Hello again,
This March has been abundantly hectic. I have done quite a bit of travelling and have tried to explore some other part s of the country. A couple weeks ago a few of my girlfriends and I visited this awesome northern city named?Troms?.?This is probably most well known for the Northern lights sightings and dog sledding. I was very fortunate that my group took a tour to a very remote part of the country and were able to see the lights in all their glory. I hate to say this, but they don’t look very much like what you see on your postcards. They are not that green, at least not the ones I saw. They are big and bright and they dance perfectly across the sky. I can just imagine being a pioneer or a Sami and believing they were the spirits’ way of reaching us.
We were also lucky enough to see the arctic cathedral, which was as gorgeous as you can imagine, and very quiet.
While there we also visited the Troms? Kunstmuseet (an art museum) and another art gallery. We also got the opportunity to see the University of Troms? museum, and the Polar museum; both of which I highly recommend, as they cost together about as much as a cappuccino. We wandered the city a lot and walked the harbor and sat in cafes and even saw a Norwegian boy band in city center. Needless to say, although Troms? is a more remote part of Norway, it is quite accommodating and has lots of fun and quick things to do.
The very next week my my Mom and younger sister came to visit me and we took the famous train ride to Bergen. It was long but absolutely beautiful. We even saw Finse (the famous area where Star Wars Episode VI was filmed). When we arrived in Bergen is was quite rainy, as is usually the case for Bergen.
But, like Troms?, there were many things to do and it was just a really fun city to be in. The first night we ate at a restaurant named Enhj?rningen, and let me just say it may have been the best food I’ve ever eaten. Seriously. We got two different types of fish, one a Link and one a Hake… I don’t even like fish.. usually. It was just so delicious and so rich and beautiful. We were actually recommended this restaurant by the mayor of a Gol ( a town between Oslo and Bergen). He actually told us to order Bacalao, which is a traditional Norwegian dish made from dried salted cod and served with bacon and cheese. I will go back and try it one day but again, the choices we made were superb. While in Bergen we also took a short fjord cruise where my younger sister was thrust under a waterfall in full fisherman’s gear and made to catch the water. It was intimidating I’m sure considering the freezing temperatures outside. That day we also went to a local fish market where they cook what they catch, or don’t depending on what you want. They even sell something called “Princess Caviar” and it’s hot pink! My little sister had Prawns which are basically shrimp ut they’re so sweet, they almost tasted like lobster. I definitely recommend going there as it is quintessentially Bergen. Our last day in Bergen we went on one of their hiking trails up a mountain, which you have to do if you’re ever in Bergen. The forests there truly look like a story book. Every corner you anticipate a troll popping out, or a moss covered rock to awaken.
There are still so many places to see here and I can’t wait to visit them all. At any rate, I hope you are all enjoying your time in Texas or abroad! Until next time.