Monday, June 3 -   I TOOK JETBLUE OUT OF TAMPA AIRPORT TO NEW YORK. TAKES ABOUT ABOUT 2 HOURS, BUT TIME FLYS WHEN YOU ARE THINKING OF YOUR TRIP.    VISIT JETBLUE LINK   

Tuesday, June 3-4 -    BRITISH AIRWAYS FLEW US TO LONDON ABOUT 6 HOURS AND THEN ONTO OSLO ABOUT 2 HOURS.     VISIT BRITISH AIRWAYS LINK    AM I THERE YET??? FINALLY I ARRIVED AROUND NOON. NEXT, I DECIDED TO DISCOVER OSLO. WITH MAPS IN POCKET, I WENT ON A 2-3 HOURS WALKING TOUR. AS THIS IS THE CAPITOL AND LARGEST CITY OF NORWAY WITH 1/2 MILLION PEOPLE, THE SITES WERE GREAT. ALL ALONG THE WATERFRONT, IN TOWN AROUND THE PALACE, UNIVERSITY, AND CATHEDRALS, I FELT COMFORTABLE, SAFE AND SECURE AS I WAS LEARNING ABOUT OSLO AND ITS MANY PLACES OF INTEREST. THE INFORMATION CENTER IS BY AKERSHUS FORTRESS AND CASTLE ALONG THE WATERS EDGE. FOUND OUT ABOUT THE SIGHTSEEING AND TOUR PACKAGES.     SEE VISIT OSLO LINK FOR MORE DETAILS.

Wednesday, June 5 -   OSLO HAS SOME REAL NICE TOUR PACKAGES BY H.M.K. CLASS AND BATSERVICE. THEY HAVE GUIDED TOURS FROM 2 HOURS TO ALL DAY THAT TAKE IN THE PARKS, MUSEUMS, SKI LIFT, AND THE HARBOR - OSLO FJORD. I TOOK BATSERVICE'S GRAND TOUR. BAT IS BOAT. IT WAS A COMBINATION BOAT AND COACH TOUR THAT LASTS 7 1/2 HOURS WITH A STOP FOR LUNCH AT THE MUSEUMS AT BYGDOY. IT WAS A VERY ENJOYABLE TRIP THAT INCLUDED EVERYTHING THAT I WANTED TO SEE.    VISIT HMK CLASS AND BOAT SERVICE LINK

Thursday, June 6 -   I TOOK THE NSB TRAIN - 4 HRS 40 MIN., FROM OSLO TO MERDAL. THE SCENERY IS BREATHTAKING AS YOU GO UP 1220 METERS INTO THE SNOW COVERED MOUNTAINS/LAKES AND SEE HUGE WATERFALLS. BRING YOUR CAMERA.    VISIT NSB - NORWAY'S TRAIN LINK    ARRIVING AT MERDAL, I TOOK THE FLAM RAILWAY TRAIN THAT WAS WAITING AT THE STATION. IT IS AN HOUR RIDE TO FLAM AND STARTS AT AN ELEVATION OF 866 METERS. THE TRAIN CRISS-CROSSES THE VALLEY AND TRAVELS THROUGH 20 TUNNELS - MANY ARE MAN MADE AND TOOK 1 MAN A MONTH TO DIG ONE METER. IN SEVERAL PLACES, THE TRAIN TRAVELS OVER THE RIVER THAT HAS BEEN DIVERTED UNDERGROUND THROUGH ITS OWN TUNNEL. THE SITES ARE AWESOME, ESPECIALLY COMING INTO FLAM. HAVE YOUR CAMERA READY!!! DON'T PASS UP THIS EXPERIENCE.    VISIT FLAM RAILWAY LINK. AT 4 PM, I TOOK THE FJORD FERRY - FYLKESBAATANE, FROM FLAM TO BALESTRAND - A 1 1/2 HOUR RIDE ON THE SORFJORDEN FJORD. THIS IS THE LONGEST FJORD IN THE WORLD. WE WEAVED ARE WAY AROUND THE SNOW COVERED MOUNTAINS AND WATERFALLS TO OUR DESTINATION. IT WAS VERY NICE.    VISIT FJORD FERRY LINK     I STAYED THE NIGHT AT ONE OF THE LEADING HOTELS OF THE FJORDS - KVIKNE'S HOTEL, WHERE THE KING AND QUEEN VISIT. WENT ON A WALKING TOUR OF THE TOWN WITH MAP PROVIDED AT THE FRONT DESK.

