Capturing the Moment

  Nearing the top of Mount Floyen we could see a lot of evidence of Nazi fortifications left over from the occupation of Norway, and Bergen during WWII. We continued on the trail and the views got better and better. What a day! Today we set off to hike the mountains that surround the second largest city of Norway, the port city of Bergen. Hiking up the mountains is one of the most popular summertime activities here. Even during the winter, locals will take the tram up the mountain with their cross country skis, and go skiing on the same trails we will be walking on. The trails are all lit up during the winter, since the daylight hours are so short. Bergen is also known at the rainiest, wettest city in Norway....but not today! Everyone in town kept telling us how lucky we are getting with this sunny, clear weather... and once we got up on top of the mountains and saw the views, I totally agreed with them! The plan was to take the tram up Mt Floyen from the edge of the city, then hik...

  Sunset colors light up some of Bergen's old quarter near the waterfront. A modern piece of art accentuates the scene, with the sunset colors wrapping around it. Our hotel, the Opus XVI, is in the building to the right. Architecture from the Hanseatic German traders dating back centuries. This network of German traders spread all across Central and Northern Europe as far back as the 1100's. Bergen was one of their oversea offices in Norway. There are several ways that travelers can get to Bergen, Norway. You can fly, or drive, but there is another way that is hands down the best, taking a scenic ferry ride through the fjords from Flam. It is a very relaxing five hour journey on mirrorlike water, past towering cliffs, rushing waterfalls, and tiny villages. The scenery is nonstop. It almost feels like entering a painters canvas. Not to mention we enjoyed a few glasses of wine from the onboard food shop and ended up sitting next to a famous movie actress, Jodi Foster. Pulling up ...

  Hiking through Norway's Sognefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site. After taking one of the world's most scenic train rides to Flam, we kept traveling farther along the shores of Norway's famous fjord lands. We drove past waterfalls and viking rowboats, past the factory where the penny-loafer shoe was invented, into a little valley village called Aurland. Here is where we found our little boutique farm hotel called Aurland 29/2. The stand alone one bedroom suites were surrounded by a big vegetable garden, wood fired hot tubs, beautiful flowers, and horse fields. On one side a famous fly-fishing river flowed by, while sheer cliffs towered over us on the other side. The meals here were noteworthy. Most of the food, from the fish, to the meat, to the vegetables, were all sourced locally. You could go watch the chef picking veggies out in the garden. The neighbor's farm seemed to be a good supplier of chicken and eggs. The chefs did a great job preparing multi-course dinner...