The Midnight Sun

After not getting very much sleep - from either too much wine or the fact that it never got dark - we arose for some breakfast before hiking in Balestrand. I found that it was hard to sleep because I refused to shut the curtains... and also refused to stop staring at the view over the balcony and onto the fjord. I was just trying to take it all in, because I knew in a few short days I would be back at home and designing/testing/drawing valves for 40 hours a week again. But for a moment, I was in a peaceful setting, and sleep seemed like a poor way to spend my short time there :P Feelings about going home were different than last year... this year I think I was ready to go home after our trip and get back to my life with Andy and the kitties. Last year, everything was uncertain... Andy was still working as a TA and finishing up school, we didn't know if he'd get a job, where he would live... or if we could move in together. And my future was to go home, move in with parents and start my full time job as a hydraulic valve designer for a private company. That's all well and good, but Europe felt like a dream... over 4000 miles away from reality... and on our last day in Vienna, I was so depressed, I never wanted to go back. Because going back actually meant I needed to begin the rest of my life... and that was scary.

Fast forward a year, and Andy and I have a house and two little kitties that we were anxiously ready to get back to :) It is interesting to think about how different things feel at different times of your life. 

Breakfast at the hotel was quaint, nothing fancy. We agreed that this hotel would not have been worth the money if it wasn't for those priceless balcony views. They were worth the extra money that that fjord facing room cost. So after breakfast, we picked up some sandwiches and pastries from town and set out on our hike up the fjord. The weather was gorgeous... not too hot, not too cool. We gave Andy the map and told him to lead the way and not to take any questionable short cuts! 

First step... Find the right trail! By the way, Mom assures that trenchcoats are not usually a part of her hiking attire... when we told her we would be hiking in Norway, we're not sure what she had in mind ;)

This hike is moderate to easy according to my parents (I was huffing and puffing... ) and the views are a great reward for your climbing efforts :) It rained on and off - which I liked because it stayed nice and cool. Half way through the switchbacks, you find yourself on the other side of the fjord looking over emerald colored water. We stopped here to take pictures (and catch our breath). 

This is my new desktop wallpaper at work ;)

So gorgeous! (The fjord, not me!!)

We found a beautiful little picnic spot, but decided to keep going and have our lunch on the way back down. Eventually it started to rain quite hard and Andy was worried (with good reason) that it would be muddy and going down would be treacherous. Sure enough, even though it stopped raining not much later, the way down was a bit slippery. After what seemed like an eternity, we got back to out picnic spot and had our lunch. 

The table we ate at! Hope you're not afraid of heights :)

The view of Balestrand and the Sognefjord

More view!

Well... we can't have funny pictures of JUST mom ;)

Have I convinced you to come here yet?? In case you didn't notice, the rain really does just go on and off all day up here in the mountains. Many of the pictures make it look so beautiful out, when perhaps 5 minutes earlier it was raining... hard! If I lived here, I would always have an umbrella in my purse! According to Rick Steves, the people of Bergen (and probably all of Scandinavia) are very proud of their lousy weather. They say, there is no such thing as bad weather, only incorrect attire! 

Andy has never been one to adhere to the social norm of smiling for pictures (yes that's an apple)

Them trees man... 

After the hike, we had to check out of the hotel and wait for our express boat back to Bergen. We had some time to kill, so we wandered down to the German Bratwurst stand recommended by Rick Steves. Dad had some currywurst and Andy and I had straight up brats. Still not quite the same as in Germany, but very good! I did really enjoy Balestrand, but it does run out of things to do after a few days. It's a really good stop if you're touring around the coast of Norway and fjord land! We would go again if we ever find ourselves there once more. 

Back in Bergen, we wandered the shops in Bryggen and had some dinner at the restaurant that Rick recommends called Bryggeloftet & Stuene. The food was really good! Mom and I had steak and potatos, dad had fish (salmon maybe? can't remember) and Andy had some lasagna... pretty basic stuff, but it tasted good. The only culinary thing that Norway is really known for is the Smörgåsbord and you really have to pay an arm and a leg to experience that. Not this time, we decided. The money is better spent on expensive hotels with breathtaking views ;) On the walk back to the hotel, we stopped for some ice cream (four ice cream cones = $30 lol), mine is dipped in crushed Daim (swedish candy like Heath bar)... look how happy I am!

Well... that's about it. The next morning it rained and rained... as I ran back down to Bryggen to pick up some last minute souvenirs. All I could think of was how the weather wasn't bad and my flip flops were just incorrect attire... as I slid dangerously all over the slick cobblestone. Once I got back, I showered and packed up just in time to make the bus to the airport for our flight home :( 

The next adventures to sate my wanderlust will not require our passports :) 2015 will be planned with beautiful trips within our national border as I realize that I've seen Europe more than I've seen my own country. Each one of our states has a special culture that I can't wait to be a part of (ok, some more than others...). So for now... it's farewell Europe... you live on in my memories, in my pictures, and in my gut and thighs from eating so much of your food :D