Hello from Tierra del Fuego!

Day 8: Austdal Glacier

Updated: September 14, 2018

What do you do when your muscles are no longer sore? Go kayaking and hike on a glacier, of course! The day began as usual… pack up, eat breakfast, squirrel away some food for lunch, you know the drill. Driving north from Gaupne into Jostedal Glacier National Park — in the usual rainy weather — we made a pit stop at the the Breheim Center entrance to meet up with our Ice Troll company guides for the day.

The road to Jostedal Glacier National Park

After the necessary paperwork signing our rights away, we got back in the car and drove in a caravan further north (and ever-rising elevation) to the lake where we would start our kayaking adventure. Tour guides provided us with the gear we needed, and we hiked about ten minutes over the dam to our launch point. Though still raining, everybody persevered (even the family that decided it was a good day for jeans). Two paddles and one quick kayaking lesson later, we were ready to go.

Launching the fleet

The dam was built in 1990, causing what was previously two lakes to merge into one. The lake is the highest glacial lake used commercially for kayak tours in the world. The kayaking portion of the trip was six kilometers, and it rained the entire time, but it didn’t stop our fun!

Glacial ice is served!

After arriving at the terminus of the Austdal Glacier, we added more layers (it’s cold on a giant sheet of ice), stopped for lunch, and geared up for the hiking portion. Turns out, walking on top of a glacier can be kind of dangerous – slipping on the ice and falling into crevasses and all. The use of crampons, ice picks, and ropes helped keep us safe.

Geared up for a glacier walk

And that’s why they gear you up

Heavy snowfall last season means several snow bridge sections are still in tact

Apparently the snow bridges were still safe enough to venture across

But again… giant crevasses!

Thank goodness for crampons!

Near the end of the hike, we were surprised with hot chocolate! An excellent addition to an already awesome day.

Bringing hot chocolate makes Michael a legendary guide

As the hike came to the end and we geared up to kayak back, the sun started to peek out of the clouds, providing some clearer views.

Austdal Glacier

Next group of hikers take to the glacier

Ready for another 6km row!

Largest ice berg chunk we saw floating across the lake

In summary, the verdict on our glacier kayak and hike trip

Pulling our kayak onto the shore at 6pm, we walked back down to the parking lot, returned all our kayaking gear, and changed into dry clothes. Now we were ready for the day’s final mission, driving to our next pit stop in Lom.

Here’s the alpine National Park scenery we missed in the morning rain

View of the Nigard Glacier from the Breheim Center

To get to Lom, we first needed to drive south back to the town of Gaupne where we could turn to the east and begin making our way north (stupid mountains in the way). Along the road back to Gaupne, we encountered a 30-minute delay where a car had driven into the ditch on a one-lane portion of the road. It was kind of surprising we made it this far into the trip without seeing any automobile accidents, given the Norway roads.

Well, at least the guy next door has a tractor to help out.

After passing back thru Gaupne, the rest of the three-hour drive to Lom was on the Sognefjellet scenic route. Again, slightly foiled by the weather, we couldn’t see many of the mountain peaks and glaciers in the distance (we assume they were still there), but it still was very scenic and worth the drive.

Waterfalls, evening mists, reflecting lakes, etc

Mostly cloudy and rainy on the route, but still gorgeous

This glass telescope is a great way to realize how many mountain peaks we are not seeing in the clouds

We finally arrived to our hotel in Lom at 10pm. There appears to be another Stave Church across the street that we might check out tomorrow morning. Otherwise, it’s off to Andalsnes with a stop in the Geiranger Fjord.

Day 7: Flam/Aurland

by Joanna

Updated: August 31, 2017

1 Comment

With a full day planned, we started early… out of bed at 5:30-6am, packed up, and checked out by 7am. While not as epic of a buffet as the Thon, the Fretheim selection was more than sufficient. We ate quickly and walked across the street to the Flam Railway station. The Flam Railway was built in 1924 and opened in 1940. It is 12.6 miles long and goes up 2,831 feet.

This guy is in the Flambana promotional video, so he probably didn’t just start this gig yesterday

Because the railway is the third most visited tourist attraction in Norway (per Wikipedia) and the late morning and afternoon rides were booked, we were surprised to find a relatively empty train at 7:30am. We were able to roam to seats on both sides of the car, allowing for clear shots. The only thing blocking our view were those pesky clouds. Still, the ride was pretty cool.

