On the Road Again ....la la la la la ...On the Road Again

Summer hit with a vegeance and we had one week of amazingly beautiful, warm, sunny weather (>20 deg C).  What this meant was 1) no blog posts; 2) lots of grilling outdoors with the "EingangsGrill" (one time disposable grills) and 3) camping, tramping, and siteseeing.

First, the girls school had an overnight camping trip that miraculously coincided with the warmest and most lovely day of the year (considering it is now 8 degC and raining...brrrrr).   We managed to strap together lots of gear on their backpacks and they got to enjoy a day of school studying erosion and marsh life in the brilliant sunshine with their school friends. 

 Next, we went on a trip of a lifetime tour through the Norwegian countryside over the "Pinsens" holiday (Pentacost), which is really an excuse to enjoy spring like our "Memorial Day" in the U.S.   We did a giant loop southward and then westward over the course of three days covering high mountain plateau, fjord system, and the art nouveau city of Alesund. 

We started the trip rustically camping near the "building of the year" lookout near Snohetta.  When we hiked up the trail, unfortunately the hytta was still closed for the season but we got to peer in and take pictures around it.  This was par for the course and emblematic of our many experiences hiking to locations that were closed (seems I have a knack for this).   Melita and I nearly froze, but huddled together in my tent which fell over on us in wind, and managed to sleep even though it was broad daylight at 4 am.  Unlike the rest of her family, Annaliese who is hyper by day, but the calmest sleeper on the planet, was able to tuck into her bag and not move inside her warm coccoon.  Note to self -- flashlights are no longer required in this part of the world :)  However, we managed to get tent back up and pass out huddled in warmth from 4-7 am to arise with warm sunlight and enjoy the best breakfast ever in the beautiful outdoors.

Day 2 we moved up to staying in a little red Hytta in a camp site in Stordal on the fjord and enjoyed the warmth of the sun , soft ice cream, and the view of parasail kites.  The drive over the mountains and through the yellow-flowered fields was SPECTACULAR.  I can't tell you how amazing it was for me to see the waterfalls flowing down over the fjords, the raging rivers, and the high mountain fjords.  I might have pulled over along the road one too many times to take a picture, at least according to the girls taste, but this is my once in a lifetime.  Our original plan was to head over the windy Trollstigen, but this road weaving up through the waterfall/mountain was "closed"  and we only experienced the base of the road.  Our resulting detour, however, took us up over a dirt road by rivers and through fjords that was pretty amazing as well.

On Day 3, we made it to the city of Ålesund that was rebuilt entirely in 1904 in Art Nouveau style after being destroyed by a fire.  The fjord was bright turqoise/blue and the city was sunny, bustling and beautiful with canals reminiscent of Venice.   Lots of WWII activity occurred here with German troops stationed all over the area and an active Norwegian resistance movement.  The girls and I gave up the rustic, and stayed at the swank Radisson Blu and ate "city food" other than grilled sausage.  We took a tour through the museum to see the WWII artifacts, guns, posters, and entered the original Uraedd (a floating egg lifeboat that made it across the Atlantic in 1905).  A true sailor/survivor at heart, Melita actually fell asleep in the cozy "egg" bunk and we had to search the museum for her.

We took the coastal route home and also got to experience two drive-on ferries and the 'in'famous Sveler med brunost (pancakes with sweet brown cheese)...mmmm...

Now Norway state government/offices/schools/post is on strike because they got 0.25% less of a raise compared to industry.  Protest on, it's a slippery slope into rank capitalism my friends.  All local schools are closed, except for my children's international school which is private and able to keep on keepin' on.  Aren't we all just...