Rainy Day in Iceland (6-28-12)

Hey Everybody!

Iceland gets harder and harder to comprehend. But the parts I understand I like....and the parts I don't yet understand are pretty cool too. One thing I like is that in some respects Iceland allows much more freedom of movement. Want to go to a geothermal power plant to look around or touch the insulated pipes? No problem; they aren't behind fences. Or maybe you want to play on some rocks and take a pic of the Gooafoss (waterfall of the gods) from the edge. No problem; there are no fences.

About this waterfall....the lava rocks are about 8,000 years old & this river (Skjalfandafljot) is the 4th largest in the country. It is said that when Iceland formally accepted Christianity in the year 1,000 the chieftain gathered all the statues of the pagan gods and threw them into the waterfall. I would love to see this place on a sunny day....might have to swing by again in the morning.

Tell me this little house at the base of the mountain doesn't put things in perspective...

And....there was so much lava today, but the rain interfered with some exploration. Hope to have better luck tomorrow. It reminded me of sink holes - only in reverse. In truth, there are much more dramatic examples, but I can't always stop to get them from the highway. Sometimes I do it anyway... because it's Iceland. There's not a lot of traffic & there's that whole freedom thing!

The name of this flower is purple nootka (or Alaska Alpine). And it really is everywhere. Turns out that it is an invasive species introduced to create soil. Ideally, if someone could make a hybrid (I guess) that would still make soil, but sheep would eat, then the spreading would be better controlled. I drove through a large restoration area today after taking this pic & it had lots of these flowers too.

These two photos were taken in Husavik, a small fishing village in the northern area.

Twice since arriving ( and once in the Arctic during a conversation about Iceland) I heard this joke:

Q: What should you do if you get lost in a forest in Iceland?

A: Stand up!

Here's that forest.....makes it easier to understand why ALL wood is salvaged or imported.

It's not a great pic, but it's the closest shot I've had of the water shooting out of the earth....

That's all for tonight. It's not even 11pm yet....I can't believe it; I might just go to bed right now!

Oh yeah....please tell Capt. Heidi that it took forever, but I finally found the man to go with the reindeer! This is not a joke; he is on Hwy 1.

Iceland Photos - Intro

Just outside of town....is where the fish plant dries its fish remains in order to grind it to a marketable powder. Apparently much of it is sold to Africa. This was my first stop today...in case you're wondering why....

This lake used to be much deeper, but an earthquake stole the water, making it possible for me to stand in this spot for a pic.

Do you see the troll? It is said that trolls turn to stone if they see the sun.

Seltun is part of oneeom the four active volcanic systems along the Reykjanes peninsula (near Reykjavik).

Lava field & craters go all the way to the coastline. Icelanders joke that Hawaii got the better deal b/c they have the warm weather with their volcanoes.

The first black sand beach that I saw...people are no longer allowed on this beach because it's unsafe (erosion, tides).

The color of the geothermal water due to the sulfur and/ or other natural chemicals in it. Caution: will turn your hair into something that feels like hay, so condition it during & after entering these waters!

Icelandic Horses on a lava field

Part of the largest hot spring in Europe

Gotta watch the road for these:

I promised to show typos flowers that can't survive in soil....here they are! These flowers create soil in lava fields, but once there is healthy soil the flowers die - to make room for other plants.

An old church...the roof & sides are sod/grass

More soon.....

Iceland - Intro

Hey Everybody,

6/26

It is 9:40pm & I just checked into my room at an old farmhouse. I could have been here sooner and had a hot meal (it would have been my first and only meal today), but I must confess - reluctantly! - that there was a definite learning curve in the driving department. I could blame signs I can't read or a map that sometimes doesn't quite compute....but mostly I think I just needed the afternoon to get oriented. And I had plenty of time for that since I was back & forth on the same two roads a few times bouncing between places I wanted to see, but couldn't plot out because some roads I'm not allowed to take the car on, but I don't always know whether a road is paved through before I'm on my way. And some places are not in the rental car's GPS system best I can tell. I think it would be easier to rent an SUV so that more roads are accessible.... next time!

And yes! I did ask for help once. It didn't help....it took me the LONG way, or maybe (MAYBE) I didn't follow the directions exactly...

To add some drama to the whole driving thing....would you believe that the rental car I got is brand new?! Only 9km & I am its first driver.... Believe me when I say I have worried about gravel roads most the day because any damage to that car is on me. It's a great little car...good radio...and, luckily, good gas mileage! (Amy, tell Wim it's blue! I didn't plan it...but it matches my blue watch pretty well :-).