Climbing up the mountain toward Myrdal

Picturesque towns along the railway

Arriving back in Flam at 9:30am, we had enough time for second breakfast before our 10am NÃƒÂ¦rÃƒÂ¸yfjord cruise on the new “Vision of the Fjords” boat. The weather decided it didn’t want to play nice this time, and it rained for much of the tour. The inside was nice, and again, fairly empty, so admiring the view from the window wasn’t the worst. We also took turns braving the elements to get some pictures.

Our sweet ride through the fjords

I only have to share the top deck with the plastic owl!

Entering the narrowest portion of the NÃƒÂ¦rÃƒÂ¸yfjord

Unlike the train, which took us back to our starting point, the boat dropped us of in Gudvangen. We took a shuttle bus back to Flam and went through the same long tunnels we took yesterday (in the same direction).

The MAN bus

Flam is a town with 400 permanent residents and a handful of hotels, so it was pretty quiet – until a cruise ship rolls up! By the time we got back from our fjord tour, the place was packed. Fortunately, we completed our Flam activities and were ready to forge ahead.

Next to Flam is Aurland, a small shoe-making town dating back to the 1880s when salmon fisherman needed their shoes repaired. In the 1930s, a cobbler named Nils Tveranger returned to Norway after studying in the United States and developed the first penny loafer inspired by the moccasins worn by the Iroquois. The shoes were a huge success. They developed and changed over time, but the basic pattern is still used today. While many stores in Norway and Europe sell the Aurland Loafer, the store in Aurland also houses the small factory where a team of seven people make every pair by hand. They allow visitors to tour the factory and watch the artists at work.

The production floor of the Aurland Shoe Factory

Original hand-made Penny Loafers

We couldn’t leave Aurland without getting a pair for ourselves. My choice was easy, as they had my go-to color, which is currently very popular in Norway. At least I will be in style for the next week. Due to the unique nature of handmade products, each shoe, even of the same size, fits slightly differently. After finding the perfect pair, we were ready to hit the road in style.

The route toward Guapne has two options. One is a 24.5km long tunnel at 80 km/hr. The other is the Aurlandsfjellet scenic route, which winds up and over the alpine mountains. Being in no hurry, our choice was clear! Our directions were not. We drove through the long tunnel before realizing we passed the entrance to the scenic route. The only “scenic” thing in the super-long tunnel was a handful of rest sections that were lit up with blue and green lights – perhaps to simulate the Northern Lights?

We are mole people for the next 25km

Will fake Northern lights make you feel better about being in the middle of a mountain, perhaps?

To remedy the situation, we just turned around and took the scenic route back to where we started. Turns out that was the suggested direction anyway. Clouds still obstructed some views on the route, but they cleared up for the best spot, the viewing platform at Stegastein.

Traversing alpine terrain of the Aurlandsfjellet scenic route

Rest stop benches, Norway-style

Studying the shrouded mountain scenery…

…in some stylish new kicks

Glad he showed up for our pre-arranged photo shoot

It’s the Stegastein viewing platform, but it’s friends call it Stegasaurus

Looking down upon the fjords from the Stegastein platform

Back where were started earlier in the afternoon, we took another spin through the LÃƒÂ¦rdalstunnelen – and kept going north this time – toward the Mannheller-Fodnes Ferry on the way toward Sogndal and Gaupne.

Our last mission before getting to the hotel was to find the Kaupanger Stave Church. Scattered throughout the country are churches built in the 1100s constructed out of wood rather than stone. While each church is different, they all have corner-posts and timber framing. We plan to see a few more throughout the rest of the trip, but we can also go to Little Norway, Wisconsin and see the Stave Church replica that was used as a stall to debut Aurland shoes in the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago.

Kaupanger stave church still in use today…

…but not after 5pm

As the sun started to peek through, we finally arrived at our hotel in Guapne to end the day. That’s enough relaxing. Back to active adventures tomorrow!

Day 6: Bergen/Flam

by Joanna

Updated: August 31, 2017

2 Comments

As expected, Bergen was a bit rainy this morning. With only casual exploring to do, we took our time to get ready. It is worth noting the Thon breakfast buffet lives up to the online hype – if for no other reason than the orange juice machine. The food choices spanned from eggs to bacon, to various deli meats, cheeses, salad, breads, and desserts. After sampling all that, and a few cups of cappuccinos, we were ready to explore the city.

