Trying to gather my thoughts about Stockholm. Loved it there -- a beautiful city and since they were neutral during WWII the Old Town has very well-preserved buildings from the 12thC, which is rare. Plenty of museums to keep you busy and shopping is great. I loved all of the islands, easy to escape the hustle and bustle of the city with a quick ferry ride. I went to the ABBA museum; first a caveat -- I like their music and have seen the Momma Mia Show -- but found I knew surprisingly little about them. Maybe it was the large tour group just behind me, maybe it was just me, but I didn't love the museum. It was okay -- I wouldn't go back. I toured the Vasa Museum and found it fascinating -- I was shocked at the huge line outside when I left -- it was super long, must be a popular attraction. I liked Skansen and would visit there again. Royal Palace is worth a visit; I did a 2 hour tour of Old Town and learned a lot -- would def recommend this. Funny story -- I bought a glass spice jar with lingonberry salt -- while packing I dropped it on my foot. The top of my foot is now 6 shades of purple and blue. Who knew that was possible?
I managed to stick to my carry-on luggage and am going to try to continue to travel this way. I found that I don't need nearly as much clothing as I previously thought. I bought 4 Patagonia capilene shirts (2 s/s and 2 l/s) that were recommended on here -- washed them in the bathroom sink a few times and they dry in a few hours. Game changers, those shirts are!
From Bergen I did 'Norway in a Nutshell', which is a train to Voss, bus to Gudvangen, ferry to Flam, train to Myrdal (supposed to be one of the prettiest train rides in the world), then train back to Bergen. I booked this on my own to save money -- it was easy to do since the various forms of transport all line up perfectly. Loved this, but the weather wasn't great. I also booked a trip from Flam to Stegastein viewpoint and we got lucky because the sun came out on our way up the long and winding road (anyone who suffers from motion sickness may want to take a tablet before getting in the van). Totally worthwhile and highly recommend this journey.
I received pics that our guide on the Preiskestolen Hidden Trails took. Wanted to share a few. I think I've said that my favorite place on this trip was Stavanger -- if you are thinking about going to Norway, this pretty little city would be at the top of my list. If you like hiking I'd stay 3-4 nights because the weather in Norway is unpredictable, so I'd allow for time if you need to change days for a scheduled hike.
Stavanger Old Town
Flam to Myrdal Train
View from Stegastein Viewpoint
View of Preikestolen from Hidden Trails hike (which goes way above the rock)
Contemplating the view
There is an orderly line to get this pic without people in the background, which thankfully wasn't long when we were there
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