Preikestolen

In Norway, the Thursday, Friday, and Monday surrounding Easter are public holidays.  Very few shops are open and most people are traveling to visit their families. Flights and hotels were more expensive over this time period so we decided to stay around Stavanger.   It's rare that we have this much time off work with nothing planned and we definitely took advantage of it.  Thursday was a completely unproductive, lazy, not-even-worth-fixing-my-hair-or-putting-on-real-clothes day.  Oh how I love those every now and then.  

Turns out, our day of rest was needed because we spontaneously decided to hike Preikestolen the next day.  Our friend, Leif Christian, was around for the weekend and he was eager to come along.  Jeff and I would have been capable of making this hike on our own but it really is comforting (and fun!) to have Leif Christian as our "Norwegian Guide" as proven on our last hike.  Now, we know exactly where to catch the Stavanger ferry to Tau and how to make the short drive to the parking lot where the hike starts.  I was also able to practice my Norsk on him, which I'm sure he appreciated :)  The only thing missing was his lovely wife, Therese, who was visiting family up North.  Next time, though!

Because the hike starts at 270 moh (acronym for meters above sea level in Norwegian), I was already impressed by the views just 10 minutes into the hike.  But Preikestolen is 604 moh so we had more ground to cover. Onward and upward!

Before actually going on these hikes, I would wonder how on earth I would know where the trail was.  Norway, with its penchant for getting people outside, takes most of the guesswork out of this while still allowing room to explore.  Each season, a network of volunteers scours the country and marks trails with red T's along the most desirable route.  Hundreds and hundreds of trails.  That's dedication!  My last question is... what do we do if it snows?...  Bring Leif Christian!  

I had also read on sites like TripAdvisor that there were complaints about the lack of safety features (railings, paved trails etc) and was anxious to form my own opinion.  What I found was that even as a major tourist attraction, Preikestolen has not lost its fundamental draw - that it is nature. Wild, rocky, hilly, steep nature.  It's true that there are no railings to keep you from falling off the very top or along the trails which I think just serves as a reminder that nature isn't to be trifled with.  Get too close to the edge, you might fall. It's actually pretty humbling.

After two hours of semi-strenuous hiking (made more difficult by the surprise snowfall the night before) we made it.  And there really are no words.

What we learned: pack layers for every occasion (or bring options in the car) because the weather can change/vary just in one hike.  Start the hike early so that you are one of the only ones at the top.  Also, a hot drink like coffee is the perfect treat once you make it to the top.  Now, I just need a Thermos.

 This is a MUST for visitors to Norway!

On Holiday: The Netherlands and Belgium

When our household items were delayed back in January and we were unable to move into our house, there were a few weeks that we really didn't have much to do.  We had already made a weekend trip to Bergen and there was so much snow that local travel was out of the question in our rental car. We (I) were on the verge of becoming whiny when Jeff had a brilliant idea (he's prone to these epiphanies) - let's plan our first European trip!  So, we did. 

First, we decided to go at the end of March since the weather had better chances of being decent (relative to Norway) and our move would for sure be finalized.  Then the fun part - where?!  I knew March wouldn't be the ideal time to go to many places in central Europe so we focused more on urban locations where the biggest draw would be the city.  Finally, it was decided - Amsterdam and Brussels! 

We really lucked out with weather - sunny, clear skies the entire time and only cold enough for a heavier jacket at night.  I hadn't dared go outside without my down parka for the past two months so this was a real treat! The only downside was that I now had to pay attention to what I was wearing since it wouldn't be hidden underneath a puffy coat.  Give a little, take a little.

Amsterdam was probably my favorite of the 4 cities we visited on this trip.  I loved the mix of canals, cafes, cyclists, and boats.  Everyone was very friendly, too, unless you stepped in the bike line. Do NOT step in the bike lane.  Jeff did and luckily he survived to tell the tale.

We ate at some great places in Amsterdam, too - Seasons, Envy, Pancakes Amsterdam, and Kantjil en deTijgre to name a few.  I can promise that we never went hungry.  We didn't have the courage to try a pickled herring sandwich, though... I think I'm okay with that.

One quick train ride from Amsterdam and we were in Belgium.  Our base was Brussels but we spent our first day in Ghent which is just 30 minutes outside of the city.  Our friend, Brittany, recommended we go and we are so glad we did!   Everything worth seeing is in one compact center so we just wandered the streets and referenced our handy Rick Steves guide book every now and then.

