My name is Marion Vermazen. I am a traveler, hiker, reader, Sun alumnus, computer geek, YouTuber, Spanish and French language student, knitter, weaver and genealogist.
This morning we got on the Oslo to Bergen train at 8:25. The scenery was gorgeous.
We didn’t go all the way to Bergen. Instead we got off at Myrdal and took the Flam Railway to Flam. From Flam we took at bus to Guvangen where we are tonight.
We had an excellent fish dinner overlooking the fjord.
After dinner we walked along the waterfront a bit and over this pedestrian bridge.
Today we explored a bit of Oslo.
The hotel breakfast was abundant and very good.
Then we went to the Munch Museum which highlights the work of the artist Edvard Munch.
Next we walked around the opera house roof.
After taking a rest at our hotel we went to the Oslo Cathedral.
Next we walked around the royal palace. We just happened to see the changing of the guard.
We spent an hour at the historical museum before they closed
Then a quick stop at an antiquarian bookstore
Finally we stopped for beer and then had a great dinner at Ruffino Italian restaurant
We are off on our next big adventure! About one o’clock on Monday Allison gave us a ride to the Lafayette BART station. BART is a convenient, cheap, and easy way to get to the airport. For seniors the fare is around $5.
All was going well until we got to MacArthur BART station in Oakland. First they told us there would be a delay because of a problem ahead. Then they said it was a fire ahead. Then they said they were taking our train out of service and we should get off the train. Then the fire department said we should leave the platform. Then they told us the station was being closed and we should leave the station. There were a lot of fire trucks outside the station.
We ordered an Uber and got to San Francisco airport with no problem. The Uber cost us $100!
The rest of the trip was as uneventful and exhausting. It’s about 11 hours to Copenhagen. We were a bit late but SAS quickly booked us on a later flight to Oslo.
In Oslo we took the Flytoget AirPort Express into the center. Roger and Gayle had already arrived. It was great to see them.
We are staying at the Thon Opera House Hotel. We went to a very good Indian Restaurant, Der Peppern Gror for dinner. It was raining a bit as we walked back to the hotel but we benefitted from the long northern days. It was still light at 8:30.
Duke and I just made a quick trip to Utah. On Sunday we drove from Reno to Provo, Utah. We stayed in a very nice Hyatt Place Hotel and had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel across the street.
Monday we drove to Price, Utah for a family event. It was sad circumstances but it was nice to be able to visit. While we were in Price we went to the Prehistoric Museum at Utah State University. A lot of fossils have been found in the area. It was pretty amazing to see so many of them.
In Price we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. We had a fantastic, very reasonably priced meal at Uptown Steakhouse. We haven’t had “meat on the stone” in a long time. It was so good. Our very nice bottle of red wine only cost $22. On his way out a guy at a nearby table told us he had paid for our wine! What a nice surprise.
Tuesday we drove to Torrey which is near Capital Reef National Park. We spent two nights at the fabulous Skyview Hotel. Our room had a wall of windows overlooking the mountains. We enjoyed the Skyview Hotel so much that it would be a reason to come back to this area. Tuesday night we ate at a great nearby Mexican restaurant, Chak Balan.
Wednesday we hiked the Grand Wash Trail via the Northeast Trailhead in Capital Reef National Park. The trail goes along the wash. Eventually we hiked up towards Cassidy Arch. It’s an absolutely stunning hike. We got an early start so had quite a bit of shade going out. It was a very hot day. The sun was brutal at the end of the hike. All in all we hiked about 7 miles.
The next morning we started home. We spent the night in Ely, Nevada. On the way we stopped at the site where the outlaw, Butch Cassidy lived from 1880 to around 1884.
The next day we drove home. Outside of Ely we stopped at the massive KCHM Robinson mine.
I have found that having blog posts about our travels and activities is extremely helpful. So when Duke asks Where did we eat in Budapest? or When did we have that flat tire in the middle of nowhere? I can search the blog and find out.
We have had a busy time since we got home from our last trip on April 10. We leave on our next trip in just two and half weeks so I thought it would be good to publish a chronicle of some of our adventures during the last four months.
We were in site 29
Bonnie and I went to a day long yoga retreat at Lake Davis. In preparation for the retreat Bonnie taught me how to ride a paddle board. Standing up was a challenge.
July 18-20 – We camped with Brian and Bonnie at Middle Creek Campground near Upper Blue lake. We also hiked to Granite Lake. This trip was almost a duplicate of another trip that Duke and I did when we camped here in 2020.
July is Artown in Reno. We attended several great concerts.
All in all it has been a wonderful summer. We are planning a short tip to Utah before we leave for Europe. I’ll probably blog that trip.
Marion's Blog 