Friday 14th September

We spent today in Bergen chilling out. It was wet. We saw a group of pigeons crouched in the street, getting soaked, all facing the same direction. It was very strange, like some kind of bird performance art:

Other scenes of Bergen:

More birds:

We had lunch in the fish market and dinner at Enhjørningen Restaurant:

Thursday 13th September

We did the Hardanger in a Nutshell day trip today. The first leg of the journey was by train from Bergen to Voss, which is a very pretty place. Sadly I didn’t take my own photos so I’m borrowing one. Just before the train gets into Voss you see the lake:

and the rather impressive-looking Fleischer’s Hotel.

From Voss we transferred to a bus to Ulvik. This journey offered some incredible views:

One of my favourite panoramas:

Higher up the twisting road:

Finally we arrived at Ulvik, another pretty little place. Norwegians just don’t seem to do ugly. From here we transferred to boat to experience the (at the moment rather menacing) Hardangerfjord:

Scenes from the boat journey:

Approaching another narrow passage, you can just see a little village through the gap:

More scenery:

On the boat trips the viewpoint constantly changes. If the boat is travelling fast you have to grab every shot as soon as you see it, which isn’t always easy in a strong headwind! The following photos show the same place but the first is from closer and the second from further away:

We loved the boat trip, but it was rather windy on deck:

We arrived at Eidfjord, where we visited the Hardangervidda Nature Centre

Our ferret Lucy has relatives here:

Then onwards to the Fossli Hotel, Vøringfossen for a photo opportunity. My photos don’t do the scene justice. You have the waterfall running down from a high plateau which then meanders along a valley:

Perhaps a video will show it better:

Afterwards we were bussed back to Eidfjord where I took a couple of photos before we got back on the boat:

Then we were back on the boat to take in more beautiful scenes:

You can probably guess from the photos that at this point it started to rain quite a lot, so I left the deck and went to sit in the warm, dry indoor compartment.

Wednesday 12th September

We spent the night on the coastal ferry in a small but well-equipped cabin. The movement of the boat awoke me several times during the night so I wasn’t well-rested in the morning, but what sights we woke up to when we opened the cabin’s curtains! The coast is simply stunning:

Just to give a sense of scale, check out the buildings in this one:

There were miles and miles of stunning scenery so I’ll wrap it up with the highlights:

Finally, Bergen came into view. Our wondrous coastal journey was complete.

After checking in to our hotel we went to the tourist office and had a look around Bergen. It’s a pretty place:

We ended our first night in Bergen with a very good dinner at Swedish restaurant Naboen:

Tuesday 11th September

We did a day trip to Geirangerfjord, which is supposed to be the prettiest fjord. We took a bus from Ã…lesund to Hellesylt. These are our first glimpses of Hellesylt from the bus:

I took a few photos at Hellesylt while we waited in the rain:

The ferry ride to Geiranger village was cold and wet but the conditions couldn’t diminish the beauty of the fjord. Photos rarely convey the full vastness or drama of the landscape. The best attempts include something which give a sense of scale. This one shows some abandoned farm buildings close to the water’s edge:

Views from the ferry:

Views from Geiranger:

I liked the toilet doors at the Fjordsenter:

On the way back down from the Fjordsenter the mist cleared a little:

I took a few more shots at the bottom:

The bus picked us up and shortly afterward the sun came out. Typical, we thought, it’s rained all day and the sun comes out only when we leave. The bus took us up Ørnevegen (Eagle’s Road) and happily the bus driver let us out at a viewpoint. I think all of us managed to get our best shots of the day here:

And so we left magical Geirangerfjord. The bus journey to Linge featured the usual beautiful scenery. There’s so much of it that it’s difficult to decide where to point the camera. Through a moving bus’s window you just have to hope for the best anyway. Here are a couple of photos which escaped the cutting room floor:

Scenes from Storfjord crossing:

The final leg of our day’s touring was bus journey from Linge to Ã…lesund, which started off by taking us up a winding road from water level to much higher up:

I took more photos on the remainder of the journey but soon it got too dark:

After another good dinner, this time at C&C restaurant, we killed some time before we had to catch the overnight Hurtigruten ferry to Bergen.

