White Christmas in the Nordics- Oslo, Bergen

Yea! We've arrived at the 2nd leg of our Arctic grandeur: Norway!

Itinerary at a Glance

1. Oslo

2. Flam, Aurland (the fjords are so pretty that they deserve a separate post!)

3. Bergen

With a population slightly over 5 million, and petroleum export as one of its main industry, it is no wonder that this nation ranks Top 10 in terms of GDP per capita and is one of the richest country in the world. They rejected joining the EU, hence the currency used is NOK (Norwegian Krones). 

I've always heard how expensive Scandinavian was, but little did I expect that expensive means S$17 for a Mc Fillet?! And don't even go near the liquor. You can buy a beer fountain in Munich! At times like this, the brain processed the maths exceptionally fast and shopping was surprisingly rational. The cheapest cafe we found: a 6-inch sandwich with a bottled mineral water, S$22. 

Tighten that wallet & Welcome to Norway! ;)

Heartbeat of Oslo

Oslo, the capital is certainly a vibrant city. Throngs of foreigners and tourists. Lively it may seems, but I did not quite enjoy. It is like walking along Orchard Road and squeezing with the crowd. There is the obvious unspoken discrimination by locals and foreigners working in Oslo. They'll give you a nasty eye-down followed by bad customer service. I don't blame them though. Similar to Singapore's situation, the huge influx of migrants and asylum seekers could possibly lead to the local's xenophobia. However, as a tourist, this ostracise certainly taste bad and l'm glad I'd stayed for only 1 night. 

But oh! Their Santa Claus was one friendly dude!  

Akershus medieval Fortress built to protect Oslo. This was once used as a prison too. Crows were abundant in this guarded premise. 

Circling overhead and cawing with the skies grey and gloomy, a witch or vampire will complete this magnified eerie atmosphere.  

Christmas market selling their wares. The sky-high prices deterred my innate ability to shop.
Who says women are irrational? ;)
 

An NSB train from Oslo brought us to Flam & Aurland (separate post), followed by a bus and a train to finally arrive at the 2nd largest city of Norway: Bergen! 

Bergen is a colourful seaside town and the gateway to the majestic Fjords. The city is small and almost all attractions can be done on foot. 

My favourite is the Bryggen UNESCO heritage site, the oldest part in Bergen. 

Rows of vibrant wooden houses which were once ravaged by fire are now reconstructed and they slant towards one another. With its winding cobbled lanes and colourful houses, Bergen is irresistibly charming!

Bryggen. (Means wharf in Norwegian).

Pretty wharf area, and the Floibanen funicular station to go up Mt Floyen for a bird's eye view of Bergen.  

Don't you wish your office or home is one of these pretty wood? :)
These are the houses built at the base of Mount Floyen.

Norwegian salmon! Sashimi at its best. To me, the freshness and sweetness you get from Japan's sashimi is unparalleled! Nonetheless, the Fisk Torget (located near Bryggen) sells fresh crustacean, albeit the high price. When it comes to seafood, my belly controls the drooling nervous system.

Trekking Mt. Floyen with an amazing view! 

Alright! Stay tune for the amazing Fjords scenery in the next post! 

White Christmas in the Nordics- Finland

Well, before I procrastinate, let me pen down my 1 month Nordic 2013 Christmas trip!

This series will be in 3 parts: Finland, Norway and Sweden. And, nope, I did not add to the robber statistics. The entire trip was kept under S$ 5,000. So, travel bugs out there who love travel and comfort yet do not want to burst your budget. Read on! ;)

Public's perception of Finland especially during winter are: booze (count in gallons ), depressed and drunk Finns, dark gloomy skies and boredom- with only Santa Claus to its name.

Undeniably, the sun does sinks at 3pm. But activities doesn't halt like a blackout in Helsinki.  

Walking in the heart of the capital,  rows of red wooden huts starkly juxtaposed the pale winter skies,  selling the season must-drink Gloggi, pastries, baked salmon, and candles and everything to do with Santa Claus.  

The city was enveloped in romantic fairy lights and candles telling you that 'It is Christmas time!'. 

This season is warm and bright, despite the -20 bone numbing cold. 

Itinerary at a Glance:

1. Helsinki        2. Rovaniemi and Pyha         3. Raseborg

Vibrant Aleksanterinkatu is the major shopping belt. 3 H&M beckoning to empty your wallet.

Our cosy red wooden cottage with a private BBQ hut and sauna!
Not to mention that it is located right on the bank of a frozen lake.

 A domestic flight to Rovaniemi city followed by a 3hrs drive north brought us to Pyha Ski Resort. Aurora deserted us. But, one shouldn't plan a winter trip focused only on the green lights! 

Try staying in one of the red cottages and experience the:

Finnish sauna: crazy endurance to 70C or more, then run outside to admire the galaxy and plonk yourself into the snow- naked (if you dare). 

Finnish BBQ: Enclosed inside a hut so this smokes not only the salmon, but you as well! Nice experience but I would rather this in summer when I can open the windows and doors. 

Bake the traditional Christmas pastry- Joulutortut, ride a husky sled and, take a photo with Santa! That man is expensive! 20 euros for a picture! 

In the Santa Claus Village. A total rip-off for tourists like us who want to see the 'real' Santa. Nothing much differs except his height hence the longer beard. I think I'm ok with the Singapore version, free some more heh!

Pyha Ski Resort is a true winter paradise for skiers! 

We decided to try ice climbing with Bliss Adventure as glacier walking was impossible due to the thick snow blanket. A 2hr hour session (per group) costs 70 euros/pax. The price is steep but well, the experience was worthwhile. Using crampons and ice axes, you try to find your balance by kicking into the ice, and hacking and hoisting your way up. Sounds easy? I felt like I'd run a full marathon after this. Despite of my energy expenditure, I'm less than 3m from my starting point. =O.O=

If not for the hefty price tag, this sport would be one of my to-do during winter!

Ice climbing, a real muscle endurance sports.

Ranua Zoo, where all the Arctic animals hibernate. 

If this adorable Arctic Fox is not a reason compelling enough for us to visit, I don't know what is! 

Donsby B&B. These red cottages are certainly a magnet to me.

An hour's drive from the city brought us to Raseborg. Strolling down the idayllic old town with its centuries- old wooden houses is a walk down memory lane.  You can estimate the age of these houses by the design of the window panes, and imagine the life and those living then.

The sky was surprisingly azure blue that day, and the sun blazed like it has never encountered winter.

A romantic place to reminisce the past and talk about the future over the excellent Finnish pastries and coffee.

Winter for me is never depressing, 
The mentality is ~

Cafe Gamla Stan serves homemade pastries. They were so good, we ate 3!
At 'critical' moment like this, forget the waistline! 

A stroll in Gamla Stan along the sea. Every turn is beautifully painted in red, brown, blue. 

Inland Baltic Sea.