Europe Travel - Part 31

Barcelona, Spain: A Trip To Gaudi Land

by Matthew Adams

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, and one of the largest cities in Spain. As a coastal city with a harbor it was of strategic significance in a few wars. It has an extensive history, and the city has preserved its heritage with its architecture and numerous historic sites. Barcelona includes intriguing buildings from the Gothic period and Catalan modernism architecture inspired by renowned architects such as Guadi. When I made a trip to Barcelona, there were a few sites I had to visit.

Firstly, I visited the La Sagrada Familia, a UNESCO site that is perhaps the most notable landmark designed by Gaudi which combines Art Nouveau and Gothic architecture forms. Gaudi designed the La Sagrada Familia with 18 spires, but only eight of those have been built to date. Construction of the Sagrada Familia remains ongoing, but visitors can still visit the Crypt, Nave and museum. When I arrived at Familia, the scale of the church took my breath away. I climbed the steps of the Nativity Facade for some fantastic views.

Park Güell [TOP PHOTO] is another of Gaudi’s designs in Barcelona. That is a municipal garden set alongside Gaudi architectural marvels. The main terrace at the park has extravagant designs such as the serpent bench, which has some great mosaics. Park Güell also includes the multicolored salamander, otherwise the dragon, mosaic.

Next, I visited Montjuïc Castle, after a scenic cable car ride, on Montjuïc Hill. As a coastal fortress it was a position of notable strategic significance during the Napoleonic War and Spanish Civil War between Communist and Fascist parties. The French captured it during the Napoleonic Wars, and in the Spanish Civil War (1936 – 1939) prisoners were held there. Barcelona was a Communist stronghold until it fell to Franco’s armies in ’39. Spanish Civil War tours cover some of the Civil War sites in Barcelona, and Montjuic is included in the tours.

I entered the castle’s grounds, which now stage temporary exhibitions after the military museum closed. Among them is the Sala Montjuic festival with outdoor cinema and live music during the summer. The castle provides some great views of Barcelona’s harbor. It still includes static artillery displays such as coastal defense guns.

Barcelona is a city of art, and has a number of intriguing art museums. Among them is the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (National Art Museum of Catalonia) at Montjuïc. The gallery houses an extensive collection of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque art pieces from various eras such as paintings, sculptures and frescos. It also showcases photographic art in its galleries. In addition, at the National Art Museum there is the Magic Fountain, an innovation of the 1929 Exhibiton, that provides a spectacular show of water, light and music.

For further historical details, I visited the Museum d’ Història de Catalunya. That is a museum with numerous exhibitions that cover Catalunya (Catalonia) history. At the museum I went in the The Electric Years exhibition that gives a fascinating insight into Barcelona’s industrial diversification and the Spanish Civil War.

I also went to the Museu de la Xocolata, a chocolate museum in Barcelona. That covers the history of chocolate with audiovisual and chocolate model displays. There I took part in a chocolate-making class during which I made chocolate lollipops and other confectionary.

So Barcelona is undoubtedly an intriguing city. There aren’t many that can match its magnificent architecture. Furthermore, its museums and galleries showcase dazzling collections of art, artifacts and, of course, chocolate!

Private Customized Sightseeing Tour in Barcelona

If You Go:

♦ Sagrada Familia
♦ Montjuïc Castle
♦ Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
♦ Museum d’ Història de Catalunya
♦ Museu de la Xocolata
♦ Park Guell

Paella Cooking Class in Barcelona

About the author:
Matthew Adams is a freelancer who has produced a variety of articles for various publications and websites such as Swing Golf Magazine,TripAdvisor, Coed Magazine the Washington Post and Vagabundo Travel. Matthew is also the author of Battles of the Pacific War 1941 – 1945. Check out the book’s blog at battlesofthepacificwar.blogspot.co.uk.

Photo credits:
Park Güell in Barcelona by Daniel Corneschi on Unsplash
The La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona by C messier / CC BY-SA
The National Art Museum of Catalonia at Montjuïc by Sergi Larripa (User:SergiL) / CC BY-SA

My First Vacation Alone – In Paris!

by Elizabeth von Pier

All my life I have traveled with someone. First it was my husband, then after he died, various friends and family. So this was my first solo trip (at the age of sixty-something!). I was meeting family in Italy afterward so somehow that future connection made me feel more comfortable going alone to Paris. Also, I know the city fairly well. So, I rented an apartment for two weeks in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the centrally located St. Germaine des Pres quartier, and set out for the adventure of a lifetime.

