Irresistible…

On the long trek from Stockholm to Paris I declared that I fully intended to veg out for at least our first two days in Paris, but after a few basics like grocery shopping, a good lunch and a short nap, who can resist the lure of a stroll under the baroque Parisian sky of a late summer evening?  So we were off to Tino Rossi Park, officially known as Musée de la Sculpture en Plein Air, where on warm summer evenings crowds gather to dance.  Swing, Salsa, Tango – each in its own area of the Quai St-Bernard. 

PARIS

Ahhhhhh, “home” or what will be home for the next two months.  And after 25 days on the “rails” with the last connection taking nearly 23 hours, are we glad to be here!  Twenty-three hours by train is definitely easier than 23 hours by plane unless, of course, you have one of those first-class fully reclining beds that the airlines advertise.  Here’s the train version…. 

It gives new meaning to the phrase "swinging from the rafters."

STOCKHOLM

A big Thank You to photographer, writer and instructor Bob Krist who generously provided me with an article he had written some years ago about photographing Stockholm. Not only did he provide a Sense of Place, but also very specific information on when and where to shoot. While I lack Bob’s experience and expertise, I fully appreciated his photo tips. Check out Bob’s website, blog, workshop schedule and more at www.BobKrist.com.

Unfortunately, due to overcrowded trains and scheduling problems we did not get to spend as much time in Stockholm as we had originally planned, but come take a look at some of what we saw…

Join the tourists photographing one another in front of City Hall...

Wander the streets of “Old Town” (Gamla Stan)...

Or take a water taxi through the “Venice of the north” (but much cleaner!)...

CHANGING OF THE PALACE GUARD

Since our time was limited I chose to prowl the edges of this event rather than spend an hour or more securing a front row position in the huge, eager crowd for the primary display….

This young guard kept a close watch to be sure that

my camera and I didn’t cross THE line again.

VENICE? - OK, these next images are not great photography, but there’s a story here: As our water taxi with about 100 passengers aboard entered one of the city locks, this high powered red Ferrari pulled in alongside, occasionally revving the engine to make its presence more obvious. Understand that the locks are narrow but these adventurers seemed to think that their feet, legs and hands would serve as adequate fenders against the lock walls and adjacent boats. Fortunately for them their flashy vessel did not get harshly clanged between the walls and the taxi like the next one that tried to squeeze in. I’d say they get an “A” for flash but an “F” for seamanship!

SKANSEN - A living history museum somewhat like Williamsburg or Sturbridge Village in the US…

Folk dancing from various parts of Scandinavia which Rick Steves and his crew were filming for an upcoming PBS episode of Rick Steves’ Europe

And this one-shoed putti in the Skansen rose garden…

VASA - On our last morning we squeezed in a visit to the Vasa museum. If you are interested in nautical history, architecture or archeology check out the vessel’s story at Vasa Museet

WOW!!!!

After a quick, early morning change of trains in Cologne, Germany, we boarded our final train to Paris, a high speed Thalys. If we were impressed yesterday with first class comfort and free wifi at 130 mph (see the post that shows up just below the "Bergen" post - I can't find a way to move it!) just think how much more impressed we are with our ride on the Thalys system at 180 mph as we start the final leg of our journey back to Paris… Almost everyone onboard was attentive to a computer or Blackberry. Guess that’s what happens when the scenery goes by so fast!

Here's our 5 minute look at the famous Cologne cathedral...

But again, I'm jumping ahead, so let me take you back to Stockholm, our last city stay before heading "home" to Paris...

A DAY TRIP TO MYRDAL & FLAM

One of the major attractions in the Bergen region of Norway is the trip to nearby Flam either by ferry or train via Myrdal. Some visitors hike or bike from Myrdal down to Flam.

We chose to go by train and return by boat through the fjord. The Flam railway is one of the steepest and most scenic in the world, weaving in and out of mountain tunnels revealing breathtaking views of cascading waterfalls too numerous to count as well as snow-capped peaks, even in summer. The 20 km (12.5 mi) trip takes a full hour to wind down the mountainside with a short stop at the particularly dramatic Kjosfossen Falls, which now has the Disneyesque touch of two blond-haired maidens dancing in and out of the mist...

John’s decades-old-memory of Flam was that of a magnificent, pristine, unspoiled bit of nature, so when you see the image below you’ll understand why his first exclamation on exiting the train was: “This place has gone berserk!”

That's an Italian cruise ship in the background carrying several thousand passengers. Souvenir and coffee shops make up most of the buildings along with a hotel or two....

RETURNING TO BERGEN THROUGH THE FJORD…

Tourism in the digital age…

I love the grass roof!

BERGEN, NORWAY

With apologies to Willie Nelson we are "On the train again…."

Welcome to Bergen…

If you like to eat seafood this is where you come – some of the fish market stalls remain open 24/7 during the summer…

And if you need to keep warm in the winter…

Perhaps Sarah Pallin would be welcomed here?

And, of course, there are the ships…

DO YOU BELIEVE THIS…?

As I write this entry we are zipping through the Swedish countryside at 130 mph on a high speed train with seats and leg room equal to first-class air travel; the added convenience of electrical connections AND free internet!!! We are like kids in a candy store trying out the technology. The only thing that does not work perfectly is our Skpe-to-phone (US), but I suspect that will improve over time. Perhaps we have this on commuter trains in the States, but I think the Europeans are far ahead of us in their use of technology: today we visited a museum – the Vasa – where you can download the audio explanations to your MP3 or iPod rather than getting an audio guide from the museum. Here’s John catching up with his email…

But, I’m getting ahead of the blog, so let me take you back to Norway for just a bit…

GOOD FORTUNE IN OSLO

Our first day in Oslo was full of surprises – the first being the weather. Contrary to all forecasts we were greated by sunshine and bright blue skies. Then John discovered the tall ship SORLANDET, originally built for the Norwegian merchant marine in 1926, it is now operated by a foundation and, luckily for us, was offering a fund-raising cruise that evening. Our day was further enhanced by the people we met onboard. In addition to the friendly and knowledgeable crew, we encountered several men who all had a personal connection to the ship. The first, a seaman, had been a member of the last merchant marine class to train aboard the Sorlandet was making a nostalgic tour.

The others (pictured below left to right) were Jan , a local architect whose grandfather was the ship’s original captain; Ole Johan whose grandfather served as comptroller during the ships construction, and his son, an elementary school teacher who had joined his dad for this evening's cruise.

OSLO WATERFRONT

While we regard having a “tall ship” in port as a special event, they are prevalent in every Scandinavian port, and not just at museum sights...

Of course, you’ll see ships of every size, type and age when you visit these waters and often in close proximity... Do you see the sailboat just a few feet from the cruise ship?

OSLO OPERA

If you suffer from vertigo you may not want to take this visual trip up the roof of the Oslo Opera. Yes, you can walk on the steeply slanted roof for a view of the waterfront. This opera house is unique, not just because of its roof, but because it was built to attract visitors, not just opera-goers to spaces like a café, restaurant and terrace that are open to the public even when there are no performances going on. In addition, a pedestrian bridge spans a main highway connecting the opera building to the main railway station. Come take a look…

And here are a few interior views...

VIGELAND PARK

Oslo’s celebration of summer was in full swing with music festivals ranging from Chamber to Rock; a “Mela Festival” encompassing a mélange foods and traditions from many nations when the rain moved in and shifted our focus from outdoors to museums.

We got weather-lucky again Sunday morning and took advantage of it by visiting Vigeland Park Here are a few images of the gates and sculptures….