WEEK 29-31 IN OSLO AND ABROAD WITH THE WALKERS - ALEX

 We had spent time with friends and family who were in town the past two weekends, but May 2 marked the true start of our marathon visitor session. The Walkers were the first group to come with Max in the country May 2 to May 9 and my parents from May 2 to May 17. Given Max’s time constraints we decided to maximize our time in western Norway and only spent a couple days in Oslo before we collectively left for the fjords.

Oslo

Max landed in Oslo early Friday morning giving us time to hang out together before my parents arrived. Coming from the city, Max was excited to get out in nature, so we went up to Sognsvann for a short hike. We went to the Vettakollen overlook where Max was able to get a good overview of the city and we spent some nice 1 on 1 time together. He quickly took note of all the school aged children running around the forest midday on a Friday.

Max standing at Vettakollen overlooking the city

When we came down from Vettakollen we headed straight to the train station and picked up our parents. After 6.5 months of living here it felt quite surreal and special to be together as a family and I was excited to show them a bit of where I had been living. I wasn’t sure how flying across the Atlantic would affect them, but was impressed at their energy levels and ability to push through jet lag. We had a fairly relaxed afternoon where we walked around some key city landmarks, the opera house and main library, and visited the Munch museum.

Photos of and on the Opera House during our city walk and introduction to Oslo.

The following morning Morgan and I made waffles with Norwegian toppings of brown cheese, yogurt, and jam. After taking a few tries myself to warm up to the traditional toppings we weren’t surprised that they received lukewarm, at best, reviews. After breakfast the five of us went out into the city and started by walking through Vigeland Park and the namesake artist’s studio, which he convinced the city to pay for and build on his behalf for his personal use. In exchange the property and art was returned to the city after his death and today it is a museum. We hadn’t toured his studio before and we quite enjoyed learning about the processes he employed to make the sculptures in the park. In the afternoon we took a ferry to Bygdoy, where we saw some famous Norwegian watercraft of explorers from the last 100+ years at the Fram and Kon-Tiki. It was a museum heavy day, but with two weeks of Norwegian nature in front of us it was nice to get some culture.

Breakfast on our balcony and the four of us outside the Royal Palace as we walk through the city.

Posing next to the sculptures in Vigeland Park.

Our second full day in Oslo was spent being closer with the nature around Oslo. We started by going to the saunas in the fjord. I think everyone enjoyed themself, but the water was colder than expected and there wasn’t much enthusiasm for swimming. We moved around to a few of the different saunas, including the silent sauna, which was a particular challenge to my father. In the afternoon we went to the Holmenkollen ski museum where we learned a little bit about the history of skiing in Norway, enjoyed some of the interactive exhibits, and went to the top of the ski jump tower. Afterwards we walked up to Frognerseteren where we had a traditional dinner at the cafeteria.

Photos from the Holmenkollen Ski Jump and Ski Museum. Top and bottom right at the top of the jump tower, bottom left is my mom skiing in one of the interactive exhibits.

Train to Stavanger

Later that evening the four of us, Morgan had to stay behind, caught  a 10:30PM overnight train to Stavanger. With a scheduled arrival of around 7:30AM the roughly 9 hour train ride is a good length for an overnight journey. To give us some comfort and help us sleep we booked two sleeper cabins that each had a pair of bunk beds. Unfortunately Max didn’t have a pleasant experience, but the rest of us had a good enough night sleep. It was a first for my mom and brother and something my dad hadn’t done in decades. I’m not sure if any of them will take an overnight train again, but it was a memorable experience, and something Morgan and I will take advantage of later this summer. The train operator has a deal with a local hotel for overnight travelers to provide breakfast and a shower, which we took advantage of. It could be the American influence in the oil town of Stavanger, but the breakfast had a strong American influence, which satiated the cravings I have had over the past few months for a proper American breakfast.

Max and my father tucked in and ready for bed in their sleeper cabin. 

