Introduction

This year marked our tenth anniversary. Through the years we've had some great experiences and adventures together, but we really wanted to do something special to mark this milestone. We decided on a trip to Europe, but where to go? After much deliberation, it was decided that we would "limit" ourselves to Scandinavia. This page is dedicated to our trip.

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The Departure and Arrival

Our flight took us from Baltimore to Copenhagen, via Reykjavik. We stayed south of Copenhagen for a single night to catch up with the jet-lag before moving on. Our accomodations were at the B&B House, run by a really nice couple named Eva and Asger. Their house was amazing - aside from the thatched roof, they had a beautiful garden and even their own chickens. Beyond the house, though, we feel fortunate simply to have met them. It's rare to find such genuine, hospitable and pleasant people.

Passage to Norway

After our too-short stay in Denmark we were off to Norway. The first leg was Copenhagen to Oslo by an over-night ferry. Oslo is located deep inside a fjord, so we were treated to some spectacular scenery on our way in.

Points West

After Oslo came Bergen, a coastal town located in the south-west portion of Norway. Bergen was the original seat of the Norwegian monarchy and was both the richest and largest of all Norwegian cities for quite a while. In order to get there we traveled by train, going over a 1222 meter pass in the process. Spring, let alone summer, comes late in Norway's higher altitudes.

A Few More Points

There were quite a few scenic areas in Bergen. We happened on an old fort that was being used as a public space where, of all things, a competition for using timber in three dimensional sculpture was being held. Odd but fun.

On the Road Again

Heading out of Bergen we crossed the high mountain passes again on the way to Lillehammer. Speaking of, Lillehammer was amazing. We stayed less than a kilometer from the arena where the Olympic flame was lit, the ski-jumping stadium and the ice-skating rink. We hiked to the top of the mountain and saw the cross-country stadium and the biathalon shooting range. Lillehammer had a great "vibe" to it, with lots of activities going on all the time. This was the furthest north we got, and it was very light in the evenings.

Maihaugen

One of the unexpected pleasures of Lillehammer was a place called Maihaugen. What has happened is that a lot of historically important or relevant buildings have been transported to Maihaugen to be placed in "villages" that demonstrate/describe a period of time. My favorite part, and really the richest part of the exhibit, was the section devoted to ~1500 to ~1900 life.

Stockholm

Stockholm was the last stop on the trip. We were blown away with how beautiful a city Stockholm is. Built on 14 islands, there were enough bridges, waterfront views and great classic buildings to impress even the most jaded and road-weary travelers. Quite the experience. One of the unique traditions that Stockholm/Sweden has is that on their final day of school, senior high school students rent cargo trucks, decorate them with birch branches, don white hats and drive around the city playing loud American and Euro pop music. I guess it's a celebration of sorts, but people mostly just ignore them. Anyway, sort of a fun thing to witness, but glad it's not popular in America.

Wrap-up

What an amazing experience. We saw and did so many things we're a little overwhelmed. It didn't feel real at times - being on top of the mountain outside Bergen was an especially great moment for me, but there really were so many great times it's hard to pick a favorite. We want to acknowledge the tremendous work that Sarah did, watching the kids, so we could roam Scandinavia without diaper breaks.

~ Aaron

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