our first stop in norway is oslo the capital. we have been to oslo for three nights. one at first and two in the end.
early in the morning we chucked out ourselves from the hotel which we booked three weeks before. smart hotel! it wasn't a good one and doesn't contain breakfast. the only good thing with it is the location. (it can be considered as in the center). and the price is ok. compared to the others as well.
the weather was about 20 degrees centigrade. it was pretty sunny to walk around and sightseeing. different from the many europian city oslo isn't a historical one.
they say, the royal palace is the unic in the world that has got a garden open to public. i mean everybody can walk through the garden. or they can ride a bike in there.
if you want to see inside of the palace, all visitors must follow a
guided tour. entrance by Slottsgården on the west side (the back) of the royal palace. Each tour lasts for approx. one hour. and the price is about 100 nok.
than we walked through the karl johans gate (by the way "gate" means street). it is the most famous street in oslo. it starts from the royal palace down to the square by the sea.
than we walked through the karl johans gate (by the way "gate" means street). it is the most famous street in oslo. it starts from the royal palace down to the square by the sea.
as you can see from the picture.
there are hotels, shops, cafes, parks and a university along this gate.
karl johans gate(the royal palace in the end)
karl johans gate(the view if you look from the royal palace )
university aula
there was a mini concert in the park
a cafe in the street
than we reached to a square. rail station was in. and five minutes walk from there you reach the famous opera house which is accepted as an architectural wonder according to general acceptance.
but i am not not an expert. so i couldn't realize what makes it marvelous.
they say "the acustic inside of it makes it special"...
on the roof (you can walk on the building) there was a small resident who wants payment from the visitors for a picture with it.:) we paid as biscuits and nuts..:))
if you think oslo is a very expensive city you can do something to make your stay cheapher. for example you can shop from kiwi, rimi or rema markets. they are everywhere in all the country. you can even buy a lunch or a dinner plate for yourself. the price is quite reasonable.
as you understand we did the same..
after we got lunch plates, we headed to vigeland park in the north west of the city center.
this park is an open air sculpture museum. it is worthy of commendation.
after we had lunch around here...
we went on walking..
you can find from small size of reliefs to ...
giant sculptures there..
in oslo there much more than this but in the evening we were very tired and decided to go to the hotel for a rest. because tomorrow morning we will be set off for stavanger.
...
the train tickets from oslo to stavanger were bought in istanbul. so jumped into the train from the station in ... square. after an eight hour train jouney we arrived in stavanger. it is smaller than oslo city. but a beautiful one. there is a tourist info in the train station. after getting a city map from there, immediately we found our hostel. stavanger vandrerhjem st. svithun hostel. i stayed with a taiwanian girl in ladies room and my man stayed with a brazilian boy in their room.:)) it was funny to stay like that. the breakfast was included but you had to take the bus to the center. they are quite often. otherwise it is a long way for a walk with the backpacks. that's ok. the price was reasonable..
the day after early in the morning we knew what to do. our target was ..
here.
to reach here you should take the ferry for tau from the pier in the center and than the corresponding bus from tau to the national park. you can buy the tour tickets about 250 nok for adults from internet or the pier in the center or on board the ferry. but it is cheaper if you buy separately. you can easly find the time table of the ferries and the buses from the net. http://www.visitnorway.com/preikestolen) and of course can book different kinds of tours.
by the way here in norway you can not find a ticket office to buy public bus tickets or train tickets or any ticket. you always should buy from the net or buy from the bus or train double after you get on?! be carefull.! always get your tickets from kiosk machine or from net before you get on a public transport.
so we started to hike!
usually upwards..:))
4000 m hike. and the view is spectacular. lysefjorden from pulpit rock. after 2 and a half hour walk we are here. we had snack of cookies(i made them) and fruits . we also offered some to the other hikers around us. by the way i'd like to load more photos but i'm afraid they are not suitable to share.
this one has a better view from the net..
instead i want to share an anecdote. it was very windy up there. so i came to the edge by creeping and looked down. i don't know why but i couln't stop myself and came unglued. i sobbed a while. may be it was a burst of emotion. i recommend you to do it strongly.!! there is one more place like pulpit rock in stavanger. it is called Kjerag. you can choose to hike there as well. it must be an experience like no other.
it was 5 pm when we arrive in stavanger again. there was a bus to bergen waiting for us there in the station. but if you want to stay more there are afew thing more to do there in stavanger. for example in hafrsfjorden there is sverd i fjell (swords in rock) and a few museum in the center. but we didn't have much time and chose to leave. the bus tickets must have bought from the offical cite of nettbus company. but i couldn't do it because i couldn't make my credit card to be accepted in many places in this city. so we paid cash but double in the bus. :( we paid cash in hostel too. it was a handicap for us here.