Orange you glad it’s breakfast?! Yes indeed

Preparing to venture out and about Bergen

Within Bergen is the area of Bryggen. Dating back to 1070, Bryggen is made up of wood buildings and was used as the town center. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Center and houses shops, museums, and restaurants.

Bryggen craft shops feel like the Renaissance Fair, and smell like fancy wood

A study of Bryggen porches, part 1

A study of Bryggen porches, part 2

When walking through one of the shops, we discovered necklaces hand-made by an artist in Northern Norway who uses the Sami culture as inspiration. After some contemplation, I decided to get a silver necklace with reindeer antlers. Given the price, we realized it is probably the best value we will find in Norway. So, we returned to the same shop later to buy a gold one as well.

Further west past Bryggen is the Rosenkrantz Castle from the 1240s. In WWII, the Norwegians accidentally blew up one of their ships, and it damaged the castle. Good work, guys.

The Rosenkrantz castle in Bergen…

…which was blown up ‘accidentally’ in WW2 (but probably the Germans, no?)

Continuing on, we passed all the shops selling tour boat people their junk souvenirs. Then we ventured into the more modern part of the city with a large plaza and a variety of department stores, including a “Super Duper” Moods of Norway Store.

New game show pitch: Moose, Elk, Caribou or Reindeer???

Everybody is playing!

Sailors Monument in Torgallmenningen Square

Rainy scene in the city

Current mood of Norway is soggy

As promised, we stopped back at the fish market for lunch. After our large breakfast, and knowing that we would also be receiving dinner at our next hotel in Flam, we decided to forgo the giant mixed seafood plates and split a salmon plate instead.

Fish market operates rain or shine

Mmmmm… lunch

The drive to Flam included many tunnels, and although the route was not an official scenic drive, it was still pretty good.

Bergen Railway sighting

Back to the mountains

Lots of tunnels, including two totalling 15km near Flam

We arrived at the historic Fretheim Hotel, which used to be a barn, but too many rich English Lords wanted a place to stay while they hunted and fished, so it turned into a hotel. We took it easy, ate our dinner, and continued taking it easy after that.

Arrival at Fretheim Hotel, just like English lords of yore

Contemplating the gray skies over dinner

We have tickets to ride the Flam Railway tomorrow morning at 7:30. Good thing our hotel is about three minutes from the station. It’s like that was on purpose!

Day 5: Hardanger/Bergen

by Joanna

Updated: August 31, 2017

3 Comments

It was nice to wake up this morning without an alarm. We had time to leisurely pack up our things and have breakfast before saying goodbye to Odda and its teeny tiny streets.

This comically narrow road earns you a PhD in parallel parking

There was a quick discussion of which route to take to Bergen. We decided on the scenic route over the one with two super long tunnels. That turned out to be a good choice as we passed some pretty cool spots along the way including a hydroelectric power plant (good use of all those waterfalls), orchards, and more fjords/cliffs.

Glad we took the scenic route to Jondal instead of the tunnels

Marriage of hydroelectric power and Scandinavian design

Hardanger region orchards

Not quite apple season yet…

…but it is moreller (cherry) season!

After our cherry break, the orchards were done, but the views were not. Here’s some proof that not all roads in Norway are at the base of a steep slope next to a body of water:

Next to the fjords and through the woods

Patches of sun heading south on Hardanger scenic drive toward Jondal

Little girl is so over the artsy architecture design at this Hereiane travel stop

We took another Ferry to get across the Fjord from Jondal to Torvikbygd (which was pretty hard to say to the ticket dude). On the way to Bergen we passed Steinsdalsfossen, a waterfall which was probably more powerful than usual due to the summer snow melts and the recent rains. There is a trail that takes you up and behind the falls where you are able to stand under it and not get wet.

Steinsdalsfossen is a waterfall in the village of Steine in the municipality of Kvam in Hordaland county. In other words, it was on our way.

It’s not the biggest waterfall but it packs a punch, and you can walk behind it

Well, there are some bridges in Chicago if you’re looking…

We made it to Bergen around 6pm and found much of the crowd returning to their cruise ship after a day at port. Checking into the hotel, we were pleasantly surprised to find out (or remember) that the hotel offers free dinner!

