Fjord-ing

When I think of Fjords I always think of the Swedish Chef from the Muppets.  Is that weird? It just sounds like every other word he says is "fjords" or "fjordy" or something like that.

Anywhozzle...next up on the Epic European tour is Norway (not Sweden yet...sorry chef!) and the beautiful fjords! After our stay in Bergen, T-Friend and I will be heading to the Sognefjord - Norway's largest and most spectacular fjord. We have decided against doing the more formal "Norway in a Nutshell" tour and have instead opted for our own itinerary that will allow us to actually spend the night in the fjords. We're all about getting off the beaten path and this will be a great opportunity to do so. We'll be taking yet another ferry from Bergen, this time heading to the quaint town of Balestrand. From what I've read in the guidebooks, Balestrand used to be THE place for vacationing celebs and royalty. And when I say "used to be" we're talking centuries ago. But, alas, Balestrand has since fallen off the paparazzi radar and instead hosts fjord-lovin tourists like us.

We've narrowed it down to two options as far as accommodation goes for our one-night stint in the town. We can either rough it in a pretty awesome little hut or comfortably rough it in the centrally located hostel. Both options are pretty amazing.

Should we live it up at Sjotun Camping?!

Or take in the views at Kringsja?! 

Surprisingly, the prices are relatively the same so this could be a rather difficult decision. While in Balestrand we plan to take a day trip of the fjord and possibly rent bikes, go on a hike, or rent some kayaks. Since the weather is typically around 70-73 degrees in July, we should have excellent conditions for outdoor fun. 

Speaking of weather, and digressing back to Bergen, AND segueing into my travel essentials (whew!), apparently Bergen gets more rain than it doesn't. Yup, we are pretty much guaranteed to be rained upon during our stay there. This knowledge, accompanied by the fact that I spent a fair amount of time in my sweet yellow rain coat during my last European jaunt has convinced me to invest in some new rain gear. 

I am a giant lemon. 

It may be snazzyawesomeyellow but that thing is about 2 sizes too big and makes me look like a shapeless lemon or someone who is trying way to hard to stand out. Enter the need for new rain gear. 

I'm thinking something like...

Can't really go wrong with NorthFace (and I'm also kind of obsessed with the Eiger...the mountain for which the NorthFace is named. But that' another story.)

From the makers of the oh-so-lovely lemon jacket: Columbia. I'm loving that cinched waist. 

Or maybe I'll stick to my annoying colorful guns...Marmot. 

Next up on the journey...the night train from Oslo to Stockholm! And maybe a cameo by the Swedish Chef.