...
bergen was capital of norway once. so it is more historical than oslo now. the beautiful hanseatic houses in the horbour compose a perfect view in the center. people say, they have been burnt out completely in 19. century. but a short after they have built them again just the same. rich german fishermen who were the possessors of the fish trade of norway than, have built these beauty. now numerous cafes, museums, soveniour shops and some travel agents are the residents of these houses. walking between narrow streets of these houses is an amazing out-and-out experience.
wishing well
upstairs of one..
from an art exhibit
after a few hours of walk through the buildings we found ourselves in bergen fish market.:) may be we were hungry. its warm atmosphere is charming hungry and curious people to itself.
one more recommend: buy fish here but cook it in the hostel kitchen!! you pay half of it.
king crabs
their famous trolls. according to the legents they live in the mountains and are very friendly and have their stories always ends happily.:)
in the evening we took the bus no 12 for montana hostel. there wasn't empty place in the center. this time we both stayed in the same room. it wasn't very comfortable but the stuff who is woking there quite alright and the atmosphere as well. you can cook in the common kithcen, watch tv or play chess or other games in the common living room.
the next day early in the morning we directly went to the harbour to take the cruise to the sogne fjord. we had bought the ticket a day before from the torist info just behind the fish market. the staff of it is quite helpfull and smiley.
another one
on the deck
it was cold!
we passed many small towns
one of the stops
in open sea
one of numerous falls..
and our destination after 5 hours sail. Flam!! we will stay here a night. in brekke houses(a hostel 1 km to the center)
...
here, cows are quite different!,:)
flam railway museum.The Flam railway documentation center gives you insight into the construction of the Flam railway, one of the steepest railway journeys in the world, the technical development and the people responsible for the impressive undertaking.
In the end of the museum there is a souvenirshop with a large selection of
Flamsbana souvenirs. and it is open 8 pm in summer. for adults it is 90 nok.
for an unforgettable memory !
than you see a girl or you think you see her. am i dreaming!?
after a few minutes train took off again and continued to myrdal. this mountain town is just a railway junction point. that's all
....
Tromsø
we are in arctic circle.:) we reach here by two hours plane journey from oslo. when you step out of the plane you immediately feel the weather change. it is about 11 degrees centigrade but we are on 31. of august. actually tromso is an island connected with other islands and main land. but the center is in island.
:)) he cought a cold even so.
we are waiting for the northern lights by the ocean. this place is one of the best places to watch the northern lights.
this is samuel. we met him there. he is an amazing boy. he rode his bike from kristansand(southern point of norway) to nordcup(northern point of norway) and than here.!! about 1800 km way. unbelievable! he was alone. everynight he made up his tent and cooked his mail and slept in his sleeping bag. wow.! he will visit us next year. i hope to see him in istanbul. me and my husband really respect him. tomorrow he will flight home. that night was the last one.
desperately we went back hotel. in the morning after breakfast we went out. first we visit polar museum. because it was raining again.:(
here is a church. in norway there aren't many church unlike the other europian countries. is it a good thing or a bad one. i am not sure. but people are welcoming, helpfull and beautiful. yess. all are slim, tall and blonde with beautifull face features.
in the cable car
on the top of the city:)
than we went to oslo again and stayed there two days more. there are a few places worthty to see in oslo. one of them is holmencollen ski museum and tower. there is a ski jump simulation. if can't jump you can feel it even so. the museum entrance fee is 120 nok. and the tower jump is 60 nok. if you have oslo pass card than it is 45 nok.
all i want to convay was this much. i wish you a better one in norway.
...
