The world

We checked out after breakfast and drove to see the Gamlehaugen castle where the Norwegian royal family lives when they are in Bergen. After that we went to see the Edward Grieg residence.

A lovely day driving by the Hardangerfjorden stopping to see a lot of spectacular views, waterfalls and mountains. Another amazing sunny warm day – can’t believe how lucky we have been with the weather. We drove all the way over to Vøringfossen which was amazing but a bit too high up for me… couldn’t take any good photos there unfortunately. But truly breathtaking!

Arrived at our destination around 4.30PM – at Gudvangen Fjordtell. A viking-hotel right by the Nærøyfjorden. Now we’ve relaxed for a bit after another long day in the car before it’s time to have dinner.

The breakfast in Stavanger was not as good as the one in Drammen but still very nice. We checked out around 8.30 and started our drive towards waterfalls, ferry-trips, mountains and fjords. And we had a wonderful day with sunny weather and around 23C. 

We arrived in Bergen around 7 PM and after we had found a parking garage and checked in to the hotel (which was much less standard than the four stars it had been given) we took the mountain railway up to the top to enjoy a spectacular view over the city. We had dinner up there at the Floyen restaurant which was lovely. After dinner we took the railway back down again and strolled around the dock for a bit – and looked at the traditional Bergen houses on the photo. 

After an amazing breakfast – best we’ve had in a hotel I think – we started our long drive. Made stops along the way looking at all sorts of amazing views – waterfalls, fjords, adorable little villages, mountains etc. We stopped for a nice lunch in Grimstad.

The day went without any problems and we made quite a few stops along the way. 600 km and 12 hours later we arrived in Stavanger and checked in to the Victoria Hotel in the harbor in the old town. We went out for a late dinner and enjoyed great food at a fish restaurant sitting outside at 10PM. Now it’s time to hug our pillows. Another day in the car awaits. 

We got up early and got ready to start our journey right after breakfast. It was a lovely sunny day and very little traffic on the road so the trip went without any problems.

We stopped a few times to change driver and also to get a bite to eat. First stop Arboga, then Karlstad and last stop Årjäng to get some gas before we entered Norway. Then we did a fourth and final switch when we had about an hour left. Arrived in Drammen about 8 hrs since we left this morning.

We managed to find the hotel with no problem and it is quite alright but not situated in a very busy area. Unfortunately a lot of restaurants and stores are closed due to the holiday – May 1st – so we’ll see where we will have our dinner tonight.

Yesterday I walked by the Kungsträdgården in town and all the cherry trees are in full bloom. Unfortunately I was on my way to catch a bus, otherwise I would have enjoyed the park a bit longer. 

Today it is Walpurgis night and I’m having a day off since I worked a full day yesterday instead of a half. I have been packing our things for tomorrow and in a minute I will start to get ready for our guests arriving for dinner and celebration of Walpurgis. We thought we might start the grill and bbq for the first time this year. And then later on we will walk over to the bonfire. Love traditions. And family around me. 

Monday again and a busy day divided into three parts very different from each other.

First I worked my short day. Then I went over to the Swedish Bar Association to attend a course / training for the afternoon regarding “stress and a sustainable life”. It was very interesting both to listen to the lecture but also to hear the other ones attending – our questions and discussions to follow.

Third part of the evening I spent with my dad cheering on our team at a home game. A great evening – a tiny bit chilly but sunny and about 22000 people there. Last time we faced this team we lost but tonight we managed to win 2-1. Yeah! Important that we start winning more games in order to keep up with the ranking. After the game my dad gave me a ride home. A great day with a great ending.

Busy day working in our garden. We rented a trail after breakfast to drive a couple of rounds to the waste disposal site with all the cuttings and branches from the trees. Also some other things that we needed to take there such as batteries, electronics, bulbs etc. 

Four hours of hard work later we now have earned a break – me watching soccer on tv and the others playing on their computers. Our oldest went to see his friends so he will be gone all afternoon. I have started to plan what to pack for our trip since I’ll be otherwise busy the next couple of days before we leave. The weather forecast looks promising. Great! 

Managed to sleep in a bit today – great! After breakfast we went to get groceries and this afternoon we have been busy around the house. Cleaning, ironing, dusting, mopping, baking bread etc etc.

Sorted my Fantasy-Team out and tried to prepare for the next round that starts tomorrow. Did really good last time – fingers crossed it’s a positive trend moving forward. Three of my players are injured though.. but I’ve kept them on for some weird reason. We’ll see how they are doing after this round – maybe I need to replace one of them.

Woke up to a winter wonderland this morning and it kept on snowing for several hours. Then it started to rain instead and now the lawn is green again. April-weather! 

Finally Friday and weekend to enjoy! It’s been a long week but next week will be very short since I only work on Monday and have the rest of the week off. Great. 

A lot to plan, pack and prepare this weekend. Time to get organized! 

A cold and rainy day. Long day at work so we went out for lunch to get away from the office for a few minutes. So far everything has gone according to plan with the new changes which is great. 

Tonight we were invited to my parents for dinner. When the soccer game started on TV my guys went back home but I stayed and watched the game with my parents. Unfortunately we lost 2-1 – so far we have lost all the away-games this season. Bummer. New chance on Monday when we play on our own arena. Fingers crossed that will be good and a necessary win.