Flew AC 882 from Toronto to Copenhagen
Friday, April 24
Flew SK 2864 from Copenhagen to Denmark
Took Airport Bus to Fish Market -- Kr. 160
Checked in to Hotel Augustin
Took Beffen ferry across bay - Kr. 25
Ate lunch at Cafe Bastant
• Croque Senor with water
• Kr 149
• Nice place along a wooden alley. Warm atmosphere
Ate supper at Pingvinen
• Fiskegrateng (Fish and macaroni pie with grated carrots and potatoes)
• Fentimanns Ginger Ale
• Kr 223
• Serves traditional Norwegian food with a great selection of beer
Slept at Hotel Augustin Bergen, C. Sundts gate 22, 5004 Bergen
Saturday, April 25
Ran in the Bergen City Half Marathon
Ate supper at Enhjørningen
• Fiskesuppe -- Kr. 140
• Lakesfilet -- Kr. 320
• Tip -- Kr. 23
Drank beer at Pingvinen
• Nogne O Saison -- 35 cL -- Kr. 86
• 7 Fjell Vinter -- 35 cL -- Kr. 92
Slept at Hotel Augustin Bergen, C. Sundts gate 22, 5004 Bergen
Sunday, April 26
Visited Hanseatic Museum
• Old building with not much in it. Skip it without a guided tour.
• Kr 90
Toured Rosenkrantz Tower
• Really cool. Lots of history and some great views
• Kr 70
Ate a Whale Burger at Fish Me Fisketorget
• Unique flavour. Great burger. Mushy fries..
• Kr 160
Flew SK280 from Bergen to Oslo
Ate supper at Tullin Cafe
• Surf 'N Turf Pasta -- Kr. 142
• Hansa -- Kr. 69
• Nice and close to my hotel
Slept at Thon Hotel Europa, St. Olavs Gate 31, 0166 Oslo
Monday, April 27
Bought a 72-Hour Oslo Pass at the Tourist Information Centre at the Østbanehallen next to Oslo Central Station -- Kr. 590
Took the Batservice Museum Ferry from City Hall Pier 3 / Rathauskai to the Bygdøy peninsula
Visited the Viking Ship Museum
• Allow one hour
• Has three Viking Ships and a couple of boats plus a Finds Wing
• Very cool and recommended!
Visited the Norsk Folkemuseum (The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History)
• Open Air Museum but with many indoor exhibitions
• I spent four hours and could have spent more but it was shutting down
• Even better in the summer with farm animals and re-enactors
• A highlight was seeing the photographs of Anders Beer Wilse (1865-1949) who documented Norway
Took #30 bus
Visited Kon-Tiki Museum
• Allow one hour
• Nice tribute Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002): cool guy but a bit of an idealist
Visited National Library of Norway
• Saw cool photo exhibit on Norwegian jazz with some Americans and Oscar Peterson
• Didn't see books
Ate Supper at Kaffistova
• A Norwegian cafe in downtown Oslo
• Kj'ttkaker or Meat Cakes, mushy peas and potatoes -- Kr. 119
• Simple, inexpensive but delicious
Slept at Thon Hotel Europa, St. Olavs Gate 31, 0166 Oslo
Tuesday, April 28
Went to Oslo City Hall
• Cool painted wood panels outside
• Amazing murals inside
Went to the Akershus Fortress
• Walked around it but could not enter
Visited the Norwegian Resistance Museum
• Nazis were bad people and so was Vidkun Quisling
• Allow one hour
Visited the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum
• Allow two hours as there's lots to see but alot is just in Norwegian
Visited the Museum of Cultural History
• I spent two hours but was disappointed. Too much is just in Norwegian.
• The Vikings section was almost exclusively finds. Very little context. Not much text, no maps.
Visited the The Isben Museum
• Spent 30 minutes and that was enough to see the exhibition but not the apartment
Took photos of the Royal Palace
Bought a four-pack of Aass Weizen
Ate supper at Lofoten Fiskerestaurant
• Ceviche of scallop with avocado and apple -- Kr. 177
• Grilled whale served with baked black root, cream of celeriac and aigre doux sauce -- Kr. 315
Slept at Thon Hotel Europa, St. Olavs Gate 31, 0166 Oslo
Wednesday, April 29
Visited National Maritime Museum
• I spent three hours and could have spent more
• Amazing museum, fully bilingual
• Great history of ships from float/raft/boat to the most modern ships
Visited National Gallery
• Rented an audio guide -- Kr. 50
• Spent three hours going through the "Dance of Life" -- time well spent!