Tyssedal

After getting freshened up and having breakfast we left Stavanger for Tyssedal, a small municipality at the end of one branch of the Hardangerfjord where we would spend two nights. The drive to and from Tyssedal was on the longer side, but this stretch is known for its waterfalls and they did not disappoint. We had a couple of pit stops along the way and ultimately bypassed a couple more.  It also was our introduction into driving the tunnels through mountains and under the ocean floor, a novelty that we all enjoyed. As a civil engineer I have been greatly impressed by the roads in Norway.

Photos of a couple of the waterfalls we saw on our way between Stavanger and Tyssedal. On the left is Espelandsfossen and on the right is Langfossen.

In the Tyssedal area we drove to see other waterfalls, including Voringsfossen and went for a short hike in the Husedalen valley where we also saw a number of large waterfalls. We also toured the old Tyssedal hydroelectric plant that was powered by the waterfalls in the area. Max and I also took advantage of the extra sunlight to go for an evening hike to the old hydroelectric plant’s penstocks that overlook the fjord. Part of the excitement in this area was also the driving. On our way to and from Voringsfossen we came across a roundabout and went up switchbacks in the tunnels and also came out of one of the tunnels directly onto a large suspension bridge over a narrow stretch of the fjord.

Top: Photo of the roundabout inside the mountain.

Middle Right: My father with one of the Husedalen waterfalls in the background.

Middle Left and Bottom: Voringsfossen and one of the bridges they have built at the overlook.

Photos of from our evening hike to Lilletopp overlooking Tyssedal and the fjord.

Tyssedal and the larger neighboring town of Odda are famous for a number of reasons. In the late 19th century it was a popular place for Germans to vacation. Over 100 years later and that holds true. In the decades between its time as a tourist destination it was a hub for industrial activity. At the turn of the 20th century when energy demand began to increase throughout all of Europe industrialists came to the area and purchased the waterfalls and built large hydroelectric facilities to power the factories that were also built in the area. An industrial presence is still felt today, but the tourists have returned and the hydroelectric plants have been moved inside the mountains and out of view. The history of foreign industrialists coming to Norway in the early 20th century and buying the waterfalls for hydroelectric production left a lasting impact on the country. When oil was found in Norwegian waters in the 1960s negotiators drew upon these memories, in which Norway did not reap the benefits of its natural resources, to maximize control and financial gain of their oil fields.

The older Tyssedal Hydroelectric Power Plant. During its refurbishment in the early 2000’s they discovered that all the old equipment and gauges were intact. It is thought that it is the best preserved hydroelectric plant from the early 1900’s in the world.

Preikestolen

After our couple nights in Tyssedal we returned to the Stavanger area where we planned to hike the famous Preikestolen. Also known as Pulpit Rock, this is a square rock feature hanging a couple thousand feet above Lysefjord and one of the most popular hikes in Norway. We stayed at an old DNT cabin that is now a part of a larger, more modern mountain hotel complex that caters to Norwegians most of the year and foreigners during the busy summer season. I was excited to be able to share the mountain cabin type experience with my family and I don’t think the charm was lost on anyone. We had an authentic cabin experience with our private 4 bed room and shared bedrooms in an old cabin. We had a great view from the shared living room and enjoyed walking around the grounds. We also completed the 5 mile roundtrip to hike to Pulpit Rock. We enjoyed the hike and were certainly rewarded with a stunning view. My mom being able to do this in spite of her knee injury was also quite the accomplishment. It was a geat hike, but I would not want to be in this area during the high season in July and August.

Our cabin and the view from the main living room at the Preikestolen Mountain Lodge. A new modern building (not pictured) is where the restaurant and most of the rooms are today.

Photos from our hike to Pulpit Rock. Note the bottom right and how close my mom is to the edge and certain death.

Stavanger

After our hike we returned to Stavanger for the next couple of nights. Max and I went to the ocean and went for a cold water swim in a specially constructed ocean side public swimming hole. Given that the air temperature was in the 50s and the water in the 40s we got a couple of funny looks from the locals out walking their dogs, but it was a really great experience and a highlight of our time together.

