Sunday, September 30, 2012
Oslo Contemporary Art Museum
Visited the Contemporary Art Museum...they're holding a large group exhibit of music-related conceptual projects. Nice to see our friends Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinin and their project Complaints Choir included in the exhibit. Hey--Lisa and I and a bunch of people we know are in a video exhibition in Oslo!!
Sunny day in Oslo
Walked around Oslo today, from the waterfront to a couple adjoining neighborhoods. Ate a crazy mashup of Norway meets Mexico in a blues bar for lunch...stopped at a few museums (free on Sunday)...paintings here are from the National Portrait Gallery.
distances updated
Leg 6 transportation is complete:
--ferry from Seydisfjordur, Iceland to Hirtshals, Denmark: 945 miles
--ferry from Hirtshals Denmark to Larvik, Norway: 104 miles
--bus from Larvik, Norway to Oslo, Norway: 65 miles
total miles for leg 6: 1114.
Total miles traveled to date: 7940.
--ferry from Seydisfjordur, Iceland to Hirtshals, Denmark: 945 miles
--ferry from Hirtshals Denmark to Larvik, Norway: 104 miles
--bus from Larvik, Norway to Oslo, Norway: 65 miles
total miles for leg 6: 1114.
Total miles traveled to date: 7940.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Oslo
After a 3-night ferry ride across the North Sea, followed by a 4-hour ferry ride from Denmark to Norway, followed by a 2.5 hour bus ride, we have arrived in Oslo!
p.s.--kinda tired, so just managed a few pictures from the hotel lobby bar.
p.s.--kinda tired, so just managed a few pictures from the hotel lobby bar.
Iceland review
On a bus for the next hour with free wi-fi, so here goes the Iceland review:
--travel from Faroes was a bit bumpy, but not too bad;
--driving was easier than the Faroes, encountered just a few dirt roads, small amount of snow, one-lane bridges, but really no problems at all;
--some interesting stuff to eat and drink: lots of fish, Brennevin, lamb, not enough veggies, plenty of gas station pizzas along the way;
--Akureyri is a nice small college town and a good base for drive/hikes;
--Myvatn Hot Springs is a nice place to spend an afternoon, same for Fontana Hot Springs which is different but better than Blue Lagoon;
--don't miss Pingvellir National Park, we lucked out by visiting at the height of fall color;
--in general, tourists have found Iceland, so the undiscovered areas are fewer;
--Reykjavik is like the day before your 21st birthday: you'll pass out by 10 PM only to be awaken at midnight by your friends to start the party all over again--it's crazy, loud, and non-stop: the wild wild west of Europe;
--the glacier and iceberg bays are worth spending a day or 2 for nice hikes...we avoided the package tours but managed to hike for hours finding deserted iceberg coves and hidden waterfalls;
--Hali Guesthouse is great: quiet family farm with home cooked meals and easy drive from great hiking spots and sits right against the sea, place was near capacity which is unusual for late September;
--weather was in the upper 40s with plenty of sun;
--east Iceland is much less crowded;
--still one of our favorite countries for sure.
Note that Retkjavik marks our furthest western stop in Europe. From that point, it's all east to San Francisco, with some ventures north and south and a short backtrack from Oslo to Bergen in a few days.
