The Adventure Styx

8/27-28 – Travel Day and arrival day (Day One).

Take the stress of international travel and add a quick trip to Urgent Care a few hours til departure to really get things started, and multiple delays to your departing flight that would cause you to miss connections… Nothing stops us! A quick build of a back up plan, call to the airline and hop over to a later departure and different connecting city, with only one hour of total delay, we were in business. A quick stop in the United Club for pre-flight cocktails and we were off! We upgraded to Premium Plus seats for the long haul flight, and I’m glad we did! We connected through Frankfurt instead of Munich, and arrived with perfect timing to hit the pick up window for the camper.

Add a small Uber mix up at the airport (an argument over how many bags we had) and then we grabbed a taxi to RoadSurfers. Whatever. All about Roadsurfer

We picked up the camper, and maaaannnn, it’s nice! We quickly headed off on our journey, as we wanted to arrive at the campground before dark. The first stop was the grocery store. We’re going to need food if we want to be effective nomads. Of course, having our own camper at home, I’ve become quite good at creating on-the-go menus and shopping lists. This was no different.

We drove about an hour north/west of Oslo for our first night and to set us up from our drive the next day. We chose Buttingsrud Camping, and we slid into a choice spot, right on the water! This is how you start a trip! Dinner, beers, getting acquainted with the camper, relaxing, and sleep. Big adventures await tomorrow.

OKC -> Honefoss, Norway.

8/29 – Day Two.

After some solid sleep and no set time to awake, we wandered the campground for a bit and just took in the morning, along with the picturesque scenery. From there we started our journey toward the Atlantic coast. We stopped by the Lomen Stave Church (Stave churches are a very Nordic thing and there are less than 300 still standing today. As we would find, the timing of our trip is always slightly off to hit many of the mor touristy things. This church closed for the season on 8/18. So close. We did walk around the grounds and look through the windows. Very neat, but very basic inside too. From there, we continued to another stave church, Borgund Stave. Learn more here  This was set up as a museum, graveyard, old Stave and new Stave-ish church. Neat to see the evolution. It was raining, but not too cold, so we enjoyed that many of the tourists left at this point. I will admit, the inside of the stave style church is very small. Not what the structure would lead you to believe from the outside. The newer church was also opened, and very basic inside. That’s the thing here, everything is minimalistic and based in nature.

We left the church and headed to a #Supernerd attraction: the longest driving tunnel in the world! The Laerdal tunnel is 24.5km long Learn more about the tunnel here . Every 5-6 kms, they add neon lighting in, so it feels like you are outside. People have been rumored to get married in the tunnel too. Very cool.

From the tunnel, we headed to the main attraction of the day, the Flam train ride. Ranked as one of the most picturesque train rides in the world, and we got a moderately rainy day. It did clear out for some of the ride, but much of it was in the rain. That said, it was still a gorgeous ride, and a little rain isn’t going to stop us! The ride itself was a bit crowded and filled with rude tourists. After the train ride, we strolled through the museum that was free with the train ticket. It was small, but the model of the area was pretty amazing. I think Josh and I had a good time looking at all the figurines and what they were doing.

From there, we made our way out of Flam and on to where we’d be camping for the night. Josh chose Tvinde Camping – RIGHT NEXT TO A GIANT WATERFALL!

Honefoss -> Skulestadmo.

8/30 – Day Three.

Among many great days, this was one of our top days on this trip. We awoke and had a quick and simple breakfast (Cereal and a granola bar with some coffee). Then hit the road to our first sight, the Hardanger Bridge – Europe’s longest suspension bridge (1380m). This was a fun bridge, as it comes out of a tunnel, bridge, right back into another tunnel. We drove by many fruit orchards, all just off on the side of the road. We arrived at our first main stop of the day, the Heit Sauna. A privately owned sauna that can be rented for time periods. It is your typical, picturesque setting on the lake, gorgeous view, and water at a brick 59 degrees. A perfect and relaxing way to jump into day three. We did the full experience, hot sauna, jump into the cold water, rinse (literally) and repeat. I’m pretty sure Josh was trying to cook me in the sauna, as he loves to make it steamy and I just try not to die. LOL. Core memory, unlocked! We enjoyed the sauna, and then our own private shower in the camper – bonus! From there we stopped at a few fruits stands on our way to Bergen.

