Becoming Nomads: June 2019

Saturday, June 29, 2019

No 56 - Estonia - First of Three Baltic Countries

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Bjorn and Kristin drove us back top Alesund where we visited a few more local sites before being dropped off at a hotel at the airport. Our early morning flight the next day departed at 7AM and with a short layover in Oslo, we were in Tallinn by noon. No immigration and the car rental office just a few blocks from the terminal had us in our rental car and running within an hour. We we really early so we wandered around downtown a bit, found a shopping mall with an amazing cafeterias...yippee...eastern European prices again...and then did some grocery shopping for the next several days.

Our apartment was right in the center of town...walking distance to all the sites and we settled into a really, really nice renovated apartment with all the bells and whistles. This one made it to the top ten of our journey so far.

I finally succumbed to Bobbie's suggestion to start walking Game of Thrones and devoured three episodes our first night. Now I'm hooked...LOL.

We left Tallinn and headed due west to Kuressaare on the large island. A short ferry ride brought us to the island where we wandered the coastline for a few hours. Along the way we stopped to see the 425 million year old meteor crater. It was not crowded at all, free to visit, and we enjoyed walking the rim and down to the little collection pond below.

We continued to Kuessaare where we had booked a lovely studio apartment for the night. In the morning we took a quick driver around Kuessaare, visited the castle and walked the grounds. Then it was a quick drive back to the ferry and then on to Tartu in the western portion of the country.

Our drive across Estonia was through thick Scots Pine forests and flat farmland. It took us about four hours to reach the western border and Tartu. There we planned a three night stay and lucked out with a small studio that fully met all of our needs in about 120 sq feet...smile. The building was from the mid 1800's, fully renovated on the inside. The neighborhood was full of these beauties.

We spent both of our full days in the city center. On our first day, it happened to Victory Day in Estonia. Lots of military parades and exhibits.

Most everything except the grocery stores were closed for the event. We did however wander into the University Botanical Gardens. That was lovely. It was a hot day and the garden were beautiful.

The national holiday spilled over into Monday as well so all of the museums and other historical sites were still closed. We opted for a movie instead and found a lovely, brand new 12 screen theater. The surprise was that it is fully automated...from ticket sales, entry, to seating and concessions. There was not a single human being to be seen...except for the guests...of which there were only four besides ourselves. These are actual photos of the place...see NO PEOPLE. We saw X-Men-Dark Phoenix.

Our visit to Estonia ended the next day as we drove on into Latvia with Riga as our destination.

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Norway - The Next Few Days...

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After a few days of pushing the limits in driving and sightseeing it was time to kick back a bit and relax. Kristin and Bjorn have been lovely and more than accommodating and we don't want to wear out our welcome. For two days we rested, enjoyed some sunny days on the deck, and caught up on correspondence and napping. Bobbie took a couple of long walks with Bjorn and I started a new painting that I hope will be done before we leave. It will be a gift to our hosts.

Sitting in their home is like being back in Alaska. They have a lovely home, beautifully furnished and decorated, and are up on the slopes above town with a lovely view of the fjord and mountains below and beyond. Makes us just a "bit" homesick. Last night we had a venison roast with all the trimmings. It was delicious. Tonight I will make an Italian meal as requested by Bjorn...smile.

We enjoyed a day drive to Alesund, about an hour away. We visited an architectural museum...lots of relocated and restored buildings. Then we drove to the top of the lookout for some spectacular views of the city below. Later in the day we walked the streets of the old city...completely rebuilt in 1904 after a devastating fire. This is where Kristin worked after finishing school and before marrying Bjorn.

At the end of our stay we spent two days in the family cabin high up in a remote valley. We took two cars. Once were were settled in Bjorn drove back to Orstra and we were alone. No phones or internet. A solar panel to recharge our laptops let us watch a few recorded movies. We enjoyed a few casual hikes. We drove back on our own for one last day with our friends before heading off to Estonia the following day.

Upon our return a reporter friend from the local newspaper heard about us and wanted to do a story. A few days later it was in the paper...we are now famous in Norway.....

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Norway - Country No. 55 - The Start of Two Weeks with Kristin Marie & Bjorn

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It took us most of the day to cross the North Sea with transfers at Oslo and waits for our flights. Kristin and Bjorn met us at the airport in Alesund, on the far west coast of Norway. We are at the same latitude as Anchorage and it all looks just a bit familiar...fjords, blue water, green forests. We will be spending two weeks here enjoying the hospitality of our friends and seeing some of the fjords and amazing countryside.

Established in the early 1800 and built on a peninsula and several islands in the fjords of Norway, Alesund has about 30,000 people and it all about fishing and oil.

Kristin and Bjorn live in Orsta, a bit less than a hour drive south...two underwater tunnels and a ferry ride. Orsta was established in 1835 and is a community of about 7,000 people. They have lived hear and hear all of their lives. For the next two weeks we will enjoy some beautiful, sunny days wandering the coastal roads visiting nearby villages and national parks.

We took a drive up into the mountains behind their home and visited the site of a family cabin. The day was beautiful and we enjoyed getting to know Bjorn. Later in the day I visited a local dentist for a check up and teeth cleaning. It had been three years and I thought it was time. All was well and the dentist, it turns out, was from Ecuador. Interesting.

This is called "keyhole mountain."

A closeup reveals why.

We did a full day of sightseeing with both Kristin and Bjorn. We drive through many valleys, each with high walls of granite mountains an a quickly moving stream at the bottom.

We eventually reached our first ferry crossing and after 15 minutes found our way to the other side. From there is it was a short drive to an historic hotel, The Hotel Union, and it remarkable rooms and decor. We toured the hotel before moving on to our next ferry, a one hour guided tour through a UNESCO protected fjord...full of water falls and spectacular mountains.

Grand valleys.

Lots of herder cabins...grass roofs. Some still used.

On the sightseeing ferry with Bjorn.

Lovely Korean tourist and I enjoyed a conversation.

Amazing waterfalls everywhere.

Village of Geiranger. Small and busy with the cruise ship in port.

And then this massive waterfall.

We ended our day in the village of Geiranger accompanied by a huge Costa cruise ship and a few thousand passengers. There we enjoyed an evening meal overlooking the water before taking the two plus hour drive back home over one of the highest mountain passes in the area. At the top is a year round skiing area and it was busy.

Incredible view from the top of the fjord looking down on the village.