day72 Slartibartfast did a great job!

don't worry I'm not losing the plot! 

Actually stealing a bit from a plot!... 'The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy', pertinent in so many ways really! 

For today it's about the fjords of Norway! In the TV show back in the 80's slartibartfast was a designer of worlds! And yes he designed the earth and won an award for the Norwegian fjords! 

And so he should they're bloody awesome even in the rain! 

Another lazy start and I still managed to get to the meeting point for today! 

I'm off on a cruise.... Yep it's grey and raining! But I made the right choice of boat.... I'm in an enclosed catamaran! With a bar! 

it does have open decks front and back, this is so much better than the Rib (ridged open boat) that another group was getting into.... With wearing glasses and the rain I wouldn't have seen a thing!

For this tour it became rather magical in the rain! 

Today they extended their vaffeldagen (waffle day or feast of the annunciation)festivities for us! Sharing loads of free waffles and coffee!

An unexpected treat!

Following the Hagsfjordan past Tingholmen where the unification of Norway was written into law!

hence 'Ting' the Norwegian 'Thing' aka mee'ting'! I love how many links you find in words throughout Europe! 

Along the fjord banks are hundreds of holiday homes.... Not sold of to foreigners but held onto by the locals as they should be! and used heavily rather than once or twice a year.... Sensible people here. Under a large single span bridge

and we're in the Lysefyorden! Sheer rock faces of hundreds of meters wall the fjord

with one I can only call it a crevice that the pilot of the boat managed to squeeze us into!

pictures don't do it justice, you really had to crane your neck too look up! 

Looking across the fyord the spectral layers of cloud hang over the far bank

as we make our way to pulpit rock, which you couldn't see through the cloud but we were assured was up there!

that may require a trip back in the summer!.. . Well a summer! 

Further along the pilot again showed his skill/familiarity by getting the prow of the boat within a meter of Hengjanefossen a rather beautiful water fall

Yep glad I was wearing my waterproof!

Here the tour turns back following the terrain on the other bank, pulling into a small bay at Helleren

there's a story of a troll who failed to teach his cave before daylight leaving his heart fossilized in the rock! 

we do love a bit of folk law! 

From here back along the fjord to Stavanger passing what we're probably cormorants on low rock islands 

before entering the harbour and back into the town, a really nice tour and 63 euros was a good price I think!

I did manage to stand unwittingly blocking the road catching a picture of a compass rose pointing due north along the harbour not realising it was a roundabout !! 

a pretty fair mistake to make I think! 

A warm coffee called at the coffee shop after I'd dropped in to reserve my seat for tomorrow's train, before one again getting food and finishing the day chilled out at the hostel.

day 71 three became one!

Today is a bit special, where I'm heading today has been on my must visit list for months before I even started this journey(travelling? Journey implies an end?) 

And I'm not rushing at all during my visit to Stavanger two places to visit over two days.  And relaxing because I can, rather than because I need to! 

I don't head out much before 11am , I wish I had tho working out Norwegian buses is a nightmare! .... I give up and get a taxi! 

So pleased I did, I get there and I'm alone! I grab some cool pics of the Sverd I fjel! 

the swords in stone!

The monument commemorates the historic Battle of Hafrsfjord which took place in the year 872, when King Harald Fairhair unified all of Norway under one crown. The largest sword represents the victorious Harald, and the two smaller swords represent the defeated kings. The monument also represents peace, since the swords are planted into solid rock, so they may never be removed!

Very Arthurian!!!

Now getting back.... I really should have considered this a bit.... The bus stop directly opposite the monument is no longer in service, awesome ... The next one I find yes I can get a bus! For about 5 minutes before walking the remaining miles.... Finally another stop has a route all the way back into town..... I do wonder if the preceding stop would have worked? Probably it's on the same road... . Oh well! 

I'm back in town at last and a coffee shop/cafe calls me! 

I must chill out here for a few hours before heading around the town large pond/lake taking pictures of herring gulls much to the bewilderment of the locals! 

Mr Murrey of the Ferrers school why? Just why???

Shopping done with a worry for the herring gulls

and a wander around the harbour

and through the colourful shopping district

before heading back to cook and sleep...

days 69 + 70 two day journey!

Yep two days in trains with a stop over in Oslo...

Short blog for two days for sure! 

Stockholm to Oslo..

Away early having given my breakfast token to my dorm mate, the 7.27 train excludes that lovely breakfast!!! 

But I'm on a mission that I won't complete until three days from now ... It's a bit daft really as it's only a selfie ..... But you'll see ...

The train journey, Sweden is really really flat the scenery doesn't change much either, pine trees, silver birch, one small gathering of oak! 

Boulders, Placid lakes becoming frozen placid lakes! 

with small hills!

I did see some reindeer! Briefly!!

This isn't a country of expansive views the farthest horizon being no more than a mile away. 

At 11.45 we cross into Norway country number 11! 

We're in logging country passing a huge train full of logs and a logging yard

before passing through this fairly populated area, the houses are certainly clustering together whereas in Sweden they keep their distance! 

Into Oslo and the station, my first view is of a cruise ship from inside the station!

stepping out and Oslo seems to be the epitomy of multiculturalism, not in a good way, on top of this my hostel which is only a short walk from the station is pretty much where the druggies and down and outs gather for a fix or whatever.... Travelling can't always be about wonders! 

