Pictures!

So I finally got a change to upload all of my photos. They don't all have captions yet, but I'm working on it. But at least now you can see them. Though I warn you...there are about 400 pictures, so pace yourself. And please don't feel obligated to look at them all. I hope to have the captions up soon.

They're up on my facebook profile, but if you don't have an account on facebook, here are the public links:

Oslo Part I
Oslo Part II - Vigelan Park
Norway in a Nutshell
Bergen

Faroe Islands Part I
Faroe Islands Part II
Faroe Islands Part III
Faroe Islands Part IV
Faroe Islands Part V

Iceland Part I
Iceland Part II

Home Sweet Home

After a long and exhausting day of travel, I have made it back home. I just walked into my house about 10min ago and now face the daunting task of unpacking. Perhaps that will wait until tomorrow.

Thank you to everyone who followed along on my journey. This trip was an amazing experience that I will never forget. I wish I could have shared more stories and pictures as the trip was in progress, but sadly there just wasn't enough time. Most of you, though, will have the pleasure of seeing the picture and hearing the stories in person (some sooner than others). And I look forward to being able to share my memories with you.

Once all of my pictures are uploaded online somewhere I'll post the link here as well.

And now...some much needed sleep.

Love you all,
Meg

The End Is Near...

So sad - I believe this will be my last entry. Tomorrow evening I head back to the states. But that still leaves one night and one morning, and I'm hoping to make the most of them!

Today we had a great day despite the cloudy skies and intensely cold winds. To start off our day, we took an hour horseback ride through lava fields. It was awesome. Having never been horseback riding and always wanting to, this was a particular treat. My horse's name was Perdy (I'm guessing on the spelling here) and she (or maybe he) was a great horse. I had so much fun that I didn't even mind the bitter cold gale force winds that kept sweeping through. And it was a great way to see the gorgeous landscape!

After that, we headed to a nearby coffee shop for soup and lattes to warm our extremely cold hands. Then it was back to Reykjavik for a little shopping and of course a trip to another public city pool. Given the weather we decided to try out the indoor pool, though we still enjoyed the outdoor hot tubs on the balcony. There was even a 3meter diving board inside, so I was able to whip out my diving skills. I was only brave enough to throw a 1 and a half, but it felt good all the same.

Now we're back at the hostel showering and getting ready for a night on the town. We're starting with a nice farewell dinner for me and then hitting the bars as Fridays in Reykjavik are supposed to be quite an affair and most people stay out until 6am! I don't think that's in the cards for us, especially since we're hoping to head out early tomorrow to check out the Blue Lagoon before James drops me off at the airport. But we'll see what we can do.

If I get very bored at the airport tomorrow, I may post one more time. But most likely this will be my last post abroad. Look forward to a big update with lots of pictures and maybe some more stories on Sunday or early next week. Or if you're really lucky, maybe you'll get to see some pictures in person. (And yes, mom, I'll call you when I land :) )

Here's a sign-off from James:

I left Meghan at the airport on Saturday (after a quite relaxing few hours in the famous/infamous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, set in a lunar like lava-scape), so I have officially returned to my solo travels. (I miss her already!)  

Love from Iceland,
Meg

The Beauty of Iceland

So over the last two days I have found out that Iceland is a gorgeous country! Especially since yesterday and today have been absolute gorgeous sunshine - barely a cloud in the sky. Yesterday we spent the day touring all around downtown Reykjavik, visiting many museums including the National Gallery and the Photography Museum (of course I thought of you, Stef). They have some absolutely amazing artists here. We also saw the Settlement museum and the National Museum, where I learned a lot about the history of Iceland.

Reykajavik

Today we rented a car and our major event was the well known "Golden Triangle", so called I think just because it's a collection of three major tourists sites all in the same general area. One is a historical site (which James really enjoyed I think) that had breathtaking views of a giant canyon and small ponds. The second was a giant waterfall, probably the largest I've ever seen. And the third was a my favorite, a geyser park (in a town called Geysir actually) that has a ton of little dormant geysers and one big active one that shoots off about every 6 min or so. We were lucky and saw a whole bunch of great geysering in the time we were there. I got some super pictures and also a video clip. Sadly I don't think these computers here at the hostel allow photo uploading, so you'll just have to wait till I get home and can get all of my pictures up. But it was pretty spectacular.

Gulfoss

James and our car

Sheep in the road!

Me near Gulfoss

Here's James' recap of our Golden Triangle adventure:

Having tasted the freedom of our own set of wheels in the Faroes, we rented a car to see some of the country outside of Reykjavik. The classic day trip tour is called the Golden Triangle, the three points of which are: Þingvellir National Park, Geysir (which obviously gives us the word "geysir"), and Gulfoss (major waterfall). We put these on our itinerary but in our own order and at our own pace - and with a couple extras thrown in. On the way to Þingvellir, there is a museum in honor of the most famous of Icelandic authors, Hálldor Laxness, this small country´s Nobel Prize winning writer. Admittedly, he was not on my radar before I began planning this trip, but once I read _Independent People_ I was hooked. So I wanted to make this pilgrimage, to see the house he called home for much of his life (right across from the farm on which he grew up). Meghan and I had the tour to ourselves, which allowed us to savor the fascinating tale of this man - and of his oh-so patient wife. I recommend his work to anyone.

