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> SlowTrav > Trip Reports Report 1695: The Good, the Bad, and the WonderfulBy DianeH from Norway, Summer 2009 Trip Description: Diane spends about a week meeting family in Norway and traveling about the country, July 8, 2009-July 14, 2009. Destinations: Countries - Norway Categories: Family/Friends; Hotels/B&Bs; Sightseeing; Independent Travel; 2 People Page 1 of 2: Trondheim - Meeting Family
Diane on Norwegian Mountain Top Norway has been on my "must see" list for many years. Not only as a destination for spectacular scenery but a personal one as well. My grandmother was born in Trondheim. I knew I had unknown relatives there that I longed to make a connection with. I began corresponding with some cousins about my desire to visit them and their lovely country. They looked forward to our visit in July. We flew from Edinburgh, Scotland to Trondheim with a connection through Bergen on Wideroe Airlines. It was a brand, spanking new plane so I thought this part of our trip would be a breeze. It appeared to be a perfect connection flight on to Trondheim. We left just a few minutes late from Edinburgh. Much to our surprise in Bergen we did have to retrieve our luggage and go through customs. Norway is not part of the EU therefore it is like any other international arrival at your first point of entry ... Customs and immigration. We did the much dreaded "running through the airport" to recheck our bags onto the flight to Trondheim, only to be told they were NOT holding the flight. There were several other passengers in the same predicament as us. I said, "In the states the airline generally will hold the flight waiting for oncoming, connecting passengers." "Oh no, we don't do that in Norway, the plane must leave on schedule," was the response! Fortunately we were guided to a ticket agent who was very helpful and was able to not only put us on a flight a couple of hours later but also doled out meal vouchers to use while waiting for the next flight. Let me tell you, those vouchers came in VERY handy since a hamburger with french fries was $25! It was our first introduction to the outrageously high prices in Norway even though we had been forewarned! The sales tax in Norway is 25%! Yes, you are reading that correctly ... 25%! Thanks to another very helpful person at the Bergen airport information desk I was able to call my cousin to alert them of our two hour delay. We arrived in Trondheim in the pouring rain! My cousin and her husband met us at the airport. They had made dinner reservations at the Egon restaurant for us to enjoy our first view of the beautiful city of Trondheim and its surroundings. The Egon is a rotating restaurant that offers panoramic views. Much to everyone's dismay there was no view to see that first night due to the weather! We were amazed though to have it light out virtually the entire night. The sunset (if we had been able to see it!) was not before almost midnight! The sunrise came somewhere around 3-4am (we are not "sunrise" people!). We stayed two nights at the Clarion Collection Hotel Bakeriet. It was a nice, standard hotel in the heart of the city. It had a sumptuous breakfast buffet and a light dinner buffet included in its price. Our second day in Trondheim was to be a very memorable one as my cousin had arranged a family gathering where we met several new family members that welcomed us with open arms. The highlight of the gathering was the presentation to me of a traditional Norwegian pin from the Trondheim district where my grandmother was born. This was truly wonderful and something I will always remember and cherish. We had delightful weather on this second day, so we were able to get a lovely view of Trondheim and the surroundings. |
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