We made it to Bergen in the later part of the afternoon. We stopped into the Norges Fish Museum and had about an hour to see it – which we used every bit of. Fun museum, but nothing new to us. We enjoyed walking through and playing with the interactive exhibits – catching fish 😊 After we secured parking in the downtown Bergen area, we walked around the harbor area and took or pics of the notorious colorful houses and businesses on the water, an act we’d repeat in Trondheim too. We chose Bryggeloftet for dinner. From Google: “Traditional Norwegian fish & meat dishes, including reindeer, in a historic space with harbor views.” It is Bergen’s oldest restaurant – run by the same family since the start in 1910. The service was very slow, but the food was good. We stopped in at Sjøboden next door for a pint before we headed to the campground for the night. The pub was everything I love – the old façade, wooden beams, musky smell, and live music. We enjoyed our beers and the ambiance, then closed the tab and headed to Bratland Camping for the night. Nothing spectacular to note about the campground, other than we found a jazzy new rug, that maaaaay have found its way back stateside.

Skulestadmo -> Haukeland

8/31 – Day Four

We got up and on our way at a normal hour, new rug in tow. We headed toward Forde, with some noted stops along the way. I drove today and we didn’t DIE! It was actually quite easy once I learned the size of the vehicle and where I was in the lane. I still don’t love windy, narrow roads, nor have I mastered the roundabout, but I’m getting there. For those that don’t know, I usually play navigator and picture taker on our trips, and Josh drives. I always note that I am willing and able, should he need, but I am more than content to sit shotgun. This is most fun in countries they have right-hand drive. I do not fare well there. As we headed north, we caught another ferry, very common in this country (Brekke to Lavik) and stopped at the Lavik church on the way out of town. It wasn’t open, but we took a few minutes to appreciate the octagonal design, also very common in Norway. We drove north and stopped at the Forde waterfall, among other various things, like a school (mo og Oyrane Videregarende Skole), a farm, sheep, and an outhouse. The hike was short, mostly suburban until we hit the moss, peat bog, and mud. We continued and stopped for a few pictures in Vasseneden, at the Nastrup photo frame. Carrying on our way, enjoying the scenery at each glance, we paused in Skei for the beautiful backdrop. A final stop before the campground brought us to Byrkjelo Sculpture Garden. We may have had a bit of fun with our poses.

We arrived at the campground for the night, early for us, around 530pm. It was Saturday, so if the trend is the same here, it should be a pretty full evening. The really stack them in, but also allot for each camp site to have some space (4m to be exact). We we’re told to park against the wall, which made an awkward driving situation. I asked if we could pull closer to the edge of the water and create the drive path behind us. No argument, so that is what we did.

Core memory unlocked for the sunset experience and setting for the night. Lake Lovatnet is a glacier lake, formed where two glaciers (Kjenndalsbreen and Bødalsbreen) melt and cast amazing views. The colors that bounce off the water and into the sky were breathtaking. This is a memory that will stay with me forever. Sande Camping is where it is at! We met our nice neighbors from Germany, and their Silver Lab, Moody. Of course, we made friends with the dog! As night set in, we cooked dinner, leaving the screen door open to enjoy the view the entire time. We enjoyed the fact that they had a sauna, well, two actually.  A men’s and a women’s. We each enjoyed our respective saunas and then sat outside, enjoying the serenity of the campground. Tonight’s view might have been an absolute top for me, paired with the camping experience. A perfect day ♥.

Haukeland -> Loen.

9/1 Day Five – Hello September!

We awoke in a complete fog. You couldn’t see the lake, or even 3’ in front of you. We weren’t in any hurry to get moving anyway, as we planned to go kayaking before departure. One of the reasons we chose the campground that we did, we they were supposed to have kayaks to rent directly from the camp sites, however, we learned that they only had paddle boats and canoes. I don’t love canoes, and Josh wasn’t game for the paddle boats. So, we looked and just up the road was a place that had kayaks to rent, Loenvatn Feriesenter. No joke, it was one campground over, about 1km.

We rented the kayaks, long and skinny, which Josh doesn’t exactly fit in, but made it work with some minor adjusting, and we were off, into the fog. We paddled slowly, just taking in the day and scenery. The lake water was pristine and so many different shades of blue. As the sun burned off the fog, you could see the two arms of glaciers, poking through. The paddling was great and smooth, with very little wind. Another perfect start to the day. We finished up and headed north. We stopped by the Oppstryn church and egging on some roadside roosters 😊 Then we took a steep, windy, switch-back filled route to the top of a mountain to Geranger Skywalk (Dalsnibba). We took selfies, made fun of tourists and the need for 6.3 billion of the exact same photos, we made grilled cheese and everyone else jealous, and capped off the time with a local beer. We enjoyed a little more time before we moseyed to a viewpoint to see Skagefla and the Seven Sisters, from a distance. We ascended the mountain, continuing on our journey. Hopped on yet another ferry, this time heading to Sylte. We arrived at our campground around 7pm, giving ourselves about an hour of daylight to get settled.