Þingvellir was another pilgrimage site for me, as this is where the original Icelandic Alþing, or "parliament" was gathered from the earliest days of the settlement of the island. It is enormously important, symbolically, to Icelanders, as for them it is a sign of their independence and early "democratic" Viking society - before Christianity stole some of the fire and before the Norwegian, then Danish, monarchies imposed their rule. The place itself is also quite beautiful, and provides one of the clearest signs of the continental divide one can see. The rift forms a narrow canyon, the sides of which are moving in opposite directions.

Gulfoss and Geysir provided even more natural beauty, enhanced by the stunningly sunny, warm weather (it was, at times, even comfortable to wear short sleeves). Gulfoss is a roaring glacier fed waterfall, resplendent with dazzling rainbows. An enormous icefield can be seen in the distance. Geysir brought out the kid in us, as we watched the regular eruption of one and turned our noses at the eggy smell of sulpher permeating the air.

We rounded off the day with one more pilgrimage, a visit to the former seat of the church in Iceland, Skáholt. Although the present church is twentieth-century, there has been a church on the site for almost a thousand years. It is hard to imagine the importance it once held, not only religiously but politically, for this island country. Then on to a hot pot! 

Me and James at Gulfoss

A geyser at Geysir

Of course we have also been taken advantage of the many outdoor public swimming pools and hot tubs. We have gotten in the habit of taking our swimsuits and towels with us everywhere you go because you never know when you'll run into a pool and feel like a dip. Yesterday we ventured into the one closest to down town and whittled away two hours in the sunshine sitting in a hot tub or heated pool while the chilly 55 degree wind swept above it. Simply luxurious. Today we stopped a pool in one of the suburbs we were driving through and to my great delight they had a real 1m diving board. So though extremely rusty, I managed to try out a couple easy dives. It was quite fun.

But after a nearly 12hr day of site seeing and swimming, I'm exhausted. Tomorrow we're hoping to go horseback riding through a lava field (fingers crossed that the weather holds out) and check out a town that claims to be the hidden entrance the elves parallel universe. Should be interesting. I should get a change for one more entry tomorrow to tell you all about it before I fly home on Saturday. Miss you all and can't wait to see you!

Happy Thursday!
Meg

Hello from Iceland!

So we landed safely in Iceland this afternoon and have settled in quite nicely. So now I'm not only closer to home location-wise, but also time wise - I'm now only 4hrs ahead of East Coast US time. Thankfully, I think that will make my transition back to the states a little easier on Saturday. Wow...Saturday. I can't believe I come home so soon! It feels like I've been gone forever and barely at all, all at the same time.

After landing in Reykjavik's city airport (possibly the smallest airport of all time), we grabbed a taxi and headed to the hostel. Since Iceland is crazy expensive (think $20 for a beer) we're in a 4-person dorm style room. There are two guys staying with us a the moment - one from CT and one from England - but both of them leave tomorrow. So we'll see what kind of roommates tomorrow brings. (Fingers crossed for non-snorers!).

After settling into the hostel, we bought a 48-hour Tourist card at the front desk which gives us free admission to museums, pools and buses. This works out really well because it turns out that Reykjavik is a pretty big city. This way can explore at will without worrying about having exact change on buses or entrance fees for museums. Plus it saves us some money, which is always nice. We jumped on the bus that stops right outside the hostel and headed into town to visit the Cultural House which right now has a great exhibit on original saga manuscripts (James was quite excited). Then we saw the large cathedral church, which was breath taking inside. Especially since there was an impromptu concert being played on the giant organ. The other great thing about this church is that you can ride up the elevator 8 stories to the top of the bell tower to get a great view of the whole city.

Reykjavik from above

Halgrimskirkja

We grabbed dinner at a delicious vegetarian restaurant (there are a ton here surprisingly!) before heading back to the hostel to grab our swimsuits. One of the seven huge public swimming pools is right next door and since our tourist card gives us free admission we decided to check it out. We definitely weren't disappointed. There is one giant outdoor pool that is heated by geothermic energy (complete with water slide) and then several "hot pots", which are basically jacuzzis of varying temperature - including one that's sea water. It was such a relaxing experience. The perfect way to wrap up our first day in Iceland.

Now it's off to bed so we can head out to explore this city properly tomorrow. Hope all is well with everyone!

