Back to the Hytte in Tyinkrysset, Norway: Celebrating 20 Years
November 11, 2022
We began in Bergen and made a side trip to Fondsbu on the way to Tyinkrysset. Well maybe we started in Bergen. Nobody seems quite sure.
We’re visiting Norway again (having lost count of our numerous visits) and the swanky new hytte where we spent some restorative time last year. The cabin is a magical domain of peace, conversation and easy access to lots of great hiking and skiing. Gøran and I are lucky to have known eachother for 20 years!
Read more about our side trip to Fondsbu here.
Nova was in the house, and on the trail, and in the car. Superstar!
The back yard where some hiking is as easy as walking out the door. Read more about our back yard hikes here. After the wild night and Fondsbu we stuck mostly to the back yard on the first day. LOL. Recovery mode for the old men.
The torrent (a small fast creek) beside the cabin features the second biggest backwards waterfall in Norway. We’ll tell you more about the biggest one below.
A return trip to catch the full moon over Fondsbu the next evening was not a success—too cloudy. The cold crisp air was beautiful at the top of the range.
The photographer at work.
Some maintenance for the snow plow? That’s what we were told, anyway.
And then a trip to see the backwards waterfall. Even the stuff by the side of the road is remarkable in the Norwegian mountains. We made a short stop on the Kongesvegen to see some old mill houses.
Romey at peak Fall.
It was remarkable how much the colors outside changed with the elevation. Peaking just a few kilometers away and well past peak and into winter at the hytte. One night the water froze.
The backwards waterfall itself was, well, just a backwards waterfall! Much fun was had. Read more about that here.
A herd of reindeer showed us the way.
We determined last year that gøran and I had known each other for 20 years. We celebrated our friendship with some bubbles (anne’s favorite).
The next day we did a more extensive hike on the Kongevegen to the a stave church built in the 1180s. Both the road and the church are incredible. Read more about our kongevegen hike here.
Then some cabin time.
A more extensive back yard exploration is always in order.
The next day we went on a spectacular hike and almost made it to see Vettisfossen. So close! And yet so far. Absolutely stunning scenery.
So with just the right amount of cooking (including the ever popular lunch for breakfast), a nice round number of negronis, a few bottles of bubbly, actual hot showers (well, one anyway), some fun with music, and a bunch of incredible hiking, we were left wanting more. As always.
We left our old well-travelled boots behind with our hearts.
There is nothing better than adventures with dear friends.
Well, there may not even be showers. And people may steal your boots (accidentally?!) overnight. But where else are you going to hear a folk story accompanied by live music recounted by Solbjørg Kvålshaugen? Or run up an impressive bar tab for your 20th year festivities??
We started the night before in Bergen (maybe?).
And then got motivated in the morning and headed up into the mountains towards the Hytte in Tyinkrysset. On our way, we took a detour to Fondsbu, arriving just in time for the last dinner of the year. Here’s how Gøran describes it, “If you remember the ski trail we followed along the water last winter. Well, if we follow that road to the end, we get to a place called Fondsbu. They have their closing dinner on Saturday 8th with entertainment and live music.”
A stop by our favorite bakery in Norway.
The best way to spend the drive? Definitely if you are a teenager.
We arrived and staked out our rooms. The rooms are very basic and tidy with sinks and bunks. It all feels like a ship cabin (especially after a bunch of rum).
Eidsbugarden
Dinner was delicious and communal. Reindeer filet and some red wine. During the festivities, the moon arrived (one day from full, still waxing).
The dinner marked the opening of winter (and the closing of the summer season). The live music was great, even though this song is not at all about Norway. It’s about boneheaded racism.
We partied late into the night, meeting mountain men, musicians, and hotel hosts. Much fun was had.
The boots disappeared.
Late the next morning after fortifying ourselves with some porridge, we headed to the Hytte.
An incredible experience, about as Norwegian as you can get. My only regret is that I failed to bring my fiddle along to play. I guess in 20 more years, I will get another chance.
Scandic Nidelven, Trondheim, Norway: Go for the Breakfast
November 5, 2022
More post-COVID business travel in 2022. Trondheim, Norway is well north of Bergen and Oslo, situated on a Fjord, and is the home of NTNU where NPS was participating as adversary for a Ph.D. defense. That meant travel was dictated by university policy. Fortunately, breakfast was included.
In case you have forgotten what Norway is like, here is a video. About the same geographic size as California, Norway has only 5.4 million people. It is a gorgeous country.