We spent our next full day in Bruges, another city center stuck in Medieval times.    This town has more tourists which has been noted as one of the negatives of seeing this city, but it didn't take away from our experience at all! Between the fantastic beer (do they brew a bad beer in Belgium?), taste-testing different chocolates, and the piping hot frites all set against a picturesque backdrop of spires and canals, how could one complain?

We wandered around Brussels on our last day and followed a Rick Steves city walk through the upper and lower towns.  The Grand Place is named appropriately and the tiny Mannekin Pis dressed up for us that day. 

Thank you Holland and Belgium for a wonderful first holiday!

Manafossen

Even though we made this hike over two weeks ago in less-than-ideal conditions, it was still so much fun that I couldn't wait any longer to share it!  We were very fortunate to be accompanied on this hike by two new friends - Leif Christian and Therese.  Leif Christian and I work together and the four of us were at a company ski trip that could have been a big bust (the weather was rainy and windy - not great skiing conditions) but it wasn't thanks to this fine couple!  Rather than go skiing for a second day, we packed up and headed out of Sirdal to Manafossen.  Here's a preview of some of the great scenery.

This is one of Norway's largest waterfalls and includes a great hike up and around it.  This whole area is really beautiful and could also include a stop to the candle factory in Byrkjedal.

I've decided that every "hike" I've been on prior to moving to Norway was really just a walk.  THIS is hiking. And our friends told us that it was an easy one too!  Pulling myself up the hill by a chain? Easy? I can't wait to see what is challenging!

Yes, I have on my ski pants and snow boots... I suspect those boots made the ascent a little more difficult   but this was an impromptu hike after all.  There is actually a sign at the beginning that warns against wearing high heels.  Now THAT would be an impromptu hiking outfit. 

We made it to the waterfall and it was well worth the effort!  

We kept hiking up and around and eventually made it to the mouth of the waterfall on the other side.  The views were wonderful and Man Farm could be seen from the top.  With more time, we probably would have continued our hike over there, but we saved it for another day better for a picnic!  Jeff quenched his thirst at the mouth of the waterfall. Don't worry - no sheep were seen upstream..

Two of my favorite spots - the bridge and the moss covered tree grove.  And you can see our friends in the blue and red jackets below! You better believe they had their hiking boots, rain gear, and trail snacks.  I've learned Norwegians are always ready for an outdoor adventure!  I might need to make a checklist...

We will definitely be making this hike again!

A Bike Ride

It was a pretty normal Saturday today.  The house was straightened and Jeffrey cut bananas to put in my cereal (I love that).  We ran a few errands - Ikea and Coop Obs (the Norway version of Lowes) and met some new friends for lunch at our favorite new spot Ostehuset (Cheese House - need I say more?). We walked home in the sun, not a care in the world. Then BAM.

Jeff realized that our parking pass expires soon. Scratch that. It expires today! This normally wouldn't be cause for too much alarm except public parking is very expensive near our house (I'm talking 8/hr, people!) and there's no point in risking it because I swear the parking police hide in the bushes just to give us tickets (we've had two...ick) so leaving it wasn't an option.  After cursing the parking office for not being open on a Saturday, we decide to just drive our car to work and take the train back.  Better yet, we decide to bike back!  Four miles. FOUR. I don't bike all that much. In fact, I wasn't even sure if my cruiser could take it.

Jeffrey made sure my helmet was all snug and then we began our trek.  Some parts weren't fun - hills, gravel, the child that sped past me going up the gravely hill leaving me huffing and puffing in his dust...  But then there was the mountains, and the fjords, and the early blooming flowers, and Jeffrey doing zig zags ahead of me so I could catch up. It was one of those stressful situations that turned into a fun afternoon.  And I liked it.

Don't I look so very stylish on my cruiser? Favorite accessory - reflective ankle band.

When we got home, we tossed the ball for Pistol.  And he liked it, too.

Welcome to Our House!

Finally, a post about our new house here in Stavanger.  I guess new is relative because it was actually built around 1840 or so.  I love thinking about all the history this house has seen and the lives that have called this house their home.  Now we can too!  Of course some of it has changed (wait until you see the bathroom.. pretty sure that's a recent update) but the wood walls on the first floor are all original along with the fire place (one of our favorite features). Let's take a tour!

First, we'll start with a quick visual of our location on a map.  We live in an area called Gamle Stavanger (or "Old Stavanger").