Monday 10th September

We had one day to look around Ã…lesund so we decided to walk to the Sunnmøre Museum. To be frank it wasn’t the most pleasant of walks and, with it not being the high season, there wasn’t a whole lot to see at the museum, but I did at least get a few photos while walking:

and from the museum’s grounds:

Sunday 9th September

Our journey to the fjords began. We travelled from Oslo to Dombås on the Dovre railway which goes past typical Norwegian scenery of picturesque towns and forests and gently winds around, very close to the edges of lakes.

We changed trains at DombÃ¥s to reach Andalsnes on the Rauma railway. This really was a stunning journey. The train cuts though incredibly dramatic mountains on both sides which are black, almost vertical and capped with snow. If that wasn’t spectacular enough, there are waterfalls running down the mountains too. It was too difficult to get a good photo from the train so I’m borrowing someone else’s. You can see the train track running along the base of the Troll Wall; as passengers we were craning our necks to see to the top.

The final leg of the journey ending in Ã…lesund was by bus. The bus journey had fantastic views of fjords, valleys, mountains and dramatic unlined tunnels cut into the rock.
Ã…lesund is a very picturesesque little place surrounded by sea and little island with views of snow-capped mountains in the distance:

We had dinner at Sjøbua which was very good indeed.

Dates to save: SAT 3rd – MON 5th AUG 2013
OK for Al, Nat, Mad, Chelle, Manga, Rach, Vic, Ab requesting leave

Possible venues for a spa break (staying 1 night):-

FAIRLAWNS HOTEL & SPA, NORTH BHAM
Website: http://www.fairlawns.co.uk/spa-stays.htm
Distance from Wolves: 12 miles
Cost pp based on 2 sharing on a Sat night: £150.00
Cost pp based on 2 sharing on a Sun night: £135.00
Single supplement: Monday – Friday £25.00, Saturday £45.00
Tripadvisor ratings: 4.5 / 5
What’s included:
Check in from 2.00pm to a club twin or double room
Use of the facilities from check in until 5.00pm the following day (please vacate room by 11.00am)
Half bottle of bubbly and mineral water in room
The provision of robe, towels and slippers
A selection of unlimited refreshments from the spa ‘grazing bar’ throughout the afternoon (until 5.00pm)
Four course evening meal in Fairlawns Restaurant
Continental breakfast in your room
A selection of unlimited refreshments and a light lunch on the second day (until 5.00pm)
Treatments included
1. The Aqua Massage Experience each
2. The choice of Fairlawns Signature Ritual each. Please select one of the following three beauty treatments:
Mud Chamber (Minimum two guests)
Dry Floatation (you may like to add an oil wrap for a supplement of £10.00)
Bathing ceremony (available for one or two guests)
Note: Al’s friends recommend the place for food

COWLEY MANOR, GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Website: http://www.cowleymanor.com/special-offers/spa-and-stay/
Distance from Wolves: 63 miles
Cost pp based on 2 sharing on a Sat night: offer not available at weekends
Cost pp based on 2 sharing on a Sun night: £150.00
Single supplement: None, just 295 per room (asked by email)
Tripadvisor ratings: 4.5 / 5
What’s included:
spa facilities
2 x 30 min or 1 x 60 min treatment(s) at spa
3 course dinner
Night’s stay
Full breakfast

HOAR CROSS HALL, STAFFORDSHIRE
Website: http://www.hoarcross.co.uk/reservation/two_day.html
Distance from Wolves: 27 miles
Cost pp based on 2 sharing on a Sat night: £195
Cost pp based on 2 sharing on a Sun night: £175
Single supplement: on request
Tripadvisor ratings: 4 / 5
What’s included:
25 minute facial or massage
complimentary session of toning tables each
upgraded accommodation to a Superior bedroom
spa facilities
breakfast, lunch and a la carte dinner
Arrive between 11.30am & 1pm for an additional lunch with our compliments.
Note: Vic says it’s ‘proper chavvy’!