Flying in to Trondheim is always an adventure, as you have to stop off in Oslo for customs and then brave the winds at the Trondheim airport. One poor old lady on my flight was literally screaming in fright as we made our approach and landing.
The great news is some of our good Norwegian friends were in town to greet us. Our first committee meeting was a very nice dinner out at the cozy Fagn bistrot.
The Scandic chain has done nothing to improve post COVID. A middle tier hotel chain on par with Marriott in the US or maybe Hyatt, Scandic pays more attention to their common areas and meeting rooms than they do to their actual rooms.
The Scandic Nidelven does boast the “best breakfast in Norway.” And the spread is actually quite good (and equally crowded). So go for the breakfast! I got two breakfasts in while in town.
The shower in my room (423 I think) looked something like this. Distinctly uninspired, yet functional and not plastic.
Views from the breakfast room over the Nidelva canals are very pretty.
In one minor wrinkle, my suitcases followed me into town by a day. That meant borrowing a coat and a dress shirt from friends just to stay warm and presentable.
The defense itself was interesting and fun. We minted a new doctor!
After which it was time to celebrate. First with a large dinner at Rive Gauche a droite (LOL) and then for some late night cocktails at the Britannia. The hotel has undergone major renovations and now has a world class cocktail lounge fittingly reminiscent of its London cousins.
We had to sort a major travel SNAFU on the way to the cocktail bar (NPS does sometimes drop packets, but we also bring along our credit card to buy entirely new packets…and sometimes a router.)
The next day a public talk at the university on Machine Learning Security was in order.
After lunch with the faculty (deeply interested in MLsec), there was a very short window for some tourism in Trondheim. The Rockheim museum is almost worth a visit..if you go with the right attitude it can be silly and fun.
The Trondheim sense of humor is even visible in the cafe signs. “probably the best espresso in the world” (more LOL).
After a parting Negroni at the Scandic bar (inundated with business types having a cocktail before their conference dinner), it was off to the airport to wait several hours for a quick flight to Bergen?
All in all, three showerheads for the Scandic Nidelven. Like the headline says, go for the breakfast.
Hotel Bergen Børs (Bergen, Norway)
December 2, 2021
What a difference a pandemic makes. Having been to Bergen many many times (13??), NPS was pretty skeptical about the hotel situation. But lo and behold, while we were trapped in the United States, a new hotel opened up and not only is it a good one, but it also houses the first Michelin star restaurant in Bergen. A great combination!
We stayed in room 440 which was a “loft suite.” I think in the future we would choose another type of suite, but we were in the hotel for just a few days before joining our friends at their house for the weekend.
Hotel Bergen Børs from the street
The hotel is situated in an ideal location in town. Close to the touristy old town, a few hundred steps from the funicular, 8 minutes from the train station, and close to the museums.
Bed in the loft
The electricity situation in 440 is confusing (at best) and difficult to use. Took me 2 days to figure it out. This makes waking up to head down the steep stairs to the bathroom a challenge if you don’t want to awaken your partner.
The very steep stairs
Sitting area
The sitting area is interrupted by beams from the ceiling, which is kinda cool and kinda a pain in the ass. Fortunately, we didn’t really spend all that much time in the hotel.
The bathroom is on the small side, but it has a great shower.
Glass, good pressure, and plenty of hot water. Just what NPS ordered.
All in all, the decor and the flooring is on the cheap side (a real problem in Bergen). Still looking for a hotel with well-appointed design executed without a mind to expense. This is not it. I guess, like the stock exchange, it’s all ups and downs.
Breakfast was superb. We enjoyed chatting with Delia each morning. The breakfast area also serves as the Bare restaurant.
A visit to Bare took some doing as they are typically booked out many months. NPS was able to secure a table with some persuasion. The dinner was world class. Read about the meal here.
Dinner at Bare is well worth the expense
We did Norway in a Nutshell on our first day in town. See the entry here. The weather was perfect and so was the timing. Just wow.
Norway in a nutshell
We also visited Kore. See this entry about that.
Munch of course
It is raining in Bergen. This is not at all surprising in any way. pic.twitter.com/j1Nn4kCSuo
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) November 24, 2021
Make sure to have a coffee and some cake at Det Lille Kaffe Kompaniet. Really great.
Success cake
Since the funicular was closed for renovation, we walked up to the top instead. More about that here. Sadly, No Stress bar is no longer as cool as it once was. But they still serve a mean Negroni.
On the last day in town, we took the new gondola up to the top of the TV mountain. Gorgeous. More about that trip here.