The following morning we took Max to the airport. It was nice to be able to spend the week together and we were all happy he made the effort to come out. The three of us used the day as an opportunity to recuperate for a day after a week of going from one thing to another. We had a slow day seeing the old part of the city, visiting the oil museum, and doing some shopping. Also, to my slight annoyance my parents pretended to be hotel guests and the nicest looking hotel in town in order to get some free coffee. It is a fun little city and we had a nice time there.

Top: Max swimming in the Myklebust ocean pool.

Bottom Left: Playground made up of old drilling equipment on a pier near the city center.

Bottom Right: Old Stavanger

Bergen

We left our accommodations in Stavanger around 5AM Saturday morning in order to catch our ferry/cruise to Bergen. We showed up in line with the instructions we received, which included the notice that boarding would be closed 30 minutes before departure. I was a little miffed because we got to the empty terminal to find no boat, almost no crew, and very few other passengers. Most everyone else showed up within 30 minutes of the departure, including the boat we were boarding. The boat was in the vein of a small cruise ship and is part of a part tourist/part delivery ship that is part of a route that travels up the entire Norwegian coastline to Kirkenes at the Russian border in the Arctic Ocean. The journey was a little more than 5 hours and we passed the time enjoying the view, eating at the buffet, and relaxing. Compared to the very similar Copenhagen to Oslo ferry/cruise that we took around Christmas, this was a slightly smaller boat, had more public seating, but had a far less superior buffet than that offering. The landscape was more dramatic and after doing a fairly long loop to Tyssedal and back earlier in the week was a better option than driving.

A view from the sundeck on our Stavanger to Bergen boat ride.

When we got to Bergen we met up with Morgan who had taken the morning train from Oslo to Bergen. The timing was impeccable and we both arrived around the same time. Bergen felt alive. The weather was absolutely perfect, sunny and warm, and seemingly everyone was out enjoying what was anecdotally the first nice day of the year. In a city that only gets around 60 days of sunshine a year the locals take advantage of every opportunity. It felt a lot more active and abuzz then I have personally seen Oslo. We spent the afternoon walking through the old part of the city, taking a tour through the UNESCO World Heritage site at Bryggen where we learned about the league of German merchants that helped make Bergen the important city it is today, and took the funicular to the overlook at Floyen.

Top: Our view of Bergen from the top of Floyen.

Bottom Left: My father taking a photo of Bryggen from across the water.

Bottom Right: My parents walking through Bryggen and doing some shopping.

Sognefjord

We only stayed one night in Bergen before we left for Sognefjord. Morgan was joining us for a couple more nights and the four of us rented a car and went with us to explore the largest fjord in Norway. Sognefjord is approximately 120 miles long and up to 4300’ feet deep. Our first two nights were staying in Flam, which is near the end of the fjord in one of its smaller branches, the Aurlandfjord. On our way to Flam we had nice stops at Voss, a couple waterfalls, and the sleepy fjord village of Undredal. The big highlight was the Stalheim Hotel, which has a large terrace overlooking a narrow valley.

Clockwise from upper left: Tvindefossen, the three of us trying to get into position under Stalheimfossen, Morgan and I enjoying the spray from the Stalheimfossen waterfall, Sivlefossen which was accessed from the switchback road halfway between the Stalheim Hotel and valley floor, the view of Naeroydalen from the Stalheim Hotel.

Flam is more or less a cruise ship port and thus goes through fluxes of accommodating a few thousand people to very few. We timed our visit to coincide with a break in the cruise ship traffic, but still found it to be fairly active. It is a very scenic place, but also one that is devoid of any authenticity and feels Disneyesque.  The nearby village of Aurland is the main town in the fjord and has more character to it. We stopped by for a pastry and to go grocery shopping and found it to be quite cute. Our accommodations were up the valley from Flam on a farm that we shared with grazing sheep. Of the places we stayed it was my favorite and I really enjoyed eating outside on our deck looking out over the grazing animals and listening to the waterfall just a little ways further up the valley. I also enjoyed getting into yelling matches with the lambs within earshot of the cabin.

