Norway

We sailed into a drizzly Bergen, up the fjord about 27 miles from the sea, early on the morning of July 15. It's a class day (we're in full session, but docked here looking out at the beautiful scenery).

Janna and I were leaders for a three-night "Best of Norway" trip that took us all over the place. We left Bergen at 6:30 pm, after classes finished up for the day, on a bus to a hotel in Stalheim, with stunning views down the valley of Voss. Gargantuan (and really delicious) buffet dinner ("salmon porn" in someone's apt description). After a lovely sleep in the hotel and a delicious breakfast buffet, we boarded the bus to drive to the tip of the Nærøyfjord, where we got on a ferry that took us on a two-hour sail up the fjords (several of them) to Flüm.

Through the longest tunnel in the world (15 miles) to Lærdal, on another ferry to visit one of the only stave churches left in existence.

A Unesco World Heritage Site, the Urnes stave church was built in 1130 and added to in 1600. From there, the bus took us to the Jostedal Glacier (largest in Norway, 325 square miles), before settling us into the hotel in Loenfjord.

The next day took us to some more Unesco fjords (this never gets boring), and to one of the scariest switchback roads I've travelled outside of the Andes.

I kissed a reindeer and ate some good food, but we're grateful that the meals are included with the excursion because, as you will see, food here is bizarrely expensive (this Big Mac dinner deal costs...$23!!).

On to Lillehammer (site of 1994 Winter Olympics), a wonderful meal with Fernando and Carrie, and a fun walk home.

Our final day in Oslo we simply tried to take in some sites: the Viking Museum, the Maritime Museum, the stunning opera house, and a $38 pizza and beer.

It's confirmed: Norway is absolutely the most gorgeous country on earth (clean, impressive infrastructure, no billboards, civic thoughtfulness), although its people might need some work.