We left KLIA at 9.30 pm on Qatar Air for Doha. Arrived in Doha at 11.30 pm local time after a 7-hour flight. After a 2-hour transit we departed Doha at 1.30 am.
Day 2 - 1 June 2013 (Saturday)
We arrived Stockholm at 7.30 am and was greeted with a sunny sky and a crisp morning temperature of 14 degrees Celcius. A coach was ready to take us to Stockholm City about 35 km away from the airport.
Our first stop was the Standshuset, the City Hall building. Opened in 1923,it is one of the most famous silhouettes of Stockholm. A local guide, Nicholas joined us to provide information on the local history.
The City Hall building itself is constructed of red bricks with a tall spire featuring the golden Three Crowns,the Swedish National Coat of Arms. Outside on the lawn, the locals and tourist were taking advantage of the sunny day.
We were taken for a tour of the interior of the building starting with the Blue Hall with its white/green marble flooring and red brick exposed walls. Where did the name Blue Hall come from? Apparently the architect had planned to paint the walls blue but later changed his mind when he looked at the beauty of the red bricks and decided to leave it as it is. By then the room had already been referred to as The Blue Hall and the name had stuck since then.This is the room where the Nobel Prize banquet is held annually.
From the Blue Hall we walked through several other smaller rooms to the Counselors Meeting Room where the 101 city counselors convene their meetings. We were told that of that number,56 are women.I admire the wisdom of the Swedish and I like them already ! The room has long lacquered tables with rich red tapestry. The ceiling has exposed rafters and the ceiling itself is painted blue to give a feeling of the sky.
We moved to another room with a row of columns and fresco painted on the entire length of one wall mirroring the beautiful garden and a view of Lake Malaren and its surrounding area seen through the windows of the opposite wall.
The final room we saw was the Golden Hall where the entire walls are lined with eighteen million 23.5 carat gold plated mosaic tiles. In this hall the Nobel Prize winners and dignitaries would dance the night away after the banquet. On the walls are depictions of men, animals and cities and a main one depicting a woman,said to be the symbol of Stockholm. The Swedish certainly appreciates the values of a woman !
From City Hall we took a walk to Gamla Stan ,the old city situated on Stadsholmen Island,one of the many islands of Stockholm. We walked along cobbled roads lined with buildings painted in hues of mustard,orange and peach, a trademark of Stockholm.We passed the Royal Chapel to the main square, Stortorget which tells a story of massive bloodbath and treachery.We passed the Nobel Museum and arrived at the main attraction of the island,the Kungliga Slottet, the Royal Palace ,the official residence of the King of Sweden.It is one of the largest palaces in Europe with over 600 rooms and built in the Italian Baroque style. The palace building which was built in the 18th century and took 60 years to complete ,houses the office and living quarters of the King and guest apartments.
We then walk to Kungsgatan,the main shopping street of the city for lunch and some window shopping as it had started to rain. Stockholm is an expensive city and lunch at Mc Donald cost us 220 kroner (about RM 110) for the 2 of us and a small bottle of drinking water cost us 25 kroner which is about RM 12 ! Because of the rain we spent most of the time indoors.Meanwhile the city was crowded because of the on-going Stockholm Marathon.
After that our coach took us to our hotel, the Park Inn by Radisson for check in and freshen-up before going for dinner at Grand Palace,a Chinese Restaurant. I didn't come thousands of miles to eat Chinese food but what can I say, I am on a package tour !
Day 3 - 2 June (Sunday)
Left the hotel at 8.30am westward. The coach cruised at a comfortable speed and at 12.30 pm we arrived at Karlstad which lies on a river delta where two of Sweden's waterways,the Klaralven River and Lake Vanern, meet. We walked around the small town taking in the local places of interest beginning with the town square where the City Hall building is situated. There is also the Peace Monument which commemorates the signing of the peace treaty between Sweden and Norway in 1905 giving the latter independence.
