Saturday, 10 June 1978

Drizzle cold

Wit has wrapped feet in plastic bags to keep dry as she only has sandals. Walked some shops – prices dear. Market area below on quayside. Fish, fruit vegetables, flowers, very colourful but spoilt by very heavy drizzle. Lunch in a store cafeteria overlooking the bay.

Enquired at hotel about boat arrival. Walked around to the wharf and spoke to a young Norwegian lad waiting to meet a boat. Very cold and windy.

Boat was late did not arrive until 4.25. Taxi to boat MS Venus. Very modern. Arranged for cabin (2 x £18). Sailed at 6pm. Had light snack.

Became very rough as we entered the open sea about 7.15. This unsettled Wit who just made it back to the cabin. Large seas but although the boat listed slightly there was very little roll and a slightly lifting motion with the pitch. The stabilizers must hold it steady. Wrote 6 cards to the kids.

Friday, 9 June 1978

Drizzle

2 ferries to Vangsnes up Vik-Voss Road. Usual zig-zag descent to Voss. Large town. Stopped at Skjervet Waterfall where you could walk under the fall. Narrow road along the shores of Hardanger Fjord. Across the Kvamskugen Forest Plateau.

Lots of little cottages along Ser Fjord to Bergen. Surrounded by hills. heavy rain – wet feet.

Met Jean and Joan and had lunch at Railway Cafeteria. Went up Funicular railway. Beautiful view of Bergen and the fjords but very cold up top.

Thursday, 8 June 1978

Morning drizzle

Breakfast 8.30 – Depart hotel at 10.00.

Along the shores of Lake Jølster through Viks Valley. Above timberline in Gaular Mountains. Steep descent – along shores of Sogne Fjord – longest and deepest in Norway.

Balestrand hotel (all facilities). lavish smorgasbord. Very big selection of soup, fish, cold meats, salads, hot dishes, sweets – Kvikne’s Hotel.

Group drink together.

The hotel at Geiranger

Wednesday, 7 June 1978

Cloudy, cool

Later breakfast this morning, leaving at 10.30. Bus to lake, boat for 20 mins. Blue water reflections in lake, bus, 15 minutes to foot of Briksdal glacier. Take gig and horse for 20 minutes up steep path past waterfall and zig path to top. 15 min walk to edge of glaciers. Deep blues in the ice as it melts into the large pool. Very steep section of glacier comes down the mountainside between the valley. Looks like frothy shaving cream coming down. Lunch at the Briksdal Restaurant (35 kr). Had a sleep in the afternoon. Big variety again in the tea selection.

Our bus

On the boat – glacier in distance

Briksdal Glacier ready to go up

Briksdal Glacier

Harnessing up to return to bus

Another waterfall

Tuesday, 6 June 1978

E’s birthday

Climbed up from Geiranger and then climbed a very narrow hairpin road, with sheer drop and views to the top of Mt Dalsnibba where we had a view of the fjord from 4500 feet. Very cloudy so photos won’t come out so well.

A snow cutting

On the top 1500m

The group – it was cold

To the other side was a very large ice-covered lake – deep lake – with the ice just starting to melt.

Deep lake just starting to melt

Australia in Norway

Waterfall on Videseter Mountain pass

Descended the Vidiseter Mountain Pass – some people skiing on the slopes. Spectacular views and turns as the road zig zagged down the mountain side. New tarred road. Stopped at bridge and dropped a rock 300 ft into the water below. Along the side of lake Stryn to Olden. Hotel on the Nord Fjord (walk to shower and toilet).

Walked about 1 mile into the village – few shops and stores.

Smorgasbord tea. Very good (Electronic p/accordionist and drummer).

Monday, 5 June 1978

Fine

Between high steep mountains to Åndalsnes – stopped to see very steep cliffs where many have tried to climb.

On way to Andalsnes

Many have tried to climb these cliffs

Geirangerfjord from Eagle Road

After lunch ascended the zig-zag Trollstigen Mountain Road 1936 – 11 hairpins, bus backs off slightly on some of them. High bridge over the falls. Stopped and walked to observation point at top. Ferry crossing (15 mins) of the Stor Fjord to Eidsdal. Came down the Eagle Road, with a view of the Geiranger Fjord. Spectacular view up and down the Fjord. Many hairpins as we descended to Geiranger. Excellent hotel. Smorgasbord dinner.

Geirangerfjord

Geirangerfjord – on the fjord

Geirangerfjord – seven sisters

Light at 11.30 again very light at 3.