Here's James' recap of our time in Reykjavik:

It is rare that I have to warm to a place - usually I know very quickly whether or not I like a city when I arrive. If I don´t have an immediate, positive response, I am unlikely to develop one. But Reykjavik was a surprise, slowly seducing me rather than making a fast move. I have to admit that I was, at first, a little surprised by how drab much of the the city is architecturally, at least much of the earlier homes and housing blocks which are often dark gray stucco. Then there was the gritty feel of the graffiti on many walls. Even now, after having a chance to see the more cutting edge parts of the city, or the prettier leafy environs of the lake Tjörnin, I would not classify Reykjavik as one of the lovelier European cities I have seen (dramatic, gorgeous setting, yes; as a city, no). But Reykjavik is a city of often hidden charms, where behind that gray stucco exterior one will find a bright, cheerful interior. It is a city where hip Icelanders drink in cozy cafes or chic bars. Where some of the best modern art I have seen of late is displayed in abundance. Where the museums are as high tech as I have experienced. Where people hang out in "hot pots" and geothermal pools on a regular basis. There is a vibe to this city unlike any other. And I am thoroughly hooked.  

We spent our first couple of days getting acquainted with all that Reykjavik has to offer (after the Faroes, Reykjavik at 115,000 seemed a veritable metropolis - and it does have more restaurants and cultural institutions per capita than almost any city of comparable size). Of course, since my trip is Viking themed, the very first thing I did after we settled in to our hostel was to visit the Þjóðmenningarhúsið (Culture House) to see the dimly lit saga manuscripts that are, without a doubt, the "crown jewels" of Iceland. I have been reading many of the sagas as I have traveled, providing both a literary and historical texture to the landscapes I see. I was strangely humbled to see these products of the early Christian era of Iceland, books written by monks, often about the often brutal days of the settlement - and writing them in Old Norse, not in Latin. They were the first major corpus of vernacular prose literature produced in "Europe". We also saw the excellent Reykjavik 871+/-2 Settlement Exhibition, an innovative, interactive museum built around a Viking long house discovered beneath the city.  

Outside of our more high-brow endeavors, both Meghan and I became hooked on the geothermal baths dotted around the city. We actually had one of the biggest right next door to our hostel. Since arriving in Iceland, we have not missed a day soaking and relaxing at least once in a "hot pot".

 

Lots of love from Iceland!
Meg

Góða Ólavsøku

Hello everyone! Góða Ólavsøku!! Or as you may understand it better...Happy St. Olav's Festival! Ólavsøku is the national holiday here in the Faroe islands, and what a festival it is! Though today is sadly our last day in the Faroes - we fly to Iceland tomorrow - I couldn't have asked for a better ending to our stay here. Ólavsøku is quite an experience - definitely one I will never forget!

The festivities started on Saturday with a big parade through town and many of the local people dressed in traditional Faroese dress. It was amazing. It seemed like the whole country turned out to watch. Then it was just partying all day! People young and old were out drinking in the streets, and there were events all day. From choirs and traditional dancers to a hip hop routine by some local teenagers (you would have loved it Liz!). There was also carnival like games set up all over the place and little shacks selling popcorn, hot dogs and cotton candy (or as they call it, candy floss). We had a great time walking through the streets and checking out all the events.

Then came Sunday, which is the real holiday. Everything started with a march from parliament to the cathedral of all the ministers and parliament members. Then there was a service in the

cathedral followed by a huge choir singing in front of parliament. Everyone was there and loads of people where dressed in Faroese national dress. It was quite a sight to behold. As luck would have it, right after the choir finished singing we ran into the kind Faroese family that had invited us for dessert and coffee while we were in Suðuroy. We were chatting about the day and the invited us over to their house for an evening brunch/open house. What a fortuitous meeting! After another day of festivities we did indeed join this kind family for an evening in their home, full of good food, drinks and singing. Then at 11pm we walked back into town for the big event. At midnight there was a huge singalong in the town square. They estimate about 10,000 people were there in the little town singing their hearts out. There were song books passed around, so even James and I did our best with pronunciation and sang along (I think the drinks helped). After the singing, everyone joined hands and began the traditional Faroese chain dance - even us. It was an amazing experience to see thousands of people all doing the same steps in time together. I can't even explain it. Sadly I was so enthralled by the events that I didn't even think to take pictures. But I think James was able to snap a few, so tune into his blog for some views!

Here's what James wrote about our time at the festival:

Standing in the midst of some 8000-1000 inebriated Faroese at midnight last night, all of us belting out Faroese songs (me included), I realized I would have a very hard time explaining Olavsøka -- or St. Olaf's Day -- to anyone who had not witnessed it first hand. It is perhaps the most important festival in the Faroes, though only celebrated in Torshavn, the capital. What limited hotel and hostel space is available fills up months in advance, both with tourists and with Faroese traveling from other islands. Although St. Olaf's Day is technically just that, one day (July 29), the party started on Friday night and didn't really wrap up to the wee hours of today. It is a combination religious holiday (celebrating the arrival of Christianity to the islands) and political affair (politicians marching from the parliament to service at the "cathedral"); it is an assertion of the unique Faroese culture, with a large percentage of the population dressed in beautiful national dress (even when sporting punk hairstyles and piercings); it is a fair with games and junk food; it is a weekend of drunken debauchery; it is a sporting competition (rowing and horseback riding); it is a showcase for the musicality of the Faroese, with its many choirs and bands, and a time to dance and sing at random; it is a time for family and friends to be together. Basically, it is a complete celebration that encompasses anything and everything Faroese. And at midnight of Olavsøka proper, all is distilled into an absolutely moving experience of singing followed by the famous Faroese chain dance. Everyone links hands and begins the simple two steps to the left, one to the right, movement and singing out the ballads that chronicle the history of the islands. Indeed, the dance and the ballads were one of the major ways the Faroese maintained their history and language when under Norwegian and Danish rule. It was fascinating and a whole lot of fun.