A short walk took us to the Stads Hotel with the statue of Eva Lisa ,the gregarious local waitress who worked at the hotel and had charmed the hotel owner and guest alike,such that the hotel owner decided to build a monument to recognise her services(how I wish my ex- boss had thought of doing the same for me !). Across the river is the statue of Selma Lagerlof the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature. Again women seemed to feature alot in the Swedish life. Lunch was at the local city mall, Mitti i City consisting of poached salmon and coffee which cost 75 kroner each. At 2.15 pm we left the city westwards towards the border.
After the border check point we stopped at the R&R area to change to Norwegian currency and at the same time for some souvenir purchase. We then proceeded to Lillestrom and arrived at 6.30 pm at Hotel Thon Arena,a modern hotel and conference complex. Dinner was at the hotel (what else but poached salmon). We then went for a walk along the park fronting the lake in front of the hotel enjoying the beautiful view and fresh air. When the sun started to set at 10 pm we made our way back to the hotel.
Day 4 - 3 June (Monday)
We left our hotel at 8.30 am towards Gol passing rolling hills and green wheat fields. Every now and then we passed a lake , a common sight since Norway has 250 lakes in total. In the horizon we caught glimpses of snow patches on mountain tops. We stopped at a motel fronting the 41 km long Lake Kroderen for a walk and ice-cream.Our journey continued to the small town of Gol where we stopped for lunch at Solstad Restaurant for a meal of grilled salmon and coffee which cost us 169 kroner each. After lunch we took a stroll along the main street of the town.
Our journey then continued for another half an hour to Torpo for a visit to a Stave Church. There are only 28 stave churches left in Norway and the Torpo stave church is one of the oldest.It was erected in 1192 and consecrated to St Margaret.A local guide explained to us the history of the church and highlighted several architectural features of it including the painting of biblical scenes on the ceiling.The church is made of wood and held together with wooden beams,without any nails being used.Besides the stave church there is a newer church built. We walked around the area, fascinated by buildings with grass roof and the picturesque countryside.
After a 45-minute drive we arrived at Geilo another small town popular as a winter resort, and to our hotel, the Highland Lodge Hotel. After checking in we went for a walk around the town and down to the lakeside where we sat enjoying the heat of the sun in the cool mountain breeze. Dinner was at 7 pm at the hotel and we were served cod and buttered rice. After dinner we again went for a walk in the opposite direction before deciding it was too cold despite bundling ourselves up in sweater and windcheater.
Day 5 - 4 June (Tuesday)
After breakfast our coach took us to the Geilo railway station at 794 metres above sea level ,5 minutes away from the hotel. We boarded the 10.29 am train for Myrdal. The train passed partly frozen lakes, snow-capped peaks, barren trees and ground and wooden lodges.For us who live in the tropics the scenery was a sight to behold and solicited numerous "oohs" and "aahs" amidst the frantic clicking of cameras.
When the train stopped for a few minutes at Finse which is at 1222 metres above sea level, we could not resist but had to disembark and took pictures of the stunning scenery. Some of our group members took the opportunity to play with the snow.
From here the train made its way down to Myrdal situated at 866 metres above sea level. At Myrdal we changed to the Flamsbana which weaved its way downwards along steep gradients and passed panoramic views of gushing rivers, rapids and waterfalls. The vegetation became greener as the area was below the snow level.The train chugged through tunnels built into the mountains as we admired the scenery that was displayed before us.
A short while later the train stopped for a few minutes at Kjosfossen waterfall.The passengers rushed down to get a look at the mighty waterfall that rages down the steep slope. It was a breath-taking sight indeed !
The train continued on its 20 km track through a total of 20 tunnels along one of the steepest and most beautiful rail line in the world. We were mesmerised by the majestic mountains, the picture-postcard valleys, the crystal clear rivers and many beautiful waterfalls that we saw along the way to the valley below.
We arrived at the small village of Flam,nestled in the innermost corner of the Aurlandsfjord and had lunch ,after which we took a walk around the town.