I get food in hunker down in the very empty hostel for the night, I'm alone in a 6 bed dorm.... But it has a kitchen built in! So I can cook....a pizza.... I'm so sick of pizza!! 😁

Oslo to Stavanger

Today's trip is shorter than yesterday but takes longer!

The landscape is different, it's like taking a train through southern Scotland to to Scotlands northwest, hilly covered in trees going to mountains with steep drops

and eventually huge boulders I mean at least the size of houses!! and no I didn't manage to get a decent picture!!!

The weather isn't the best and doesn't look to change before I leave this area! 

So all pictures are grey! No sign of spring in Norway!

It did brighten up about half way as we entered Kristiansand with it's houses set amongst boulder like cliffs

the blue skies did lighten my dozing mood! This is the first train I've actually fallen asleep on!!

I'm so looking forward to driving in Iceland!!!

Back into the grey and down along the fjord to Stavanger 

i reach the end of my line! 

Literally!

I won't be going further west from here by train! I'll back track in a few days. 

First impressions of stavanger, this is a port town so lots of restaurants to cater for the cruise ships it feels ok tho, much better than Oslo.... 

Finding the hostel I'm shown around by Flora a Cuban lady speaking Spanish in Norway.... Oh this is fun!! 

She's actually lovely and got a big hug and called momma by me! I think she liked that! 😁

This dorm is for 4 plus another four beds in a separate room, but bonus there's another kitchen! 

I'm joined later by a French chap who's driving and climbing (I think)! 

Really nice guy we managed some good banter! he offered that we should go out for a meal in town, but I'm done in, a quick meal from the food I'd bought in town and my head was down!

And I slept!!!! 

day 68 A Golden opportunity!

Today was well planned out in my mind, it really didn't follow the plan in a rather excellent and astonishing way! 

My first call was to get to the archaeology museum as it opened at 11am , I got there late ....

Breakfast was the egg on sausage again can't fault that! 

I was sat on a long table with a family at one end me in the middle and another chap at the end, the family and the other chap were all from America, the family were chatting away, their conversation turned to wigs..    seizing an opportunity get the table chatting I whip off my cap stating not much use to me! In context with what they said and the unexpected nature of my action i got them all laughing! 

And the table chatting! I'm getting good at peopling!!

The single chap 'Marteen' from Arizona was in a need of a chat to we sat there long after breakfast, discussing politics the state of the world and vikings! 

It was a very profitable chat we exchanged contact details and I now have options of places to stay in Arizona, Palos Verde and San Carlos in the Americas! 

Also a great list of places worth visiting!

Throwing my itinerary in the air has been hugely profitable! 

How often people offer their homes wether they're home or not is mind blowing and rather humbling, I know when I'm traveling on foot or now by train the kindness of strangers shines brightly! 

So much good in humanity when we don't let politics polute us!.

Finally off I walk down to T-centralen hoping to catch a bus 24 minute wait makes me look at the tram ... Going exactly where I'm heading, I jump on and once again see no way of paying! I'll accept that!

Stepping off I have a short walk to the museum and big leap back in time! 

If Valhalla is a Viking nirvana then this is a metal detectorist Viking Valhalla!

swords!!!! So many!!!!

^^^^^^^ the four pommels and quillions from the swords display!

hoards..... Many hordes!!!!!

beautiful jeweled pendants

God figurines

God pendants..... Possibly Christian

rune stones! With the inscriptions highlighted

Thors hammer pendants, with amber jewellery

Raven mounts

cross pendants from as far away as Byzantium

the actual helmet that I'd seen a copy of at Gamla Uppsala!!

intricate clasps!

more swords!!!

glass polishing stones.... Never heard of these before!

amber toggles!

of great interest to me is this ring brooch from Gotland! The island that my Pommel has been linked to!

silver, gold, niello paternation

and hacked edges of silver to retain the gold....

all of those descriptions apply to my Pommel! 

I can see why they made that association!!

I didn't think Viking treasure overload was possible! But it happened here, what a privilege!!!!!

There were some nice areas for kids to play and a darkened hall with a video showing how life in the Swedish wilds would have been possible, the boats, the wildlife the terrain, the food, simplistic hardship, struggles, the people,the children, it ends with young boy equipping himself and stepping from his village to face whatever nature and the gods throw his way.... I can relate..

I may have been born to the wrong era and country. 

From these sublime halls I step back into my current reality and IT issues!!!

I knew my Esim was due to run out today so I'd purchased and thought I'd installed a new world wide 365 day SIM.... Yep not completely.... I have no connection to the workings needed for my modern world! Also I can't finish setting up the SIM without WiFi.... Time to go free WiFi hunting as I can't tell which bus tram train or come to that anything is without this tool. 

I find one!!! And get the Esim going thank the gods! 

Sitting reconnected by the docks in the sunshine I sort accommodation for tomorrow night and plan the train journey, it's intercity and I can't reserve a seat for some reason.... I need to get to the station, and now!!

It's mid afternoon now so enough time, I walk through this appealing city back to the station and the hunt for a ticket office starts, for such a large and major station the office is a tiny booth with just two people working away! But I get my seat reservation sorted quickly and easily! 

Once again it's so much easier getting around when your language is English!!!

With the bar at the hostel calling a pint and time I write out yesterday's blog, I need time to consider today's...

Back to the dorm to pack my kit my early train and dorm mates require me to be ready now not early morning... With that sorted another beer and a burger at the bar, before bed.