Top @kabaakh pic.twitter.com/kddrzYeu4J
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) November 27, 2021
Just yesterday pic.twitter.com/RsFprrXwzj
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) November 28, 2021
All in all, this visit to Bergen was tops. Thanks to our good friends Gøran and Anne for hosting our last couple of nights.
We travelled 3682.867 miles to avoid US dead turkey day and then our good friends made it happen anyway. LOL.
Maybe Antarctica next year. https://t.co/D8wDF7As79 pic.twitter.com/m29x4SdPmW
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) November 28, 2021
Bergen is wonderful and the Børs hotel (the best yet) earns a high four showerheads.
Then again, maybe it wasn’t bergen?
No longer clear where we are pic.twitter.com/oZHz8NV85o
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) November 28, 2021
Flip the Hytte
November 27, 2021
If you’re lucky, you will be greeted with love at the new hytte, which has become quite luxurious (now including things like hot showers, modern kitchens, floors, and a roof). We spent 4 days and 3 nights in Tyinkrysset cooking, skiing, hiking, drinking, conversing, and reveling in a life well lived.
Brusebu is named after the sound the nearby creek makes.
We stocked up on Negroni fixings and wine in Oslo. Then scooped Romey at the airport. Her entry was smooth (unlike, say, mine).
Brusebu the hytte
Romey on her first skis (starting in Norway is the way to go).
The intrepid host Gøran
NPS tried using randonee skis (usually used to climb up mountains and ski back down). This is a technology to explore further.
Anne the ski instructor and her star pupil
Gourmet cheese sandwiches were available for those on the tour.
The view from lunch
A quick trip to Øvre Årdal tested the snow tires and resulted in no purchases whatsoever.
Yule Nisse salmon
Crooked vimpel pole
Geared up for the walk
The walk behind the cabin.
Gin flower in the juniper
Over the bridge.
Face off one
Face off two
Roof repair
A visit to the Låve Museum (a locally curated collection of stuff from old fashioned Norwegian life). The proprietor is a delight.
Self
Regional costumes
The infamous hat
Also see Art in the Corner for one of these farm implements.
Just like art in the corner
Stories of the war
Bubbles
To the hytte
Sharing pictures of construction (Romey buys a building). The hytte has been basically reconstructed from scratch with a new roof (expanded roof line) and a new floor (including joists and subfloor). Now it is a luxury hytte.
Table scene
Hytte life
The new shower (5 showerheads for this mechanism)
The all important hot water mechanism
What a pleasure. Can’t wait to return.
Back in Oslo at the Hotel Christiania Teater
August 30, 2019
Oslo is a beautiful city, but whatever you do, don’t try to drive in it. Even people who grew up here can’t do it. In particular, trying to get to the Hotel Christiania Teater from Lillehammer is, well, “interesting” in that Chinese curse kind of way.
As a creature of habit who has found a great property in Oslo, NPS is happy to stay at the Hotel Christiania Teater again. The only wrinkle is that someone else has booked 620 for Wednesday night. Scooped!
That meant we were relegated to room 510, which is a nice room with an inner courtyard facing “view.” 510 is very nice, but is not at all a 620!
510 is dominated by this comfortable bed
The suite sitting area is in the same room as the bed (which in our view makes it less of a suite and more of a room)
bathroom alcove
the shower is set apart by a huge heavy door
Sadly the plumbing seems to wake up early and make insane amounts of noise. An alarm clock of sorts.
The glass shower compartment, this shower is OK
One of the best parts of Hotel Christiania Teater is the bar downstairs which is top notch and always nice to visit.
Negroni with Norwegian gin
Excellent Indian food can be found at Jaipur.
Delicious
And of course a visit to Himkok is pretty much mandatory.
Experimental aquavit cocktail
Experimental Aquavit Cocktail
2cl aquavit
2cl tequila
4 cl beech water kefie
10 ml ambrato (bison grass)
10 ml Italicus
stir down. serve up.
After a one day delay, room 620 became available. An excellent, interesting, quirky space with a great shower.
The supermodels show off 630
bedroom is all bed
walk in shower with tub
One of two great alcoves with windows
All in all 620 has tons of room to hang out, exercise (which is important since the hotel has no gym of its own), blog, read, etc, in comfort.
Some time in Oslo, included a visit to Gøran’s cousin’s excellent art gallery PURenkel.
I added a painting to the art collection.
starfish
There was also Indian street food, beer, and espresso.
A talk.
Visiting Miles
Dinner at Hanami was very good. Excellent sushi and great service.
Just skip the bar at the thief. These people have forgotten what hospitality is.