I can say this, I have never experienced what came next.

As we were choosing our spot for the night (Josh is super picky and this can take a few tries before we finally settle), we noticed a large group of guys in what appeared to be parachuting gear. We walked around the campground looking and thinking what on Earth is going on. Then we heard it… the chopper coming down the canyon. They landed in the freaking campground for a pickup! They took half of the group and Josh, and I are just looking at each other like WTF just happened?!?

As we are wandering the campground, one of the guys noticed us looking and said hello. He mentioned his name was Nick and that he was from Florida. He was a retired Navy veteran and was a consultant for the Norwegian military. They were out doing “Army Games” and getting picked up to debrief. I am 100% sure, Nick, from Florida, was a retired Navy Seal. Anyway, they do this a few times a year. Then the chopper circled back and scooped up the rest of the group. Very cool to witness!

I will say the campground was awesome. Not many campers, military war games before dark, in a canyon with a Europe’s tallest rock face on one side, and mountains on the other. Our camp spot was great too. Another fantastic day in the books!

Lake Lovatnet -> Trollvegen

9/2 Day Six –

We woke up and had a simple breakfast, as we needed to drive a few hours and take a long hike today. So, up and at ‘em! We drove to a scenic spot on the other side of the rock face so we could see the other side of the canyon. The road all the way was close due to a rockslide and bridge damage, but we were able to walk up to most of the area. The area was filled with trolls, free roaming cows, and a waterfall. From there, we drove to take… you guessed it, a ferry! From Afarnes -> Skala. Not long after our uneventful ferry ride, we needed to go through a tunnel, which happened to have an accident in it. So, we parked and waited. And waited. And waited. Then I made lunch while we waited some more. Most people were out of their cars while we waited. The car behind us had a beautiful Belgian Malinois that was out playing with a toy and running training drills. Josh went and made friends, and soon after I joined. The dog, Erox_auf_wandertour, and his owner were very nice Swedes. I can’t help myself – I love dogs, especially Beligies! Finally, after over an hour, the tunnel cleared, and we were back on our way.

We made it to Trollkirka for our hike around 1pm. “Trollkirka (484 meters above sea level) comprises three marble and limestone caves. The lower cave is about 40 meters long in an “S-shape”. Here, you enter a beautiful waterfall that falls 14 meters down into a white marble pool. In the cave above, you can see the waterfall plunging straight down into another cave. The upper cave mostly consists of long underground passages.” (Visit Norway). Josh did the research for this place and noted that it was a “3 hour, mild-moderate hike, with a few challenging places.” The time we almost died… Yea, there was nothing mild or moderate about this hike, except for maybe the stretch from the parking lot to the trail up. The hike was nothing but large rocks and small boulders to hike over, occasional water crossing, and a climb of 1400 ft. The hike, although difficult, was gorgeous! It took us 4.5 hours with breaks, exploration, and taking it all in. We were very sore, and our muscles were tired following, it was so worth it. We also left a little Jesus on the trails 😊

After the hike, a snack, and some research on where to stay for the night, we decided against a campground and to free camp on the Atlantic Road. We filled the water tanks at a gas station (This is very popular in Norway, and free!) We drove the 10 min stretch of Atlantic Road a few times, basking in the engineering marvel, and sheer beauty of the backdrop. We located a spot, down off the road, near an abandoned fishing building, right by the water. There was one other camper pulled off in the same general parking area, but otherwise, that was it. It was just on the other side of the road. We got cleaned up and went across the street to take in the gorgeous sunset – RIGHT NEXT TO THE ATLANTIC ROAD. I’ll just be over here stacking up core memories 😊 The sunset was majestic, dinner was delicious, and the stars were out and visible! It wasn’t a long night, after the day of hiking we had, so it was off to slumber soon after.

