Bergen & Olden, Norway - July 29 & 30, 2018

I dreamed of seeing Norway in the green. The drive I felt to see it, breathe it and walk it was strong, almost overwhelming. Somehow I knew that the experience would be something one cannot simply conger in the mind or decipher from a picture.

I was not wrong.

Yesterday was spent in Bergen. What a beautiful little town; it looks like a little village and sounds like it might be a little village but the community is splashed along and through several valleys set on the waterfront. It has about 300,000 inhabitants, and that's a lot for a perpetually damp, cool and mostly even colder place. We visited this place last year but the view was totally different. Yes, last year we saw and walked through the famous leaning storefront buildings that line the waters of the fjord but I remember the weather being so cold and damp that it was difficult to enjoy. I remember just longing for a fire and some warm soup. This time, however, summer blossomed in full force in Bergen. Even though it was a bit cool for my tastes, locals were wearing shorts and flip flops. Everyone throughout the world seems to share a love for flip-flop moments! We rode the funicular to the top of the mountain and took incredibly colorful photos of the fingers of water and old village below. We hiked the splendid fir and fern forests at the top of the mountain and then walked the 4K path down the mountain back to city center. Everywhere we cast our eyes there was beauty. There were many shades of green and tints of brown. Soft textures of fallen-evergreen needle carpets formed a contrast as they lay under tall green fir trees and tremendous granite boulders layered with moss. Mmmmm - I wish to send home the amazing sights and the smell of the fresh-made air generated here.

Today we woke to watch our ship maneuver up the river to Olden, a town of only 300 very, very lucky people - at least in the summer. Summer is wonderful; heavenly but winter here, we are told is pure hell. Winters can be snowy or dry but in any regard winters here are cold and lonely. But my God, dear God, you created something very special and especially gorgeous here.

Green! How can I describe the green?? Or the farms flung along-side the water? The tall fjord mountains carved by the glacier are steep and rugged and dressed in tall firs and pine. Farms look as if the land had been shaven of trees and replaced by a beard of fresh green pastures. Beautiful farmhouses flanked by matching long, multi-story barns painted in shades of red, or green or white stand against the green. I try to imagine what life here might be like. I simply cannot. It must demand hard work, but I think it's very peaceful. And I can picture families knowing all the other families. I guess they probably care for each other and help each other with big tasks or when in need. I imagine cozy homes with lots of light and fires inside during the winter when there is little light outside. I will never know for sure. I saw this lovely sight early today as the morning sun lighted the western bank of the river. It was completely breath-taking. Very few people were up and moving about on the ship. I was virtually alone. I just ran left then right taking pictures and oohing, ahhing, and exclaiming to myself! Dear Lord, you sure made a pretty place here.

But that was just the beginning. We boarded a tour bus with a guide who, believe it or not, looked like a troll. Trolls are everywhere here. Our guide had a pony tail and that was the only thing about him that assured me he was not a troll. Trolls don't do pony tails. His name was Rudolf; he had a round face - not pie-shaped, round from left to right and top to bottom, but frontward round, from forehead to nose to chin. He smoked cigarettes at every break so his voice was raspy like I'm sure a troll's might be and his face was red and well-weathered. He was a Norwegian troll indeed but a very nice one and an excellent guide.

We drove out of Olden and up toward the Styrne lake area. The ride was spectacular . . . green mountains, waterfalls and more waterfalls. We took so many pictures that I know I will have a difficult time choosing which ones to post. On this the trip, we were given a peep into everyday lives of the Nord's who live and survive in this area. While there is great steel industry in this area, we saw no evidence of it. Fishing, exports of fish products and farming are the primary drivers of the rich economy here. Plus Norway, itself, is vastly wealthy. Only discovered in the 1970's, oil production and the revenues from oil have made Norway one of the world's richest countries. Along with tax revenue, the money from oil production is invested in the people. For example, education and living expenses for those who wish to further educate themselves and make passing grades is funded; childcare for kids of working moms and dads is funded. Streets are kept clean; public healthcare is funded. Moreover, I think about 90% of the oil revenues go directly into a trust that will provide similar services to all generations to come in the future whether the oil revenues remain steadily incoming or not.

Besides the multitudes of Kodak-moments along the way, the highlight of our trip was a visit to Stryne Lake. Completely fed by glacial streams, the lake is the backdrop to a summer-only ski resort. In winter the land where we walked is covered by 10 meters of snow. That's about 36 feet deep. The snow covers the little lodge where we ha coffee and chocolate cake. This year in Norway's hottest summer in over 70 years, there was no snow. It was a curious sight to see the ski lift standing tall against nothing but a rocky slope.

A little herd of sheep entertained us. They got away from Bo Peep and could not find their way home. They trotted up the road then walked up the steps to the lodge. They climbed the hill behind the lodge and still could not find their herd or their master. They walked back down the hill and went into a storage area for the lodge. They knew that was wrong! When we boarded our bus for the return trip down to the town of Styrne, they were still wandering about.

This blog is challenging!!! I thought it might be. But the lack of WIFI is one hindrance; another is that we have met friends, Peter and Sumarah from Cape Town. They are a lovely and lively couple. I must confess, jawing and laughing with them is much more fun that writing for posterity about our day!