But perhaps the best part of all is that Meghan and I got to share the experience with a Faroese family. The islands are special for many reasons, but one of the most important is the warm hospitality we have experienced. Through a random connection with a Swiss man we met in Suduroy, we had been invited into a home there for coffee and conversation. The Faroes being the Faroes, we ran into this family (along with the Swiss) at the morning processional of Olavsøka. We were then invited to their home just outside of Torshavn for a buffet dinner (including dried whale with blubber and air-dried leg of lamb, uncooked). We sat for hours laughing and discussing the world, also getting to know their friends. It made Olavsøka a much more meaningful experience.

It is with real sadness that I am leaving these far away islands tomorrow morning. But it is on to Iceland, with warm memories of Olavsøka and the friendships we have made here to carry us forward.

Ok...I best be off, my time here at the library is running short. I uploaded a couple photos from our trip to Mykines onto Flickr. Hopefully I'll be able to update again once I reach Iceland tomorrow!

Miss and love you all!

Meg

Hello Hello

Hello everyone! Just a quick update while I have a moment on the internet. We're currently staying in a fantastic guesthouse on the island of Suðuroy. The helicopter ride was great and we arrived here in one piece! Last night we even had coffee and dessert with a Faroese family in their home. It was so much fun.

James enjoying the views from our helicopter ride

Now we are in the second largest town on this island, in the school's library, grabbing what little time on the internet that we can. We head back to the capital of Torshavn tomorrow by a 2hr ferry ride. But since the national holiday festival begins on Saturday, we're not sure how much internet access we will have. So I just wanted to check in and say hello, and though it's very rainy and foggy here we are still having a great time.

Here's a recap of our last few days from James:

...we moved quickly to the wild coastal landscapes of Vestmana, a truly lost world that illustrated the fragility of the islands' environment. Birds like puffins and guillemots are leaving their nests too early in the season -- something that would have been a disaster in earlier generations. It had not rained properly for nearly two months, something highly unusual for the Faroes with its very wet climate (that has changed of late!). We crossed over to Mykines, with its one lonely hamlet and its lonely light house on the westernmost point of the islands. But, again, no puffins much to my disappointment.

Now we are in the very south, on the island of Suduroy, having helicoptered here from Mykines (sorry mom and dad!) -- the birds'-eye views were spectacular. And we encased in dense fog, which thankfully only rolled in after we landed.

But tomorrow it will be on to Torshavn once again, where we will experience the most important time of year in the Faroe Islands, the Olasvsoka Festival. A full circle we will have made....

This is the hiking path we took out to the light house on Mykines

This bridge was part of our hike out to the lighthouse on Mykines

Another part of the hiking path we took out to the light house on Mykines

Hope all is well! Love and miss you!
Meg

And I'm Back!

Hello everyone! After a few days out in the countryside of Gjogv, we're back in the capital of Torshavn. First off, I just wanted to say Happy Belated Birthday to my mom!! Sorry I couldn't say it to you yesterday, but I was thinking about you!

It's been an amazing few days! We had the most beautiful weather for our first four days here. Bright sunshine and warm temperatures. So I can't really complain that it's rainy and cold today. Though I have my fingers crossed that it will clear up enough this afternoon for our boat tour of the bird cliffs. Especially though I hope it clears up for our tour of the southern islands the next couple of days, because those are definitely weather dependent seeing as how we'll be taking a ferry and a helicopter!

Life in Gjogv was grand and we were able to see three new islands while based there. It was quite gorgeous. I'm uploading a few new photos onto Flickr now, so hopefully you'll be able to get a taste of what the gorgeous sites up here!

On our travels through the northern islands

Our travels through the northern islands

We were able to see Teitur perform on Friday which was quite exciting! Though we were pretty far back, we had a great view of the stage and the sound was perfect. It was quite surreal seeing him perform here, especially since most of it was in Faroese. We also went back to the same spot on Saturday to here Eivør perform. She's an amazing singer whose hometown was hosting the festival, so it was quite a treat. If you get a chance you should check her out online, her voice is hauntingly beautiful.