Arrival in Bergen!

After we ate a few bowls of delicious lamb stew, we walked a couple of blocks to Floibanan, the Mt. FlÃƒÂ¸yen Funnicular. We bought tickets and rode up to the top — no hiking up crazy trails today. In addition to taking in the great view of the city, we meandered around the forested park area at the top and hung out with a friendly duck for a while.

Overlooking Bergen from Mt FlÃƒÂ¸yen

Near-sunset view of Bergen from Mt FlÃƒÂ¸yen

Team of free-range goats that mow the lawn on Mt. FlÃƒÂ¸yen… wonder what they’d name an orange goat?

Yeah man! Way to not let those billy goats push you around!

Sorry, looking for bread from carb-free lady isn’t going to fly

Still light out when we came back down at 9pm, we wandered the streets of Bergen for a while longer. ALERT! First sighting of McDonalds and Starbucks in Norway. We also went to the famous Bergen Fish Market where we were offered samples of smoked salmon and whale meat. While not too excited to eat any more whale, we will definitely be returning for lunch tomorrow for some fresh seafood.

Friendly fish guy gives us samples

The Bryggen row houses catch the day’s remaining rays of sun

We plan to continue to explore Bergen tomorrow before heading over to Flam.

Day 4: Trolltunga

by Joanna

Updated: August 2, 2017

5 Comments

When we woke up this morning, there were periods of rain predicted throughout the day. Instead of letting that stop us, we followed the old Norwegian saying, “Det finnes ikke dÃƒÂ¥rlig vÃƒÂ¦r, bare dÃƒÂ¥rlig klÃƒÂ¦r!” which translates to, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes!”

Packing layers and rain coats, we made sure we had clothes for all the weather could throw at us. We fueled up with eggs and bacon, as well as coffee of unknown strength (because I can’t read the Norwegian serving sizes on the jar).

Breakfast of champions

When we arrived to the Trolltunga parking lot at 8am, it was nearly full. Trolltunga (or Troll’s Tongue) is a rock formation that juts out from the cliff and is a popular destination for hikers. It takes about 10 hours round trip, so people tend to start early. The first 4km is an 8% grade gravel/dirt road with switchbacks. After that, the trail mixes it up with steep stone steps, bald-faced rock sections, giant boulders, mud, water, snow, you name it!

Starting the hike with 3-4km of switchbacks

Navigating past lakes and other standing waters

The weather was nice to us, with only a few passing showers as we went up. As expected, the views were spectacular.

Lake Ringedalsvatnet comes into view

Final 2km terrain before Trolltunga

We made good time and arrived at Trolltunga after four and a half hours. Because it is so popular, and because the ledge is fairly small, only one group of people are allowed on at a time, resulting in a line. After waiting for our turn, we asked our line mate to take our picture for us, but she couldn’t get the camera to work. Instead, she took some on her own phone and I gave her my email, but she spoke very little English, sooooo…. check back to find out if those ever arrive! 🙂 In the meantime, here’s what the place looked like:

We have arrived!

The line to step onto Trolltunga

Where’s Waldo! Can you find Jo, two people who are 30 minutes from getting engaged, and the lady who may or may not remember to send us pics of when we walked onto Trolltunga?

Every rule on this sign was being ignored

Even without going out on Trolltunga, the area provides incredible views overlooking the Fjord and cliffs. Plus, you are still up really freaking high, so if you want the same adrenaline rush that going on Trolltunga might provide, uh, just look over the edge.

Here is our backup photo from the higher peak next to Trolltunga

The view looking west-ish from Trolltunga

It was pretty windy and chilly at the top, so we hiked back down a few kilometers before stopping for lunch. It was lovely for a few minutes, then some real rain came in. We finished up, put on our rain coats, and got back on the trail for our long journey down.

Trying to re-trace our path on the way back

Cool rocks, man

Some really nice cleavage

This view is pretty good…

…we should stop and eat lunch in front of it…

…and finish just in time to put on rain jackets

And since we got rain, how about some snow too

Again, the rain passed fairly quickly, and the sun came out for the majority of the remaining hike. The strenuous uphill hike was still hard on the way down for our weak American legs. Judging by the looks and speed of fellow hikers, every day is leg day in Norway. When we finally made it back to the switchback road, a few cars drove by, seemingly taunting us. We successfully finished the 28km (17 miles!) hike in 10 hours and 10 minutes. Hopefully I will be able to walk tomorrow.

