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  • Haarlem (The Netherlands) 2006

    Haarlem (The Netherlands) 2006
    A brief visit to the Netherlands to give a presentation at a conference brought me to Haarlem, near-by neighbor to bustling and sinfull dutch capital Amsterdam. With a busy schedule only enough time was left for me to conclude that Haarlem was a most agreeable and idyllic city which is an excellent place for a stroll and presumably a perfect starting point for a bicycle trip.
    [ (Stein) Runar Bergheim, A. 3.Mon, ]

  • February in Natal and Carneval in Olinda (2006)

    My favourite holiday destination over the past three years was once again made victim of my presence as I made my way across the atlantic, leaving behind the cold of the Scandinavian winter and greeting the equatorial summer.

  • Defeated by the Norwegian Post Service (Posten)

    I am dissatisfied with the Norwegian postal service in general and today in particular. I have been negatively affected by this organization three times today and still the time is no more than 12:46.

    Waking from what can only be described as relative beauty sleep at a fairly comfortable airport hotel in Bergen this morning I set off in the direction of Flesland, intending to finally get myself back home after unvountarily having been sightseeing central and western Norway yesterday.

    (more…)

  • Eulogy: To my dearly beloved Peugeot 406 2.2 SVDT

    406 passed away within one year after finding a new home, on the 7th of November 2005, when it suffered a conflict with Norwegian bedrock, drew a terminal breath to to fill its airbags, and immediately seized to be. It all happened within the space of a few seconds.

    I have nothing but kind thoughts about Peugeot; he was someone I could always rely upon when I wanted us to do something together; he did his stuff well and never complained about money – or maintenance.

    Peugeot was a registered organ donor, had a booming life insurance and left his family (me) with means to get back on the road in style. His engine is still beating steadily, within some other deserving vehicle, rolling along a Norwegian by-road.

    Rest in peace old friend

  • Fernando do Noronha (Brazil) 2005

    The archipelago of Fernando Noronha is located some 360 km off the coast of Brazil outside the sandy shores and heavenly beaches of Rio Grande do Norte.

    The island is no larger than that one could easily walk around it within a day but has a rich marine fauna and holds important habitats for such species as sea turtles and dolphins.

    The nature of the islands is dominated by volcanic rock and sandy ground with open forrested areas consisting of low bushes and trees.
    The people of Fernando do Noronha mainly live from tourism. They either run pousadas, restaurants, souvenir shops or they operate tour companies.

    A restaurant worth visiting is Ze Maria which serves excellent food of world class – but be aware that the quality of the food comes at the cost of long preparation time. Add a little slow service on top of this and a lunch might easily take two hours.

    The restaurant cum entertainment venue next to the church in Vila dos Remedios is an excellent place to kill an evening or two. The same goes for Bar do Cachorro which isn’t all what it is cracked up to be but still a pleasant place.

    A self-service restaurant by the name of Flamboyant should by all means be avoided disregarding its favorable location.

    Watching the sunset from Forte dos Boulderos or Praia do C… is unsurpassed in natural beauty and will serve to keep you warm in winter nights to come.

  • Nunca mais Pax Turismo, Petropolis, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte

    If you ever should find yourself in the position where you are tempted to go to Fernando do Noronha a beautiful yet somewhat dry archipelago in the atlantic outside the state of Pernambuco in North Eastern Brazil there is ONE thing you should make sure of. NEVER EVER USE the agency of PAX TURISMO located in Petropolis in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte.
    Without lying I can safely say that the staff of this agency does not:

    a) understand the concept of tourism
    b) understand the basic needs of a tourist
    c) know what the hell they are doing

    If you spend good money going to an island in the middle of the ocean you would possibly like to live somewhere close to the sea – convenient for a late night swim if the spirit should come to you. You might also want sea view, convenient location in relation to restaurants and nightlife. Throw in a swimming pool and a bar service in the hotel and you’re pretty much there.

    When we described these requirements to Pax Turismo they simply tried to explain why all of these amenities were useless instead of trying to find alternative accommodation. My last little piece of faith in these people left me when they called to inquire whether it was possible to see the horizon from our pousada.

    Good God!

    In addition to the very valid points above they are rude, formalistic and unpleasant. Do yourself a favor and find some other agency.

    PS! It is important to be aware that organizing a simple holiday arrangement takes a long time and will really put your negotiation skills and patience to a test anywhere you go in Brazil. Brazilians like their shopping and gladly spend hours discussing the finer points of the journey without any other background information than a one page leaflet and whitout ever having been at the destination themselves.

  • Saudarkrokur (Iceland) 2005

    Iceland has more to offer than Reykjavik, the Blue Lagoon and Geysir. On this trip I was introduced to northern Iceland and its richness in cultural heritage, its people and their excellent humor. Add a geothermically heated pool in the court yard of the hotel and “throw in” a couple of bottles of whisky as well and you have yourself a recipe for success!

  • Portlaoise and Kilkenny, Ireland (2005)

    Portlaoise and Kilkenny, Ireland (2005)
    The christening of fast growing baby J. Basil brought me to the Irish interior during the last weekend of August. I tell you: Irish christenings are completely different from Norwegian ones. In Norway christenings are supposed to be tedious, dry, boring affairs of some 3-4 hours duration. Not so in Ireland. Not at all.
    [ (Stein) Runar Bergheim, S. 3.Sat, ]

  • Prague (Czech Republic) 2005

    Prague (Czech Republic) 2005
    The annual company study trip took me for the first time to the city of Prague. A very beautiful city indeed., though suffering slightly from being crowded with tourists due to the ill-chosen time of our visit. All in all though, a great city, a great trip.
    [ (Stein) Runar Bergheim, 8 . 1.Thu, ]

  • Scandinavia by car (Denmark/Sweden) 2005

    Scandinavia by car (Denmark/Sweden) 2005
    Driving and sailing Scandinavia: We set out from Oslo on the ship Color Festival bound for Hirtshals where our journey across the three islands of Denmark and the west coast of Sweden started. Our itinerary brought us through Århus, Billund/Legoland, Kolding, Odense, Copenhagen, Malmø and Gothenburg before we turned homewards. The agenda: amusement (parks).
    [ (Stein) Runar Bergheim, 4 . 1.Sun, ]