PS don't worry...I found Paprika crackers in a store, so I did eat something today.

6/27

I have slept, had breakfast and studied my map....am feeling much more oriented this morning. It rained overnight and seems to be clearing a bit now. The old farmhouse was quite comfortable. So, feeling refreshed and confident I took to the gravel roads for my first two stops.

No, that's a lie! My first stop was the gas station where I was unable to figure out how to use my card to get gas. You can buy it 24/7, but nobody was around to ask for help. So, I set out on my gravel road adventure anyway....got to the first one & decided I really should get gas. Turns out that's not easy to do....when you are on the edge of nowhere! I returned to the same gas station with less than 1/8 of a tank (but I didn't run out!), got help and returned to my adventure. And now I know how to use the automated machines; phew!

The rest of the day (until room check-in) was without drama. When I got to my room for the night I couldn't open the door. It's one of those doors that can be buzzed from inside & unlocks. I couldn't open it; the owner didn't understand....so I was stuck on the porch for nearly 20 minutes in increasingly cold weather (b/c I am in the north part of Iceland). But she and her husband are very nice and all is well now.

You probably want some photos, but it is NOT easy to photograph this place. Here are some Iceland facts instead...pics in post after this.

- pop. 320,000. Most people live in Reykjavik. This means that much of the time I share the road with sheep, the occasional diesel, and some cars here & there.

- there are 150,000 Icelandic Horses in Iceland....the Northern area has more horses than people. Many just look like a horse, but some of them are stunningly beautiful.

- Icelandic people did not have a word for "brain fart" in their native tongue, but it turns out someone picked it up on a US trip & shared it. They love the phrase! So glad we could contribute in a meaningful way....

- Kentucky Fried Chicken is said to be better here than anywhere else (accordingly to Icelanders) because they use their own Iceland chickens. I haven't tried it yet, but think I should test this theory! Only I'm not even close to a KFC.

- McDonald's and Burger King both pulled out....Icelandic law prohibited them from importing meat.

-As Iceland's climate has grown more mild in the last few years there has been at least one unexpected consequence: bees. They never had then until the last 3-4yrs.

Back to regular travel reporting soon (and hopefully less about getting lost, almost running out if gas, etc.).

Oslo-Bergen R/T in 24hrs (6-22-12)

Hey Everybody,

I can honestly say that the 24hrs of this day's adventure into the unknown has been the most challenging since trying to get out of Florida by traveling up the east coast in the spring.

Left Oslo at 6:31am on 6/22; Returned to Oslo at 6:19am on 6/23.

The formal name for this trip is "Norway in a Nutshell" and it's a popular way for people to see some beautiful out of reach places. It has been said that the Bergen Railway is one of the most beautiful train rides in the world....that's why I tackled it. It doesn't have to be done so fast. I could have stayed in Bergen.

The Oslo train takes you to the mountain rail station in Myrdal, which was tough to build because of the steep slopes and sharp bends. Then the Flam Railway was built - it took us inside to the corner of Aurlandsfjord - a branch of the world's longest fjord. There are about 20 tunnels along the way - 18 of them were excavated by hand! This is a pretty cool ride through steep mountains and river valleys. This trip is probably the best way to get a sense of Norway's mountains, unless you opt for some of the wild hiking and biking paths in this area! I didn't have any time to explore them, but could see them from train station platforms & would definitely like to.

As soon as the train arrived in the Flam Valley we jumped on a boat for a 2hr fjord cruise. The cruise was immediately followed by a bus to Voss.... an amazingly good bus driver took the bus flawlessly down a steep old & scenic mountain road with switchbacks that could put Beartooth Hwy (in MT) to shame a few times.

In Voss we caught the train to Bergen, where I spent just under 4 hours before boarding an 11pm train back to Oslo. Thank goodness for all the daylight!

Quite beautiful, but very long day, especially the overnight train ride. I would recommend a sleeper car if you decide to do the 24hr trip. I didn't have one, but it would have helped! It was about 10pm on 6/23 before I felt recovered.

Tired yet? Here's why it's worth the trouble:

Kjosfossen Waterfall from the Flam Railway. If you squint you might see the dancing blonde. The train stops here for a few minutes on a very wet, narrow platform for photos & suddenly there is Norwegian folk music and a dancing woman on the hillside.

The Flam Valley at the end of the Flam Rail.

This is the view from the boat. How cool would it be to have this house?! How they ever got the building materials up there is a mystery to me. But I know how they kept the tax man away. A long time ago there were ladders that people used because the mountain was so steep. The house served as a great lookout point. People pulled up all the ladders & the tax man couldn't collect!