1) From antiquity to baroque
2) Romanticism
2) From impressionism to Munch
2) From modernism to the 1950s
• There was a special exhibition – The Magic North. Finnish and Norwegian art around 1900 – but without English text and I spent a half hour there.
Went shopping in the museum shop and bought:
• The Day After postcard -- Kr. 100
• The National Museum Highlights: Art from Antiquity to 1945 -- Kr. 198
• Monet -- Kr. 124.60
• Rembrandt -- Kr. 124.60
Ate supper at Engebret Café
• Fiskesuppe -- Kr. 149
• Reinsdyr -- Kr. 365
• Engebret House Red -- Kr. 100
• Oldest restaurant in Oslo with great service
Slept at Thon Hotel Europa, St. Olavs Gate 31, 0166 Oslo
Thursday, April 30
Slept in because I set my alarm for 5:30 p.m. and not 5:30 a.m. Switched iPhone and watch to 24-hour clock.
Enjoyed Norway in a Nutshell:
• Train from Oslo to Myrdal -- 08:25 - 12:59
• Train from Myrdal to Flam -- 13:27 - 14:25
• Boat from Flam to Gudvangen met Phil and Jane -- 15:10 - 17:20
• Bus from Gudvangen to Voss -- 17:25 - 18:20
• Train Voss to Bergen with Phil and Jane -- 18:40 - 19:57
• The boat ride through the fjords was cool but seen all the snow as we went into Myrdal was the highlight.
Ate supper at Opera Cafe
• Ate with Phil and Jane
• Kyllingsuppe/Chicken Soup -- Kr. 88
• Rodvinsbakt Lammenakke/Lamb Neck -- Kr. 186
Slept at Hotel Augustin Bergen, C. Sundts gate 22, 5004 Bergen
Friday, May 1
Bought 48-Hour Bergen Card -- Kr. 260
Went paddling with Bergen Base Camp
Took Fløibanen funicular up Mount Floyen
Went on 5K hike (Trip 6) that turned into a 9K hike
Ate supper at Bryggeloftet & Stuene
• Fish Soup
• Salted Cod: Very disapointed
• Great restaurant with fine service and attractive decor
Went to Altona Wine Bar
• Gammel Opland Edel Madeira -- Kr. 115
• Great flavour with a long finish
Slept at Hotel Augustin Bergen, C. Sundts gate 22, 5004 Bergen
Saturday, May 2
Visited Bergen Maritime Museum
• Spent an hour and that was about all you could spend
Visited Bergen Maritime Museum
• Spent an hour and could have spent much more
• Impressive collection of Christian Art and Russian Icons
Visited Bryggens Museum
• Spent a half hour and could have spent an hour
Tried to get into Håkon's Hall but it was discovered by Bergen Card had expired when I bought it!
Slept at University Museum of Bergen, C. Sundts gate 22, 5004 Bergen
Drank at Una Bryggeri & Kjokken
• Fjell Gamlehaugen -- 350 mL -- Kr. 115
• Nice tasting Old Ale
Ate supper at Pingvinen -- Kr. 302
• Balder Sognapils Extra 3 -- Kr. 86
• Plukkfisk -- Fish Stew -- Kr. 159
• Gilde Non Plus Ultra -- 4 cL -- Kr. 91
• Got Bergenskort Discount -- Kr. -33.60
Sunday, May 3
Took Norgestaxi to the Bergen Airport -- Kr. 597
Bought Gilde Non Plus Ultra at Bergen Airport -- Kr. 499
Flew SAS 2861 from Bergen to Copenhagen
Drank at HMSHost at the Copenhagen Airport -- "The Bar" -- DKK 65
• Draft Carlsberg 0.5L
Bought Lysholm Linie at Copenhagen Airport Terminal A Shop -- Kr. 240.67
• Paid NOK 200 cash and DKK 35.32 Visa Flew AC 883 from Copenhagen to Toronto
NEXT TIME
The Isben Museum
• See the apartment
The National Museum - Architecture
Fram Museum
Holmenkollen
Talk Walking Tour of Oslo Take Fjord Cruise
TRAVEL TIPS
- I brought three pairs of pants and only wore two. Bring only two pairs next time.
- I had five shirts and really only needed four.
- I brought my man purse and fanny pack and they never left the suitcase. With the big pockets in my jacket and fleece, they were unnecessary.
- Take photos of people you meet.
- Book everything yourself. I used a travel agency and I regretted doing so. I had no sense of what things cost. Also, I had no say in what was picked.
- Know the holidays of the country you are visiting. May 1 is a holiday in Norway and everything was closed. I found this out the hard way.
