Live from a Train in Sweden it's BECCA'S BLOG!

Hello bloglings. 
Becca here. 

Yes, after a few absent weeks I am back to blogging...if for no other reason than to get my anonymous British speaking blog-complainer off my back!  Well, and that I need to blog so I don't get even more behind.  But since I'm already over two weeks into my Europe 2010 Extravaganza Trip of a Lifetime and haven't blogged anything, not to mention the fact that I still haven't blogged my Brazil/Argentina trip part B yet (because I was waiting to gather pictures from my fellow travelers), I have decided just to blog live from wherever I am about my most recent travels and then when I have extra time I'll work on getting caught up.  Then, in the end, I'll give you an overall summary so I can remember the order I did things in and so you won't all be confused.  How about that?

So, here we go...

Post Title(s): Norway in a Nutshell,
Home, Home on the Sheep Farm,
and the Scandinavian Diet.

As the sun set over cloudy London skies my friend Katie and I flew to Bergen, Norway.  Katie is living and working in London for 6 months so I decided to join her for a few weekends of travel.  Luckily for me, the weather in London has been just gorgeous during the week and then has just been raining on weekends when I've been off traveling with Katie.  I must be doing something right to get nice London weather in the spring. 

We got into Bergen late Friday night and then got up the next morning and took the train to Voss.  From there we took a scenic bus ride to Gudvangen and from there a beautiful ferry ride through part of the Sogne Fjord of Norway to Aurland. 

Here we are on the ferry.  Apparently we got pretty lucky with the weather as all last week it was cold and windy there, but we got sunshine (although still a bit chilly).

Me: showing a little Norwegian pride.

The following are pictures of the fjord.  Enjoy the pictures, but I must regrettably tell you that it is much more beautiful in person and that you might just need to head on over to Norway yourselves to check out the fjords in person.  

With a little prodding from our fellow 10 travelers on board (it was just pretty much us and a slightly wild group of Asians) I fed the seagulls, or more correctly put, the seagulls attacked me, a picture was taken while they were taking a break from attacking me, but I didn't know they were taking a break from attacking me, so I look like an idiot. 

Here I am using the old "zip up your jacket really far to hide your double chins trick."

Works, doesn't it?

Well, soon enough we landed in Aurland and the party with our Asian homies was over and we had to say goodbye and part ways.  But we had another friend at the ferry dock to meet us...Nils (pretty much the cutest, nicest, most energetic, older Norwegian man you could ever imagine) who picked us up in his shiny beemer to take us to his guesthouse at his sheep farm nearby where we would be spending the night. 

I love sheep.

The sheep in Aurland live a wonderful life...grazing below waterfalls.  Don't tell my dad's sheep.  They will get jealous. 

The whole town of Aurland, including Nils, attended confirmation day that evening at their church.  Apparently to be Norwegian is to be Lutheran too.  So, we pretty much wandered around the little ghost town of Aurland while all the other inhabitants were partying it up Lutheran style at the church.  

The next morning we took a bus from Aurland to Flam and then took a scenic train from Flam to Myrdal.

Here is our train.  I risked my life taking this picture.  You are welcome. 

Here is one of the cute little places we passed on the way to Myrdal.

From Myrdal we took another train to Oslo where Katie flew back to London and I headed onward, solo. 

So, now I'm sure all of you are wondering what "The Scandinavian Diet" is and how you can get in on that action as swimsuit season approaches.  It's a fantastic and relatively flawless diet other than the fact that you actually have to be in Scandinavia for it to work.  Basically the diet works because food is so freaking expensive in Scandinavia that you just don't eat much.  And, then you lose weight.  Simple.  Unfortunately I don't think I'll be here long enough to see any long term effects, but in the short term, not eating makes me feel great...but a little light headed.  Just kidding...I have granola bars from home to eat. 

No kidding though.  I'd always heard how expensive Scandinavia is, but I guess I had to experience it to believe it.  Food seems especially expensive.  And so far Norway seems to be the most expensive...I did not buy even one thing there that was less than about $3.50.  I don't even know why they make small coins.  I didn't need to use any.

One nice thing I guess about being in Scandinavia is that I don't really have to worry about anyone wanting to rob me.  Because I'm a poor person here.  And a Scandinavian person robbing me would be like me robbing an Ethiopian or something...just not worth the bother and totally against nature.

Well, that's all for now.  Feed me with your comments please...that's all the nourishment I may have for the coming week.