Trollvegen -> Skaryoya

9/3 Day Seven –

We enjoyed a slower start to the day, watching the waves crash on the shore was very relaxing. I thoroughly enjoyed free camping, and I never felt unsafe. We left Skaryoya and headed toward Kristiansand. We took a tunnel that dropped us 224m below sea level, and with a 10% pitch. Once we arrived in Kristiansund, we enjoyed all the town had to offer. It was a rainy morning, but this would turn out to be one of our favorite towns on this trip. We enjoyed a stroll around the town, when we noticed this cute little person ferry that ran a small route around the harbor. Then we learned it was free. SOLD! We hopped on and noticed the much older crowd of people on board, and each had a fresh carrot, that they were just chomping away on. The ferry route made 5 stops and took about 25 min to enjoy. Kristiansund was a much more appealing town in comparison to a Trondheim or Bergen. There were way less people, less tourists, and no one seemed to be in a rush, unlike those other cities. The harbor area offered a fantastic view and a brief take on history while riding the ferry. After the ferry, we walked back to the camper and wondered out of the harbor area and up the road, one last stop at the Nordlandef church. It was closed, but we still stopped to admire it from outside, in the rain 😊

We crossed the Bergsoysundbrua Bridge on the way to another ferry. Before hopping on the next ferry, we grabbed some fish and chips from a little place called Aspoya. Descent food, not outstanding. The ferry ride was uneventful, as they all should be. However, this ferry was having a bit of fun with their signs 😊

We made it to Trondheim by the late afternoon. We had decided to camp on the outskirts of town, so we had some time to play, but most things had already closed. We decided to do something we rarely do, and stop, slow down and take it all in. We landed ourselves are Pirbadet, an indoor waterpark with a view of the port. They had saunas, steam rooms, warm pools, hot tubs, wave pools, lap pools, slides, and jets a plenty. It was a lot of fun just being like kids again. I think Josh went down the slide like 50 times! It was fun and relaxing, everything we needed after being on the road for a solid week. We enjoyed the waterpark for a few hours and then it was time to head out and find camping. I had a fantastic déjà vu moment in the locker room. There was a swim practice that had been going on in the lap pool and it had just ended. All the 9–10-year-olds flooded the locker room and showers. The giggling and slinging cold water brought me back to when I was that age, and that was me and my friends after practice. It made me smile as I reminisced. I found my way out of the locker room and out to meet with Josh.

We headed to where we thought we were to camp, only to realize that place closed the season the week before. There were no other options for campgrounds… So down the end of a road we’d go. We eventually found a longer spot in front of a condo complex, but open parking. Not ideal, but it would work in our pinch. We did get to catch an amazing, Fire in the sky type sunset. We enjoyed a few beers and off to slumber quickly after turning off all the lights.

Skaryova -> Midtbyen

9/4 Day Eight –

Since we didn’t have a great spot to camp, we ate a light breakfast and were on our pretty early. Off to Trondheim. We arrived in Trondheim and started at the Old Town Bridge. If you’ve ever seen pictures of Norway, there is a pretty good chance a shot from this bridge is one of them. The water was so still and made for some great pictures of the iconic shot. From there, we walked to the Nidaros Cathedral. Nidaros Cathedral is the world’s northernmost gothic medieval cathedral. The cathedral has an interesting history.   https://visittrondheim.no/en/nidaros-cathedral-history/#:~:text=Work%20began%20in%201070%2C%20and,restored%20to%20its%20original%20grandeur. Walking into the cathedral… WOW is an understatement. The sheer size and grandeur of the interior was fantastic. The organ, the stained glass, the tribute to the Sami religion inside the chapel; it was just beautiful inside.  After we finished in the cathedral, we walked across over to the Archbishop’s Palace area, but they weren’t open yet and we weren’t waiting. Onward to walking the street back to the camper. We walked by the Cyclone Cable – smart and fun way to get your bike up the steep hill.

We headed off to the Ringve Music Museum. Remember, earlier this year we went to an amazing musical instruments museum… this was not the same :P) We walked through the Randi Hultin exhibit focused on jazz musicians. This museum was much smaller than the one in Belgium but offered the fun of being able to play some of the instruments. Cue up the 4^th graders inside of us! From the museum we headed off to the farthest north stop on our trip: Hell.

We arrived in Hell… at the train station actually. We may have hid a few little Jesus figurines while we were there too. Hell, Norway has one of 100 phone booths still in use for the country. I found that weird and interesting. They have an art gallery in Hell too, in case you ever wondered. Before departing, we had a lunch and then hit the road, headed back south now.

