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Vicarious Travel Norway | Oslo + Bergen 2016

Hello all, I was inspired by Jazz+Travels' recent post sharing pictures of his travels. I'll admit I had to look up the word "Vicarious" lol, but it seems like a fun idea to share these kinds of pics and pass the time a bit! For my post I choose my trip to Norway, back in 2016.

Here is the photo album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/9p3Buqfvo5bVbyV66

I spent 3 nights in Oslo and 3 nights in Bergen. I took the typical train between the two cities. While I liked Oslo, it felt very livable, for me Bergen was really fantastic! I think I was lucky as it was one of the few weeks without constant rain ;-)

Once in Bergen, I rented a car drove all the way to Flam, but the long way, along the Fjords, it took a few hrs. From Flam I took the Flam Railway up to Myrdal and back down, the landscape was very pretty. Back in Flam I went on a Fjord Safari recommended by RS himself. We hopped on a speed boat and jetted through the Fjords, that was really incredible, speeding past all the sheer cliffs and really getting up close, my best memory from the trip.

I also enjoyed exploring Bergen itself, between the castle, old merchants' quarter, harbourfront, museums, funicular, and general exploring there was a good deal to see. I recall I ate at two very good restaurants - Bryggeloftet & Stuene (very traditional Norwegian fare, order the Bergensk fiskesuppe, the signature dish of Bergen) and Dr. Wiesener (neighbourhood hangout with great local seafood).

Well, I hope this can stoke some travel dreams of your own for Norway! :)

Posted by
7053 posts

Thanks for sharing! It's as beautiful as I imagined. Hope to make it there one day. High on my list is the sculpture park (Frogner Park) in Oslo.

Posted by
4170 posts

Hi Agnes, alas I was not able to make it out to Frogner Park, I was surprised by how short 3 nights felt in Oslo. There is certainly much to see and Oslo warrants a second visit!

Posted by
4231 posts

Thanks for sharing Carlos. Almost makes me want to put Norway on my list. We were not a fan of Sweden, Finland, or Denmark when we visited, but we have read Norway is very different.

Posted by
119 posts

Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful pictures. I had already bought my plane ticket for Norway before COVID-19 struck. So, I have a ticket to go August 31st that I'm sitting on. If that doesn't work out, it'll just be a postponement to probably Summer 2021. I will fly into Bergen, so it was nice to get your recommendations! I will also rent a car, like you, and drive to Flam via Hardangerfjord and I plan on riding the Flam Railway and taking a Fjord Safari! From there, I will then make my way to Alesund via Geiranger. I'm still working on the details, since I know I'll go eventually - but being hopeful sooner rather than later. Thanks for the inspiration.

Posted by
4170 posts

That sounds like a fantastic trip Connie, happy to help!

Posted by
4738 posts

Thanks, Carlos! I loved the photos. Norway is on my list.:) I also just looked at Agnes’ photos of Istanbul and will head to Jazz+travels next. Great idea!

Posted by
6920 posts

We were not a fan of Sweden, Finland, or Denmark when we visited,

May I ask why?

but we have read Norway is very different.

In some ways it is, in some ways it isn't.

Posted by
1001 posts

Thanks for sharing! Love looking at travel pictures. I’ve been to Oslo two times but haven’t get gotten to Bergen or any place else in a Norway. Hopefully someday.

Posted by
4231 posts

Sorry Badger, we just weren’t feeling it. Sometimes it is hard to put into words. We travelled to Copenhagen for 5 days. My brother-in-law always raved and said it was his favorite city. We just never made that connection. We went with another couple and they felt the same way. Maybe because our interest lay with WWII history and we have no family connection to Scandinavia. I am of English/Irish descent and my husband is 100% Croatian. If our list of other places wasn’t so long, we would circle back that way but it is highly unlikely.

Posted by
4170 posts

Hi Barbara, I really enjoyed Norway for its stunning scenery, I think it is more rugged and wild then Sweden, although I have only been to Stockholm. Bergen felt more historic than Oslo, it has the oldest royal castle of Norway. Norway also has a good deal of WWII history, having been invaded and occupied by the Germans at the onset of the war. Bergen in particular was a hot bed of the Norwegian resistance movement. There is a small but interesting museum detailing the Norwegian resistance in Bergen. I feel like Norway's dramatic history during WWII is certainly overlooked or even unknown to many Americans.

Posted by
5837 posts

Norwegian Resistance.

The Oslo Resistance Museum is high on my list of museums to visit in Norway:
https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/norways-resistance-museum/2764/

Books to read about the WW2 Heavy Water Plant that Norwegian commandos put out of commission without any loss of life, Norwegian or German:

Thomas Gallagher "Assault in Norway : Sabotaging the Nazi Nuclear Program", 1975

More recent book is
Neal Bascomb "The Winter Fortress: The Epic Mission to Sabotage Hitler's Atomic Bomb", 2017.

Posted by
4231 posts

Yes, you are correct. We never read too much about WWII and Scandinavia, specifically Norway. I am going to do some research. Thank you for the information.

Posted by
6920 posts

Sorry Badger, we just weren’t feeling it. Sometimes it is hard to put
into words.

No need to apologize, but it's always interesting to hear other people's thoughts. But, if you are looking for world war history, there is not a lot to see in Sweden.

I think it is more rugged and wild then Sweden, although I have only
been to Stockholm.

If you head out of Stockholm you will see a more wild and rugged part of Sweden.

Posted by
3522 posts

Thanks for this Carlos! We went to Norway in 2018 and visited many of these same places. Looks like you did the fjord safari out of Bergen like we did, such fun! I liked Norway better than I expected to.

Here is my photo album ( it does include Scotland and Ireland as well, we spent 1 month in Europe.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/RhHm7QfVd5vZ5Vn6A

Posted by
4170 posts

Thanks for the link to you pics, Tammy! I really like all the creative borders you added around your pictures, really helps to tell the story behind them :)

I have yet to visit Scotland and Ireland, but Scotland is high on my list.