At 3.15 pm we boarded the boat for a cruise on the Naeroyfjord, the world's narrowest fjord and an arm of the 204 km long Sognerfjord,the King Of the Fjords.As we basked in the sun on the deck,the view along the cruise took our breath away. If there is a perfect place to fall in love,this is certainly the place ! The fjord waters looked inviting although in reality it must be freezing cold. The snow-capped mountain peaks loomed in the background. Countless waterfalls cascaded from the top or side of the mountains to the waters below.Small villages along the banks of the fjord appeared like beautiful paintings.Our journey was accompanied by seagulls that were looking for food and literally ate out of our hands.
At 5.45 pm we arrived at Gudvangen and joined our coach for the 20 minutes journey to Stalheim Hotel, a historic hotel perched on a promontory over-looking the Naeroy valley, flanked by two mountain ranges on both side. After checking in we took a walk around the hotel,admiring the beautiful view that surrounded us.
Day 6 - 5 June (Wednesday)
We left the hotel at 8.00 am for our journey to Bergen. Our first stop was the Tvindefossen or Twin Sisters waterfall which falls from the cliff above and branch out into several cascades and become a rippling brook that flows through the valley.
Our journey continued past ski resorts and the town of Voss. We were amazed when we passed the Lake Vangsvatnet which was like a mirror reflecting the scenery around it-snow-capped mountains ,lush hill slopes and quaint houses. The water of the lake was so still that you would have a hard time telling where the lake ends and the land begins.If I were a painter this is one scenery that I would love to paint !
We continued our journey making our way to Bergen and just had another stop to stretch our legs.
Arrived at Bergen in the late morning ,to an overcast and gloomy weather. We were taken for a walk at the fish market at the harbour area where we browsed around looking at the catch of the day and stopped for a lunch of mild seafood curry, rice and mussels.
It rained and were we glad to meet up with our coach and local guide for an orientation tour of the city.
We stopped at Gamle Bergen Museum, an open air museum with more than 40 wooden houses from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Our next stop was a walk-about through the narrow lanes of Bergen's old Hanseatic Quarters comprising of buildings built of wood and timber.
After checking in into our hotel, The Radisson Blue, we went for a walk admiring flowers blooming in the city park and when it rained again we had to spend some time indoors in the many shops that surround the city square.
After dinner at a Chinese Restaurant (again !) we took the 8.00 pm Floibanen funicular train up Mount Floyen at 320 metres above sea level and spent an hour admiring the spectacular scenery of Bergen and the surrounding area and enjoyed the chill mountain air.
Day 7 - 6 June (Thursday)
Departed Bergen at 8.15 am in a slight drizzle. The sky was grey and gloomy. Our first stop was a relatively small waterfall seen from the road side. From there we proceeded to our second stop,the Steinsdalfossen waterfall, an imposing waterfall and one of the most photographed waterfalls in Norway. We walked along a footpath that led us beneath the hill overhung, with the frothy water gushing from the hill above our head.
Our journey continued past the big beautiful Hardangerfjord with mist-covered hills and snow-capped mountain range in the distance topped by low wispy clouds. Quaint wooden houses scattered the slopes, all houses come with a view. There are islands in the middle of the fjord as we crossed a suspension bridge and continued to skirt the fjord.The coach took the bends and curves and manoeuvred itself through the narrow road with sheer drop to the fjord below. At certain parts it was nerve-wrecking as the coach cling precariously close to the edge. On this overcast and gloomy day the fjord looked silvery grey, with a beauty of its own.We passed smaller waterfalls with some falling directly into the fjord waters. We meandered through many tunnels dug out in the hill slopes,one of which was 8 km long and has a round-about in it !
At Bruravik the coach boarded a ferry for a 15-minute crossing to the other side.Shortly we stopped at Eidfjord for lunch as the sky began to clear up.
At 2.00 pm we continued with our journey and half an hour later arrived at Voringsfossen, Norway's most famous waterfall being the highest free falling waterfall at 182 metres. The beauty of the waterfall was enhanced by a rainbow that arched over it.
From there the coach started to make its climb up, past cascading rivers and the vegetation and trees became more barren as we moved closer to the snow-covered hilltops.At 1000 metres above sea level we stopped by the road side to have the experience of playing with the snow, which for us is a novelty indeed.We continued passing frozen lakes and mountain ranges that looked that icing on a cake.
