Norway Travel Tips
So, to be honest, I don't think we can really say that we've been to Norway. I mean, we were in a very small part of Norway and Norway is a VAST country. We were in the Stavanger area most of our time. We did travel to Røldal to see the Stave church there, and mostly to just get a taste of the countryside. It is a beautiful place that I am sure we will return to. Next time Oslo for sure, but I am also super interested in going to the very far north.
It is a very friendly country. We felt safe and welcome the entire time we were there. Stavanger is a quaint seaside town with a large collection of 18th and 19th century wooden structures. It used to be known for it's sardines, but is now the Petroleum capital of Northern Europe. Which is why we were there, really...since Bob was there for work.
I compiled a few tips. I didn't book much of the trip myself so I cannot comment on hotels/hostels, etc...but, here is some general advice.
1) There are a great many museums for such a small city. The Heritage Museum and the Canning Museum had a deal where you could buy one ticket and see both museums in the same day. So, give yourself enough time to see both in one day. The big bummer thing for me not being there in the peak season is that many attractions are not open year round. Some are open only on Sundays for most of the year. Make sure to plan your schedule around these limitations if you are not there in the summer. We did spend some time at the beautiful Petroleum Museum(given that Petroleum is the whole reason we were there really).
2) There are not really restaurants that serve breakfast there. Because of this, I believe most hotels have a nice breakfast buffet--far larger than we are used to in North America. For us, this was a money saver. I'm almost embarrassed to admit, but we took food for the day from there. Bananas, apples, bread, cheese...whatever we could sneak into our bag. I haven't done that since I was single...even then, only once or twice. Of course, we also bought some stuff at a grocery store, but here's the thing...restaurants are crazy expensive there. I grabbed my lunch from the breakfast buffet. Treated myself to an amazing coffee at lunch time and ate my snacks on the go. This allowed me to not worry so much about what I paid for dinner. Which was often $50-60 CDN an entree and $15-$20CDN for an alcoholic beverage. Pop was around $8CDN. Still water tastes unbelievable and is free.
3) If you are hoping to buy a SIM card for your phone or device instead of depending on a plan from your provider back home...don't count on it. It was really difficult to buy one as a foreigner. We just used hotel wifi. For that reason alone, a hotel with free wifi is a must.
4) For this north American driver, it is worth mentioning that the roads there are small. There is little to no shoulder and, in rural Norway, I found many two way, one lane stretches where I thought it was questionable to put such a road(around windy mountain bends, etc). I got used to it. But, I was happy when Bob finally finished work and could drive.
5) We took the Fjord tour and loved it...we even drank water right from a waterfall. We also drove around the fjords a lot and the views from the ferries are amazing, too. We highly recommend travelling the national tourist routes. Great views almost the entire way. We found when we abandoned the tourist routes, there were many tunnels. Travel was much faster that way, but not as scenic.
6) It really is as rainy as they say. Raincoats and waterproof boots are a must because much of the countryside is gorgeous, if not a wee bit muddy at times.
This was a lovely, unexpected trip this year. A nice break from the grind of regular life. I thought I'd share some of the images I took before I take off for our next adventure. As a family, we are headed to Honduras. We are excited to be staying at a friend's home there on the coast. Those images will have more people in them, I promise ;) And, I still have lots of cool Norway images that I could share...just keep checking the blog. The blog is where it's at ;)
~ Dana :)
PS--Just a reminder about my Photography Meetup email me for details!!! Come join us and have fun!
Dragonsssss
'Do you wanna play 'dragons' mom?' she asked. 'How does one play 'dragon'? I responded.
'Sssssssssss' she said.
'Pardon me?' I asked.
'Dragonsssssss' she explained.
'Okay, how does one play dragonsssssss?' I clarified.
'Like this' she said and she just started running up and down the hall with her stuffies mumbling important things I'm sure as she ran and jumped and threw things.
This is a common way for her to play. She is very imaginative and often in her own world. We encourage it. Soon enough, it will be gone. She is, after all, already 9 years old. She is not our first so we know that this kind of play will soon be gone from our lives. It makes me happy and sad all at once. As I sit her typing this, she sits just a few feet away in an imaginary world filled with stuffies who need the word 'sibling' defined apparently(that is what she is doing--defining the word sibling). I always smile while I listen to her disappear into one of her worlds...but, I am beginning to see the end of it. I don't often join in this crazy play, but I do often observe it through my camera.
Bob, on the other hand, walked in the door from work and asked 'what are we playing?'.
'Dragons' she explains. At this, knowing all too well how the game looks, he joins in the fun running and jumping down the hallway. The best dad ever.
I shared some of these over on the 5 Minute Project today as well. If you haven't checked out that site, you should. I am surrounded by awesomeness over there.
~ Dana Pugh
Photography Meetup
One of the things I have loved about my journey in photography has been the community that I have been able to grow and surround myself with. It has been the single greatest asset in my own growth creatively and technically. Lately, I have given a lot of thought to that community and the people within it. Some of those people are students who have grown into friends and who keep asking me to teach more classes. Truthfully, I feel a bit intimidated about the idea of teaching. Mostly because I want so greatly to be able to reach my students and be assured that they are learning something. There are a lot of classes available to photographers now and I don't want my classes to be like so many of those I would describe as 'empty'. At the same time that all of those thoughts have been banging about in my head, so has the notion that the online existence of the photography industry just isn't right for me any longer. I want real interactions/discussions/relationship building. I want to move my online community to my real life. So...to that end...I have decided to host a photography meet up. One where local Calgary and area photographers can meet and shoot and talk shop and get to know each other(yes, I know that was a run on sentence...I did it intentionally so I think that means it's cool grammatically speaking). I want this meet up to be open to anyone who might be interested in growing their own community. Don't be intimidated...grab your camera and come! If it proves popular, I'll host more.
So, I propose a walk through Fish Creek Park for starters. And, then, perhaps we can move on and have drinks afterwards. This is a democracy, so we will vote on 'bar or coffee shop'. But, if you have ever wanted to ask me a question or just to meet other people who also have a passion for photographing their way through life, then this is meant for you.
Photography Meetup
when: Tuesday, April 8th @ 5:30pm
Where: Fish Creek Park(contact me via this website to receive full details)
What to bring: your smiling face and your camera...and, your walking shoes. We will be walking. Dress for the weather. And, oh...leave your kids at home. I think it would be more fun if it was just us adults.
RSVP: through the contact page on this website. I'll send you further details. Make sure to vote 'bar' or 'coffee shop'
Who is this for: I will assume a basic understanding of photographing in manual, but...don't let that intimidate you if you feel like you should come. I haven't taught a beginner class in awhile, but if enough beginners show an interest...well...I will :)
And, because a post isn't a post without a picture...something I took in Norway
And, be sure to share this with any of your friends out there who might be interested in coming out to play! If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask either in the comments section here or on Facebook. See you on the 8th!
~ Dana