Here's what James described our recent adventures:

Sitting on a grassy hill above the village of Gøta, watching the festivities of the surprising international G! music festival unfolding on the beach below -- and listening to the haunting voice of my now favorite Faroese singer, Eivør -- I couldn't help thinking: this is what the Faroe Islands are all about. Here was an international music festival, drawing performers from Europe and North America, in a little village that was also one of the major sites of the Færeyinga Saga, the farm of the powerful Faroese chieftain, Trondur i Gøta (and the hometown of Eivør). And the bay around which the the three part village is stretched, enclosed by the high treeless yet oh-so-green hills of the islands, was the sight of a grindadrap, or pilot whale killing, just a week before the festival (once an important means of survival in the harsh environment of the islands). This was the very Faroese balance of the modern, plugged-into-the-rest of the world view and the deeply felt sense of history and unique cultural identity. There is somehow no contradiction. The islands are both very ancient and very forward-looking. There are turf covered homes and sheep leaping from all directions no matter where you are traveling. Yet there are sub-sea tunnels with video toll registration (you pay at the nearest Shell Station!) and cell phone reception in even the most remote areas. You can fly by helicopter from one remote village to another -- just leaving a name to reserve a spot and paying right before take off (change made in a tin can). It all works here.

We rented a car for four days, which allowed us considerable freedom to explore in our initial days. After spending one night in Torshavn, we situated ourselves for four nights in the lovely village of Gjogv (pronouced jek-v) on the northern shore of the island of Eysturoy. It was an ideal location, with car, from which to really experience much of the Faroes. From here, we were able to visit remote villages like Saksun, lost in timeless mist, and pretty turf covered churches (always facing out to sea, as beacons for the sailors and their risky endeavors). We traipsed across the northern islands of Bordoy, Vidoy, and Kunoy -- some possessing only a couple of inhabited villages because the terrain is too wild and steep to sustain real agriculture. Yet almost all are connected by well paved roads and even tunnels (sometimes only one lane, but two way -- there are pull offs every few hundred meters, but it's a nerve-wracking venture). We were able to stop twice in Gøta to listen to our respective favorite Faroese singers -- Eivør for me and Teitur for Meghan, one of the main reasons she came on this trip! -- albeit from outside the official perimeters of the G! Festival. We hiked in the cloud wreathed hills north of the village of Eidi, trying to get an up close view of the rock stacks Risin and Kellingin, but were thwarted by dense fog. You could just make out their hulking blackness, or the waves crashing at their base. (These rock formations are considered to be a giant and his wife who tried to tow the Faroes to Island, but were turned to stone before they were able to complete their task!) We also just enjoyed being in Gjogv. Our guesthouse, Gjaargardur (pron. jawr-gar-ur), was extremely cozy, and its proprietor, Eirik, a gregarious host. We hiked on the cliffs above town, saying high to the sea birds and sheep. I even ventured into a Faroese church service -- with three-fourths of the town's population of 40. It was hard to leave and return to the "bustle" of Torshavn.

In other exciting news, I was able to lay my hand on the new Harry Potter book today! We couldn't buy it while out in Gjogv, but they had it here in the capital. So I'm to read a couple chapters a night and be close to finished when I make it back to the states so that the ending won't be ruined for me. (So please don't mention anything about it! Thanks!)

Ok...I'd best be off. The pictures are up and ready to go! Miss you all lots!

-Meg

I Heart the Faroes!

Hello all! I'm coming to you live (in the smallest library I've ever seen) from Fuglafjørður, a small fishing town of about 1,500 people on the coast of Esturoy. We are stopping through here between trips to Gøta, the small village that hosts the G! Festival. We do not have tickets, but are hoping to find a cosy spot on one of the many hillsides to listen in for a bit this evening when Teitur is playing. (An especially nice touch since Teitur is the reason I found about the Faroes in the first place.) The scene there is incredible - the stage is set up on a tiny beach right along the water and there is a huge campsite down the road covered in tents. It's been quite a shock seeing so many young people bustling around the streets (many rowdy, punk or goth types...haha) because so far we've seen very small numbers of people at any one time.

Everything about the Faroes is amazing. I am completely in love. Everywhere you turn there is another absolutely spectacular view to behold. I can't wait until I can share all of these amazing pictures with you all, though even those won't do this gorgeous country enough justice. This is the second of the four days we're spending at Gjaargarður, the guesthouse in Gjogv. A completely serene turf-roofed house by the sea, our accommodations couldn't make me feel more at home. Yesterday we explored Gjogv, hiking up a nearby mountain to take in the views of the sea from its cliff and climbing along the rocky coast to watch the waves crash into the harbor. It's a great spot to stay on this island, Esturoy, because it's the easiest gateway to the other Northern islands which we hope to check out tomorrow.

Everything here is so gorgeous! This is the view from the harbor in the Gjogv.

 

Me in Gjogv!

 

The view from the balcony at the guesthouse where we spent four nights in Gjogv. You can see two of the islands. This is around 9:30pm!

I best be off - there's only one computer here and I don't want to usurp too much of its time. I just had to check in and let you all know how amazingly breathtaking this country is and what a fantastic time I'm having. More tales and pictures to come soon, I hope!

Lots of love,
Meg

Hello from the Faroes!