We arrived at our Hotel Thon Hotel Oslo and after checking in, had dinner at the hotel.
Day 8 - June 7 (Friday)
Our day began with a visit to the Vikingskipshuset (Viking Ship museum) which displayed 3 best preserved Viking vessels found in 3 burial grounds along the Oslo fjord,along with other artifacts.A local guide was at hand to explain the history of the Vikings.
Our next stop was the Vigelandsparken (Vigeland Scuplture Park) which contains 227 monumental sculptures made of bronze,granite and forged iron,depicting human lives and emotions.The expressions of the faces of the sculptures were vivid and realistic and we admired the talent of the sculptor, Gustav Vigeland who lived between 1869 and 1943.
From there we made a short stop at the Royal Palace which was unfortunately under renovation.We were then given free time to walk around the city. We walked along the Karl Johan shopping boulevard, past the National Theatre and the Parliament Building.We then bought some sandwiches and sat at the park watching the world goes by.After lunch we took a stroll along the harbour.
At 4.00 pm we boarded the DFDS Seaways cruiseship for our overnight trip to Copenhagen.
Day 9 - June 8 (Saturday)
The cruise ship arrived at Copenhagen at 9.45 am and we disembarked to join our coach and a local guide,Manna joined us to show us the attractions of the city.Our first stop was at Langelinje Pier to see The Little Mermaid,the symbol of Copenhagen and the most recognisable icon of Denmark. Built in 1913 it was a gift to the city by brewer Carl Jacobsen. Made of bronze it stands at only 4 feet tall. It was inspired from a fairytale by the Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen about an unhappy mermaid who wanted to live onshore. The weather was perfect - blue skies and sunny with a cool breeze. Tourist were jostling to get the perfect picture of themselves and the statue.
The coach took us on an orientation tour passed yellow houses,which used to be army barracks, and past Rosenborg Castle. We made a short stop was St Alban's Church and Gefion Fountain and from there to Amale Haven where we caught a nice view of the Opera House.
A short walk took us to the Amalienborg Palace the winter residence of the Danish Royal family.Built in 1750 in the Rococo style,it comprises of 4 identical palaces around an octagon courtyard. In the centre of the courtyard is the equestrian statue of King Frederik V.
Our next stop was the Old Stock Exchange,one of the oldest building in Copenhagen.Completed in 1640 it was designed in the Dutch Renaissance style.It has a tall spire of four dragons with their tails twisting towards the top.The building housed the stock market until 1974. Next to it is the Christianborg Palace which houses the Danish Parliament, the Prime Minister's office and the Supreme Court.
We then stopped at the City Square and City hall building and from there took a walk along the Stroget, the city's pedestrian mall and said to be Europe's longest shopping street.Lunch was lamb kebab at Shawarma Grill House and after that we did some shopping.
After the walk we decided to take the canal cruise which started at 3.00 pm from an area called Nyhavn (New Harbour). The cruise cost us 150 kroner for 2 pax. The one-hour cruise took us along the waterways past places of interest such as the Royal Danish Playhouse,The Little Mermaid, Amalienborg Palace,Our Saviours Church,The Black Diamond,and The Old Stock Exchange.
After the cruise we walked around the Nyhavn area which used to be a red light district where sailors frequented. The colourful buildings now houses cafes and restaurants and on this sunny day the whole area was packed with people enjoying their meals,drinks and the sun while people watching.From here we walked back to meet our coach near City Hall and managed a last picture stop at Hans Christian Andersen's statue. The coach took us to a Chinese Restaurant (sigh !) for dinner and later to the hotel for check-in.
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Day 10 - June 9 (Sunday)
Today we managed to sleep in and only got up at 7.30 am before having a leisurely breakfast. At 11.00 am our coach was ready to take us to the airport where we had a light lunch before our 3.30 pm flight to Doha and on-wards to Kuala Lumpur and home sweet home. Like a Malay proverb says " Even if it rains gold in other people's country while it rains pebbles in your own, it's still better in your own country"
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