Photo Friday: Oslo Again

August 15, 2014August 14, 2014 / Lon Hetrick

Happy Friday!

This is the final gallery in our Norway series taken as we returned to Oslo by train. We had some terrific memories: watching the changing of the royal guard right after dignitaries arrived at the palace, and taking the girls to shop at Ikea (of all places, LOL).

Enjoy!

Previous Norway galleries:

⟩ Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo reveals a bit of Norwegian cultural history

⟩ Oslo to Myrdal to Flåm began our cross-country Norway in a Nutshell tour

⟩ Best Walk Ever captures our stroll through the villages of Flåm and Lunden

⟩ Cruise on the Sognefjord with stunning views

⟩ Gudvangen and Voss completes our tour of the Sognefjord

⟩ Beautiful Bergen makes my list of places I’d love to live

Click any photo to view a full-size slide show

Traveling cross-country by train brought us from spring, to winter, to spring again

somewhere on the train from Bergen to Oslo

Many norwegian homes still have a traditional guest house

Oslo City Hall is a famous landmark in Norway

At the national theatre (notice the pigeon on the central figure’s head, which the statue boy seems to be watching)

Isn’t the brickwork in front the University amazing?

In front of Oslo’s University (norwegian sweater from Bergen)

Touring the royal palace park and garden

Here we are in front of the Royal Palace and the Statue of King Karl III John of Norway

No gates. No bars. Up close at the changing of the royal guard

Princesses at the palace watching the changing of the guard. So cute!

This was a highlight for Dawn taking in her ethnic roots

The view of downtown Oslo from the royal palace

I can’t pass up taking pictures of flowers

I wish these tulips were in better focus to contrast with the rushing trolley

Photo Friday: Beautiful Bergen

August 8, 2014August 14, 2014 / Lon Hetrick

It’s Friday!

Aren’t you glad the weekend is here? I so look forward to weekends, especially Sunday worship at church.

Anyway, here’s another installment in our series of photo galleries from our trip to Norway in May. These are from our visit to the west coast city of Bergen, Norway’s second largest city. The city was so beautiful, I’m afraid my photos don’t do it justice. We found Bergeners preparing for Syttende Mai (May 17^th), Norway’s national celebration of independence, many of them wearing their colorful traditional costumes. I wish I could have captured more photos of this.

Enjoy!

Previous Norway galleries:

⟩ Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo reveals a bit of Norwegian cultural history

⟩ Oslo to Myrdal to Flåm began our cross-country “Norway in a Nutshell” tour

⟩ Best Walk Ever captures our stroll through the villages of Flåm and Lunden

⟩ Cruise on the Sognefjord with stunning views

⟩ Gudvangen and Voss completes our tour of the Sognefjord

Click any photo to view a full-size slide show

Here are my blurry girls arriving by train in Bergen

I caught these kids in mid-caper. It was great to see so many Bergeners in costume lead up to their national holiday.

This is what Bergen looks like at 11:30 pm in May. No wonder we heard marching bands practicing at midnight.

The elevator to our hostel. At first we thought the gate meant it wasn’t in service. LOL

John Lenin would be proud

I love the colors in these gorgeous buildings

We saw many children with scarves on their heads like this grinning cutie.

I caught Heidi sketching beneath this tree.

Here’s the famous Hanseatic warehouses, a UNESCO world heritage site. Merchants have traded on this wharf for nine centuries.

Here’s Bergen in all its glory as seen from atop Mount Floyen.

Cool and beautiful fir forest atop Mount Floyen

Providence led us to attend a free concert of this choir from Latvia in a 12th-century cathedral. Wonderful!

Photo Friday: Gudvangen and Voss

July 24, 2014August 14, 2014 / Lon Hetrick / 1 Comment

Hello!

Here’s the fifth in our series of photo galleries from our trip to Norway in May.

Cruise Itinerary These photos were taken on the second half of our Sognefjord cruise from Flåm to Gudvangen. From there, we rode a bus to Voss via a very steep mountain road. We walked around Voss for an hour or two until the train arrived to take us to Bergen, Norway’s second largest city, which we’ll show you in our next photo gallery.