Bergen to Trondheim

On Sunday it was a two hour flight from Refjavic to Bergen, Norway (the second largest city in Norway). As both airports are well outside their respective cities each airport transfer took almost as long as the flight and we lost two hours due to time difference.

Monday morning I took a very interesting cultural walking tour of Bergen, most of it wasn't that old due to it either being burnt down or destroyed in World War Two. 

The theatre built to showcase Norwegian cultural performances only. 

In the wooden house area they place their rubbish and recycling in the appropriate bin and it's taken away via an underground system. All rubbish in Norway is burnt and the energy generated is used for heating. It's too rocky for them to bury rubbish. 

I queued twenty minutes for a reindeer hotdog from the oldest hotdog stand in the city. It was nice but didn't taste particularly different to other hotdogs.

Monday afternoon we boarded the Havila Pollux, our home for the next eleven nights as we head along the coast of Norway and back. So far it's been very relaxing, lots of knitting, chatting, listening to podcasts and watching beautiful scenery.

Tuesday's highlight was Geiranger Fjord, simply stunning. I really wondered how some people drive to their houses.

Today, Wednesday I did a historical walking tour in Trondheim, the third largest city in Norway. Much of it has been rebuilt due to a fire in the 1600s and then bombing in World War Two but it was very pretty in the Old City. 

The cathedral took two hundred years to rebuild, the first part being in Roman style and the latter parts in Gothic. 

We had a German guide as the tour was meant to be bilingual in Germany and English but he quickly worked out all the Germans understood English so it became an English only tour. On the so all announcements are in Norwegian, English and German. 

They have the world's first bicycle lift, which was out of action today but our guide explained it's use. 

Trondheim is down a very different fjord, it was exciting to see farmland at breakfast this morning and then again this afternoon as we headed out to sea.

And in case you're wondering the food is amazing on board. No buffets, just beautifully presented food, with a menu that changes every four days, showcasing the region we are in. 

Last Days in Iceland

Friday was a sunny, slow and relaxing day. After a late breakfast I walked into the city centre, about 20 minutes away from the Hotel Cabin, via the Sculptures at the Shore walk. I loved this Viking inspired Sun Boat. 

I was also very impressed by the outside of the Concert Hall at the Old Harbour but the inside was very normal. It was very busy in that area as there were five large cruise ships in the port.

I was aiming for the Flea Market but realised when I arrived it was only open on the weekend and that it was Friday, days become a little confusing when you're travelling. I then ventured into the very centre of the city to explore the shops. There were a lot of souvenir shops, many shops selling Icelandic knitted items and the most expensive Red Cross op shops (secondhand shops) I've ever been to.

At 4pm we met our guide for a walking tour of the city. There wasn't that much to see but it was an interesting walk. We even went within 1m of Bjork in a bookstore, though we had no idea who she was until our guide told us later. We had simply noticed her as a very over dressed woman. 

Lots of brightly coloured houses around the city.

The newest Lutheran Church in the city, designed almost a hundred years ago and inspired by basalt columns and the flow of lava. 

I've been assured this would not be something most locals would eat.

Parliament House

The Unknown Bureaucrat, just opposite Parliament House. 

After deciding A$45 hamburgers were not for us we had food van hotdogs (80% lamb apparently) and yummy waffles for dinner before heading to Sky Lagoon for a seven stage treatment. It was so relaxing, especially with a swim up bar with beer and sparkling wine on tap in the main lagoon.

The ladies from our tour group.

Today, Saturday we headed to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, this was once a thriving fishing and farming area but many people have left the area due to large fishing companies meaning less people are employee in the fishing industry. Though some villages are becoming tourist hubs due to the hiking options.

At our first toilet stop we ventured to a supermarket to buy supplies for the day and there was a whole wall of Icelandic wool! I'd heard about this but hadn't seen it until today. 

Our first stop was yet another beautiful waterfall.

Djúpalónssandur pebble beach was really different, it is surrounded by lava fields and is where lava flowed onto the beach several thousand years ago.  There was a wedding of a Swiss couple occurring as we arrived. They had security guards blocking some paths but when our guide called the National Parks office it turned out they weren't allowed to do this so we got to walk back on one of the previously blocked paths, there were a number of angry tour guides. 

Part of a display at the National Parks office.

We then went to visit the giant troll, though the hike along the edge of the cliff was certainly everyone's highlight. I counted eight waterfalls along the coast at one point. 

Our final stop was to look at seals, I began to walk there but turned back when it really poured with rain. I was glad I did as the others only saw one seal and it was in the distance. Our guide was supposed surprised to hear we have seals in Tasmania.

Which brings me to my number one tip for travel to Iceland, even if you're coming in July bring waterproof trousers as well as your waterproof jacket. It's rained two thirds of the days we've been here, despite being summer and supposedly one of the drier months. The locals say there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.