Sunday, 4 June 1978

£1 = 9.63 kr

Big selection of foods at breakfast, cold meats, fish, eggs, cornflakes, juice, jams, rolls, tea, coffee. Very good.

Picked up at Hotel 9.15. Very comfortable bus – 16 on tour (6 Australians, 1 Great Britain, 1 EG, 2 Israel, 6 American)

Unhurried travel to Hamar and Lillehammer. Lakes, trees, rolling hills, twisty road.

Lunch at cafe in Lillehammer (45kr)

Norwegian village museum in Lillehammer – Stump hide-out for counterfeiters

Norwegian village museum in Lillehammer – house 1400 AD

Visited folk museum, Norwegian houses back to 1400, heavy timbers, earth of roof. Beggar’s seat 1600 – guest room and more fittings. Old wooden church – last supper carved out of piece of wood. Parson’s house.

Peer Gynt Way not open yet, returned and travelled along the side of Lake Mjøsa. Colourful reflections in the surface.

View in front of Hotel Fefor

Hotel Fefer (about 3000 ft) overlooks lake and snow covered mountains. Very few guests in the house. Still partially light at 12 and bright daylight at 3.00 am.

Saturday, 3 June 1978

Party had breakfast at 6.30 to leave at 7. Farewelled them all at the bus.

Took a bus into town. Found the Scout Shop at 8.30. Walked and found a junk market place. Vendors done up in bowler hats. Back to Scout Shop that opened at 9.00. Leif Iversen(?), an engineering student, showed us all the stock.

Walked to the shopping mall. Found a church basar [sic] and had a cuppa and Danish cheese and Danish layer cake. Lady spoke English. Had a waffle with a tin of K.Y. peaches in it. Lady spoke to Elsie about youth groups.

Another fellow spoke to me. He had been a seaman 15 years ago and taken sheep from Sydney to England and had worked cattle ships around the north of Australia, Gulf of Carpentaria and Darwin.

Elsie met a lady from Lugarno (a Brownie leader) and her husband and kids in the shopping mall.

Taxi to airport (15kr). Snack at airport 29kr.

Plane left 2.50 Oslo 3.40 (26^oC).

Changed £20 + 20D.kr = 206.90N.kr.

Taxi to Stefan Hotel 50kr (about £5). All travel papers waiting for us. Very good room, toilet but no shower.

Walked to water front. Took 50 min harbour sightseeing [tour] (18kr each). Past museum for Kon-Tiki, Amundsen ship [Fram], light houses, floating dock.

Waited 1 hour to get dinner at hotel (107kr). E had large steak, potatoes, onions and mushrooms and strawberries (not quite ripe). J had Norwegian pork chops – 2 large and thick – and potatoes and sauerkraut, ice cream and fruit salad. Very nice meal. Ice making machine in hall. Shower room on lower floor. Very hot in room.

Friday, 2 June 1978

360 miles to Copenhagen

Very warm in bus.

Slightly rolling countryside, timbered very neat farms and buildings. Excellent road. Misty across Lake Vättern. Lunch near Jonkoping. To ferry at 4.45. Drove on. Went upstairs, had a cup of tea and we were in Denmark. Boat passed the castle mentioned in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Hotel Dan – out of town (about 15 mins) but very close to the airport.

Copenhagen

After tea went to the Tivoli Gardens – a sophisticated amusement park for all ages. Many trees and flower gardens, lakes, fountains, stages, large halls, open air stages for musicians. Lots of dancing and drinking places, Luna Park type rides, dodgem cars, big dipper (2), twirly wheels, display shops. Boats of the ports, restaurants, garden beds all colourfully lit and lots of people.

Copenhagen Tivoli Gardens by day

Copenhagen Tivoli Gardens by night

Thursday, 1 June 1978

Ferry Wellamo – very smooth crossing.

Watched as boat sailed between the islands at 6.30 pm. very interesting little islands, at times with very narrow passages. Stand up breakfast. Your own choice.

Passage between islands to Sweden

The early riser

The ferry turns sharply

Stockholm at 9.00. About an hour before the coach came off.

At Hotel Khristineberg at 10.15. Late to start city tour. Very hot in Town Hall. Very large auditorium, rooms. Gold dining hall.

Visited old section of town. Cathedral and square buildings back to 1600.

After lunch repaired E’s handbag and slept for 3 hours – very hot. After tea caught the train into town (3kr each, ea way). Many brightly lit shops with expensive goods.