Norway - Highlights

簡約、舒爽的北國車站---

Don't miss：
1. 鐵路風情...
Move your ass to one of the seats in Norwegian trains---
and you can find almost anything.

The snow along the rail is especially extraordinary.
（Picture taken in the Bergen Railway, one of the highest in Europe）

Beautiful fjords are just a window away.

Book your tickets online within 90 days before departure.
The NSB front-page provides limited number of tickets with minipris.

It applies discount to the normal fares（which are not so consumer-friendly）.

The best price you can find over there is 199NOK.

However, you tend to find regional trains cost more cheaper than 199NOK.

Take advantage of minipris with longer destinations. Enough said.
NSB front-page

Where else in the world can you find a train compartment...
that is more like a study room？

Affording only the cheapest seats in the night train---

we are even provided with eye masks and ear plugs.

An obvious effort to express the company's consideration for customers in every ways.

2. 獵奇風情...

Vigeland Sculpture Park. A place to be...surprised and puzzled at the same time.

This not-so-huge and not-so-tiny park is jammed with weird sculptures.
The sculptor behind all this, Gustav Vigeland, claims that it is a display---
a reflection of different phases in our life.
So...
Would anyone be so kind to tell me when and where in our life---
would we lift someone like this？

and this...？

This is not even human...

I am assuming this is 'I had a bad hair day...'（while running naked）---

 

My personal favorite...

3. 民俗風情...

Just 30 minutes away from Oslo by boat---
Bygdøy, a small district that offers a series of interesting museum worth visiting.
I learn about this place only after discovering the icon of a church on a 10NOK coin.

That is the Stave Church located in Norwegian Museum of Cultural History.
It was built around year 1200, and relocated at its present site in 1884.
The name comes from stave or the vertical wooden planks of the body structure.

The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History is an open-air museum---
which means most of its exhibitions are outdoors.
Basically, it is a village featuring traditional Norwegian culture and farm houses.
（houses with grassy roof）

The museum also presents buildings from Oslo and other Norwegian towns.

Take the grocery store for instance, old fashioned sweets are found here.

Somehow it's quite similar to Taiwan's 柑仔店...

This old fashioned caramel-flavored lollipop tastes not bad.
It reminds me of the traditional candy balls sprayed with sugar powder in Taiwan.

4. 航廈情緣...

There is no need to line up for the check-in in Norway.
Simply go straight to the automatic machine and have your boarding pass printed out.
Another neat invention of Norway.
Also, Norwegian Air is now planning to implement wireless internet access on board.
A rather smart initiative since so many people nowadays carry iPhone, iPad, and etc.

Just to show off---
For unknown reasons, I was invited to sit in the business class like a rich guy.
The flight attendant smiled at me and said 'surprise, surprise'...
（I even had to pay for a cup of water in the original seat）
I guess life's like taking a Scandinavian airline---
you never know which seat they will offer you... 

And then...
My return flight was delayed due to technical problems.
So I had another free meal...again.
All the passengers were lining up for the free dinner coupons.

With two free meals, lots of instant noodles, and couchsurfing---

這趟五天四夜挪威行旅費總支出花不到250歐...

誠如朋友所謂的「上山下海窮到吃草如果是蜜月都離婚了的極限小旅行」。

所以，想離婚的人...
嘿---快來挪威吧！