Alesund. Full long story.

Mar 02, 2015 14:30

Note. If you randomly googled this post - it's not travel guide or travel review. Just random emotions from people who really wanted to see this place.


All pictures are clickable for full size. Full album here - 251 pictures! Mobile friendly.

Day 1. First look and Atlantic park.
Just as we left airport Vigra, we noticed, that mountains are really high and EVERYWHERE around.
Crazy experience for ears - from the sky with mad pressure down to underground and undersea tunnels with another mad pressure.

Town is actually looks MUCH better then on pictures.
We were standing at this spot and trying to believe it actually happened.
























Only there we noticed, that streets are all about going in 45 degree angel down or up :) At first it was EXHAUSTING.

Weather was changing 50 times per first day. I'm not overestimating. I looked like Ray from In Bruges - shrinking inside my coat and claiming "F*cking Bruge" for the weather. Obviously I couldn't blame Alesund for it :) And no damn wind or rain could disturb us enjoy this place. With days we started to ignore it. Umbrella? We won't need it in Belarus anymore :)

Another time I noticed that we(Belarus tourist) overestimating situation with Wi-Fi in Europe. Germany, Denmark, Poland, Norway - don't rely on public wi-fi there and damn 'Wi-Fi map' that doesn't work without internet(IMAGINE).

We had to wait and walk a little bit until our airbnb place will be ready for us. It was okay, because anyway it was supposed to be ready much earlier than check-in time.

While waiting for studio to be ready, we discovered really helpful tourist information center with lots of free materials; clear water with lots of fish in it; grocery shops and costs of products there.

Around 10:30 we started pedestrian walk up to middle of Aksla mountain, where we were supposed to live. I wouldn't say going by foot was a mistake but it was hell hard for the first time. We had to stop from time to time to breathe.

There's a lot of houses on Aksla side. Houses are built-in into its stone body. Looks VERY unusual and new for us. And lots of sculptures and stones everywhere and blooming spring flowers and some bushes all around the town. Very strange and fascinating look.
























It's completely different experiences to see neighbor islands on map, on pictures and actually being there.

Our little cozy studio was situated in place with perfect look! Sea, ships, mountains, houses, different north trees - that was our look from window every windy but still beautiful morning. In the night we could see sky ABOVE the clouds and mountains. Camera could see it much clearer then we.



After having a rest and piece of sleep at home, our host Antonia took us to Atlantic sea park by car, telling us lots of interesting and useful things about the town during the road.

Creatures in Atlantic park are really worth seeing, just like the place where it's situated. It's much better to see it yourself, so I won't post lots of pictures of them here.






We actually knew about prices in Norway. As long as we're more _food&drinks_ tourists, we had to prepare to Norwegian restaurants prices.
"XL dinner" is high quality place from interior and view from window to service and dishes. We tried two traditional Norwegian dishes. It was interesting experience in taste and serving. Totally worth it.
It's not "hell expensive". Norway is expensive itself and when you get used to costs of everything - restaurant cost looks just "reasonable expensive". For two person (1 dish and 1 drink each) you'll pay around 1000 NOK (google 1000 NOK to EUR). For example in good restaurant in Denmark we payed 1000 DKK for 3 persons :) And DKK is cheaper than NOK. If you go to Norway for any reason and any amount of time - prepare and check prices of everything you may need there!






On our way back home we discovered that there's no costs of beer in grocery shops. You have to know or to ask for approx cost. Dunno why. If you like beer as much as me, costs in shops are 30-60 NOK for 0.5l, in bars - 80 and up to 300 NOK if it's something special. Good ale from Trondheim with reach bitter taste of scandinavian brown ales costs in bars around 90-110 NOK for 0.33, but it really worth it if you like the taste of ale and like to discover new tastes.

Our little studio was small, but equipped with everything we needed. It was warm there and during first night we slept really well. Also 2 hours shift in time helped us to wake up easily when it was early in the morning by Norwegian time.

The last interesting thing we noticed in firs day - TV series in English with Norwegian subtitles, not voice-over like in post-soviet countries.

Day 2. Stranda, Beer Sommelier and meeting Hanne
In our secod day our host was so kind - she brought us to the mountains around Stranda by car. Even look during the road was astonishing for us - we wanted so bad to see such mountains.
In Stranda mountains we had 2 hours to walk around some ski resort, but we enjoyed it a lot. Never seen that much snow shining with magic blue color inside, such beautiful mountains and fancy cabins restored from 300+ years old houses.









In the evening we were going to meet Hanne.
- There's a girl came in. - Anya said.
It was her. I looked smiled and couldn't either believe nor say anything. It wasn't supposed to happen.







We spent really good time with Hanne. That's all you need to know :)

We've been served in Hoffmann bar with an Beer Sommelier. He told us - there is special school for it in Oslo! Hmm. Beer was really delicious. If you don't like bitter ale taste - try Spell OLA - it's very delicious.

We bought some candy and stuff and went home to continue our little party there. Another good day finished with look of town lights around mountain that was beyond the bay.
Still couldn't believe we are there.



Day 3. Into Jugendstil.
That day was quite good to take pictures of everything beautiful we had on our 20 mins way down to the town center.
So here they are:

We were actually going to Jugendstil museum. Little notes about what's interesting tehere:
- All second floor exposition.
- Cinema hall with 3 screens sometimes going with 3 cameras through some related buildings interior - looks REALLY cool.
- Time travel elevator to times of great fire that completely destroyed Alesund year 1904. Touching experience to discover tragedy room by room with guiding sounds and visual effects. That's ABSOLUTELY must see.
Take a look:



























After that we took a walk around another nice places of Alesund.
Var så god:












Then we went home to take a rest before climbing up Aksla.
There was beautiful way from our house through the park with great views and nature:

































That day was exhausting. Mountain, rain, wind. But yet so good and lots of visual pleasure.

Day 4. The edge of Europe - Alnes.
Okay, we managed to understand buses timetable and were ready to visit Godoya island with Alnes village on it's edge.
Alnes is small quiet Norwegian Reviera. A place we'd really like to live at.
Sounded just like beginning of Metronomy's "English reviera" album. play it in background(youtube)
It was my first time by the sea. And it was great to see, hear, feel and touch it.



























We went home to pack things for an early flight back to Vilnius.
It was amazing. We got used to weather. Morning view of bay and mountains from patio became so dear. It was very sad to leave this place but great happiness to visit it.


norway, alesund, travel

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