June 2012 MD to ME Part 1 of 2

Woodchuck

The survivors of the hike

The whole gang: LtoR: Don, Rick, Pat, Linda, Randy, Tom, Nick, Pop, Jen

June 2012, MD to ME Part 2 of 2

After returning from Norway, we stayed at Tom and Julie’s place for a week while we prepared for our summer trip. Then we picked up our RV from Susan and Windsor’s driveway and headed north. We stopped to celebrate Father’s Day with my family. Randy came up from Florida for the week, so we did Hershey Park with him, Tom, Nick, and Kevin (Nick’s friend). We had a Potter Family Camping trip planned so we all met at Hickory Run SP in PA. Phil and Connie made a brief appearance on most likely their last Potter Camping trip, since they were in the process of moving to AZ. Linda, Rick, Randy, Jen, Chris and Ashley camped in the camper (family togetherness). Nick, and Kevin tent camped, and Tom and Pop stayed at a hotel.   I set up a rafting trip in the Lehigh River Gorge. It was the first rafting trip for most of the group. They must have enjoyed it because most were ready to go again.

After the camping trip, we headed to Hyde Park to visit FDR home, library and Val-Kill. Actually his home was owned and run by his mother and Val-Kill was Eleanor’s retreat away from her controlling mother-in-law. We spent a few nights enjoying Sandra’s hospitality in Saratoga Springs which included a Russian style dinner. We toured Congress Park and the Historical Museum. Sandra provided tour guide services to Saratoga National Battlefield, the Saratoga Springs SP and Grant’s Cottage (where he died).

Pat with friends, FDR and Eleanor

Spit and Spat

At Grant's Cottage

Maine sunset

The next night in Vermont, I experienced severe abdominal pain. A late night call to Mimi (Dr. Cameron) led to a probable diagnosis of a hernia. This was confirmed in the Dartmouth ER the next day. No immediate repair was needed, so we felt safe proceeding to Canada. Our last stop in the USA was Lilly Bay Campground on Moosehead Lake in northern Maine. We saw a moose when we were out biking around, but he never reappeared when we went looking for him. We filled our gas tank and cupboards and headed into Canada.

June 2012 Norway by Sea Part 1 of 3

The Ship

The main purpose of our trip to Norway was to take the Coastal Steamer (aka Hurtigruten ships) up the coast of Norway. The Coastal Steamer is what you get when you cross a small cruise ship with a large ferry. The interior of the ship looks like a normal cruise ship, but as a ferry it stops at all coastal ports delivering or picking up passengers, cars and cargo. Our ship was the Trollfjord. It carried 822 passengers.

Pat looking at Geirangerfjord

Nidaros Cathedral

Coastal Steamer dwarfed by the mountains

Map of Norway with port stops indicated

The Cruise

We opted for the round trip, 12 day cruise starting at Bergen. Although there are many routing options, this is the most popular. Our breakfast and lunch were buffets and open seating, dinner was a fixed menu and assigned table and time. Despite our initial fear that we would be eating pickled herring and smoked meats at each meal, we found plenty of options at the buffets and the Norwegian dinners were excellent. Except for daily excursions there was minimal entertainment on the ship. The best free entertainment was enjoying the scenery and the passing of the various towns along the way. This entertainment was available 24 hours a day thanks to the Midnight Sun! The docking and unloading was always interesting to watch. A forklift driver would be rushing to unload/load the ship while absent minded passengers/bystanders would get in his way and practically get run over.  After a while you started rooting for the forklift driver.

June 2012 Norway by Sea Part 2 of 3

Excursions

Usually there were several excursions offered every day. We tried to do one each day, either by boat or by bus. Here is a description of the tours we enjoyed:

We did a bus tour from the Geirangerfjord to Alesund with some great photo opportunities.

Another bus tour took us into Trondheim to see the Nidaros cathedral and the Ringve Museum of Music History. We had excellent guides at both locations and at our last stop our music student guide played several unusual instruments for us.

In Boda, we did a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) trip where we crossed a fjord at 35 mph, powered through turbulent tidal whirlpools, saw three sea eagles, and some interesting rock formations.

After our excursion in Tromso, we were walking around town when Hillary Clinton’s motorcade drove right past us. We couldn’t imagine what she was doing in such a remote location above the Arctic Circle.

On another bus trip we joined a Sami (aka Laplander) family in their teepee. They explained their way of life which included herding reindeer. They use every part of the reindeer and showed us some of the items they made. Outside we practiced throwing a lariat onto reindeer antlers.

A Sami guide took us by motor boat to the Russian border. He warned us not to cross the border, not even with your hand. Of course several tourists over the years ignored his advice and were immediately arrested – not by the Russians but by the Norwegian Border Patrol.

Sami Couple

Reindeer

Our ship making a U turn in Trollfjord

Mountain tops lit by Midnight Sun

Our last excursion was a bus trip on the Atlantic Road. This road was voted the most scenic drive in Northern Europe several years ago. We stopped at a local restaurant and had a traditional dinner (a salted cod stew) which was delicious.

June 2012 Norway by Sea Part 3 of 3

Arctic Crossing

 On the fourth day we crossed the Arctic Circle (approximately 66.5 degrees, north latitude).  For this occasion, King Neptune appeared and baptized all willing passenger with a ladle full of ice water down your back. Pat and I were both baptized. On the return crossing there was a different ceremony. You drank a tablespoon of cod liver oil followed by a brandy chaser. Then you receive a souvenir spoon commemorating the Arctic Crossing.

Famous Arctic Explorer?

King Neptune

Pat gets a new friend

Arctic Circle marker - Vikingen island

Quiz Answers
1) False  The Latitude of the Arctic Circle = 90 degrees minus the tilt of the earth's axis (which does change).
2) B. Currently at approximately 66.5 degrees north latitude

May 2012 Norway Part 1 of 3

From all indications it was going to be a cold and wet trip. We had been tracking the weather before we left and almost every day was cold and rainy. So long johns, rain jackets, rain pants, fleece vest, and wool socks were all packed. When we left Dulles International Airport, it was a sunny and warm May day.  We changed planes in Iceland and the sun was shining brightly. Then it hit me, we should have made this an Icelandic trip. Well, I must say I was surprised to find that when we landed in Oslo it was not raining. We spent the next beautiful day at the Folk Museum in Oslo. It rained on our way to Lillehammer and the following day which was their National Holiday. The rain did not dampen the spirit of the locals who were dressed in their local outfits and marched in their parades. Then the rain stopped until the day we flew home!

Storage Building

Lom Stave Church

Mountain Pass

Pat in the mountains

The first two weeks in Norway we explored on our own. We had a rental car for nine days and spend five additional days in Oslo. In Lillehammer we visited the site of the 1992 Olympic Games; the ski jump was just above the town. We drove north, then east to Lom. We toured the stave church there and then headed into the snow covered mountains. We crossed Norway’s most beautiful fjord, the Sognefjord, in a ferry boat. At 127 miles long, this is second longest fjord in the world, and has a maximum depth of 4291 feet.  We continued to Vic where we visited a stave church and a stone church. 

May 2012 Norway Part 2 of 3

Tvindefossen waterfalls 

Tyssedal Hydro Museum

Working my way through Norway

Whaling statue and fountain

In Tyssedal we were given a tour of an old 100 MW hydro electric plant. The replacement plant was built inside the mountain. In Dalen, the owner of the B&B told us where we could go to see moose. We did see three moose but it was too dark for pictures.  We continued east to the historic town of Larvik, Thor Heyerdahl’s home town. In Molen, we found large mounds of rocks which were the graves of Vikings. We visited the Whaling Museum in Sandefjord.