Back to the parking lot… We did it!

Back at the house, we made a quick dinner and moved as little as possible.

Canned foods never tasted so good!

Tomorrow is mostly a rest day. Our only plan is to drive to Bergen and explore the town.

Day 3: Pulpit Rock

by Joanna

Updated: August 17, 2017

3 Comments

Our hotel in JÃƒÂ¸rpeland had a wonderful view this morning. The weather looked nice and the breakfast was delicious. Then shortly after finishing breakfast, the weather turned (it seems to do that quickly) and started to rain. But, our handy-dandy weather apps foretold the rain would only be a problem until about 8:40am. So no need to cancel today’s hiking plans!

What a pleasant morning view! Will be cloudy and raining in about 10 minutes.

Norway does breakfasts right

After driving to Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) and waiting out the last of the rain in the parking lot (for about twenty minutes) we were ready to start!

Having seen Kjerag yesterday, we felt a-ok ignoring this warning. Take that, sign!!!!

Compared to yesterday’s Kjerag hike, today was a breeze. There were still three large inclines up a rocky surface, but there were usually rocks along the trail offering decent footholds.

Halfway up

Rain clouds and mist breaking up in the sun

After a couple of hours of hiking, Preikestolen could be seen! A sheer cliff standing 694 meters high, looking over the edge was a bit dizzying, but the view of Lysefjord and the surrounding mountains was spectacular.

We made it

So lets just say I was sitting on the edge of Pulpit Rock, ok!

The view over the edge of Pulpit Rock

Great view of the Lysenfjord from up here

Hiking back down made us thankful for starting when we did. More and more people started to flood the trail, making the walk crowded. Plus, the rain came back an hour later.

Part of a future art exhibit called Jo hikes down stairs

Yikes! If you don’t start early, at least you’ll get practice dealing with Black Friday crowds

Returning to the car after a successfully completed hike, we drove back thru JÃƒÂ¸rpeland to pick up some outlet adapters (ours broke) at the local electronics store appropriately called “POWER”. Next, we were going to see if the store next door — called MÃƒÂ¸belringen — could sell us a SIM card. But, it turns out that “MÃƒÂ¸belringen” has nothing to do with phones. They sell furniture. Finally, we ducked into the REMA 1000 grocery store and stocked up on snacks for the drive. Then we ran back to the car in the rain and plotted our route to Odda.

Norway has several stretches of roadway specifically designated as “scenic routes.” How they decide that one is more scenic than another seems a bit of a mystery, but the Ryfylke Scenic Route to Odda is one of them!

Driving the Ryfylke Scenic Route (Hwy 13) north to Odda

The day’s drive in one photo, including rain, waterfalls, tunnels, fjords, mountains and sheep.

On the drive, many scenic views were indeed seen, but the rain persisted and some of the views were obstructed by the heavy clouds. Even so, we passed countless waterfalls, fjords, cliffs, rustic looking things, etc. The road itself was a bit of an engineering marvel, as tunnels had to be built for many sections. Many, many, many tunnels. And, of course, toss in some sheep on the road for good measure.

Big waterfalls entering the Hardanger region… with drinkable water according to sign

Heavy rain making the roadside waterfalls much stronger

Odda is a quaint town. We managed to find our AirBnB on the side of the hill, overlooking the fjord, and made another quick stop at the grocery store to prepare for dinner and breakfasts, etc. We’ll have to survive without our hotel-provided piles of cheese and peppered meats for lunch the next couple days!

Our AirBnB is the yellow house with some crazy narrow parking in the back

One more thing… they have bread loaf cutting machines in the grocery store here!!!

The rain looks like it wants to stick around, so tomorrow’s planned hike waits to see what the weather gods have to say.

Day 2: Lysebotn/Kjerag

by Joanna

Updated: August 31, 2017

5 Comments

Arriving at the hostel at 3am, and having put in some nap time during the Amsterdam delay (suspect nap quality notwithstanding) we decided it was best to lounge around the room and relax for a couple hours rather than actually sleep. By 6:30am it was time for breakfast, and we walked outside to find ourselves surrounded by glowing fjords and cliffs that were hidden by night during our arrival. Like we just appeared in Norway or something.

