A Day On A Train

The couple sitting across from me on the Flåmsbana was from Minnesota, and the wife was of Norwegian descent. It took almost all of my willpower to not make a reference to Rose Nylund. They wore broad cheerful smiles and spoke excitedly of the things they had seen during their time here, including a visit […]

It’s Raining Again in Norway

The rain paused long enough for me to step briefly outside and take in the spectacle of the fjords. Before this trip I had to look up what a fjord is, and it’s a long narrow sea inlet with steep sides created by a glacier. And that’s what I saw about me – tall rocky […]

In Which I Rush the Morning

The morning sun greeted me with warmth and joy. I haven’t seen the sun since I landed in Norway, and the weather forecast was for another day of rain so this was a glorious surprise. I hurried quickly out into the brisk morning, the town still wet from yesterday’s rain. My hours remaining in Bergen […]

Many A Terrarium at the Aquarium

The penguins in front of me hopped into the small lagoon that had been built for them and zoomed away swiftly, flying through the water of their enclosure, popping up and out on occasion. This was the highlight of the Bergen Aquarium. I really liked the penguins a lot – their exuberance was truly a […]

In Which I Learn About the Hanseatic League

As the door to the small regional jet swung open, the flight attendant announced that we may wish to consider wearing jackets, because it was raining outside. One of the other passengers joked ruefully that, “It’s raining in Norway,” his intonation clearly implying that it frequently rains here. Outside the walls of the airport I […]

Remembering Another Time

Greetings my friends, Fall is here and the great season of staying-home (AKA Summer) is in the rearview mirror. With school back in session, students and families are no longer traveling as much, which means tourist destinations are emptying out and your courageous blogger can be on his way again. But still I’m thinking of […]