I found I enjoyed traveling alone because I could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. But dining out was a problem for me because I don’t like to eat out alone. So, for the most part, my dinners were an assortment of take-out foods I got at various stalls and epiceries and I ate by the window of my apartment, watching the Parisian world go by.

My “home” in Paris was a third floor flat overlooking an upscale boulevard. Across the street were two popular and competing cafes, the Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots. One morning I watched them set up their tables and chairs getting ready to open for business as the homeless family who spent the night six feet away folded up their blankets, packed their belongings into a cart, cleaned up the debris, and set off down the street.

I typically started my day power-walking in Luxembourg Gardens [TOP PHOTO]. The flowers were still beautiful, even in October. I admired the statues of kings, queens, gods, goddesses, and cherubs holding urns filled with flowers. People picnic on the grass and lovers kiss. One couple was kissing my first time around the park, and was still at it my second time around. Sundays are the biggest day when everything steps up a notch. There are hundreds of joggers doing their laps, groups of people are practicing tai-chi, ponies are lined up waiting to take little ones for a ride, teens are rehearsing dance steps, families are waiting in line to get into the marionette show, children are at the edge of the pond sailing their toy boats, and bands are playing Israeli and other dance music. The big fountain at the southern end is turned on, with its ferocious-looking fish, turtles, horses and goddesses. I left smiling ear-to-ear.

I would pass the Eglise Saint Sulpice, known as the “Notre Dame of the left bank”, on my way to Luxembourg Gardens. Usually there were beggars near the door, holding out weather-worn hands for a few euros. Inside the church are beautiful Delacroix frescoes and outside in the piazza is an elaborate fountain. Little pre-schoolers played at the edge of the fountain laughing and squealing in French. As I walked by, I often heard the bells tolling, calling the faithful to services, a glorious sound to my ears.

On occasion, I got mistaken for a local as I pointed some lost tourists in the right direction. But on one of those days, my ego was quickly deflated when a group of art students doing a project on “integration” asked for a photo of me dancing with one of the male students (“integration” of the old and the young, I presume).

I took some time each day to visit one or two of the many attractions of this city. There are way too many to describe, but there were some that especially interested me. I flaneured (strolled) to the lovely Place des Vosges and the Musee Carnavalet, one of the mansion-museums owned by the City of Paris that are free to the public. I shopped at the bookstalls on the Seine and came upon an outdoor exhibit of avant-garde photography. Now I’m wondering if that photo of me dancing with the young student might someday show up in a public venue like this! And of course I walked the Champs d’Elysees, stopping in several car showrooms to see their prototypes and custom one-of-kind models.

It rained one night while I was reading in bed. It was a heavy downpour so I went to a window overlooking the boulevard and everything seemed to be shimmering. The shop windows displaying high fashion were all lit up and reflected in the wide wet sidewalks. And the raindrops looked like sparkling gold in the yellow street lights.

The Musee l’Orangerie has some beautiful works by Monet, including his water lilies. The canvases are magnificent, each 50 to 60 feet long and are mounted right onto the walls. The four paintings capture Monet’s garden in various light. The student quarter is an enjoyable area to wander and get lost in. Rue Mouffetard, one of Paris’ famous market streets with dozens of delightful specialty food shops, is in this area. Nearby is the Grand Mosque de Paris, awe-inspiring and tranquil with tiled arcades, a minaret and an interior patio garden modeled after the Alhambra in Spain.

One Saturday evening there was a free organ recital at Notre Dame. Being in that mammoth cathedral at night with its colossal stone pillars, dark side altars and images of the hunchback and the gargoyles up above was haunting. So was the music. I came back to the flat to see the homeless family across the street return to their usual spot. Later, feeling guilty with a full belly and looking down at them from my lovely, warm and comfortable apartment, I got dressed and went out to give the mother some euros. It was even worse than I thought. There were three sweet little cherubs all under four years old sprawled out, mouths open, sound asleep and snuggling next to her warm body.

There is a fabulous view from the open-air roof terrace of the Tour Montparnasse, a 59-story modern skyscraper and one of the most hated buildings in Paris. And you avoid the long lines at the Eiffel Tower. I strolled there leisurely and revisited some places I especially loved in the past–the Palais-Royal, a former palace that now houses lovely shops and cafes, Galerie Vivienne, one of Paris’s 19th century covered arcades; and the fabulous Opera House where I sat on the steps and listened to a street performer playing a violin.

I highly recommend going across the river to the Jewish quarter where there is a small take-out joint on rue des Rosiers that makes THE BEST felafel wraps loaded with veggies and sauce. You can’t miss it because there’s always a long line at the take-out counter on the street. Order your wrap and enjoy every morsel as you sit on the curb or lean against the building like everyone else.

One morning, I decided to check out the City Pharmacy close to my flat. French pharmacies are found on every block and identified by a neon green cross. They are both weird and delightful places where you can fill a prescription, but you can’t buy tampons or help yourself to Tylenol; it must be fetched for you by an official Pharmacist in a lab coat. And the walls are covered with shelves and shelves of skincare products, all claiming to re-hydrate, plump and re-rejuvenate. In every narrow aisle, there are at least two “assistants” to point out your flaws and help you spend your euros.

After listening to too much sales talk and feeling even worse than when I first went into the pharmacy, I went to lift my spirits at my favorite and, I think, the most beautiful bridge in Paris, the bronze lamp-lined Pont Alexandre III. Its elaborate decorations include Art Nouveau lamps, cherubs, nymphs, and, at either end, gold winged horses valiantly prancing atop large cement pillars.

The metro is the best way to get to Montmartre but keep in mind that you have to climb 180 steps to get out from underground. This area attracts bohemians and artists (and tourists) and is very charming with its steep hills and narrow cobbled streets. At the top is Sacred Coeur, a basilica that looks like a big cream puff. On weekends, wine flows, scrumptious foods are available, musicians play, people dance, street artists draw, and the shops do a booming business.

I have found the Parisians to be very polite, friendly and helpful. Whenever I needed help, I said “Bonjour, Madame/Monsieur. Parlez-vous Anglais?” And they always answered “just a leetle beet.” Then we proceeded en Anglais.

So my vacation at an end, I wrapped things up, packed my suitcase, and said a fond farewell to the nymphs in Luxembourg Gardens and the gargoyles on Eglise St. Sulpice. I thought about the homeless family who sleeps across the street and said a silent prayer for them as the bells of Eglise St. Germaine tolled.

Literary Paris: Private Book Lovers’ Tour

If You Go:

contact@apariscommechezsoi.com for apartment rental at 1 rue du Dragon, Paris.
La Coupole, 102 Boulevard du Montparnasse, 75014 Paris, France, tel. 33 1 43 20 14 20.

Ghosts of Paris: Private Evening Mystery Tour

About the author:
Elizabeth von Pier is a retired banker who has travelled extensively around the world. She typically travels with other women and brings that perspective to her writings. This, however, was her first solo trip. Ms. von Pier lives in Hingham, Massachusetts and has been published in TravelMag.co.uk and Journey Woman.

Photo credits:
Luxembourg Gardens by Jebulon / Public domain
Eglise Saint Sulpice by Mbzt / CC BY-SA
Notre Dame by Madhurantakam / CC BY-SA
Paris Metro station by DIMSFIKAS / CC BY-SA

A Journey Through Prehistoric France

by Emily Monaco

History, as it’s studied in school, can be a tough concept to wrap your head around. Centuries can be covered in days; weeks can be spent on one event. For many, the time when prehistoric man was living and roaming the caverns and fields and mountains of the Earth gets scrambled with the era of the dinosaurs. I had a hard time figuring out a real timeline when I was in high school history class. In fact, it’s only been in living history, in exploring the places where these things actually took place, pressing my hand against the wall of a building that once witnessed a revolution, a king’s court dance, a meeting of the French Resistance, that I’ve been able to understand, even a little bit, the events, the moments, the people that came before me.

But somehow, prehistory is harder to get a grasp on. How can you look at a place and imagine nothing, none of the buildings or houses or even roads, none of the modernity that seems to exist wherever you go today? It’s difficult, near impossible, and yet I found it much easier to wrap my head around the prehistory as I journeyed through Southern France.

The Aude department of France is a region that seems to exist out of time anyway. Nearly everywhere you look, you can frame the views to exclude the houses, the cultivated grapevines, to see just rolling hills, the Pyrenees Mountains in the background and the stone caves hidden within the valleys and cliffs that pervade the landscape. While calling prehistoric man a caveman is a misnomer, it is, in fact, within one of these caves, the Caune de l’Arago or Arago Cave, that Tautavel Man was discovered in the 1960s.

Tautavel Man is a 450,000-year-old fossil, a proposed subspecies of Homo erectus, one of our true ancestors. I find it incredibly hard to fathom the time between when he was born and when I was, and yet that’s the point of the museum in the town of Tautavel, which explores the discoveries uncovered in the cave and offers a unique view of life in this region at Tautavel Man’s time.

The exhibits are the result of several historical digs in the cave at Arago, which was occupied for nearly 200,000 years. The first evidence of prehistoric life in the caves was uncovered in 1828 – the same period when the street rebellions featuring in Les Misérables were taking place in Paris. Here, though, with the clear views over the hills and the mountains, time seems to collapse onto itself. It’s easy to imagine, as you peer at the photos of the digs, the reconstructions of the caves within the museum, that these discoveries are happening right now, and even, that this is the view that Tautavel Man had from the space he called home.

The museum is split into two portions: the first is in the village and offers an exploration of the tools and shelters created by Tautavel man and his contemporaries. Visiting this portion of the museum first allows you to experience some of the wonder that the first archaeologists excavating in the cave above did.

This portion of the museum is the perfect introduction for what will follow. These tools in mind, this life of hunting, gathering, preparing food and seeking shelter is only highlighted as you ascend on foot to the top of the hill overlooking the town, towards the second museum, home to a great variety of dioramas, interactive displays and videos, explaining not only what Tautavel man’s life was like but what this part of the country was like. Leaving the museum, the scenery below looks completely different as you imagine animals more often associated with the African plains roaming what is now mostly cultivated grapevines.

The museum is ideal for visits with kids, complete with activities in the summer including teaching participants how to throw a spear or make fire out of stones and moss. But even for adults, these activities are essential to gaining a true glimpse of life in the time of Tautavel Man.

But while Tautavel allows you to explore man’s daily life 450,000 years ago, his tools his food, his technical ability to survive, Lascaux, just a bit to the north, allows you to understand what makes man truly man: art.

It is in Lascaux that, in 1940, three local teenagers accidentally stumbled upon prehistoric cave paintings, changing the way that we perceive of these “cave” men forever. Soon after their discovery, experts identified the paintings as Paleolithic art, some of the earliest to have ever been discovered. The paintings are far more recent than Tautavel man, at 17,300 years old, and they have long been a draw to this region, not far from Limoges, where art still remains an important element of local life due to the tradition of Limoges porcelain.

I went to Lascaux to visit the caves, but like all visitors since the 1960s, I actually visited Lascaux II, a replica of the original cave, which was closed when experts realized that lichen had become prevalent due to the frequency of visits and risked destroying the paintings. But visiting Lascaux II is not discouraging; after buying our tickets in the village of Montignac below and driving up to the caves, we are taken on a journey through time.

Visits to Lascaux are always guided. At first, this seems strange – the journey only takes place along a few meters – but soon, you realize why this is necessary. Glance at the paintings, and you’ll see something: a representation of an animal that seems familiar, a use of color that seems to stay in the realm of rust, brown, tan, black. But with the guide, the reality of the brilliance of these paintings comes to life.

The guide goes into details that never would have occurred to me over the next 45 minutes: how the paints were made by the artist, who shows considerable skill in representing the animals that existed around him including horses, cattle and stags. As we wander through the caves, I almost forget that this is a facsimile, until the guide explains the feat of reproducing the caves using a concrete base and the recreation of the same sorts of paints that would have been used for the originals. Lascaux II is accurate up to a couple of millimeters to the original.

But even more important than the how of the Lascaux caves is the why. It’s a question that has plagued artists for centuries – and now, we know, for millennia. Why did the artist decide to portray these scenes of life, of the things that surrounded him? What was the impetus for the cave paintings of Lascaux?

These questions only lead to more questions, even amongst experts. Why, for example, are there no reindeer displayed, when this was the principal food source for the artists? How talented must the painters have been to be able to use perspective to create a sense of depth? How did they know what rhinoceros were? There must have been some in this area, though it seems impossible to imagine, just as it did in Tautavel.

While all of these questions bring us closer to the answer, none answers it. Today, some researchers claim that the paintings are prehistoric star charts, guides to the summer night sky and what we would later call the zodiac. Others say that the work is religious or spiritual, conceived from visions experienced during trance dancing.

Whatever the paintings mean, they give us a key to understanding the thoughts and feelings of some of our furthest ancestors, from a time before there was history, before there was writing. It seems impossible to fathom: we are so close that we can touch the walls of these caves, cool and solid, and yet the men and women who made these paintings could not speak to us, write to us.

I wonder if it’s not something I’m meant to understand completely. Perhaps it’s the dark, or the bodies of people I don’t know pressed up against mine as we move through the narrow passages. Perhaps it’s the fact that, after thousands of years, these paintings can still convey their effect. Here, walking through these caves, I feel, as I did overlooking Tautavel man’s backyard, as though we are one and the same. As though this is, truly, our shared history.

If You Go:

Tautavel Museum
Avenue Gregory, Tautavel
Open Mon.- Sun., 10am-12:30pm and 2pm-6pm
Lascaux Caves
Place Bertrand de Born, Montignac (ticket office)
(Directions will be given to reach the caves by car)
Open Mon.- Sun., 9:30am-6pm, 9am-7pm July and August

Lascaux IV and The Art of the Caves in Sarlat

About the author:
Emily Monaco is a born-and-raised New Yorker based in Paris. After pursuing a Masters degree in 19th century French literature – and many years of trying – she has come to the conclusion that she will likely never be French. She has since devoted herself full-time to writing about food, drink and culture shock for various publications and on her blog, Tomato Kumato. She also offers guided tours of Paris’ food, wine and literary haunts. Emily is always on the lookout for an excellent cup of American coffee, a good beer and fantastic cheese.

Photo credits:
Cave painting of animals in Lascaux by Jack Versloot / CC BY
The view from the top of Tautavel (Emily Monaco)
Overlooking the valley below Tautavel (Emily Monaco)
A statue of Tautavel Man outside the Tautavel Museum (Emily Monaco)
Archaeologists excavating in the Arago Cave by Gerbil / CC BY-SA
A demonstration at the museum of how Tautavel Man made fire (Emily Monaco)
Cave painting of animals in Lascaux Lascaux / Public domain
Village of Montignac, below Lascaux caves (Emily Monaco)
Guided tour of the Lascaux caves (Emily Monaco)

Pastel Sunshine Thoughts In Stockholm

by Marc Latham

Sunshine and colourful buildings invited me out. Quiet empty streets made me feel at home. I knew the sun was there because I’d seen it rising over Stockholm’s highest buildings as my overnight bus from Norway arrived at the city’s bus terminal. I knew the classic pastel-coloured architecture from photos, and had seen some bright sparks of paint when arriving.

You can’t imagine the loneliness and isolation in this country. In that way, I’m very Swedish — I don’t dislike to be alone.’
– Ingmar Bergman, film director.

I’d arrived in the south-east Sweden city after crossing my first international land border for fifteen years. That 1998 African border marked the end of a decade when world travelling had been my main focus. Ending up on the back seat of an overnight bus reminded me of a similar journey when returning to Europe from my inaugural sojourn in 1987/88. Stockholm was the final stop on my personal 2012/13 twenty-fifth anniversary tour.

As for the stage fright, it never goes away… it’s agony every single time but I stay focused and I know that once I’m on stage it’ll be fine; I’ll be in my happy little bubble.’
– Britt Ekland, actress.

I’d been reluctant to leave the wild fjords of Norway, but had always wanted to visit Stockholm. I slept for most of the 23.00 – 05.40 Swebus journey from Oslo Gallerian, but still felt quite tired. My first dawn sight of Sweden had been a large lake: Hjalmaren below Orebro I think.

I initially thought I’d wait in the terminal until the hostel I’d booked was likely to open, but feeling too well slept to sleep I decided to go out and take some photos while the dawn sunshine provided good light.

Stockholm was relatively easy to navigate, and I soon found myself crossing the Vasabron bridge to Stadsholmen, the central island of Gamla stan: literally meaning The Old Town. It now houses the royal palace and cathedral, as well as numerous cobbled alleyways dating back to medieval times. Quaint shops and restaurants line the narrow streets, while the bright eastern seafront of Skeppsbron is probably Stockholm’s most famous image.

Stockholm grew out of Stadsholmen, and the 13th century island was originally called Stockholm. As the city grew, it kept the Stockholm name, and the island became known as Staden Mellan Broarna: The Town Between the Bridges. It only became known as Gamla stan in the 20th century.

Plague killed a third of Stockholm’s population in the 18th century, but it recovered in the 19th century, and grew parallel with technological advances in the 20th century. Sweden’s capital is now the most populous city in Scandinavia.

Stockholm means ‘log island’. The legend of Stockholm’s origins is that a log filled with gold was sent downstream from the old Swedish capital of Sigtuna, after they had trouble from armed gangs, and wherever that log landed would become their new capital.

I returned across the bridge and turned left to the City Hall, passing the equestrian statue of King Charles XIV John (1763-1844) on Karl Johans Torg square. He was born Jean Baptiste Bernadotte in Pau, France, and rose through the ranks of the French army before, during and after the French Revolution in 1789. He was made heir-presumptive to childless King Charles XIII in 1810 and was a popular King of Sweden and Norway from 1818 to his death.

Norway became independent of the Swedish kingdom in 1905. The Bernadotte dynasty still rules Sweden. Napoleon’s rule was ended at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Abba found fame singing Waterloo to win the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden.

After a snooze in a central Stockholm park I eventually booked into the Skeppsholmen hostel, just across the water from Skeppsbron, which has rooms on dry land and a ship moored in the quay. I was on dry land. The ship is the af Chapman, a full-rigged steel ship constructed in Whitehaven, England, and launched in 1888.

The bed wasn’t available until 2pm, so I walked around small Skeppsholmen island to Kungliga Djurgarden (The Royal Game Park) island, stopping along the way for a siesta under the sun in a small park.

For us democracy is a question of human dignity. And human dignity is political freedom.’
– Olof Palme, assassinated Swedish Prime-Minister.

Djurgarden is known as the green island in Stockholm, and in 2010 Stockholm was voted Europe’s first green capital by the European Commission. The island houses several museums, including Skansen, which is the oldest open-air museum in the world. The rollercoasters and rides of Sweden’s oldest amusement park, Grona Lund, tower above the island’s south-west coast. Its thrill-induced screams must have been travelling across the water to Skeppsholmen since it was founded in 1883.

I sailed alongside Djurgarden’s south coast the next morning. On another sunny warm May day, Djurgarden’s greenery looked delightful from the ferry, complemented by old buildings and a windmill.

I had taken a ferry from Slussen, at the southern end of Skeppsbron, to the main island of four known as Fjaderholmarna. Opposite Djurgarden’s south-east tip we stopped under an impressive Carl Milles statue at Nacker. Fjaderholmarna was nice to walk around, with some pleasant coves, restaurants and craft shops. There were also lots of birds, primarily Canada geese and seagulls.

You have to find it. No one else can find it for you.’
– Bjorn Borg, tennis player.

Having flown into Bergen, on Norway’s west coast, and travelled overland, I flew back to the U.K. from Stockholm’s Skavsta airport, which is about 100 kilometres (70 miles) south. There are regular buses from the city terminal I’d arrived at a couple of days before.

My flight was on a Saturday morning, and as I walked to the bus station under Stockholm’s many gothic roofs, the parks were full of people on another sunny day. In Kungstradgarden (The King’s Garden) the cherry blossom drew crowds of people, and inspired many photographs. I took one myself. The falling blossom was the last scenic photo of my twenty-five years of travel.

My path has not been determined. I shall have more experiences and pass many more milestones.’
– Agnetha Faltskog, Abba singer.

Private Full Day Viking History Tour from Stockholm Including Sigtuna and Uppsala

If You Go:

♦ Marc flew between the U.K. and Scandinavia from London Stansted Airport with Ryanair
♦ Marc travelled from Norway to Sweden by Swebus (it is cheaper if you book ahead)
♦ Marc stayed at the af Chapman and Skeppsholmen hostel
♦ Fjaderholmarna website
♦ Stockholm information

About the author:
Marc Latham travelled to all the populated continents during his twenties. He studied during his thirties, including a BA in History, and has been writing during his forties. He lives in Leeds, writing from the www.greenygrey.co.uk website. He has more Stockholm photos on his travel25years.wordpress.com website.

