Stavanger, Norway

This past weekend I met Ram in Stavanger, Norway where he has been working for the past week.  I was greeted by a city that gives new meaning to "right of way."  The cars will literally stop in the middle of the road so you can cross (I tested this theory several times). We stayed in the city centre at the Radisson Blu Atlantic.  The hotel was perfectly located within walking distance of all these unique boutiques and restaurants around the North Sea harbour.  Even after spending several hours walking around, I still hadn't seen it all!  Along the cobblestone roads, every street has its own character and colour, I fell in love.  Notable restaurants and cafes included Bacchus, Chilli House, and Hall Toll.  The sushi there was amazeballs! But I could not get over how expensive the city is! One entree and one glass of wine would cost $60!!! It was pretty ridiculous. I wonder how much minimum wage is there....

Aside from giving the local economy a boost, I went to the Petroleum Museum and learned some interesting facts about the oil industry.  Then on Saturday, under the threat of rain and husband in tow, we took a 3 hour cruise to see the fjords. A fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, carved by glacial activity.  The lack of sunshine left us wondering how different the scene might have looked.  But even with the gray clouds, it was beautiful. We cruised by a famous attraction, Pulpit Rock.  We were told that the 3 hour hike to the top of the rock can be difficult and with the rainy weather upon us, we declined to make the trek. The sea view of the rock magnified its height and I have to admit I felt a pang of regret not doing the hike. The views from the top of the rock are supposed to be amazing. We also cruised by a natural waterfall and tasted the fresh, untouched water.  Just as I thought the tour was over,  we came upon a very rocky area where, out of nowhere, 3 goats came running towards the ship! Apparently the cruise line often makes a stop there to feed the goats (and it looked like they hadn't missed many meals).  I got the perfect picture of them lined up and waiting for food.  I also saw groups of jelly fish along the harbour.  I've never seen one up close and it was alarming to see so many of them so close to the shore.  All in all, it was a wonderful sightseeing adventure and I'm so glad we did it.

So now I can cross Norway off my list.  It's a country I probably would've never visited but glad I did.  Next stop, Lake Como and Venice.  Can't wait!!!!!!!

Barca

Hola amigos y amigas! Como estas? 


After a decade, I made the trip back to Barcelona.  It was Ram's first time so he was super excited.  Unfortunately, he went there for a conference so it was mostly all work and no play for him. But we kicked off the weekend right at the W Hotel when they upgraded our room to a corner suite with coastal views on both sides.  IT WAS GORGEOUS.  That night we had dinner at Wave at the W and it was deliciosa! We had a nightcap at the W bar, Eclipse, and it was fun to people watch:) 


The next day we checked in to Le Meridien on La Rambla so we could be closer to Ram's conference. This time around, I didn't really do any sightseeing since I've already seen the Olympic pool, Gaudi's amazing work, Picasso, etc.  I just immersed myself in the culture and shops and thoroughly enjoyed it. Well I did do one touristy thing, I went to the Erotica Museum.  What can I say, it was walking distance from the hotel and I was curious.  It was a bit shocking to see their portrayal of the emergence of erotica in various cultures including India. They even had an S&M toy display and I immediately thought of Christian Grey...Surprisingly, they allowed photography, so I took a few pics before I started feeling like a perve...   


Ah but La Rambla was just as I remembered it.  We saw cool street performers, had our share of sangria, tapas, and people watching.  I also got to check out La Boquaria Market. They had everything including fresh juice and a wide assortment of candy.  I cannot believe I had the will power and refrained from trying the candy!  Looking back at my pictures, I regret it now.

Next stop Stavanger, Norway!  

Coastal Hike

This past week has been eventful! Last Thursday I did the longest hike I've done thus far.  It was a 10.5 km (6.5 m) hike with my ex-pat friends.  It was the last "official" group hike until fall.  Since everyone travels often over the summer, the ex-pat activity groups stop from June-September.  Hopefully, I can get an unofficial group together over the next few months to continue push my hiking limits...The leader of this activity group just finished a 3-5 day walk in Barcelona.  Her experience was very inspiring....needless to say, 10.5km was nothing for this group.

It was quite a beautiful walk, despite the horrid coastal fog that hovered over us.  (Seems like there's always a weather infraction but I'm just glad it wasn't rain and hail). The first half of the walk had a gradual rolling rise inland.  We walked to Inverbervie, Benholm, and Gourdon.  On the second half of the walk we encountered large patches of the rapeseed plant (I wish they didn't call it that), which is used to make canola oil.  The bright yellow plant smelled so good and created a lovely backdrop against the countryside.  At one point on the hike I had the scottish countryside (we saw skinny cows!) on my left and the sea on my right.  It was pretty awesome.

Countryside on my left...

Skinny cow! 

Ocean view on my right.