July 2010
Preface...
Earlier in the year, we determined that we’d have just over a week for a trip at the end of
July, squeezed in between Allie’s various summer activities. Our key criterion was a
location that wouldn't be too warm—in hindsight, a very good idea, as Chicago had a
pretty hot summer, and we were sick of the heat. Scandinavia (and particularly, the
fjords of Norway) has always been near the top of our vacation wish list, so that of
course came up for discussion. While it might have been easier and cheaper to stay
closer to home, we did have at our disposal some United system-wide upgrades that
had to be used this year—and we found upgrades available for our exact travel dates.
We booked a trip into Oslo and out of Copenhagen and then got to work reading and
planning.
Ultimately, we settled on this itinerary:
A couple of notes about this itinerary…
Certainly, given our short time frame and fast pace, once could accurately label this trip
“Norway in a nutshell,” although we opted not to do the official, organized Norway in a
Nutshell program (or any of its variants). We’d like to offer a particular thank you to those
here who encourage driving. We did. It is easy, relatively speaking, and it really made a
difference, even in the short time we spent in the country.
Secondly, we moved around more than we typically do on trips these days (and more
than we typically like to do). We also made a few rather unconventional decisions, such
as opting for plane versus train to get from Oslo to Bergen. All of this was done to
maximize our time at our destinations, even if it meant spending a bit more money in
what was (for us) already an expensive destination.
Finally, while there are all sorts of things to do in the cities we visited, including a variety
of interesting museums, we kind of decided up front that this would be an “outdoor”
vacation to the extent the weather permitted (some context for why we did or didn't do
specific things).
Ultimately, the trip produced some very memorable moments, including one of those
once-in-a-lifetime experiences and undoubtedly the best view to which we've ever
awakened in a hotel room.
Oslo
Bergen
Bergen to Nes
A walk on the glacier
Lusterfjord to Bergen
Copenhagen
Our photos from this trip
All of our travel photos
Home
Earlier in the year, we determined that we’d have just over a week for a trip at the end of
July, squeezed in between Allie’s various summer activities. Our key criterion was a
location that wouldn't be too warm—in hindsight, a very good idea, as Chicago had a
pretty hot summer, and we were sick of the heat. Scandinavia (and particularly, the
fjords of Norway) has always been near the top of our vacation wish list, so that of
course came up for discussion. While it might have been easier and cheaper to stay
closer to home, we did have at our disposal some United system-wide upgrades that
had to be used this year—and we found upgrades available for our exact travel dates.
We booked a trip into Oslo and out of Copenhagen and then got to work reading and
planning.
Ultimately, we settled on this itinerary:
- 1 night in Oslo
- 2 nights in Bergen
- 3 nights on and around the Sognefjord (two on the Lusterfjord and one in
Stalheim) - 3 nights in Copenhagen
A couple of notes about this itinerary…
Certainly, given our short time frame and fast pace, once could accurately label this trip
“Norway in a nutshell,” although we opted not to do the official, organized Norway in a
Nutshell program (or any of its variants). We’d like to offer a particular thank you to those
here who encourage driving. We did. It is easy, relatively speaking, and it really made a
difference, even in the short time we spent in the country.
Secondly, we moved around more than we typically do on trips these days (and more
than we typically like to do). We also made a few rather unconventional decisions, such
as opting for plane versus train to get from Oslo to Bergen. All of this was done to
maximize our time at our destinations, even if it meant spending a bit more money in
what was (for us) already an expensive destination.
Finally, while there are all sorts of things to do in the cities we visited, including a variety
of interesting museums, we kind of decided up front that this would be an “outdoor”
vacation to the extent the weather permitted (some context for why we did or didn't do
specific things).
Ultimately, the trip produced some very memorable moments, including one of those
once-in-a-lifetime experiences and undoubtedly the best view to which we've ever
awakened in a hotel room.
Oslo
Bergen
Bergen to Nes
A walk on the glacier
Lusterfjord to Bergen
Copenhagen
Our photos from this trip
All of our travel photos
Home
Breaking out of the Nutshell:
Oslo, Bergen, the Sognefjord
and Copenhagen
Oslo, Bergen, the Sognefjord
and Copenhagen