Friday, June 7 - DAY 1 OF VOYAGE   CAUGHT THE MORNING FERRY, AND ARRIVE IN BERGEN 3 HRS. 50 MINS. LATER. THE TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE MID 80'S AND I WAS LOOKING AT THE SNOW CAPPED MOUNTAINS IN MY TEE SHIRT. WOW!!! BERGEN IS THE SECOND LARGEST CITY OF NORWAY WITH 220,000 PEOPLE. IT IS WELL WORTH SPENDING SEVERAL DAYS SIGHTSEEING AND SHOPPING HERE IN TOWN. I PURCHASED SEVERAL ITEMS TO HELP ME REMEMBER THE PLEASANT TIMES I HAD IN NORWAY.     VISIT BERGEN LINK.     AT 5 PM., I BOARDED THE NORWEGIAN COASTAL VOYAGE SHIP ms NORDNORGE, AND WAS TREATED T0 A WONDERFUL DINNER INCLUDING CAVIAR AND ALL THE FISH I COULD EAT.     SEE COASTAL STEAMER LINK    THIS IS CALLED THE COASTAL STEAMER FROM DAYS GONE BY WHEN THEY HAD A STEAM POWERED SHIP TRAVEL UP AND DOWN THE COAST OF NORWAY. OUR JOURNEY BEGAN AT 8 PM., WE TOOK OFF OUT OF BERGEN AND HEADED NORTH ALONG NORWAY'S BEAUTIFUL COAST FOR A 12 DAY VOYAGE. WE VISITED 35 PORTS ON THE WAY TO KIRKENES - OUR NORTHERNMOST PORT 15KM FROM RUSSIA.    

Saturday, June 8 - DAY 2 OF VOYAGE   STILL THE WEATHER IS WARM AS I AM WEARING MY TEE SHIRT HEADING UP TO THE ARTIC CIRCLE AND THE LAND OF THE POLAR BEARS AND SAMI - FORMERLY LAPLANDERS. THE SIGHTS ALONG THE COAST ARE NOT LIKE THE ONES YOU WILL LIKELY FIND IN YOUR BACKYARD, AND ARE WORTHY OF A PICTURE. THE EXCURSIONS OFFERED BY THE NORWEGIAN COASTAL VOYAGE LINES ARE A MUST. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE NATURE AND ITS WARM AND FRIENDLY PEOPLE OF NORWAY, UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. IT IS A 7 1/2 HRS. TRIP TO THE LAND OF THE TROLLS AND TROLLSTIGEN MOUNTAIN. WE TO0K A COACH FROM GEIRANGER TO MOLDE, WHERE WE HAD DINNER AT SKARSTUA. MOLDE IN VERY NICE AND WELL WORTH A VISIT.     VISIT MOLDE LINK.     SEE PICTURE -1- -2- -3-   

Sunday, June 9 - DAY 3 OF VOYAGE   WE WENT TO THE RINGVE MUSEUM OF MUSIC IN TRONDHEIM WHERE THEY HAVE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS THAT GO BACK 100'S OF YEARS. THEY ALSO HAVE SOME BEATLE ITEMS.

Monday, June 10 - DAY 4 OF VOYAGE   THEY HAVE A GLACIER TOUR.

Tuesday, June 11 - DAY 5 OF VOYAGE   WE VISITED TROMSO'S MUSEUM- WHERE WE LEARNED ABOUT THE SAMI'S AND THE ARTIC, AND THE ARTIC OCEAN CATHEDRAL - WITH THE LARGEST STAINED GLASS IN THE WORLD. AS WE ARE NOW WELL INTO THE ARTIC CIRCLE, THIS TIME OF YEAR THE SUN NEVER SETS. THIS IS CALLED THE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN. I WAS OUT TAKING PICTURES OF THE CATHEDRAL AT 1 AM. IN THE MORNING. NO TIME TO SLEEP NOW!!! I MIGHT MISS SOMETHING.     SEE PICTURE -1- -2- -3-

