Boat Life in Stockholm

From Bergen, Norway I hopped a short flight over to Stockholm, Sweden hoping for some relief from the world's most expensive country. Though still shockingly expensive, I learned that Sweden was about 25% cheaper than its western neighbor and that Norwegians often cross the border to shop the relatively good deals. Being alone for so long, especially after hours upon hours of cycling all day in total silence, it was awesome to have my great aunt meeting me to show me around Stockholm in her adopted hometown.

Walking from the bus station post flight, it took no time to come upon some of Stockholm's magnificent old architecture (I really enjoy brick buildings, with tall spires and oxidized metal roofs). The church below is the city's oldest and is on a small island that was once the heart of Stcokholm.

And below, the city hall where the Nobel Prize ceremony is held...

My aunt and uncle are super generous hosts, and booked me a room on board the Rygerfjord, a floating hostel in Stockholm's bay. The boat below is where I called home for four nights. Not a bad view!

Typically when one thinks of Sweden, they might think of IKEA, meatballs and tall blondes. While all those things may be stereotypical modern Sweden, I was surprised to learn that the country was actually once a strong military power and was a naval force to be reckoned with. 

With that newfound knowledge I visited the Vasa Museum, which ironically highlighted a beautiful war ship that sank on its maiden voyage from Stockholm in 1628, but was salvaged in great condition in the 1960s in a remarkable feat of engineering and beautifully restored for the public to enjoy.

Housed in a giant building, the ship was restored though the wood and masts are mostly original. The museum also highlighted life onboard such a war vessel, which between scurvy, malnutrition, corporal punishment from unquestionable captains, meager pay and months at sea looked pretty crumby...

Above, a ship in Stockholm's harbor, that to my untrained eye, looked much like the Vasa might have had it not sunk 300 feet from the dock...

The next day, my aunt and I booked a ferry to the outer islands of Stockholm's archipelago. With 23,000 islands scattered around Sweden's capital, it was clear the Norway did not steal all of Scandania's natural beauty. Our boat ride twisted and turned around small islands, many with houses and very small towns on them until we reached Sandhamm, one of the outermost islands and a popular tourist get-away during Sweden's two month long summer.

A small island en-route to Sandhamm....

The port at Sandhamm.... One of the interesting features about the ferry system is that it has a tentative schedule, only making stops at islands that have someone getting on or off. If someone is on an island and wants the ferry to stop, there is a flag system at the dock that the would-be passenger must use. A raised flag means the ferry should stop to get a passenger and no flag means the ferry can continue on, skipping the stop. Pretty cool and efficient!

Housing a population of about 2,500 people, the island was pretty quiet as many of the inhabitants leave after summer. This deserted beach was on the far side of the island, about a mile from the ferry landing.

My Aunt Betty leading the way along Sandhamm's only hiking trail...

No city tour would be complete without a stop at the pub. Incredibly, this place had three beers from San Diego microbreweries on tap!!

Somehow, I ended up without a photo of both my aunt and me, but as soon as I find one, I'll be sure to add it to the blog. Thanks to Aunt Betty for her incredible generosity and for being such a great host! And thanks to Uncle Tom, who was with us in spirit, for putting me up in the Rygerfjord and paying for my public transit pass! I had a blast and hope I can come back to Stockholm again some day when you're both there!!

From the Fjords to the Coast

After a couple of days in small town Fläm, it was time to continue the westward journey toward Bergen. This time our method of transport was ferry. Considered the "queen of the fjords" for being widely considered the second most famous fjord in Norway, Aurlandsfjord is deep, surrounded by waterfalls and glaciers on both sides, the shorelines occasionally hosting a town too small and picturesque for it to even be real.

Looking up the fjord.... Hard to believe this is actually salt water until a pod of dolphins swam past.

A waterfall spills into Aurlandsfjord next to an old dock...

And another waterfall....

An impossibly small town or compound... Can't imagine how lonely this place must get in the winter...

Sheet glass water... A beautiful but cold day...

After de-boarding the ferry, we hopped a bus from another small town and zig-zagged our way through deep canyons, around glaciers and over rivers in the now pouring rain. At one point the switchbacks got so sharp and steep, I thought for sure our bus was going to plow over the edge...

After leaving the bus and boarding another train, we finally arrived in Bergen, competing the Norway in. Nutshell route.

As Norway's second largest city and former capital, Bergen is a big city (for Norway) that retains a lot of small town charm. The most famous attraction in town is probably the Old City, a row of wooden buildings originally built in the 16th century that still stand today.

My luck continued with stumbling into random events and I managed to engorge myself at a food fair going on on the waterfront.

On the hills behind Bergen, there's a natural park that offers great views of the city below once you clear the thick forest. You'd never know you're in a city from up there!

Forest behind Bergen.... And below the view of the city...

The Blog Goes On

Though I have been back in the states for almost a month now from my traveling sabbatical, a couple California road trips and a visit to Philadelphia have kept me still away from home. Between that and a hectic last month of backpacking, the blog has fallen way behind! 

The original intention of writing about my travels online was to keep friends and family updated on my whereabouts, though over time the blog morphed into more of a personal journal and thus, I will finish summarizing my travels and if anyone is still reading, hope you can continue to follow along.

My brother and I in Philly...

Cycling Down a Fjord

After arriving in Fläm, I stayed the night in a hostel at a campground and the next day took the Flamsbana railway back to Myrdal, which turned out to be nothing more than a train station and a couple other buildings. From Myrdal I rode a rented mountain bike back down dirt and gravel roads towards Fläm...