On our drive to the campground, we saw moose, many females, and a few baby moosers. No bulls though. We stopped in to the Dombas Church on our way passing through. Minimally decorated and we didn’t stay, as they were having service and we didn’t want to interrupt. After that it was off to the final stop, Rondane Camping in Hovringen. The drive up to the top was foggy as dusk rolled in, but the views were worth it. After we settled into our spot, we ate and then enjoyed a private sauna at the campground that we were able to reserve same day and only a few hours after arrival. So nice and with great views. A stark contrast of a night sauna to the one in the morning earlier in the trip. Soon after showers it was time to slumber.

Midtbyen/Trondheim -> Hovringen

9/5 Day Nine –

Our last full day with the camper and what would be one of my favorite days and very jam packed. We awoke in the clouds again, however by the time we were packed up and ready to leave, the sun had started to burn the clouds away. We made our trek back down the mountain and into a town called Otto. Here we met two rivers at their convergence point. The dark blue/grey of one river met a stark teal color of the other. I’ve seen rivers converge before, but never anything this drastically noticeable. From Otto, we continued to Lillehammer, for a day filled with Olympic history!

We started the Lillehammer adventure at the Norwegian Road Museum. This museum encompassed road building, traffic safety, and tunnel building (although that part was closed for the winter season).  This place had a crazy comprehensive compilation of Norwegian vehicles, spanning bicycles to large, motorized vehicles. From there, we found our way to the Road Construction and Traffic area. Seeing the behind-the-scenes look was interesting, and of course throw safety and engineering together and we had a blast! The Safety exhibit with the shoes was a very interesting and catchy way to display data, showing that the processes in place are working. Of course, there was the Volvo crash car in this section of the museum. We meandered our way to the outdoor section, moving into the LARGE equipment used for road work and tunnel building. WOW. Josh looked tiny next to some of the equipment. You just never realize how large it is when you see it on television, but standing next to it, enormous.

We made a quick push through the rest of the outdoor stuff as we made our way back to the camper. We were losing daylight and had a bunch more to see! We headed further into Lillehammer, stopping at the 1994 site of the Olympic Bobsledding competition. And where you can still take a bobsled for a loop (if prearranged). They even had a bobsled out front that you could sit in (Josh did) and I feel certain that neither of us would far too well if we tried our hand at bob sledding. Very cool to see in person. The 1994 Winter Games hold a lot of memories, one of the first Olympics I was invested in – Thanks, Nancy, and Tonya!

Next up on the Tour de Lillehammer, was the Norwegian Olympic Museum. You already know! I could have spent all day in here, but good thing for Josh, the museum would close about an hour after we arrived. A bit of a history lesson here, Lillehammer hosted the winter games in 1994, and Oslo hosted the winter games in 1952. The museum was well done, very bright, and nice representation of each of the Olympians. Medals can be seen up close, which I particularly loved. I also enjoyed seeing the inclusion and learning more about the Paralympics. I was in Heaven! When you purchase a ticket to the Olympic Museum, it also comes with admission to the Maihaugen – an open-air museum depicting rural life in the 1700-1800s through farms and homesteads. There is even a stave church with the inside completely outfitted, which was neat to see. We strolled for a bit and then wandered to the camper, for our last stop of the day before finding our campground, Olympic Village.

We drove up the mountain to a small out cove for parking. When we hopped out of the car, we saw the view. A nice incline, the ski jump, ski lift, and down below, where the torch was lit in 1994. We ascended a few levels of the stairs, but only one side had a handrail, and they were very steep. I’m clumsy and need no extra reason to get hurt 😊 We paused and let the fitness hikers go ahead as we climbed back up. We sat for a few minutes and took in the view. I remembered back to the opening ceremonies where the torch got lit and the games began. The sun was slowly creeping towards the horizon, and we needed to get to the campground. Off we went!

We camped about 40 min away from the camper drop off spot at Songnabben Camping. The campground had many permanent residents, but we were able to score a coy spot for the night. That means a lot of prep work tonight to avoid a very early morning tomorrow. Leftovers for dinner with a side of packing. To bed as early as we could.

Hovringer -> Sagstua

9/6 Day Ten –

Our last full day and the day to drop off the camper and hit Oslo on foot. Ready? Let’s go!

Up and at it early, departing the campground before 8am. A quick stop for fuel, DEF top off, and some breakfast snacks, we were on our way to drop the camper off. We did a quick drop-off-by of our luggage at the hotel, so we didn’t have to lug it around after dropping the camper off. We hustled and got to drop off by the designated time, hell, Josh had fixed a few of the issues we had over the trip, so they didn’t have to. The return went easily as we expected (Highly recommend renting from Roadsurfer if you have the opportunity) By 10am we were on our way to take Oslo by foot. We headed to the train station a short walk away.