Wednesday, June 12 - DAY 6 OF VOYAGE   WE WENT ON THE TOUR TO NORTH CAPE HALL. IT IS HIGH IN THE MOUNTAINS WHERE THE WEATHER CHANGES BY THE MINUTE. YES, I WAS WEARING MY COAT. THIS WAS A NATO CENTER RADAR SITE USED FOR DEFENDING OUR COUNTRIES. IT IS NOW A BUSINESS / CONFERENCE CENTER AS WELL AS HAVING A DINING AREA, CHAPEL, AND A HONEYMOON SUITE. WELL WORTH THE VISIT.    

Thursday, June 13 - DAY 7 OF VOYAGE   ARRIVED AT KIRKENES, AND WALKED AND SHOPPED AT THIS NORTHERN TOWN. DO YOU KNOW YOU CAN BUY REINDEER SKIN HERE?     SEE STORE PICTURE -1-     SHOP AT TILBORDS

Friday, June 14 - DAY 8 OF VOYAGE   WE ARE GOING DOWN SOUTH AND BACK TO BERGEN. RELAXING AND TAKING IN THE SITES. WATCHING FOR WALES!!!

Saturday, June 15 - DAY 9 OF VOYAGE   WE TOOK THE TOUR FROM HARSTAD TO SORTLAND, AND WE STOPPED AT A WORLD'S MOST NORTHERLY MEDIEVAL CHURCH AND HISTORIC CENTER - MUSEUM, AT TRONDENES. LATER THAT DAY, WE TOURED THE BEAUTIFUL LOFOTEN ISLANDS AND LEARNED ABOUT THE COD AND HERRING. OUR TOUR GUIDE WAS THE BEST THAT I HAVE HAD IN MY YEARS OF TRAVELING. HER NAME IS CHANTAL NICOLE FORSA. SHE PROVIDED US WITH FACTS, MAPS, GUIDES, AND PHOTOS. I REMEMBER THE ONES WITH THE GREAT SNOWFALLS OF THE WINTER, AND WHERE HER HUSBAND IS SHOVELING THE ROOF. HER E-MAIL ADDRESS IS CHANTNIC@ONLINE.NO     SEE PICTURE -1- -2-

Sunday, June 16 - DAY 10 OF VOYAGE   A DAY AT SEA.

Monday, June 17 - DAY 11 OF VOYAGE   WE WENT SIGHTSEEING IN TRONDHEIM. WE SAW A PANAMORIC VIEW OF THE CITY AS WELL AS NORWAY'S LARGEST MIDIEVAL CATHEDRAL- THE NIDAROS CATHEDRAL.

Tuesday, June 18 - DAY 12 OF VOYAGE   OUR LAST DAY, WE ARRIVED IN BERGEN AT 2:30 pm. WOW, WHAT A GREAT TIME AND A MEMORABLE TRIP. IF YOU ARE WONDERING ABOUT THE SIGHTING OF WALES, YES I SAW SEVERAL MINKE WALES. WE SHOPPED AND TOURED AROUND IN BERGEN. THEY HAVE A NEAT FISH MARKET, AND A SHOPPING DISTRICT THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1070 AND IS A UNESCO'S WORLD HERITAGE SITE.     SEE WALES PICTURE -1- -2- -3-

Wednesday, June 19 -   WE LEFT BERGEN AT 10:30 am. BY THE NSB TRAIN. IT WAS A 7 HOUR RIDE TO OSLO THAT IS JAM PACKED WITH GREAT PICTURE TAKING OPPURTUNITIES. THE TRAIN HAS A DINING CAR AND ALSO SELL SNACKS. DON'T MISS THE CHANCE TO RIDE THE TRAIN. ARRIVED IN OSLO 5:30 pm. TOOK THE AIRPORT TRAIN TO THE RADISSON HOTEL AT THE AIRPORT.

Thursday, June 20 -   WE DEPARTED THIS MORNING 7:45 am. FOR LONDON AND ONTO NEW YORK, AND TAMPA AND HOME. WOW, WHAT A TRIP!!!

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