In short, its a preserved area of wooden houses all built in the 18th century.  If you're interested, read more about it here - see the couple looking up at the white house with the blue gate??  That's our house!

We only just realized this recently and are still pretty excited.  Anyway.  The neighborhood is very charming and full of character. It's no wonder that tourists come to this area to look around on their visits.  I'm already preparing for some awkward eye contact through our front windows because we hear they'll peer in. Should be interesting!  Here are a few more shots of the neighborhood.

And there are some great views between the rooftops of the harbor.

Now for our house!  We enter through the side door through that blue gate because there is a mud room there.  No one wears their shoes inside because it's usually raining so most houses have an area for you to put your shoes and coats when you walk in.  Okay, so after taking your shoes off, step into our kitchen.

 Cozy right?  I'm adjusting to less counter space pretty well and the storage space hasn't been too much of an issue thanks to the hutch near the dining room table (remember the piece of furniture that was too tall but we had to make it work?  That's it!)  It's been very easy to adjust to the heated floors, the airy windows and the wood fireplace (love love love).  Next stop? The living room and the study.

We absolutely love our sectional, and I was so happy when I knew for sure it was going to make it into this room (it was taken completely apart and put back together again).  I knew it would fit based on measurements but I wasn't sure if it would be too big for the room.  Turns out, we think it's perfect!  Not pictured is Jeff's TV which the couch is facing - thanks to our 2000 watt transformer, it's worked like a charm too!  And the study...

About 1/4 of this room is not in the picture so it's not ALL chair.  We had to have a good reading chair though and a desk or course.   Let's go upstairs!

Pistol's excited too! There is a spare bedroom up here but lucky guests will get to stay in the loft up that ladder :)  Next is the bathroom - the most modern room in the house.

Also quite possibly the largest room in the house. Not sure why but I won't complain.  Shower is a bit of a tight squeeze - just more motivation for evening runs! Gotta love those heated floors and windows though.  The spare bedroom has a good windows too.

The windows overlook our backyard. We can't wait for a little warmer weather so we can bring out the grill.

We have a good view of the harbor from the top of the stairs too.  Sometimes all we can see is an enormous ship though - still not quite used to that!

And finally, our room.  The light's not as great on this side because we really close to our neighbor but this will actually work out great in the summer when the sun is only down from 11PM to 3AM.

Well, there you have it!  The grand tour.  The room that I forgot to take a picture of is the basement downstairs.  We call it the dungeon because of its stone walls but the most exciting thing down there is the washing machine, a deep freezer, and our summer tires for the car.   Come on over a visit sometime and stay a while!

Sauda Ski Boat

I've never lived anywhere that skiing was a spontaneous activity.  Apparently, now I do!  In Stavanger, you could ski (downhill or cross country) any day between November and early April and public transportation makes it incredibly easy.  Last weekend, Jeffrey and I went with some new friends to Sauda via the Sauda Ski Boat.  Here's how it works..

• Buy tickets ahead of time here.  Best to do it before Friday because the weekend boats fill up.  The ticket includes the boat rides, bus rides and your lift tickets for the day.
• Boats leave Stavanger harbor at 8:00.  Food and drink are sold on the boat but we saw that others had brought their own too.  It's a beautiful ride through the fjords to Sauda so grab a seat by the window or go outside to the top of the boat.

• Buses meet the boat in Sauda and take you to the base where you can rent skis.  One thing we noticed is there are no lockers for your extra clothes/shoes.  They are just piled up in the ski rental hut under the benches because no one is ever worried about their things being stolen because nothing ever is! 
• SKI!

• The slopes in Sauda are not ascended by chair lifts.  This freaked me out a little at first.. I mean, I mastered chair lifts at age 6 but a T-bar? A button lift?  Turns out, they aren't so bad and at least they don't mow you down like a chair lift if you mess up a little! I was even comfortable enough to take some pictures while on them.

• We were fortunate to have some sun on that Saturday, too (we also had rain, snow, and wind at different times... we won't focus on that though).  Some areas of the mountain look untouched, like we were the first to ever be that high.  The slopes (or "pistes" as most call them here) weren't the toughest in Sauda but they were some of the most breathtaking.

• Buses leave the base at 16:00 sharp!  Best get used to this time format too because that is what is used here...
• Boat leaves Sauda once all the buses are unloaded and it makes it back to the Stavanger harbor at 18:00.  And the views are just as as good on the way back.  What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday!