Originally Posted by
SuperG1955
tourists are blown away by the prices.
So are many of the natives!
Originally Posted by
SuperG1955
That's probably why NIN (Norway in a Nutshell) and the plethora of cruise ships developed.
Coastal steamers (Hurtigruten) were the traditional way to travel in Norway from Bergen to Kirkenes. They are a much more efficient way to get around, and the trains extend north only to Bodø.
Originally Posted by
SuperG1955
I think that one of the major problems is that Norway was always a poor country until the oil boom and it's like the populace has what I think of as an "economic depression mentality". I grew up with that in the 40's after WWII so I understand it somewhat.
Bingo, it was still in its post war depression when we were there in 1960. Where else could an E-5 (my father) fill his house with lovely custom-made teak furniture?
The oil boom is a two-edged sword. After decades of investing it only in infrastructure, they are starting to spend it on social services. And when it runs out?
Thanks to the oil boom, though, the highways have been improved to where you can drive to all the northern cities on the mainland, and they have built many bridges & highways out in the islands. "Bomstasjon" (toll station) is one word you learn to loathe on E6.
Originally Posted by
SuperG1955
Now, they won't take what they consider menial jobs. I noticed that there were many Norwegian managers but that the workers were imported, mostly from eastern Europe and those dealing with tourists were expected to have English fluency but no knowledge of Norwegian was required. We took a guided walking tour in Bergen and someone asked the guide what the people who lived in the fjords and rural villages did for a living - her answer was; "Nothing, the government provides for them." I don't know if this was fact or an attitude issue.
Would have to disagree with that. Norway has embraced immigrants, and there are many in the population centers, especially Pakistanis in the south & Russians in the north. But outside the cities there are still countless Norwegians living normal lives.
Originally Posted by
SuperG1955
I found that the train from Myrdal to Oslo was not as dramatic as a winter drive north of the Arctic Circle on the Dalton Highway in Alaska.
That's not really "north" in Norway. North starts north of Trondheim, on one of two routes: Take Kystriksveien (the coastal highway -- ferries, islands) north from Steinkjer much of the way to Bodø, or take E6 generally in the interior. Hint: Kystriksveien is much more scenic. From Bodø, take the 3 hour ferry out to Å i Lofoten & drive up through the Lofoten & Vesterålen, and head for Tromsø.
If you're looking for the midnight sun, fuhgedaboudit. It's usually obscured by clouds and mountains. We saw it once in two weeks above the Arctic Circle.
Originally Posted by
SuperG1955
While many don't seem to like it, probably because they don't know about it, the Kon-Tiki was my fave. I remember both reading the NY Times every day on their progress and listening to their morse code transmissions when I could get their signal. It was an exciting expedition. (For anyone reading who isn't familiar with it, that was in 1947.)
Kon-Tiki & Viking museums were favorites as a kid. As an adult, I'd have to add the Fram & Folkemuseum to the list. Also on Bygdøy penninsula is "Vidkins Gimle", Vidkun Quisling's mansion; it was being redeveloped as a holocaust museum and not yet open to the public last time we were there.
Things not to miss elsewhere in Oslo are Frogner Park, the Resistance Museum (the inside story on the Norwegian resistance movement in WW II) and the Munch Museum.
The Royal Palace is part of a public park (people even hang out on the steps) and is open to the public when they are at their summer palace.
Originally Posted by
SuperG1955
There are a few places in the north that we didn't get to, but maybe in a few years....
Don't miss Bodø, Lofoten, Vestarålen & Tromsø. Skip Hammerfest.
Can't vouch for Vadsø & Kirkenes. I would expect them to be architecturally blah (like Hammerfest) thanks to Hitler's scorched earth policy. I have heard that Kirkenes is an easy stepping stone to getting a Russian stamp in your passport without the visa or hassle; day trips to the Russian side are available.