Entering the narrowest part of the fjord as we head for Gudvagon to catch the bus to Voss.

This is the biggest troll I saw the entire time I was in Norway! Thought you'd like to know :-)

Bergen is known for these wooden buildings....They were the first buildings in Bergen and located at Bryggen. It's just a minute to walk from the Fish Market to these old, leaning buildings. Bergen really seems like a WAY cooler place to wander & hang out than Oslo. I just didn't know it soon enough! This particular area in Bergen is kind of like walking back into Norway's Middle Ages.

And so you know it's modern too...a 7/11 store & Louisiana Creole Cafe.

I will skip the last few Oslo pics for now, except for this one because if you braved this post, then you deserve a laugh! I was walking down Karl Johan's Gate - the center of town road that leads right to the palace - when something caught my attention - perhaps because it's right across the street from the cathedral. Or maybe it's the guarantee on the front door. If you ever need to run away to an open minded country....Norway might work :-)

You guys are awesome....we have survived Norway! Will begin Iceland soon....

Oslo, 6-21-12

Hey again,

This is my last day to take advantage of the Oslo Pass, so first thing this morning I took the subway to the east end of town for the Munch Museum (you know, the dude who painted The Scream). I don't happen to be much of a fan but it just seemed like the right thing to do. After watching a film and seeing the exhibit I am even more sure he fell a little short of functional!

A side note: before entering the exhibit there is a sign in English that directs you to the film. Then there's another sign - in English - that directs you to view the film first. I expected English subtitles, but no! While it's perfectly acceptable that it's not done in English, I don't understand the signage insisting English speakers go.....but I watched about 20min of it & it was enough to know he had some issues!

Next stop gave me a chance to walk through the botanical gardens/park to clear my head after Munch got in it! Norway loves its flowers and has them all over town. This one is a Fire Lily. We probably have them too, but I always notice flowers more when I am on the road.

With fresh air in my brain once more I head for the Geologic Museum...for the dinosaurs, fossils & Ida. Remember Ida? She is the only complete fossil monkey skeleton in the world (and she's 47 million yrs old).

T-Rex

Cool shell fossil:

Then it was back across town to the Vigeland Museum. The park is shady and nice, so I walked through that again. As it turned out, the full-size models of the park's sculptures are among the items on display. I'd recommend a stop here too if you make it to the park.

Eventually I made it back to the center of town and walked down to the Royal Palace and Palace Park. Since 1847 the park has been open to the public, making it unique in Europe (taken from a sign). Another sign reads: "Please walk on the grass. Hug the trees -Enjoy!"

From here I walked over to the National Theatre (below) and then over to Henrik Ibsen's last home, an apartment across the street from the palace. One interesting non-literary fact is that Ibsen had a bathtub his apartment before his friend, the King, had one in the palace. The guide informed us that the King got one quite soon after!

Anyway, some rooms in his apartment are sealed off & preserved as they were when he died. There were only 2 of us on the tour portion at the museum - a Russian lecturer & myself. He kept asking questions and telling stories, which is when I realized I couldn't go to one more museum! He was interesting, but I just could not absorb one more thing.

So, I have one more post from Norway....And I think I will try to post it tonight while I have the wifi. Once I leave this part of Iceland, I have no idea what will be available.

Oslo 6-20-12

6-25-12: I felt "over-museumed" in Oslo by the end of the 21st, but I was determined to use that pass as much as possible! Will try to keep it interesting....

Hey Everybody,

Have I mentioned that Oslo is NOT cheap? This is so true that I am staying at a hostel, in a 4-bed room. At least it's an all-female room....some places are not! I am way too old to have to share a room with university boys! Pretty sure those boys would agree with me!! It is not my favorite way to travel, but it was by far the cheapest option, especially since it included a light breakfast. And the staff are incredibly kind and helpful. I would definitely recommend this place - it's called The Perminalen Hotel. It probably caters to students most in the summer months, but it has singles & family rooms, and business travelers stay here as well.

Started the day at the information center to book a train trip and a 2-day city pass (covers public transportation including some ferries, museum entry & offers some discounts). I'll tell you more about the train trip another day, but I can tell you that if you plan to visit a number of museums it's worth purchasing. If not, the transportation pass might be better.