Five showerheads for Hotel Christiania Teater, one of NPS’ favorite hotels on the planet.
Scandic Hotel, Lillehammer, Norway
August 26, 2019
It’s conference time at NPS, and you know what that means…conference hotel time.
The grounds of the Lillehammer Scandic are very nice
The Scandic chain seems to be one of those hotel chains that focuses lots of attention on its common areas and not so much on its rooms. This is a common hotel failure condition that older properties seem to suffer from more often than newer ones do.
That said, the staff is professional, courteous and helpful. Also the bar has Zacapa 23…so there’s that.
But you can have hamster cage 542. Good thing there is the back lawn to relax and hang out in and an excellent balcony for late night fun!
Welcome fruit and a personal note. Very nice.
Veneer abounds
The good news is that in the tiny bathroom, there is a glass shower.
The bad news is there is hardly room to turn around in the tiny bathroom.
Then again, the grounds.
Vietnamese food in Lillehammer is pretty not bad (at B&T Kafe og Mat), especially after a glass of wine by the river.
Two showerheads and a sincere wish that the rooms lived up to the rest of the property.
Return to the Cabin in the Mountains: Skarvheimem Norway
April 27, 2019
In the mountains, there is always a remarkable difference between the seasons. Our first visit to the cabin in Skarvheimem was in the Fall. We did some great hiking. This time we visited at the tail end of winter, just before Easter. Here is a short montage about our visit.
We arrived in Bergen…well maybe it was Bergen just in time to pee.
Bergen airport bathroom
Nobody in Bergen is sure about anything
After 20 hours or so of travel, sunset was a welcome sight.
Then it was off to the cabin.
Our now familiar pass
This is where the talk about photography began in earnest. It is not where it ended.
The “path” to the cabin was a little snowy
Home for Easter week.
The living room and bar area
Heat turned out to be kind of important
Outdoor fire
This is us lazing around doing nothing. Note that we were not relaxing (right Gøran?)
Panorama by Anne
The cross country ski area
Way down there is the entire crew
Did I mention there was some talk of photography?
Picture by Amy Barley
The two most important things at the cabin are both liquids.
First, there is water.
Then there is rum
Downhill day
My downhill morning companions
Moon over ice (by Anne)
The view at dinner
Music was a thing again even though the violin was left in Virginia.
Fernet anyone?
More skiing
Pretending to fly the planet
Boo!
Another fire
Two fisted Anne
Somebody is very happy
The visitor
Pancakes and ice cream
Some biathalon
Spring in Norway
Another magical visit to Norway with great friends.
Of course the shower itself was not plastic, since it was nonexistent.
The moonlit view
Do NOT Stay at the Oslo Airport Radisson Blu Ever
October 2, 2017
Imagine that you blog about showers all over the world and that you have intentionally not had a shower for 3 days during which intense hiking has occurred. You know, like camping, but slightly more civilized since a well-supplied cabin is involved. But definitely “ripe.”
The hiking happened here
Then imagine you decide to stay up way late to catch the 2:23am train to Oslo which gets you to the airport in plenty of time to take a shower. I mean even if the train is delayed by 45 minutes (it was), there will still be time for a long hot shower.
The airport flytoget is fast at least.
Now imagine that there is no hot water at the Radisson Blu. None. And management’s “solutions” are ridiculous. And there you have it!
Showering was like boy scout camp. Cold and awful.
And then when you are crossing the Atlantic after a stop off in Germany the Radisson Blu twitter bot awakens. Good for a LOL.
Fortunately, when offered a 50% discount, NPS requested a 100% discount which was granted. Its as if we never set foot on the property—our precise future intentions.
Do not stay at the Oslo Airport Radisson Blu for any reason. Zero cold shower heads.
A Cabin in the Mountains: Skarvheimem Norway
September 30, 2017
The view from the bus
First you take a bus from Oslo. The views along the way are incredible. As the altitude gains, the temperature droops.
Oslo Bus Station
Then you arrive and are met by a good friend who whisks you off to the cabin in the middle of nowhere. Rustic. Beautiful. Warm. And Perfect.
The cabin
The hours spent eating, talking, playing music, drinking rum and wine, and sleeping go by fast!
Morning view
Ready to hike?
The 13.8 mile hike on day one was incredible. One of the best hikes ever.
(Read more and see more pictures about the day one hike here.)
Day two summit attempt was beautiful in its own way on a cloudy, rainy, blustery day.
(Read more about hike 2 here.)
But what made it all particularly amazing was the friends.
(Oh, and the shower was not plastic, because there was no shower!)
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