St. Petersburg, Part I, Russia

Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, the three of us checked into our Palace Hotel: an amazing renovation of a palace with an enormous bedroom lined with Romanesque columns and a luxurious hallway that led to a bathroom tiled in marble and mosaics and gold accouterments -- indubitably ostentatious. After settling in, we toured the area around the hotel, including the Winter Palace (the Hermitage Museum), the Neva River and Nevsky Prospect. Vic was astounded by how much St. Petersburg had changed in twenty-five years; commercialism and capitalism now live somewhere down the street from the local McDonalds, while the communist structure is hidden somewhere beneath the cobblestone.  We grabbed a bite to eat at an all night cafe and tucked into our luxurious hotel for the night. 
In the morning, we hired a guide to take us on a tour of the Hermitage. She showed us the most important rooms and paintings, and provided background about all the pieces. One of the most incredible was a lifesized, gold peacock clock which spread its tail on the hour.  We ate lunch at a fast food Russian restaurant called Teremok, which served delicious Blinis and Borscht. 

Balestrand

I must have fallen off of that rock at Kjerag because I am in heaven. Peaceful. Chirping birds, lapping waves, and swimming dolphins. In the distance, an eagle cries while banking toward the snow capped and glaciated mountains. I sip on my custom cappuccino and look over the white picketed veranda at the fjord reflecting light as though painted by Monet. Colorful wildflowers line the shore and a dozen different types of trees blanket the hillside. It is hard to fathom that a place this beautiful exists. Painters and photographers have attempted to capture it, but it is wild and untameable. It must be experienced to be appreciated.

Bryggen, Bergen

What started out as rainy ride to the airport ended in a brilliant burst of afternoon and evening sunshine. We flew Scandanavian air to Bergen and then took the Flybusen downtown to our hotel, the Scandi Neptune. After walking through the fish market -- and observing everything from Whale to King Crab to Cavier -- Brendon, Ashley and I then grabbed lunch at a little outdoor restaurant on the street facing the end of the fish market. Following our excellent lunch of chicken wraps and mussels, we rode the funicular railway (Floibannen) to the hilltop above Bergen for a photo opp. By this time, the sky had cleared and we had an amazing view of The entire city of Bergen, little orange rooftops dotted the landscape. After taking some pictures and relaxing at the restaurant with drinks -- soaking in the sun and the view -- we sauntered through the rainforest down a little path that wound its way past trolls, witches, a schoolyard, and meandering streams and waterfalls. To end the day, we sat at the end of the two story white building on the dock and enjoyed some tapas while the sun set behind some fishing vessels at 11:00 pm.

Kjeragbolten Hike, Stavanger

Brendon, Ashley, Stephen, Vic, Max (Stephen's friend from NY), and I took the bus in the pouring rain from Stavanger to the "Eagle's Nest" in Kjerag today in order to hike to a boulder that is balancing 3000 feet above the fjord. Along the way, we enjoyed the company of sheep and spectacular views of glaciers above us and fjords below us. Although the day started out drizzling, it cleared as we began our hike -- the dragon's breath emanating from the valley floor -- and, by the time we reached our destination,  blue skies splattered the horizon. We enjoyed a tapas style lunch with ham, cheese, fresh bread, cherries, plums, chocolates, nuts, and various spreads. Afterwards, Each of us took turns standing on the rock -- a very dangerous endeavour considering each of us had to cross a narrow (1 foot wide) escarpment with a 3300 foot drop. It was hair raising to say the least!