Monday 17/10/11, Oslo Rygge airport.
First thought : “Thin, If I have this time there all week it'll not be funny :(“. Fortunately the cloud layer cleared pretty quickly.
A bus waiting at the exit of the airport to bring (free) people who wish to the small railway station nearby. A one-way Rygge – Oslo S (Sentralstasjon) : 108NOK at the student rate (1€= 7.5 to 8 NOK). Interesting detail : There are trains without reservation of the NSB (Norwegian railways) a compartment “Quiet” (muffler). Sit in complete silence watching scroll slowly through the landscape of the fjords is a delightful experience !
Arrived at Oslo S, I leave my bag to the setpoint (There are automatic instructions in the main stations) and loiters at the Botanical Garden (SARS Gate 1, free entry) then in the city centre and the Akershus fortress.
Journey to the hostel Oslo Haraldsheim (about € 30 per night, hard to find less expensive in Norway).
A 24 h for public transport pass : 75NOK (Select area 1, It is good enough)
Tuesday 18/10 :
I'm on the side of the island of Bygdøy, suburb “Crested” where a number of museums, and I visit successively :
– the Museum of arts and popular traditions (Norsk Folksmuseum) : interesting though little animated in low season. It's restored traditional houses, the highlight of the show being the Church in “standing timber”.
– the Viking Ship Museum : impressive
– the Polar ship Fram Museum : interesting also, It also presents the life and work of its designer, Nansen.
Note that in low season, the opening hours of museums are reduced (11-15h often), that leaves little time.
Wednesday 19/10 :
I take the train at 8:11 in the direction of Bergen (ticket “minipris”, the equivalent of our Prem's : 199NOK). It is said that this line is the most beautiful in the world, what I believe them ! Fjords fogged, then small villages, water courses, forests… The line taking the altitude, the frost begins to appear, then in the vicinity of Finse (ALT. 1200m), White eye !
I come down finally to Myrdal to take the famous railway, small line leading to Flåm, at the bottom of the fjord, and at the end of a vertical drop of almost 900 m. Awesome also.
Boarding for Gudvangen (at 1515 hours all year round, full fare 265NOK), two hours of visual pleasure
Finally, bus to Bergen (3h), then journey to the hostel Bergen Montana.
Note : the bus lines are to be renumbered, otherwise it would be funny… Now take the bus n ° 12 and get off at the stop … Montana.
Thursday :
Small Tower in Bergen, including through the historic district (Bryggen and its wooden houses).
It is possible to eat on the fish market (not very lively in low season).
I go by the Fløibanen funicular (35NOK), expect a big downpour passes, and enjoy many trails above the city.
Small warning : the LP indicates a walk between Fløibanen and Ulriken (the cable car), allow up to 8 hours to make and material adapted from the first snow (I relied on the 4-6 h announced, If I hadn't met a group of Belgians - which I welcome if one reads to me- on the way, I'd probably still). Otherwise the landscapes are as usual sublime !
Friday-Saturday-Sunday :
Tour in the city (in the rain), visit the Museum of history and culture (50NOK), interesting.
Bus to airport (95NOK !), and I expect my flight to Trondheim where I have to join a friend in academic exchange.
Bus from airport (100NOK !).
Note that it was at that time a student named UKA festival (= per week), with quite a lot of animations every day. Visit the Studentersamfundet, former circus become a community managed by the students.
The historic centre of the city looks a bit like that of Bergen, with wooden houses aligned.
A surprising and interesting Museum : the Heim, which traces the history of the Norwegian rock !
Sunday evening, I take a train that will lead me in the early morning at the Oslo airport, where I take a plane to Milan and I join the marching band at my school that travels through the Italy.
A few general remarks :
– life is very expensive in Norway (2 3 x french prices for all)
– natural landscapes are more interesting than cities in my opinion
– go in Norway, it's pretty 🙂