Rain was in the forecast for this afternoon so my goal was to focus on the outside locations first. I began with Vigeland Sculpture Park on the west end of town. If I remember correctly, it was the first dedicated sculpture park in the world. It's quite interesting, especially given how conservative Norway once was. Some of Vigeland's pieces are a bit troubling - for instance, a couple of his sculptures emphasize aggression in men's relations toward women. Essentially all his sculptures are nudes, but I think whatever a person's opinion about the images he or she will be moved. As I said, there are some troubling sculptures, but there are some incredibly sensitive and beautiful ones too. I recommend this park as a must when you get to Norway. As children might read this, I will let you define the sculpture in the center....I heard an interesting conversation about it yesterday. Ask me if you want more details.

Speaking of children, can you see them climbing all over the nude sculptures? Several groups of school children (preschool and up) were here during my visit. I have to wonder if we in the states would encourage our young children to climb on a bunch of nude sculptures. Any thoughts? I noticed very little giggling & then only from the group that seemed to be co-ed and at the "tween" age.

Vigeland's old studio (now museum) is nearby, but I will try to get there tomorrow. So, the next three stops began with a 15min ferry ride to Bygdoy for the Viking, Kon-Tiki & Fram museums.

Given that I'm going to be bi-polar this year (not my line; credit goes to the video guy on the arctic ship) I had to visit the Fram Polar Ship, which Nansen deberately designed to freeze into the Arctic ice, his planning was successful & upon his death he gave the ship to his country. Visitors are welcome to walk around on the ship....pretty cool. This summer the museum has a special exhibit about both Scott & Amundsen's expeditions to the North Pole.

The Fram

Just outside the Fram museum sits the Gjoa. This vessel was the first ever to sail the North West passage. Amundsen captained this trip with 6 crew.

Next stop: Kon-Tiki museum. Thor Heyerdahl crossed the world in simple vessels, especially in the Pacific region. He wanted to show that cultures could have met even in pre-historic times. It's kinda cool....

1947: Kon-Tiki raft voyage across the Pacific Ocean

1970: the Ra II crossed the Atlantic Ocean

Then I made my way to the Viking Ship Museum...there are 3 Viking ships here & it is said they are the best preserved in the world. This is believed to be from about 800 A.D.

One more item from the Viking Ship Museum....this cart is the only one of its kind from the Norwegian Viking Age. Usually they are discovered in pieces.

Finally I hopped back on the ferry and made it to the Nobel Peace Center for about an hour before closing. A hour was enough to see everything, but it would be easy to spend an entire day if you wanted to study the recipients in depth.

In the Afghanistan photo exhibit I learned that only 5,000 girls attended school under Taliban rule. In 2010, 2.4 million girls went to school!

This room is cool....it's called "The Nobel Field" and is an artist's rendering of the Nobel Peace Prize winners & each screen gives info about a recipient.

At the end of the exhibit upstairs, there are a bunch of blank circles & people are asked to write on them how they might bring peace to the world. Then, they slide them down the pole.

One of the entries:

A little more from Norway (2 posts, I think) and then we will be in Iceland! Thanks for staying in touch...I feel very out of the loop with all of you! Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the summer (and staying dry in FL! I just heard about TS Debby).

Big News!

As I write this I am doing laundry - in a machine.... with soap! It is a glorious thing!!! I have hand-washed out all the dirt I possibly can since leaving the US and have been desperately seeking a washing machine, which has been a bit of a challenge. You just don't know how relieved I am!

Oh yeah, the other bit of news is that I will be drying my clothes on a clothesline in Iceland... :-) I will be here about 10 days. But I can't tell you about Iceland until I finish with Norway, and I will do that very soon. Later tonight maybe.....except I can tell you the top few things so far:

1. People are SO nice!

2. Icelandic phrase: "rains up their noses" to describe people who think they are more important than they really are.

3. Paprika! I love that seasoning & it is everywhere here! Who knew....

4. Flowers that die in soil, but grow on edge of lava fields....pic later.

Clean clothes! Oh happy day!!

Long day back to Oslo (6-19-12)

Hey Everybody,

For about 12 hours today I have been in transit. We returned to Longyearbyen about 9:30am - we were free to wander until 1pm when we had to transfer to the airport. It was cold, windy and rainy in Longyearbyen, which served as a reminder to all of us just how fortunate we were during the trip. I joined a few people for lunch after hanging out at the library to get on the computer! As for lunch, I have to say Norway makes some good pizza!

I have just two pics from outside the airport this afternoon. Same sign, but different angles just because I love that the sign shows distance to both the North & South poles! And, I love the polar bear sign!

Now I am back in Oslo for a few days....more soon. As always, thanks for stopping by!