - not before climbing the tower of the Radisson hotel, with this elevator

to the 33rd floor, where… i coulnt get in. The bar was closed, and the panorama floor too. When I was about to descend, an electrician comes out. “What are you doing here?” “Well, I was hoping to see the panorama”. “Come on, I’ll show you”.

?!?

No further questions asked, I follow him to a spot from where you see the city.

and then another. He says, “i shouldnt let you roam here, but i hope you wont jump.” I wont jump.

All the time i thought - there must be a catch. he cannot just “be nice” and break the law just to show a complete stranger around.

But he did. There was no catch. He showed me to the elevator, we went down, said goodbye and went on with his business.

Well, once more, thank you.

On the way to the hostel I took a detour by the new opera house

a cool futuristique place,

which has raised controvercies, of course,

but i liked it a lot.

It also had mermaids in the menu.

On the way “home” I took a peek at Karl Johans gata,

full of rockers with Iron Maiden shirts. I had read that Oslo is sort of a Black Metal capital, so I wondered if this is the way people look “normally”. Later I found out there is an Iron Maiden concert that night.

…

After buying the railway ticket I returned on the main street

which feeds into the royal palace.

But till then, I saw this Dar ţambal with skateboard în dotare, one of the most eclectic combinations I’ve seen.

Did I mention how hot it was, the weather? Unbelievably hot, I found out later there were 25 degrees in the shadow. Donno how many there were in the fountain.

As you look back to KJG, there’s a cozy park

with more fountains.

The royal palace & gardens with relaxed people reading,

and serious security.

I feel sorry for these ultra-taken-pictures-of guards, I have apocalyptic visions sometimes how it would be if they lose control one day and start beating up tourists who are harrassing them.

Next, to the harbor, with old ships n houses

and the Anker festing (fortress),

with renaissanceish castle inside

which was closed by now, but I walked on the walls outside

climbed nevertheless for the panorama

viewed by relaxed people enjoying global warming.

This cruise ship was just leaving. Was almost as tall as the fortress on the hill..

So I left as well, by tram, up to Vigelandspark. This man Vigeland, in my humble opinion, had a fair amount of birds in the attic. I mean, was a bit cuckoo. That was probably the reason why he made the spectacular  decoration for this parc. Statues showing people in diverse situations. For example, at the entrance

which seen from above looks like this.

But the sweet spot is this mausoleum

which contains stuff like this

very ingeniously expressed emotions

Very interesting.

Walked back to the center, to breathe the city in, and discovered both that it’s not too big, and that it has some cool residential areas suggesting a very decent lifestyle.

Back on the main street, before turning left to go home, I stood for a while listening to the cymbal player/skateboarder,

whom I didnt film though. After the Yul episode, I’m a bit reluctant to film people on streets. I just listened. And then called it a day.

July 22

Before leaving the crazy Is(ce)land, a few things that any normal visitor should do in Iceland, but I didn’t, for lack of time or will.

Stuff I didn’t DO

• Take part at the “runtur”, the famous weekend barhopping activity. Starting Friday night and lasting till… sunday evening, people drink up at home, then hit it for the bars in Reykjavik. I wanted initially to go check it out, but was not in the mood the first evening.
• Walk on the glacier - would have liked it.
• Horseriding in the wild - cool, but priority 5 for me
• Salmon fishing - priority 55
• Museums - there’s a cool one about viking history, didn’t get to do it

Stuff I didn’t EAT

• Hakarl, rotten shark - I didn’t have the chance. Found out from R. that there was an open market where you could have it, but too late, I missed it. Would have liked to try.
• Brennivin. The local brandy. Goes with the shark. No shark, no brennivin.
• Ram testicles. I wouldn’t have tried even if I had found.
• Puffin. I saw at a restaurant, but a meal was 10% of my Greenland expedition. I decided to pass and use the money for what was more important.
• Whale. I found pretty cheap whale, around 12 euros a “shish taouk” type stick. I was tempted, but decided not to do it eventually. For emotional reasons. I am fond of whales. I like fish, but i am FOND of whales. There’s a difference. I didn’t feel like eating them. In spite of existing temptation

There could be others, these are what comes to mind. Overall though, I’m happy with what I managed to do. I would advise as priority 1 the Golden Circle, then the Blue Lagoon (can be done on the way to the airport) and whalewatching, which I am a fan of. Beyond that - all depends on time, possibilities and inspiration.

One thing I did do in Iceland is meet some really nice people. Starting with D. and V., the guest house hosts, and the guest house… guests R. and E. Nice meeting you guys!

With that - now I’m really out of here. See you in… the next chapter.