Sunsetting in Fjords

Words and Photos from Flåm, Norway

Sunshine strips showing,
to adorn the mountain,
down to the fjord for
a few minutes only,
As the setting sun leaves 
spokes of light to see
the shadows grow down
by the sea.

Spotted and dotted
with trees and rocks,
the mountain climbs 
high above the mirror water
reaching miles from bed
to sky.
I wonder how this all is
how it all is, and why.

My Dad Was a Tree

My Dad was a tree. Tall, thin, strong. Bending in the breeze, while still holding firm with deep roots. Lengthening to heights, offering shelter to those underneath. With a deep voice like an Ent (we called him Treebeard quite often), he loved to tell stories, too, that went on and on.

Whenever I am exploring amongst the beauty of nature, especially on little hiking trails, I feel like Dad is walking along with me, as that is the type of place where he came alive the most and loved to spend time. He would have really enjoyed this little impromptu hike we did in Flåm, Norway, with the beauty of nature on all sides of us. Fresh, cool air and scenery that made you stare.

Today marks nine years without him, but I know he is always with me.

Norway Journal - Bergen

 

  

Bergen was the first stop in Norway. It's known as the gateway to the fjords, as it sits not far from the open sea, and close to several fjords. It was a safe port for many boats over the centuries, and a big center for trade. Bergen is Norway's second largest city after Oslo.

We came in from the North Sea, and the water began to smooth out. Upon my first views of land, as we slowly glided along the sea water, I felt as if I had entered a fairy land, or Middle-earth. I had now entered the land of trolls and Norse mythology. Thor and Odin left their giant footprints here, and probably cracked these lands into the many islands we were passing. There were a few house scattered on said rugged islands, usually painted red.

The cold fingers of the windy sea spindled into the land. Little rocky islands, worn and smooth and rounded by the weather popped up everywhere. It was secluded out there, reaching out to the North Sea. But it grew calmer and the houses increased in number as we floated along.

The whole time, I sat outside on the back deck of the ship, sipping coffee. I was there for the nature scenery. There was no way I was going to be inside missing any moment of these views. Our huge ship somehow passed underneath a long suspension bridge before docking at the port of Bergen. I was about to step foot in Norway!

Arriving in Bergen, we set out on foot, to explore. I snapped photos along the way, as we passed museums, shops, and regular streets, but we were heading to the funicular rail, the Fløibanen, that climbs to the top of the mountain for views, and you can hike from there as well. It takes you up to Mount Fløyen, which is 320 metres (1,050 ft) above sea level in about 6-8 minutes. The views were amazing, and even though there were clouds, there was no rain. Bergen is the rainiest city in Norway, so I counted that as very lucky.

When we came back down, we did some wandering. I found a coffee shop, Kaffemisjonen, and took a daring risk on an all-Norwegian menu that had no English explanations. I had to ask the barista, and he didn't know how to translate some of it to English. I ended up with a cappuccino and a very tasty salad. I always enjoy looking at flower shops, to see what is in bloom and how they are priced, so I stopped at any along the way. 

We headed down to the harbour to the famous Bryggen, a series of Hanseatic wooden commercial warehouses that are now all part of the UNESCO world historical site (now filled with touristy shops) dating from the Medieval days of trade. Here is where a main product, cod fish, would be prepped, stored, and traded. The Norwegians were experts in the fishing, and Germans came as experts in business aspects. And they all worked together during long, cold winters. It was well worth some time, just wandering between the narrow passages between buildings and observing the construction of the wooden buildings that are well protected now, but obviously burned down quite a lot in past centuries.

Here, while wandering the Bryggen, we ran into my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew as they were shopping. So, we all ended up walking around together, and eventually sat down at a cosy restaurant for some food after a while.

After some delicious food (I got tacos, so it wasn't a very Norwegian meal for me, though it was delicious, but my brother got some kind of fish. He did it right) we all walked to another area of town, where there was a large open park at a lake, which was surrounded by mountains. A pretty spot. Before I was ready to get back onto the ship, I wanted to see some of the tiny neighborhoods of classic Norwegian houses painted white with red roofs. I had no idea where they were, but I took that road, and then walked a few blocks and found my dreamy neighborhood waiting for me. Quaint and charming. Potted plants on every doorstep. Cute post boxes. I was back in another century, just for a little bit. 

London Journal - Day 2

Day two in London started out with coffee. That's always a good thing, indeed. We took the Underground to the Seven Dials area, and enjoyed a delicious coffee at Timberyard, a hip coffee shop that welcomes those who linger with laptops and journals. It was a great spot, and a delicious cappuccino. We would have lingered longer, but there was more to see that day.

On our way to Charing Cross Road bookshops, we passed the Agatha Christie memorial. I am an admirer of her mystery novels, and it was really fun to see a memorial to her in the center of London. Also, I get excited whenever there is a memorial dedicated to a great author. 

We spent time in three bookshops all along Charing Cross Road, and passed lovely pubs and shops along the way. I wanted the day to be more relaxed and exploring neighbourhoods I had not explored before. We walked slowly, enjoying all the fun details of history that are all over London. One of the best things about London is that there is some history/story or detail on every block that is worth paying attention to. Like the saddler and harness maker verbiage from 1847 still on the brick building in Seven Dials. The Seven Dials name, by the way, comes from the little roundabout that has seven exits (streets) that branch off it. So many pubs (the majority of them) all have flowers adorning their facades. It's so pretty. I also discovered where all the telephone booths like to hang out.

We wandered through the streets, grabbed some lunch at Pizza Express (it's always good), and then met my friend, Faith, at the Somerset House, a beautiful, huge house used mostly for art exhibits and galleries. We sat at coffee shop there, Fernandez & Wells, catching up and talking about life and London. I met up with her a couple times in Oxford back in March, and now she's graduated from Oxford, she lives in London.

The rest of the afternoon consisted of meandering strolls along The Strand. Visiting the first Twining's Tea Shop (the original location from 1706) was such a delight, sampling a few teas, and buying a few more. Seeing the Royal Courts of Justice (the domineering Gothic style buildings), Temple Church (a round building dating from 1185, as a Templar church). 

Next, we toured Dr. Samuel Johnson's house, back in a quiet area behind Fleet Street. Dr. Johnson (1709-1784) was very influential writer, devout Anglican, and possibly most well known for writing the Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1755. Just imagine, when our United States Declaration of Independence was written (and other founding documents), this was the dictionary widely used. The house was a lovely 4-storey building, with lots of original pieces, a library (with some first edition dictionaries), and several dictionaries on the table to enjoy reading. I loved the original wooden floorboards, and I imagined Dr. Johnson pacing these very floors as he pondered words, writing dictionary entries. Many of the entries are quite humourous. Here are a few fun examples:

Backfriend, noun: A friend backwards; that is, an enemy in secret.

Dull, adjective: Not exhilarating; not delightful: as, to make dictionaries is dull work.

Lexicographer, noun: A writer of dictionaries; a harmless drudge, that busies himself in tracing the original, and detailing the signification of words.

Loo, noun: a game at cards.

Oats, noun: A Grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.

Sock, noun: Something put between the foot and shoe.

Trolmydames, noun: Of this word I know not the meaning.

After dinner at the Wellington Pub, we walked across the river Thames back over to Waterloo, which was thoroughly enjoyable as the sun was setting and the light was a soft grey with twinges of oranges and pinks. What a perfect way to end a wonderful day in London.