I have arrived in my featured destination - the Faroe Islands!

The ferry ride was quite a trip. I was mistaken though, the trip was only 20hrs, not 30, so we arrived here at 3:30pm local time, which is five ahead of DC time. The boat was huge - 8 decks in total. There was a cinema, two restaurants, one cafeteria, two bars and a store. It was crazy. Our quarters were quite cramped - a tiny room with three towers of three bunks and no room for bags. But we made it work, and thanks to some Bonine and a little Tylenol Sleepy Time I had a great night's sleep. The views from the outside deck on the top were amazing, especially when we were out so far on the ocean that there was no land in sight and as we pulled within view of the Faroes.

Our ferry!

In my bunk!

Here's what James wrote about our journey here:

The crossing from Bergen, Norway to Torshavn, the minuscule capital of the Faroe Islands, took about twenty hours -- and thankfully mostly on calm, by north Atlantic standards, sea. (Though the roiling sea during the night did threaten to jettison me from my narrow bunk in the bowels of the Norrøna ferry, a bunk I had to share with my large roller duffle.) I marveled at the journey the first Viking settlers must have made. We had the relative comfort of a large enclosed ship, complete with many of the amenities of a cruise ship (lounge singer anyone?). The Norsemen would have been in much smaller, open vessels. There are no real landmarks between Norway and the Faroes, just the grey sea and the grey sky. It must have been a frightening venture.

But when we saw the rising stretches of green land that indicated the Faroese chain, we were excited. Coming from the east, you are able to see almost all eighteen islands. By 3:30 on July 18, we were docking in Torshavn, ready to begin our Faroese adventure.

Tonight we're staying in the capital, Tórshavn (pop 14,000). We rented a car and tomorrow we drive up to Göta to hopefully check out the G! Festival. We'll be up there for about four days.

I'm quite excited to check out Tórshavn this evening, their pubs are supposed to have excellent live music and a great local beer. Hopefully we'll keep ourselves awake long enough to check it out.

Love from the Faroes,
Meg

Quick Update - Photos!

So I found a cafe that allowed me to upload some photos, though with some trouble. I attempted to insert them into a couple old entries, but in case that didn't work I also attempted to put them up at my flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/9668733@N02/sets/

Enjoy!
Meg

UPDATE: More photos added to Flickr, and hopefully to the blog as well. We head off tonight on the 30hr ferry to the Faroes (though from what I hear it may be closer to a cruise ship, haha) , so I'm not sure how much internet access I'll have for the next two weeks - could be none, could be plenty. It's hard to guess, but I'll do what I can! Also, definitely check out James's blog (http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/cemkess/), he added some great photos both of us and the beautiful scenery along with some better descriptions of what we've been up to! See ya in the Faroes!

Bergen - My New Home

I am totally obsessed with Bergen. This city is amazing - sitting right on the east coast of Norway it's the perfect port town. Slash metropolis. We arrived last night after a crazy day of travel - ferry to bus to train. The views of the fjord from the ferry were amazing. Truly spectacular...but I'll let the pictures do the talking once I finally find somewhere to post them. Right now I'm at the public library (30min of free internet...hooray!) but they don't have the connection available to upload photos. 

View of the fjord from our ferry ride

Another view of the fjord from our ferry ride

Yet another view of the fjord from our ferry ride

The craziest part of the trip was the bus ride, believe it or not. We took a bus straight up the mountain. No, seriously. We traversed all the way up, taking ridiculously wide turn on scarily narrow roads (which were two-way so cars kept having to pull onto dangerously steep grass to let our bus pass). I nearly fell out my seat from my the nervous giggling slash masked terror. It was pretty amazing though we stopped at a hotel at the summit and were able to get out of the bus and go into their backyard to take photos - the view from the top was worth it.

The road we drove up on the bus!

Here's what James wrote of our adventure to Bergen:

The next day we boarded the ferry to Gudvangen, a trip that would take us through two arms of the Sognefjorden. Flåm is at the end of the Aurlandsfjorden, which is in and of itself quite dramatic. Soaring mountains and isolated villages and farms (one on such a steep incline it required a ladder to get to the farm house) and the like. But as we gloried in the view, we turned into the other branch of the fjord, Nærøyfjord. And then we entered the land of the gods. The cliffs soared and tightened around us, the waterfalls crashed, the winds howled, and the mountain tops were lost in ancient mist and clouds. I felt very small and insignificant, fearing I'd never be able to appreciate the beauty of any other place. We were, once again, gobsmacked.

To finish the "Norway in a Nutshell" tour, we had to take a bus up to a town called Voss and catch the last stretch of train on to Bergen. We assumed -- which we really need to stop doing -- that the bus ride would be a piece of cake after the ferry adventure. But no, we had to zig-zag up a narrow, and frighteningly two-way, road to the top of a valley. Again, the eagle-eye view was enough to make us drop our jaws. Another of those moments where one thinks "and just when I thought I'd seen it all!"