A few photos from and in our cabin up the valley from Flam.

During our full day in Flam together we went to Stegastein, an overlook over Aurlandfjord, and drove high up into the mountains where the road was still closed due to snow. We also took a fjord cruise that started in Flam and ended in the adjacent Sognefjord nook of Naeroyfjord. To Naeroyfjord was like how it sounds, narrow, with high mountains, lots of waterfalls, and a smattering of small farms that seem both difficult to reach and profit from.

The view of Aurland and the fjord below from Stegastein.

Photos of our fjord cruise from Flam to Gudvangen through Naeroyfjord.

The following morning Morgan left early to get back to Oslo to work and prepare for the arrival of her parents later in the week. Again, we both appreciate how easy it is to move throughout the country on public transportation.

The three of us continued our Sognefjord tour by driving to the other side of the fjord and stopping by the Borgund Stave Church, one of only 28 remaining in the world. On this route we also drove through the longest car tunnel in the world that measured around 15 miles. Crossing the fjord was easy. Where roads naturally would cross the fjord the government makes a cost evaluation of three options: building a bridge, building a tunnel, or providing routine ferry service. Ferries are intended to move traffic with minimal delays so multiple boats service each route. Ferry schedules are designed so that the wait time is less than 20 minutes. Crossings vary in length, but the majority in this part of the country are between 20-30 minutes.

Borgund Stave Church outside of Laerdal. The church is one of the last and best examples of traditional stave churches in the world.

On the other side of Sognefjod we stayed in the small village of Fjaerland. Compared to everywhere else we stayed, Fjaerland was the smallest and most authentic farming village. There were little services to cater to tourists. Our hotel was the only place to stay in the valley and housed the only restaurant. There was only one grocery store in the area and it closed at 5pm. We had found small-town Norway.

The living room and view that we had to ourselves in Fjaerland.

We quite enjoyed ourselves in Fjaerland. We made up over half of the people staying at the hotel, so had the large sitting room overlooking the fjord more or less to ourselves. For dinner we had a picnic at the quickly receding toe of the Boyabreen Glacier and went for a drive to the neighboring valley. The following day we enjoyed a relaxing walk along old and new farms and visited a museum about the glaciers in the area, which constitute the largest continental ice cap in Europe. Fjaerland is also a member of an international book community and has 150,000 used books for sale and on display throughout the town. In the early afternoon we left for Bergen, about a 4 hour drive away.

Left: Harald helping prepare our picnic dinner with the Boyabreen Glacier in the background

Top Right: My mom as we walked through the Mundal Valley past the old and current farms

Bottom Left: An example of one of the handful of used bookstores in Fjaerland.

Bergen

Back in Bergen we felt like we had a good sense of the central city area based on our visit earlier in the week giving us a baseline level of comfort. The weather was still nice, but we found a much more subdued midweek afternoon than what had greeted us the previous Saturday. We stayed for two nights on the second floor of an old wooden house at the end of a steep alleyway. Everything was narrow and steep and required some level of caution, making it a fun experience. We had some initial issues with the electric blinds in our Airbnb and since leaving received a substantial damage request. Although the blinds were in working order when we left we fear that we’ll be out a few hundred dollars to replace what we supposedly damaged.

In Bergen we did some more shopping, walking, and ventured out to Edvard Grieg's home turned museum/mausoleum/concert hall. It was further out of the city and also provided us with a nice opportunity to see a more residential area. Troldhaugen was his home later in his life and walking the grounds it easy to see why he enjoyed working there so much. Although my parents knew who he was I didn’t recognize the name. Once we arrived and I heard some of the music I knew almost all of the work on display. After navigating back to the city we enjoyed some Norwegian art at one of the Kode museums and soaked in the rare Bergen sunshine. Over the past 2 weeks we had no rain and almost exclusively bluebird skies. I hope my parents appreciated how rare and how lucky that is.

