Norway 2011

    
There are many places on this planet that are totally amazing.  I always wanted to go to Norway since I was small and heard stories of how my great grandfather came from Bergen, so I thought that was a good place to start.  I wanted my trip to be more like experiencing living like a Norwegian rather than just a tourist, so we rented an apartment for a week in the center of Bergen which was in walking distance to everything we needed.  I was 3 blocks from the wharf and fish market.  So I trotted down the hill, bought my fish, carried it back and fried it up in a pan.  Wow!  I discovered what super fresh halibut, salmon, and monkfish tasted like.  I also indulged in smoked salmon and gravlaks, which was cured with cognac, sugar, and spices.  Some fish were still alive at the market and all you needed to do was point to the one you wanted.  We walked to the grocery store, restaurants, shops, and train to take us up to the top of one of 7 mountains surrounding town.  At the top were trails of beautiful forests with carpeted moss, rocks, waterfalls, and a lake.  Sailing on the fjords was a dream come true with so much magnificence that one could hardly take it all in.  Here are some pictures to share.  I felt so healthy there.  I hope I can bring some of that lifestyle, back home with me.