By the time we got into Bergen, our senses had been so overwhelmed all we could do was hunker down for the rest of the evening and write. We didn't even go out to explore the new city. Simply, gobsmacked...

We arrived in Bergen around 8:30 and settled in to our room at the guesthouse - the first floor of a family's home that has been arranged into four bedrooms, one kitchen and two bathrooms. The room is super cozy and pretty spacious - for the first time on this trip we're not on bunkbeds! 

James having breakfast in our room in Bergen.

The rest of our room in Bergen

This morning we woke up early and headed out around town. We got the Bergen card for 24hrs starting at noon so we've been to several museums and used some public transport - though this city is perfect for walking. We saw a couple museum in old wooden houses and a castle from the 13th century. It was awesome. We also took a cable train up to the top of the mountain for a great birds eye view of the whole city and enjoyed a cup of coffee and some cake on the terrace at the top.

Rosenkrantz Tower

Dark spiral staircase in Rosenkrantz Tower

View from roof of Rosenkrantz Tower in Bergen

Birds eye view of Bergen

By far though, my most favorite part of the day was the fish market. Right down town on the harbor is a huge array of tents selling all sorts of things - from fresh fruit to jewelry to sweaters. And of course lots and lots of seafood. James tried whale and reindeer and I had a delicious fish cake and a sample of fresh salmon. We're already planning to go back tomorrow for lunch to try their fish soup and maybe a little sandwich.

The fantastic Bergen fishmarket!

A giant Monkfish (I think) at the fish market in Bergen.

The air here is just so gorgeous, and I love being so close to the water. It's like Newburyport on steroids. I love it.

Port in Bergen

Tonight it's off to find some dinner and then perhaps grab a beer somewhere to hear some of the live music we've seen advertised everywhere. We may even try to find another internet cafe that allows us to upload photos - keep your fingers crossed. Tomorrow we have the most of the day to explore the city some more and then we catch our 30hr ferry around 5pm. I'm hoping to get on here again tomorrow before we leave, but if not I'm not sure what the conditions will be like for the internet on the ferry and once we're in the Faroes. But I'll do my best.

Love from Bergen,
Meg

Greetings from Flåm!

Hello everyone! I'm sitting here in a little village called Flåm - population 400. But it's a major tourist destination as it's a port between lots of ferries and trains. We spent the night here in a campsite/hostel that was actually quite cozy. The best part about Flåm, however, is getting here. The views on the train up here were absolutely spectacular.

The first train we took was from Oslo to Myrdal and lasted about 5hrs. What started off as distant views of hills through small towns soon because dramatic scenery. There were giant mountains with patch of snow and amazing waterfalls. We spent a great deal of time trying to get the perfect photos through the window of the train while avoiding glare and trees and tunnels. As soon as I find an internet portal that has a USB port, I will definitely share some photos!

James admiring the spectacular views on the train from Oslo to Myrdal

Once in Myrdal, we quickly switched trains to the Flåmsbana - a train line almost exclusively for tourists that lasts about an hour. 

The Flåmsbana train we took from Myrdal to Flåm!

Gob smacked by the views!

Probably the most amazing part was when we pulled up to this gigantic waterfall. As everyone ran over to the left side of the train to try to get a good photo, a voice came over the loud speaker to tell us that the train would be stopping for 5min so that we could get out and get a full view. Needless to say, James and I raced out of the train to capture the moment. The waterfall was absolutely spectacular. There are no words to describe the power and beauty of it. As we were snapping pictures (in the cold rain, mind you, and of course I didn't think to grab my coat on my way off the train) the oddest thing happened. Loud music started to play and these two women dressed in blue dresses came out on a hill up closer to the waterfall in what looked almost like ruins. They sang and danced for a few minutes in an oddly captivating little number. It was quite amusing. I videoed some of it on my camera, so I'll have to share it with you all as soon as I get the chance.

The waterfall!

But as if that wasn't enough, when we arrived in Flåm, we were immediately taken by it's beauty. This small village lies in a valley surrounded by enormously high green mountains and sits at the mouth of a fjord. It's totally stunning. Last night as James and I took a stroll around town we couldn't stop musing how it felt like we were living in a painting. Once we settled into our hostel - bunk beds again, which I love since it reminds me of such good times in Little (not the same without you, Liz, of course!), we headed out to hike a little through the village. There was a trail that went up by a nearby waterfall so we thought we'd try our hand at that. Well am I glad I wore my hiking boots. This trail ended up being a steep uphill climb over rocks and through mud for about an hour. But my was it worth it. The view of the village below and of course the waterfall were absolutely breathtaking. Aching muscles and sweat were quickly forgotten when we cast our eyes upon this intense waterfall. The one on the train had been gorgeous, but we felt like this view was one that we earned.

View of the waterfall after the hike

View of Flåm from the waterfall

After taking a well deserved rest and photo break at the top of the trail, we headed back down to town to quickly change into some dryer and less muddy clothes and head out for some dinner. We grabbed dinner at this great little cafe where I had the most satisfying plate of fish and chips. After the intense hike it really hit the spot. Then it was back to the hostel (where we have a nice little private room) to unwind and head to bed.

