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| Day 1 Sat |
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| June 13 |
Depart Chicago & MN for Departure to Bergen |
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| Day 2 Sun |
Bergen |
First Hotel Marin (D.B) |
| June 14 |
Afternoon arrival in Bergen. Coach transfer to our hotel for
check-in and the rest of the afternoon free to explore. |
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Tonight, we'll take the CABLE CAR for DINNER
on Mt. Fløyen overlooking Bergen |
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It's a truly unique city surrounded by seven great
mountains and a wonderful atmosphere that will make it your “favorite
city” in all of Norway. |
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Troldhaugen
First Hotel Marin (D.B) |
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| Day 3 Mon |
Bergen |
First Hotel Marin (B) |
| June 15 |
This morning we enjoy a 3-hour CITY TOUR that
includes driving through Bergen, the bryggen, the fish and flower market
and out to TROLDHAUGEN. |
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The afternoon will be free to shop the fish & flower market
and the nearby square |
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You might want to plan a visit (on your own) to
the Fana Folklore that includes a short organ
recital at the Fana Church and then your coach takes you to the main building
where you will be led by a fiddler into a large hall set with long table.
There, you'll enjoy a traditional wedding meal of
rømmergrøt, cured meat and flatbread. |
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| Day 4 Tues |
Bergen - Ålesund |
First Hotel Atlantica (B) |
| June 16 |
A beautiful journey today as your motor coach
follows the picturesque west coast with the fjords, inlets, mountains and
quaint villages. |
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A stop in Florø for LUNCH is planned and
a visit to the SELJE MONASTARY. Ålesund was destroyed by a great fire
in the winter of 1904 and 10,000 people were made homeless. It was rebuilt
in 1904-07 in the Art Nouveau style with its' characteristic towers, turrets
and medieval-romantic ornamentation. |
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Overnight in Ålesund |
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| Day 5 Wed |
Ålesund – Geiranger |
Union Hotel (D.B) |
| June 17 |
This morning we'll enjoy a 2-hour walking CITY
TOUR that will better acquaint us with this scenic town. (There is an outlet
here with great prices for the Devold Norwegian sweaters). |
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A bit later we'll take the unbelievably scenic
coastal route to Mølde and Åndalsnes. There's more to
come! Get ready for a breath catching and truly awesome journey as we travel
Trollstigen with all the switchbacks and the majestic scenery going into
Geiranger. |
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We'll plan on stops for picture taking |
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Our overnight stay will be in the famous Union
Geirangerfjord View Hotel that overlooks the fjord. |
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Geirangerfjord View |
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| Day 6 Thurs |
Geiranger – Balestrand |
Kvikne's Hotel (D.B) |
| June 18 |
This morning we'll cruise on the Geirangerfjord
on our way to Balestrand. The Geirangerfjord has been called the most beautiful
fjord in Norway for good reason. The Seven Sisters and Bridal Falls are
spectacular. |
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En route to Balestrand we'll visit the NORDFJORDEID
FOLK MUSEUM and of course, a stop at Auhild Vixen's in Skei for coffee and
shopping for unique gifts. |
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Our stay for the next two nights will be in the
majestic Kvikne Hotel. |
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| Day 7 Fri |
Balestrand |
Kvikne's Hotel (D.B) |
| June 19 |
The Sogns gather! A place to invite and meet your
relatives and do the family history at the world renowned Kvikne Hotel.
It's one of the classic wooden hotels in Norway and one where royalty and
celebrities have stayed since the 1800's. |
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We will have a short Sognefjordlag meeting and
other activities that are being coordinated by Dr. Rasmus Sunde (local historian,
genealogist and professor in Sogndal) or sightseeing on your own. |
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| Day 8 Sat. |
Balestrand – Skjolden |
Skjolden Hotel (D.B) |
| June 20 |
We've included this day for you to find and visit
relatives in the Sognefjord. For those on this tour who are not Sognes,
you will enjoy the majestic and picturesque sites of the heart of he Sognefjord.
We'll
stop at local attractions and sights. |
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It's “mid-summers eve” and our overnight
will be in Skjolden. |
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| Day 9 Sun |
Skjolden – Geilo |
Bardøla Hotel (D.B) |
| June 21 |
A day's journey that will reunite us with areas
of the Sogn that we have visited in the past. |
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Lunch or coffee in Sogndal (on your own), a stop
in Lærdal (the site of our last Norway stemne) and a visit to the
Salmon Museum. |
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Of course, we need to stop at the new Borgund
Visitors Center and Church as this is the logo for the Sognefjordlag. |
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Then it's onto Geilo and our hotel for the night. |
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Borgund Stave Church |
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| Day 10 Mon |
Geilo – Vrådal |
Quality Straand Hotel (D.B) |
| June 22 |
Deep in Telemark country, we travel to Vrådal.
It is a small village, about 400 inhabitants with a grocery store, a silversmith,
some souvenir shops, etc. It is best known for outdoor activities such as
hiking, fishing, water sports and skiing. |
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We'll enjoy an EVENING CRUISE on beautiful Lake
Nisser which contains 27 islands. |
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Dinner and overnight at the Straand Hotel. |
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| Day 11 Tues |
Vrådal - Porgsrunn – Tønsberg
- Fredrikstad – Oslo Rica
Victoria (B) |
| June 23 |
Lots to see and do on our last day of touring.
We'll visit the world famous Porsgrunn Porcelain Factory and hopefully find
some beautiful pottery and porcelain to take home. |
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Tønsberg is Norway's oldest town that celebrated
its 1125th year in 1996. |
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The world renowned Ostberg Ship (Viking Ship Museum)
was found just north of the town center. Fredrikstad is by the mouth of
the river Glomma. |
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The “Old Town” with its fortresses is
a great monument to the past and Fredrikstad has done a great job of preserving
these fortresses and the memories of the 18th century. |
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You will enjoy this visit with the renaissance
buildings, the gates, the drawbridge, the moat and the
cobbled streets. We'll finish the day by going into Oslo and our hotel. |
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| Day 12 Wed |
Oslo – USA |
Your Home - USA |
| June 24 |
It's time to say a sad farewell to what has been
a great tour. |
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The coach will take us to the airport around 10:00
AM, so we'll have a little time to take a last look around before we say
good-bye. |
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Some of our group will be extending and do more
exploring – lucky them! |