MODDERSHALL OAKS, STAFFORDSHIRE
Website: http://www.moddershalloaks.com/html/luxury_sg_tariffs.php
Distance from Wolves: 29 miles
Cost pp based on 2 sharing on a Sat night: £170
Cost pp based on 2 sharing on a Sun night: £150
Single supplement: £50
Tripadvisor ratings: 4 / 5
What’s included:
• A complimentary drink on arrival and a complimentary bottle of water in your suite
• A 2 course evening meal in our award-winning lakeside restaurant and breakfast the following morning
• Overnight stay in a twin or double luxury suite awarded 5 star Guest Accommodation by Visit Britain
• Use of all our Spa Facilities from 3pm on the day of arrival to 5pm on the day of departure
• One 25 minute treatment up to the maximum value of £35

THE BELFRY, SUTTON COLDFIELD
Website: http://www.thebelfry.co.uk/special_offers/index.php?offertype=spa_breaks
Distance from Wolves: 24 miles
Cost pp based on 2 sharing on a Sat night: £69.00
Cost pp based on 2 sharing on a Sun night: £69.00
Single supplement: ?
Tripadvisor ratings: 3.5 / 5
What’s included:
• Overnight accommodation
• Full English breakfast
• Dinner in The Atrium
• 90 Minute AquaSpa (not suitable for use during pregnancy) Journey
• Use of Health & Wellness facilities
• Entry to Bel Air nightclub (Fri/Sat)

This article in The Guardian and the comments following it make very interesting reading. I don’t think about it much these days but I am so glad that I’ve escaped Indian culture. I think those two young feminists in the article have hit the nail on the head:

“…modern women are divided into “bad” and “good” according to what they wear, whether they go out after dark and whether they drink alcohol. “We are seeing a rise of moral policing, which blames those women who are not seen as being ‘good'”

My parents and indeed the wider community expected me to be a ‘good’ girl, especially before I got married. But I’ve ended up marrying someone who doesn’t care about any of those things. In one respect I am now the complete opposite of ‘good’: I work in my in-laws’ pub! But there isnt any question in my mind about my or my husbands morals. Basically, the rules for being ‘good’ are patriarchal bullshit. Yes, I’m angry about it.

Women being seen as inferior is a part of most cultures that I know of. In Hinduism it’s even mentioned in the scriptures that women are lesser than men. When I realised this in my twenties I found it so condescending that I abandoned Hinduism altogether. I’ve never looked back.

I think the problem of violence towards women in India is due to a lack to respect towards women that is ingrained in the culture in many ways. The dowry tradition, which still goes on to an extent in my own community, devalues women. It is a completely outdated practice anyway as most women in my community pay their own way by working. The frowning upon women who go out and have a drink sends the message that women are second class citizens; they are not allowed the same pleasures as men. And women being seen and treated as objects for sexual gratification translates to women not even being regarded as human.

Unfortunately, I don’t think Indian culture, even in Indian communities in Britain, is going to change any time soon.

Recently I have found that I’ve just not been getting the basics done in a timely fashion. I’m talking about really basic things like cleaning my teeth twice a day. So I decided to print off a list of daily basics each day and cross off each task after it was done. There is room on each sheet for extra tasks too. I’ve used this system for two days now and it works amazingly well!

To do lists on the computer have never seemed to work particularly well for me. Some time ago I read an article on the net which explained why to do lists on paper, and specifically on post-it notes, are better than digital ones. There are plenty of others that concur with the ‘paper beats digital’ argument. I think this one nails the reason why on the head for me: the paper list is physically far away from other distractions such as email and Facebook.

The American meaning of mad. This video made me laugh so much that I cried.