Now we're spending the morning in Flåm before we jump on a ferry tour through the fjords followed by a bus and a train before arriving in Bergen this evening. Bergen is supposedly a big and fantastic town, so hopefully I'll find somewhere to upload pictures when I arrive there.

Here's what James wrote about our journey:

It's really the only word I can think of to begin to describe the sensation of taking the train from Oslo to Myrdal and from Myrdal to Flåm. You slowly ascend through the gentle rolling farmland of southern Norway, thinking "oh, this is pretty". But then you climb into hills and forested craggy mountains dotted with pristine lakes and you say "this is spectacular". And still there's more. You burst into the clouds onto a high plateau of eerie rock and snow landscapes, obscured by rain and mist. Now you say "I have no words to describe this". And STILL there's more. You transfer trains at this lonely spot in the clouds and begin a steep descent through an intensely green fjord valley, cut with dramatic ribbons of gushing waterfalls and spotted with percariously situated farms. Both Meghan and I were speechless and giddy like schoolchildren, hopping up and down to make sure we weren't missing the next awe-inspiring view. We were, in a word, gobsmacked. In a daze we arrived in the pretty port of FlÃ¥m.

Keyed up we quickly checked into our hostel and set forth to hike in the dripping wet hills, taking a strenous and muddy route up to Brekkefossen Falls and a view of the fjord that made us say: We are in Norway.

Can't wait till I can share full stories and pictures with you. But until then, I'll just send my love over the ocean.

-Meg

Oslo in a Nutshell

I have made it through my first full day in Oslo. It's Saturday morning and we're at the train station in Oslo waiting for our train to Flom - our first leg of 'Norway in a Nutshell'! The weather yesterday was gorgeous and we spent over 12hrs going all over Oslo with the Oslo Pass - a card you buy that gives you 24hrs free admission to museums and public transportation. More details to come on that when I have more time to write.

This is where we stayed in Oslo!

And here is our tiny room on the Innvik...and no, there's nothing else to the right but a wall.

View of Oslo (and the Norwegian Flag) from up on the mountain overlooking the city

The castle in Oslo

The view of Oslo from the castle\fortress

Restored Viking Ship in Viking museum in Oslo

Another restore Viking ship in the Viking museum in Oslo

Also, feel free to check out James's blog at http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/cemkess/ - he's a much better writer than I, and will be posting great long entries about our adventures. I hope to post a more in depth entry when we make it to Bergen. But first it's a train ride through the mountains all day today to get the west coast of Norway and a night's stay in Flom - a fairly small village on the way.

Here's what James had to say about our adventure today:

With an absolutely beautiful sunny day awaiting us (a whole new world after the rain of the day before), we ventured first to the Rådhus to see its dramatic interior murals and then over to the Akershus Slott (Castle) with its panoramic views of the harbor. Next, we crossed by ferry to the idyllic peninsula of Bygdøy only ten minutes but a world away from the city. Here we undertook a marathon of museum hopping, starting with the extensive Norwegian Folk Museum with its buildings from all over Norway (including an amazing stave church - one of the things that first drew me to Norway when I was in elementary school. I love the pagan mysticism exuding from these early Christian structures). Next we went to the Viking Ship Museum. I must admit that I am glad I got to see the Roskilde museum first, as it provided an excellent overview of "normal" Viking sea craft. But here were examples of truly magnificent burial ships. The Oseberg ship, the most famous of the trio on display, took my breath away with its intricate carving and gentle curves -- and its massive size. If these two museums were not enough, we walked through the quiet neighborhoods to yet another one, a sort of pilgrimage to the man who got me into travel and adventure in the first place: Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki Museum. I first read the story of the Kon-Tiki when I was in third grade if I remember correctly. And thus began my dreams of traveling the world.

Thoroughly exhausted from tourist trekking across the width and breadth of Oslo, we took a train up into the mountains surrounding the city and ensconced ourselves on the deck of the hunting-lodge-esque Frognerseteren Restaurant. With a cup of coffee in hand and the most decadent slice of apple-cake you can imagine, we relaxed in the sun, watching the light reflect off the length of the Oslo Fjord and the distant city. All was right with the world.

Back to terra firma, with still hours of daylight to go at 8pm, we topped off the grand tour with a stroll in Vigeland Park. This was one place I had seen on my previous trip, but I was equally moved this time by the statues -- they exhibit every stage of life from birth to death and everything in between. The stone and bronze emote a rich humanity that is hard to describe. And Meghan felt it as well. She couldn't stop taking photos.

Unable to face returning to our bunks on the MS Innvik just yet, we decided to traverse the neighborhood of Frogner down to city center and have a sandwich on the harbor front. Our feet were aching after such a long, full day, but we were very happy.

Hope all is well. I miss you all and hope to write more (and maybe post some pictures) soon!

Lots of love,
Meg