Some of the narrow, winding, and steep streets that make up central Bergen. The photo on the left is next to our accommodations.

Return to Oslo

On the morning of the 16th we left Bergen for Oslo via train. It was the first time I had taken the train the entire length and enjoyed the 3+ hours through the western part of the country that I hadn’t seen before. It’s a great journey and although in my opinion not comparable to the train segments through the Alps, but still very scenic. If anything my biggest complaint is that everytime the view gets interesting you go through a tunnel and it’s instantly out of view.

Teaching my mom how to knit on the train back to Oslo from Bergen.

Back in Oslo my parents got ready to leave the following day. They were anxious about being able to catch the train to the airport so we practiced how to leave the city, buy a ticket, etc. We also prepared for the following day’s Constitution Day celebrations and where they would want to stand and where to get a view of the festivities. Before their flight they got the opportunity to experience a little of the May 17th celebrations, which in Oslo centers around a children’s parade through the city center. During this time Morgan’s parents arrived in Oslo and were getting settled. We all got together in the evening for a proper family dinner in the evening.

The six of us are together at our apartment in Oslo. We all have our flags and are practicing in anticipation of the next day’s Constitution Day Celebration.

Morgan Update

During the time that my family was visiting Morgan and a number of things going on as well. For one she made a serious effort to spend time with us while we were in Oslo and also came out to Bergen/Flam to spend a few nights with us there. The dynamic she brings to our group was welcomed for those few days in the west.

While the Walkers were in Tyssedal, Pulpit Rock, and Stavanger Morgan was working and coincidently enough had a field visit to Flam. One of her Norwegian PhD colleagues is studying landslides in the Flam valley and needed help. Since none of the NGI consultants can bill a client for this type of work her colleague typically receives her field assistance from other students. Morgan volunteered her time to help check on field instruments over the course of two days and one night. It was more of a distraction from her work, but was a positive experience and gave her the unique opportunity to learn firsthand about the geotechnical research questions the Norwegian government is investing in solving.

Photos of Morgan from her field visit to Flam. On the left is Morgan at Stegastein and on the right she is helping check on the landslide instrumentation at a local farm.

During this time Morgan also received confirmation that her paper had formally been accepted and would be published sometime in the coming months. This was an expected formality, but one that puts a bow on 18 months of her work and was cause to celebrate.

Morgan’s parents visited Norway on the heels of my parents. They arrived on May 16, which allowed the six of us to get together for a meal. Since I was gone for almost two weeks, Morgan took care of making sure we were ready to host.

Reflections

Between our family’s ancestral connection and now that we are living here, being able to host my parents was very special. It was also probably the most consecutive time the three of us have ever spent together, which was not the experience I thought I would have as a 31 year old. After reflecting on this time together for the past month there are a few things that stand out. Chiefly one of the things that stands out is a greater appreciation for Oslo. After living here for a number of months my favorite thing about Oslo is the access to nature and I often disregard the city aspects. To be clear it is lacking in a number of items pertaining to food, culture, and entertainment, but hosting my parents and later Morgan’s parents gave both of us, but especially me, a greater appreciation for the city and its offerings. Spending a month as a tourist helped me better appreciate my temporary home base. Other core memories/highlights:

• Reuniting and having coffee with Max and my parents in the main library branch

• Eating a waffle breakfast together on our balcony

• Walking through Vigeland Park and museum

• Night train to Stavanger

• Hiking to Lilletopp with Max in Tyssedal

• Driving through the roundabout in the tunnel and coming out on the Hardanger bridge

• Everyone being excited and then being bored with all the waterfalls between Stavanger and Tyssedal

• Getting excited about waterfalls again

• Pulpit Rock - hike and mountain lodge

• Swimming with Max in the ocean

• Meeting Morgan in Bergen

• Stalheim Hotel

• Flam to Naeroyfjord cruise

• Fjaerland - hotel, glaciers/scenery, driving into adjacent valley

• My dad being annoyed at bringing rain gear given how good the weather was

• Playing the lottery at every opportunity