Yesterday I had the morning off so I went to yoga, got a mighty big cappuccino, and then bought some Oregon cherries from the Farmers Market. It is finally heating up to the temperatures the Old Guard seem to remember.
Paul and I had a glorious dinner last night at the Davis hotel. I did not remember to take pictures of our delicious food- Paella Risotto, fresh salads, and BLT sliders. We basically planned our time in Bergen. Anna has been connecting us with her friends and future relatives in Oslo, Bergen, and Grimstad to help us keep our trip under budget (which is, let's face it, just as cheap as possible).
Our itinerary is as follows:
July 21- flight to Oslo through Minneapolis
July 22-25- Bergen
July 25 Stavanger (Pulpit Rock)
July 26-28 Grimstad
July 28-31 Oslo
July 31-August 3- Oslo to Trondheim roadtrip and camping in
August 3-6 Trondheim (August 6- Anna and Audun's Trondheim blessing ceremony)
August 7-11 Hepso cabin
August 11- flight back to Minneapolis through Iceland
There is definitely some room (especially around the trip to Trondheim) for some flexibility, so I've been researching Stavanger or around the Hardangerfjord to see if we can squeeze out another day there, as well as the surrounds of Oslo and Lillehammer. I'm thinking there will be an extra day to have an adventure (fjord kayaking, anyone?). I'm also partial to the relatively cheap options to rent a motorboat for a half day and hang out in the most beautiful scenery around!
Most of our departures will take place on the morning of the final day listed, taking advantage of the extensive bus and train schedules. I've been trying to purchase some minipris (which is simply a word for advanced tickets) online, but unbelievably, the entire summer of rides from Lavprisekspressen (www.lavprisekspressen.no) seems to be sold out. Anna tells me that Nor-Way Bussekspress (www.nor-way.no) guarantees a bus, and if not they will send another, so there doesn't seem to be much worry in waiting, even until we get there. I'm using the Lonely Planet guidebook for this trip, and I'm finally used to the layout (I'm a Fodor's girl, but there are no exclusively Norwegian guidebooks, only "Essential Scandinavia").
On the Bergen expedition short-list of ideas:
Kayak Fjord Expeditions out of VOSS: either tours or rentals
Husmannsplassen or Brekkedalen hikes out of STALHEIM
Fruit farms and beautiful hikes out of OYSTESE or ULVIK
Hardanger Fjord and Nature Center, fjord mini-cruises in EIDFJORD
I just know that small villages and cities are going to be my cup of tea, and thus far our itinerary is full of larger cities and cosmopolitan areas. The next step is renting a car. Paul and I are rather excited that we'll see three more paydays before our trip (and one to replenish us while we are in Norway).
Paul and I had a glorious dinner last night at the Davis hotel. I did not remember to take pictures of our delicious food- Paella Risotto, fresh salads, and BLT sliders. We basically planned our time in Bergen. Anna has been connecting us with her friends and future relatives in Oslo, Bergen, and Grimstad to help us keep our trip under budget (which is, let's face it, just as cheap as possible).
Our itinerary is as follows:
July 21- flight to Oslo through Minneapolis
July 22-25- Bergen
July 25 Stavanger (Pulpit Rock)
July 26-28 Grimstad
July 28-31 Oslo
July 31-August 3- Oslo to Trondheim roadtrip and camping in
August 3-6 Trondheim (August 6- Anna and Audun's Trondheim blessing ceremony)
August 7-11 Hepso cabin
August 11- flight back to Minneapolis through Iceland
There is definitely some room (especially around the trip to Trondheim) for some flexibility, so I've been researching Stavanger or around the Hardangerfjord to see if we can squeeze out another day there, as well as the surrounds of Oslo and Lillehammer. I'm thinking there will be an extra day to have an adventure (fjord kayaking, anyone?). I'm also partial to the relatively cheap options to rent a motorboat for a half day and hang out in the most beautiful scenery around!
Most of our departures will take place on the morning of the final day listed, taking advantage of the extensive bus and train schedules. I've been trying to purchase some minipris (which is simply a word for advanced tickets) online, but unbelievably, the entire summer of rides from Lavprisekspressen (www.lavprisekspressen.no) seems to be sold out. Anna tells me that Nor-Way Bussekspress (www.nor-way.no) guarantees a bus, and if not they will send another, so there doesn't seem to be much worry in waiting, even until we get there. I'm using the Lonely Planet guidebook for this trip, and I'm finally used to the layout (I'm a Fodor's girl, but there are no exclusively Norwegian guidebooks, only "Essential Scandinavia").
On the Bergen expedition short-list of ideas:
Kayak Fjord Expeditions out of VOSS: either tours or rentals
Husmannsplassen or Brekkedalen hikes out of STALHEIM
Fruit farms and beautiful hikes out of OYSTESE or ULVIK
Hardanger Fjord and Nature Center, fjord mini-cruises in EIDFJORD
I just know that small villages and cities are going to be my cup of tea, and thus far our itinerary is full of larger cities and cosmopolitan areas. The next step is renting a car. Paul and I are rather excited that we'll see three more paydays before our trip (and one to replenish us while we are in Norway).
Today was rehearsal for Matthew Halls' St. Cecilia program: Purcell, Handel, and Britten. I'm curious to learn more about Britten's piece, as the ode was written for him by W.H. Auden (not only for him, but potentially about him, too).
My audition is tomorrow at 2:30 pm for Kathy and Peter. Let's hope I'm in good voice. The cum sancto spiritu needs to be at =110!