All photos by Marc Latham:
Carl Eldh statues
Carl Nilles statue
Cherry blossoms
Djurgarden Windmill
Fjaderholmama Island
Gothic skyline
Viking statue

Norway: Places That Define Its Glorious History

by William Taylor

Norway is a beautiful country which offers a wide range of experiences; there is almost certainly something to interest you regardless of what you enjoy. There are a huge number of museums and a huge range of cultural and historic activities to indulge in. The country is one of the most prosperous in the world as well as having some of the most spectacular landscapes.

Rail Routes

One of the best ways to travel around Norway and enjoy the stunning scenery is to use the reliable train service. Despite the huge number of mountains the rail system manages to cover the entire country; with the aid of seven hundred and seventy five tunnels and over three thousand bridges! The best place to start is Oslo as you can reach almost any destination from there.

Hurtigruten

This is a ferry service which runs every day of the year and covers the farthest parts of this beautiful country. You can catch a ship from Bergen and enjoy a twelve day voyage which stops at dozens of fascinating places en route. If you love adventure you can use the ferry service like a bus and hop on and off at each of the ports to explore.

Geirangerfjord

Norway is well known for its fjords, huge expanses of water surrounded by snow capped mountains and grassy fjords. It is a picture perfect setting and something that must be seen at least once in your lifetime. One of the best views is from the top of Dalsnibba which stands at 4,905 feet and offers spectacular views of the world below.

The Arctic Circle

Part of Norway is inside the Arctic Circle and this means there are two impressive sights to witness. The first is in the summer months where the sun never sets; it is a bizarre and slightly surreal sensation! In the winter months the opposite is true, the sun never really rises, and the best days have a dull hue casting shadows across the land. This is also the best chance you will have of seeing the Northern Lights; the sky will transform into a myriad of different colors. It is, to say the least, entrancing.

National Day

This is a national festival and is as important to the Norwegians as Independence Day is to the Americans. It marks the day the country gained its independence from Denmark. There are celebrations, concerts, festivals and fireworks across the country. The atmosphere is electric! May 17 is Norway’s National Day. And if you’re planning a visit during this time of the year, then you’ll be happy to know that the weather is quite pleasant too.

Lillehammer

Lillehammer is a year round tourist destination. It is located at the south of the Gudbrandsdal valley and consists of a museum which includes one hundred historic houses, Peer Gyants Cottage and, most importantly, some of the best ski slopes in the world. The 1994 Olympics were held in Lillehammer and there are literally hundreds of opportunities for skiing, snowboarding or even skating.

Atlantic Ocean Road

This stretch of coastal road is just five miles long but it is an essential link between hundreds of small islands. It is a mecca for those who love the sea, whether fishing, diving or just looking. The views are fantastic and there are plenty of fascinating villages to visit on the way.

Jotunheimen

The Jotunheimen area of Norway is home to the highest mountains in Norway. It covers 1,351square miles and is also home to a wide range of wild animals. Reindeer are one of the most popular and common sights around the vast lakes and glaciers in this region.

Guided sightseeing trip in Lillehammer area

If You Go:

Norway is not a cheap country to travel around in but it is worth saving the money to make this special trip. The scenery and the experiences this country offers will be remembered by you for a lifetime! Get to know more about Norway’s fascinating people and historical background by exploring the museums. The best and most impressive are in Oslo. The Viking Ship Museum for example, will reveal a lot of fascinating details about the country’s past. Make sure to check it out, and turn your Scandinavian adventure into a memorable experience.

Self-Guided Norway roundtrip: Oslo to Oslo

About the author:
William Taylor is a traveling freak from his teenage and has traveled many destinations around the world. He also loves writing about his traveling experiences and sharing about the places he has explored. He writes for www.baltictravelcompany.com, which specializes in Baltic holidays, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and the Nordics.

Photo Credits:
Reine Norway by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash
Hurtigruten ferry by Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia / CC BY
Arctic fjord by Conor Sheridan on Unsplash