Didn’t see em last night, but woke up surrounded by these giant cliffs!

We geared up for our hike, filled up on food, stocked up on snacks, and drove up the switchbacks to the start of Kjerag. It was quite different than driving under the cover of darkness, but we still pitched a perfect game in encountering zero traffic going the opposite direction (which is nice on 1.5 lane switchback roads).

Sunshine fighting to break thru on the way up switchbacks to Kjerag hike

The hike started off harmless enough – for about three minutes. Then it immediately confirmed it’s “advanced” status by challenging hikers with crazy steep and slippery rock faces requiring chains to help you up (and down).

Starting a “hike” in Norway must be a pretty loose term

Kjerag Mountain, as well as the other Fjords in Norway, were created by glaciers carving out the land, then retreating. The resulting mountain surface is mainly smooth, and composed of large boulders with smaller rocks filling in cracks.

The hike features three main uphill climbs/scrambles — the first two of which are followed by equally challenging downhill climbs back into valleys. Eventually, you reach a flatter area on the top of the mountain. Then you then walk another two kilometers to Kjergbolten, the hanging Boulder wedged between two cliffs.

Clearing first summit of Kjerag hike, onward to the second!

Scaling the second major climb was gneiss

Long rise up the third and toughest portion of the hike

So… we made it up, down, up, down and up again to the top of the third rise. However, the weather report and ominous clouds (and a couple other hikers concurring) did not give us a good feeling about making the flat run to the Kjeragbolten and adding another two hours to our round trip. Going down the mountainside was going to be tough enough; we didn’t want to risk tackling it with wet rocks. And yeah, while we didn’t see the hanging rock or get a chance to test our nerves by stepping atop it, we did completed the hardest part(s) of the hike!

But on the bright side, having made it up all three major rises, we did get all the great views along the way!

View of Lysebotn from the trail

View looking north from the south side of Lysenfjord

Lots of people brought their sherpa dogs

While the sheep hanging around the area didn’t seem to have any problems traversing the terrain, it took a while for a couple Midwest-based humans to get the hang of it. Going uphill got easier with practice, but my favorite method for downhill was holding onto the chains and repelling backwards, or the classic butt-scoot action.

What goes up, must come down

Making the final descent before it turns into a slip-n-slide

In the end, we stayed dry the entire way back. We hoped we didn’t make a mistake, but then, shortly after driving back to Lysebotn, the rain arrived. We would have definitely still been on the mountain had we continued, so even though we didn’t see Kjergbolten, good call by us.

Sheep on the pasture! And Remember! Leash!

Returning to the hostel in Lysebotn to finish checking out, we drank some coffee and relaxed before getting on a ferry via Lysenfjord towards Jorpeland.

Enjoying the rain showers from the turisthytte lounge

Driving the car onto the ferry was a fun new experience. No rental company’s insurance will cover a car when it’s on a ferry, but thankfully we didn’t get Titanic’d… this time. Phew.

In lieu of a 4-hour drive, let’s take the Lysenfjord ferry!

By the time we sat down, I was ready to pass out. Matt, on the other hand was somehow still functional and was ready and able to take pictures of the beautiful fjord and surrounding mountains. Fun fact: You can spot Kjergbolten from the ferry, so I think we can cross that off our list anyway.

If you look very close, you can see Kjeragbolten from the fjord

Heading west to JÃƒÂ¸rpeland, our next destination

Back on dry land, we drove a quick 15 minutes north to our hotel in Jorpeland to shower (finally!!) and get some much needed sleep. Zzzzzzzzz.

Day 1: Amsterdam/Lysebotn

by Joanna

Updated: August 31, 2017

3 Comments

We left Chicago on Friday ready to spend the next fifteen hours traveling to Norway. Before even boarding our flight, the standard trek through the airport turned a bit more exciting than usual when we stumbled past some free giveaway booths on the way to our gate. Starting with some sparkling smart water, we also received t-shirts, snack bars, Leinenkugel beer samples, and a glass of Titos vodka lemonade.

