 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We stayed with friends in the metropolis of Egersund, built around the inlet waterways on the southwest coast. It's such a typical small town, you have to drive an hour north to Stavanger to have any fun! The upper left picture is Leif's house. Note that the street is carved out of the side of a mountain. This is typical of most of the terrain in this part of the country. It's an agricultural region with lots of green and lots of animals.
Of course, what would a trip to Norway be without a boat ride down a genuine fjord? It was a thrill for me to experience my 'Norwegian heritage' (as I held on to my yarmulke for dear life!). The pic in the upper right barely does it justice! The mountain walls are steep and harsh and the view breathtaking. Small communities and individual houses are built on the sides of the mountain and the ferry is their only physical contact with the outside world. Many of the residents use trollies to bring supplies up from the dock to their houses.
Leif took us for a long drive up narrow, winding roads to a mountain-top building called the "Eagle's Nest." (It reminded me of a World War II movie, which has some degree of truth because of Norway's role in the war.) Along the way we saw many streams, lakes, and whatnot along the plateaus. Each was a picture postcard waiting to be sent home to the gang at the office. It was raining and this place is so high up, we were above the lower edge of the cloud deck. If I had leaned five feet backwards in this picture, it would have taken them days to find my remains!
 |
 |
 |
The left pic is the inlet waterways just off of Haugesund, on the southwestern coast (the location of our airport). The right pic is the downtown region of Stavanger, which still has a little of that old-world charm we Americans hope to see in Europe.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Norway has a very rich aviation heritage, due in no small part to its proximity to Germany and its role in World War II. (Note the Storch [stork] liaison plane in Luftwaffe markings.) These pictures were taken at an air museum in Stavanger, near the airport. It is set up much like the annex to the United States Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Note the restoration of the Bf-109. The bottom row is one of my favorites, the Convair 440 "Metropolitan" propliner, a real workhorse.
Click HERE to see the England leg of our trip.