--travel from Faroes was a bit bumpy, but not too bad;
--driving was easier than the Faroes, encountered just a few dirt roads, small amount of snow, one-lane bridges, but really no problems at all;
--some interesting stuff to eat and drink: lots of fish, Brennevin, lamb, not enough veggies, plenty of gas station pizzas along the way;
--Akureyri is a nice small college town and a good base for drive/hikes;
--Myvatn Hot Springs is a nice place to spend an afternoon, same for Fontana Hot Springs which is different but better than Blue Lagoon;
--don't miss Pingvellir National Park, we lucked out by visiting at the height of fall color;
--in general, tourists have found Iceland, so the undiscovered areas are fewer;
--Reykjavik is like the day before your 21st birthday: you'll pass out by 10 PM only to be awaken at midnight by your friends to start the party all over again--it's crazy, loud, and non-stop: the wild wild west of Europe;
--the glacier and iceberg bays are worth spending a day or 2 for nice hikes...we avoided the package tours but managed to hike for hours finding deserted iceberg coves and hidden waterfalls;
--Hali Guesthouse is great: quiet family farm with home cooked meals and easy drive from great hiking spots and sits right against the sea, place was near capacity which is unusual for late September;
--weather was in the upper 40s with plenty of sun;
--east Iceland is much less crowded;
--still one of our favorite countries for sure.
Note that Retkjavik marks our furthest western stop in Europe. From that point, it's all east to San Francisco, with some ventures north and south and a short backtrack from Oslo to Bergen in a few days.
Larvik, Norway
Ferry from Hirtshals, Denmark to Larvik, Norway was a breeze. Opted for the bus to Oslo...basically a Norweigan version of Megabus: free wi-fi, lots of bad music due to headphone bleed (listening to Styx right now thanks to someone sitting a few rows back) and picks up right outside the ferry port station. Cheaper than the train and runs about as fast. Drinks await 2 hours down the road.
Part 1 of journey to Oslo done...
Made it to Hirtshals, Denmark after a 3-night ferry journey from Iceland. Seas were mostly calm, no problems at all.
On the last night of the journey, the buffet held a special Viking dinner, complete with roasted lamb heads and a Faroese speciality of giant fish sausages. Stayed away from all of that, but did manage 1 photo.
Onward to Oslo!
On the last night of the journey, the buffet held a special Viking dinner, complete with roasted lamb heads and a Faroese speciality of giant fish sausages. Stayed away from all of that, but did manage 1 photo.
Onward to Oslo!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Leg 5 complete
Leg 5 is done:
Overnight ferry from Torshavn, Faroe Islands to Seydisfjordur, Iceland; drive around entire Ring Road of Iceland: 1161 miles.
Total miles traveled so far: 6826.
Leg 6 begins today: 3-night ferry from Seydisfjordur to Hirtshals, Denmark; (Smyril Line m/f Noronna again), followed by a mad scramble to make the 2-hour ferry from Hirtshals to Larvik, Norway, followed by another mad scramble to make the train from Larvik to Oslo.
Note that for the next few days, email, phone, texts, and blog posts will be slowed. Enjoy the photos!
Overnight ferry from Torshavn, Faroe Islands to Seydisfjordur, Iceland; drive around entire Ring Road of Iceland: 1161 miles.
Total miles traveled so far: 6826.
Leg 6 begins today: 3-night ferry from Seydisfjordur to Hirtshals, Denmark; (Smyril Line m/f Noronna again), followed by a mad scramble to make the 2-hour ferry from Hirtshals to Larvik, Norway, followed by another mad scramble to make the train from Larvik to Oslo.
Note that for the next few days, email, phone, texts, and blog posts will be slowed. Enjoy the photos!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
photos updated today
We updated the Flickr photos: south coast of Iceland, glaciers, glacier bay and iceburg beach:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37975783@N03/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37975783@N03/
Last full day in Iceland
We hiked to the glacier today, a couple James Bond films were shot here. Found a secret waterfall that made a great picnic spot. Icebergs split from the glacier make it down to the sea, some wash up on the black sand beach, facing south into the North Sea.
Leg 5 ends tomorrow, and leg 6 begins Wednesday night--our journey from Iceland to Oslo, Norway.
Leg 5 ends tomorrow, and leg 6 begins Wednesday night--our journey from Iceland to Oslo, Norway.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Today's drive
Drove today from Reykjavik east about 240 miles to Guesthouse Hali just east of the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. Most of the drive was along the south coast.
Here's a few sights along the way.
Here's a few sights along the way.
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