Norway

After a short flight from Amsterdam to Stavanger, I got off the plane and entered the airport. The first thing I saw was... a naked man. Like most airports, Stavanger's airport proudly displays photos of their natural beauty. One of these photos was of a naked man standing over a famous fjord near Stavanger. Not exactly my type of "natural beauty." Europe- what can you say?

Immediately after exiting baggage claim, I was met by my 5th cousin Anne May (a long time ago, our great-great-great grandfathers were brothers living in Norway). Our families lost contact until Anne May's sister moved to Minnesota. Since then, we have reconnected with "the Norwegians." Since I had only one day in Stavanger, I spent most of the day meeting Anne May's family (her son is my age) and touring Stavanger- the proud oil capital of Norway. I had heard that Stavanger was a "must see" (that is what motivated me to contact Anne May out of the blue). I heard correctly. Stavanger is a city rich in Norwegian history (site of the first unification of Norway) and beauty (fjords).
The highlight of the day was definitely a boat tour of the fjord. The size of the harbor was astounding. No wonder Norway has one of largest fishing fleets in the world! I wasn't able to visit the famed "Preikestolen" (Pulpit Rock), but I have already vowed to return in order to see it. The next morning was spent exploring the preserved "wood town" of Stavanger. The city has a scenic "old town" area complete with a historic domkirke, pond, and shopping district. As a co-Cultural Capital of Europe there were also many art fairs going on.

My visit to Stavanger came to a quick end (like my trip to Amsterdam). Roughly a day after arriving, I took a train south to Kristiansand. I tried to sleep, but I was mesmerized by the passing countryside.The train literally hugged the edge of a fjord for most of the journey. Waterfalls lined the sides of the pristine fjord. I had thought that these scenes only existed in movies. After the train ride, I could only think of one place, Moi. It was the closest train stop to what looked like earthly paradise. I'll definitely be getting off at that stop next time.

In Kristiansand (the southernmost city in Norway), I enjoyed great weather while visiting the surrounding islands. I stayed with some very gracious family friends. Like everywhere in Norway, the scenery was outstanding. Here's the view from the backyard in Flekkeroy.
The waters surrounding Kristiansand are quite extraordinary. The islands create well protected bays that look more like Lake Bavaria than the North Sea. In the evening, the glass-like inlets reminded me of home. It was amazingly beautiful. Throughout this trip, I learned that, although 6 generations separate me from Norway, I still share with Norwegians a strong affinity for the water.

Kristiansand flew by. My last view, however, was a special one. I took a "postal boat tour" of some of the surrounding islands. In other words, I hitched a ride on a boat that delivered mail to some of the distant communities with no road access to the mainland. Most of the homes were for old retirees. Many of them were just sitting on the porch reading or taking a swim in the ocean. The boat passed a famous hotel for Norwegian artists and a famous rock where visiting Kings would carve their insignia.

After saying my goodbyes, I boarded a bus for Oslo on Friday. Once again, the transportation authority forgot to tell me about the free nature tour included in the price of my ticket. Incredible!

After I arrived, I set off (with all of my baggage) to find my hostel. I ended up getting a little lost and walking up and down one of the most famous pedestrian avenues in Oslo. Stupid American tourist. Finally, I found the hostel, checked in, and put my bags down. Tired, hungry, and smelly, I set off to explore Oslo in a surprisingly joyful mood (this was THE Norwegian capital after all). Staying away from insanely high food prices in Norway (Oslo is one of the most expensive cities in the world), I bought a whole chicken breast and a water for less than 5 USD. Chicken, a doughnut, and fruit would be all that I would eat for the next 24 hours.
In Oslo, I first visited the castle (Akershus Fortress). With amazing views of the harbor, I leisurely walked on the old walls. Eventually, I came upon the WWII occupation museum. Even though the museum was closing in 10 minutes, the attendant let me in (for free too!). The exhibit was of medium size, but I loved it! Here, in the "motherland," I was reading about heroic activities against the Nazis- stories, that I had only seen on the History Channel (like the Heavy Water plant). I was disappointed that I couldn't see all of it.

After the castle, I walked down the famous boulevards, starting with the shopping districts and feeding into the Parliament, Theater, and the Royal Palace. It was amazing! Like most European cities, Oslo seemed much larger than it actually was. Oslo's alluring cosmopolitan feel made you feel like you were in a city of 5 million, not 500,000 (ironic because the ATL is 5mil). I was even amazed at the level of cleanliness of the city. You can tell that the oil industry has been kind to Norway. Who could believe that such a tiny country has one of the largest SWFs in the world? After the Royal Palace, I made my way to the new Opera House on the harbor. It's modern architecture allowed one to walk up and down the roof without steps.

Exhausted, I returned to my hostel. There, I met and befriended a Swede (I hope my grandma's not reading this ;). My first "random" contact in Europe, I wish him all the best with his dream to be a ski instructor in Whistler.

After a sleepless night because of a snoring neighbor and childish anticipation, I left the hostel early in the morning for the airport.

Next Stop: Milano, Italia