Thanks random O’Hare promotion! Don’t mind if I do…

Obviously, this is the right way to start a trip. We even ate Juicy Lucys at Twinburger during the layover in MSP to honor the local culinary traditions. Eventually, we boarded the most Minnesotan international flight imaginable (accents & mannerisms) as we took off for the second layover in Amsterdam.

Our favorite circumpolar constellations at MSP will also be showing in Norway (sans Adler tails)

Well, the universe seems to have a way of balancing itself during out travels, and after a great start with smooth flights leaving on time from ORD and MSP, we were bumped from our flight from Amsterdam to Stavanger. This is because Delta’s website doesn’t have a freaking clue how to function properly when a flight involves their “partner airline” KLM — from displaying the right prices, to letting you select seats. Not having assigned seats for the oversold KLM flight made us the bumpees.

Here’s the plane — and our bags — Delta & KLM incompetently kept us from boarding.

In response, a handful of nameless KLM ticketing agents did what they could to help (we noticed they don’t wear name tags when they work in the “we f’d up” division) and we were eventually re-booked on a 9pm flight. One thing they don’t do to compensate bumped passengers is let them into the KLM lounge (I guess that might ruin the mood, ha), so instead we found some awesome bean bag chairs in a makeshift rain forest-themed area without the monotonous “final and immediate” gate announcement for the whole of Belgium. Naps and planning adjustments for the next seven hours!

Relaxing in the tropical forest lounge at AMS and adjusting plans

We used half of our “apology” food vouchers at the airport sports bar before finally saying goodbye to dreary and rainy Amsterdam. They didn’t put dates on the other vouchers, so we’ll give those a shot in a couple weeks when we return.

See ya rainy Amsterdam!!!

Things clearing up as we approach Norway

Finally landing in Stavanger at 10:15pm, we collected our bags and surprisingly didn’t have to go through customs again (which we figure was either an EU thing or some sort of Stavager airport oversight, and we’re leaning toward the later). Thankfully, our trusty Hertz man Tor stayed open late for us, and we were still able to pick up our swanky hybrid rental car.

We have the (eco) power (to drive around)!

The upshot in all this schedule havoc is that we drove three hours to Lysebotn on completely empty roads. The only other creatures out and about were the free-range sheep that felt they owned the place. We had our first taste of crazy switchbacks (that may be more common than I think) and we survived just fine. Driving in the dark actually made it a little easier, and less scary. We also had a great view of the stars at 2:30am in the morning.

Counting sheep

How we experienced the switchbacks to Lysebotn at 3AM…

…vs how we will experience the switchbacks tomorrow!

It was a somewhat rocky start, but we successfully caught up with our planned itinerary. We contacted the hostel earlier and they agreed to leave a side room open for our 3am arrival. Seeing as how the sky was already getting brighter for impending dawn, we decided our naps in the Amsterdam airport would have to do. Hey, let’s pull an all-nighter! Update the blog, lay down for about 30 minutes, and then off to eat breakfast.

Don’t fall asleep! Don’t fall asleep! Don’t fall asleep!

Here’s hoping for a smooth hike and travels tomorrow/today! #WhoNeedsSleep

Getting Ready for Norway

by Joanna

Updated: June 28, 2018

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Welcome back!

It’s summertime, which means another trip and another blog. Get ready for two weeks of tantalizing text, fabulous photographs, and general travel goodness. This time we are headed to Norway. We planned an ambitious trip packed with hikes, flights, drives, and boats, as well as a stop on an island near the North Pole where we will make our second attempt at dog sledding.

If you zoom in on map above, we are starting at the bottom in Stavanger, then driving our way up to Trondheim during the first week. After that, we’ll fly waaaaaaay up north to Svalbard, before flying back south to the Lofoten Islands and finally exiting via Oslo.

Svalbard is that little yellow island nearly obscured by the top of the globe

With my days finally free of teaching and graduate classes, I’ve been packing and preparing, anxiously awaiting the start of the trip and ready to share it with you. We fly out on Friday, arrive on Saturday, make our way to Lysebotn, and start with a bang by hiking Mt. Kjerag on Sunday. Hopefully going up and down the stairs in our building has sufficiently trained us for this:

The path on Kjerag

Just kidding, Mom.

Check back for daily updates on the adventures of Matt and Jo.

Day 13: Auckland

by Joanna

Updated: July 24, 2016