Bergen Norway is a great visit - don't listen to those who say it always rains

View of the famous shops of Bergen. They seem to pride themselves on the amount of rain they get. When we were there it rained one out of five days and it did not rain much. Do take an umbrella.

 

Tail camera: SAS A350 from SFO to BGO - lots of numbers and letters

I have taken planes of all sizes for the last 60 years. I do not relish the lines, the waiting, the possibility of a hijacking. I do like the fact that I can get to New York in five hours as opposed to five days by car.

I cannot remember all the airplanes like 707, 737, MD80, A380, DC10...

Yet, in recent years I have learn to enjoy two airplane types: A380 and A350:

In the early days I flew Pacific Southwest near and Jet Blue far. They were economy airlines and paid for by the church.

Today I fly Alaska several times a year and Air France overseas.

This last trip, however, I was booked on SAS. The photo above is a tail photo on the A350. While I like the two decked A380 it has been discontinued by most airlines and replaced with jumbos like A350. I like it. SAS does a good job with it.

Some note: I once flew coach because I was young and now fly business class.

 

How to get there

This is a photo of Bergen Norway from the tram to the mountain look out. The wires are those of the tram. At the top, after views, the lunch was fish soup and cinnamon rolls. (Fish soup is a acquired taste.)

We got there by having a friend tell us a story about a short trip made to Norway and taking a ship along the fjords. After doing research we decided on a 12 day voyage from Bergen to the Russian Border and back. In the process we would need the right clothes for the season (the shoulder season). We made reservations directly with the ship's main office and reservations for a round trip business class ticket for each of us at or bank's travel department. We had a connection flight through Copenhagen. We arrived in Bergen, had a one day rest and boarded the ship right after the tram ride. That is how things began.

The Fjords of Norway: I am back

Over twelve days we spent traveling northward from Bergen, Norway to the border of Russia. We visited some 60 small to large fjords. On a new ship set up to carry cargo to remote places that also was a Class-A hybrid vessel,  We saw what can not be seen from larger ships. Also, there was a dozen or more venues we were able to visit locals and see special properties. We went to the top of mountains by tram and small places by bus. We walked some as well. We stood at the border of the Soviet Union and waved to their employees. Before and after the voyage we stayed in Bergen for four days. It is the first stop on the way north. The fjords of Norway can be compared to my happy place of the Dolomites of Northern Italy. The following will be a view of both the fjords and other places in Europe.

Taking some time off -more to write about here

This is a small cruise ship and ferry. It visits Norwegian fjords from Bergen in the south to the Russian border beyond the Arctic Circle. It makes voyages into 38 fjords to visit 38 towns in 12 days.  The ship holds a maximum of 300 while a regular cruise ship carries around 3000. Over the years we haven't taken any trips but we have had a large number of adventures instead. We are traveling between the "Midnight Sun" and "The Northern Lights". The ship is three years old joining four others to travel the coast. It is basically all electric. Quiet. It even has a heated closet in the cabin to dry and warm clothing. The bathroom floors are heated. The cabins all have a view and are fairly large for a ship. We like our adventures with hot water and ice buckets. The entertainment is the view and there is not a buffet. Meals are served with Norwegian inspired food served at table. And they promise that we will forget French wines. We will be going ashore for a variety of sites and local concerts. Just what we like. It is the Havila Voyages. We are flying Scandinavian Airlines with moderately long layovers in Copenhagen. A full report will be forthcoming (we are spending four days in Bergen as well).

Signs of the times

Top  is an exit sign in the Colosseum in Verona. I am guessing

that the arrow means "this way" rather something else.

The bottom one in from Paris. This is sophisticated graffiti. 

This sign near Dingle Ireland's coast means just what you think it means.

 

Up a lazy river: Northern Oregon

The Willamette river flows through small towns and large cities. It is a place to fish or just sit in the sun. They have lighted boats for Christmas and Dragon Boat races when the weather is warmer. North of Portland, Oregon USA the river joins the Columbia. While the larger Columbia skirts the city, the Willamette unites it.

This is the back yard of an Airbnb. You can see a neighbor across the water.

This is near where the Jetboats turn around to go back down the river. 

Lovely.