As we were working on getting tickets for the train, we struck up conversation with a few locals who informed us it would be easier, and probably cheaper to get the app and buy our tickets that way. We learned that all types of transportation were covered if you buy a pass this way. They gave us some pointers on places that were “must see” and places to eat. Once we arrived in downtown Oslo, the first stop was the Oslo Opera and Ballet House. Situated right on the water, and a scalable exterior that rises from the ground level to provide panoramic views of the city. I can see why the architecture of this building is noted often. I mentioned earlier that Norwegians thrive with minimalistic décor. The opera house is no different. Inside, the glass creates reflections that play off the waving wood wall, and roof cover in the lobby that appears to be melting ice. A sight to be seen. Too bad there weren’t any shows to catch.

We caught a tram and then walked around the garden area at the Royal Palace. I must say, it was pretty boring Royal Palace from the outside. There were guards around the entire place, you know, the ones with the fun feathery hats. So that was fun. We walked the gardens and then found or way to another tram that would drop us back toward the center of the town area.

We arrived at a gathering of people outside of the Nobel Prize Center. Apparently, they were having a peace rally and we got to catch the dove release. Then we got a discounted rate for the museum. Score! Inside there was the regular museum exhibit that dug deep into the roots behind each of the prizes, when and where the prizes are handed out, who Alfred Nobel was, and so much more. We got to see an actual Nobel Prize in person. Such a simple medal that means so much! Absolutely incredible to see. Then you walk through a hall of champions, if you will. It’s a bunch of iPads suspended on clear sticks so it looks as if the heads are floating. Each one represents a Nobel Prize winner. Another interesting and impactful experience. There was an exhibit going on called: Women, Life, Freedom – much of it was part of a Yoko Ono exhibit. After we learned all there was to know about the Nobel Prize, it only seems right that our next stop was to Oslo City Hall.

Outside of Oslo City Hall are six free-standing sculptures by Per Palle Storm in front of the building depict the craftsmen who built the building. You might be asking why Oslo City Hall? Well, other than its discounted rate of Free99 for weddings on Fridays (21 on this day), it is where the Nobel Prize is handed out each December. Something about standing in the same spot as arguably the smartest people of our generation, as they collect their one-in-a-lifetime prize for work in their field. It doesn’t hurt that the building itself is beautiful. Tall ceilings, ornate décor, lots of history. Basically, a dream come true. We waited for our turn inside, as we watched multiple couples head in, about to exchange nuptials. Once inside, the hall just opens up into this great room, filled with art and so many people. We were enamored by the vastness of the space. After taking in the great room, we wandered to where the City Council Chambers were. They were open for the public to go in, so of course we did. Another cool experience.

We left City Hall and headed to Frogner Park, to see the park and the Vigeland Installation. Note that this is the largest sculpture garden park made by a single artist IN THE WORLD. The sculptures range from bronze to granite, with much nudity, dragons, and depictions of life. The Monolith is something spectacular to witness. As if we hadn’t walked enough, the way out of the park was through the Vestre Gravlund (graveyard). Here we would find the minimalistic grave site of Casey Kasem, beloved radio DJ in the 1980s-2000s. Look up the story on how he ended up in Norway. It’s a wild one.  By now, the exhaustion had set in, but so had the “this is our last day, see it all’ attitude. So we pressed on.

Next stop, the Akershus Fortress. Similar to many other fortresses we have seen, this wasn’t much different, and we were so spent by this time, we didn’t really care. We wandered around, taking in anything left to experience. Now it was time to find a train back to the airport hotel and go drop our luggage at the airport to make the early morning flight even easier. We debated dinner in the airport or at the hotel. We opted for the hotel, but wish we chose the airport food. Dinner was nothing special but was accompanied by a cocktail to celebrate a great trip. One of the few times we both agree, we’d come back, and we just weren’t ready to leave. Usually, we’ve seen it all and done it all so it’s easy to leave. Not this time. We returned to the room, plugged all our devices in to charge overnight, and off to slumber we went. 5am will come early.

Sagusta -> Oslo Airport Hotel

9/7 Day Eleven – but not really. Early AF flight and back home in OKC by 7pm. Scooped up by our favorite Wuber and home to love on the pups shortly after that.

Total miles driven: 1417

Total steps/miles: 137,733 – roughly 55 miles. Most steps in a day – day ten in Oslo 24,448 steps.