Myrdal, a happening town...

The switchbacks next to the waterfall mark the first part of my descent back into Fläm.

Waterfalls were everywhere, cascading the 500-1000 feet from the steep ranges above down to the valley floor.

At the bottom of the deep valley, sharp rock and cliffs have way to a grassy, green floor carved by a glacier millions of years ago.

The human fascination with water is an interesting one... Crowds flock to take pictures of waterfalls no matter what part of the world you're in. I was lucky enough to enjoy these in compete solitude....

The water flowing down was the most aqua-clear I've ever seen. This section was about 10 feet deep!

The 12 mile ride should've taken less than an hour but with all the photo breaks it took more like three...

It was a cold ride so I tucked my hoodie into my helmet and it wouldn't be a blog post without a shameless selfie... Function beats fashion in this 10 second timer selfie...

Norway in a Nutshell

Finally, a blog update! Since my last update I have visited six countries and traveled thousands of miles... Anyway, two things to know about Norway: it's natural beauty is absolutely stunning and it's terribly expensive. Think $10 for a Big Mac expensive...

Leaving Oslo, I made my way to Bergen on the west coast over four days using three trains, a ferry and bus following the "Norway in a Nutshell" route.

A couple photos out the window from my train ride to Myrdal from Oslo.

Once in Myrdal, I switched trains to the Flamsbana Railroad, a 12 mile ride through 18 hand-carved tunnels built in the mid 1800s. Incrdible views of the valley and waterfalls were off both sides of the train as we clung to narrow cliffs on either side of the former fjord.

Two of many waterfalls along the way...

 

At the bottom of the valley, the tiny town of 500, Fläm was my destination for the next two nights. 

The Flamsbana or Fläm Railway train....

 

And above, the view from a small hilltop just next to the town. Behind me is a deep fjord called Sognefjord, one of the longest in Norway.

I don't speak a word of Norwegain nor really enjoy toilet humor but some things are universal....

A Change in Plans

After a day in Copenhagen, I set off the next morning in dumping rain toward Elsinore to continue my ride into Sweden and on to Stockholm. Ten miles into my ride, soaked completely through, shoes sloshing from the water that had collected inside, I had reached my conclusion: the cycle tour was over. I finished the next 20 miles, shivering and miserable till I got to Elsinore, then took a train straight back to Copenhagen.

It was a difficult decision to stop the cycling tour, but after 30 days and over 1,000 miles, I knew I had made the right choice. A flu and rain that seemed to follow me across Europe had dampened my spirits but ultimately, cycling all day, day after day, had lost its fun. It was incredible experience and I'm so glad I got to see Europe in that way but it's time to turn a new leaf! And after arriving in Norway, I was certain I had made the right choice!

Cycling, trains and flying is so passé when you can travel by boat so I booked an overnight cruise to Oslo, Norway to arrive in style.

Above, leaving Copenhagen. Europe is always such an interesting juxtaposition of old and new; a historic, island fortress in the foreground with electric windmills behind... 

And below, entering Norway through the wide Oslo Fjord. There were islands of all sizes dotted with cabins, marinas, and homes... This one was particularly small...

More islands...

The view from the cruise ship's breakfast buffet...

Oslo has a distinctly modern feel compared to some of the other cities I have been in recently. This particular section of town has a cool skyline and is a newer neighborhood of posh bars, restaurants, offices and apartments out on a finger in the harbor.

One of Oslo's more famous attractions is the Vigelandsparken Scultpure Park, which is apparently the largest sculpture park in the world made by a single artist. Perhaps also the world's creepiest sculpture park...

This tower was a 30 foot tall pinnacle of strangeness, surrounded by other twisted sculptures.

The angry baby below is a famous one...

Sans bicycle and with my fanny pack strapped up tight, I'm glad to be back in tourist mode!

Full Speed Ahead

Realizing I would never make it to Stockholm by my target date, I hopped a train from Antwerp, Belgium to Copenhagen, Denmark with an overnight in Hamburg, Germany. It was all such a blur, I honestly don't even remember Hamburg nor do I have a photo.

A local train with a new hand-drawn paint job...

Bike storage on the train to Copenhagen... 

Copenhagen is known for being one of the trendiest cities in Northern Europe and the most cycle friendly. The side of each road had a dedicated bike path complete with its own traffic signals. At times, cars were outnumbered two to one by cyclists.

A big group waits at a traffic light... It was actually a bit unnerving to cross the street as a pedestrian as you have to remember to look for bikes then cars. 

A beautiful city filled with well-dressed, good-looking people, I found the architecture and culture to have a dark and brooding undertone to them. A little like Gotham from Batman or something...

It was raining till my last morning so

I don't have too many photos...

Below is an entrance to Tivoli, one of Europe's best known theme parks.

And the grave of Hans Christian Andersen, creator of many famous fairy tales such as "The Little Mermaid", "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Emporer's New Clothes." I actually didn't know he was until I randomly heard a podcast about him a week prior. Strange dude...

A couple of nice canals... The bright, sunny morning in these photos doesn't really back up my point of a dark, gothic city...

And a small port...

I was ready for high prices in Scandanavia but was still sticker shocked to pay $15 USD for a beer and $12 for a soft serve ice cream! No cheaper future in sight as I head further north!