Bergheim .dk | .be

Blog

  • Reykjavik: First time on Iceland

    Air planes aren’t very spacious; at least not if you are condemned to be seated in “peasant class”. There’s always the seats by the emergency exit which provides a little extra room for my feet, but almost as if by magic these seats are always taken by extraordinarily small people…

    The trip to Reykjavik reminded me very much about an experience I had several years ago on my way back home from Madeira on a charter flight.

    In front of me, one of these people who are built to a scale of 1:2 was sitting – or rather lying – in his over-spacious seat. On random intervals he would try repeatedly to move the back of his seat to the lower position in order to get a more comfortable position for his beastly self. Upoin encounter with my knee-caps (which nearly burst) he tried again with renewed force until he managed to squeeze me even further back.

    Upon arrivel he topped his poor display of understanding by complaining that he had been suffering from me “kicking” him in the back during the whole flight, thereby stealing from him valuable rest that he ought to have had… At this stage my lower instinct told me that this would be a good time to “put him to rest”, but being the civil and controlled person I am I decided to let him live.

    Reykjavik

    The thing that struck me as a Norwegian traveller was that here the cost of things surpassed even Norway where everything is already quite unaffordable. Our first dinner cost 16 800 ISK (which at a rate of about 10:1 of course is 1 700 NOK).

    Reykjavik is supposed to be THE partying capitol of Europe – or so I’ve been told – so after the expensive dinner experience we strolled along to find somewhere to enjoy “Svartadaudir” or “the black death” as the local spirits is called. We found it and enjoyed it with the result that the next morning wasn’t nearly as early as it should have been…

    Our guide book told us that “promiscuous behaviour” wasn’t regarded as being bad in any way and that if we ventured into a disco we should be prepared to “see or participate in” some rather heavy business, where it wasn’t completely uncommon to “skip the small-talk before…”. Followingly we stayed out of discos…

    Or at least I did 🙂

    Geysir and Gullfoss

    In addition to the promiscuity of the Reykjavik party scene, Iceland is famous for its volcanic activities and natural beauty. So in order to catch a glimpse of this we had to go travel to the interior of Iceland and leave the coast behind.

    Jumping onto a bus called the Geysir Express we set out for Gullfoss, a waterfall cascading 70 meters or so proving a very impressice sight. Afterwards the bus went on to Geysir, the errupting hot spring that has given the name to all other errupting hot springs “geysers”.

  • Algarve & Lisbon (Portugal)

    On purpose to visit a conference I set out for Algarve, accompanied by three wise men – Terje Aaberge, Svein Ølnes and Ivar Petter Grøtte – one of which had in his posession a summer house conveniently located near the conference venue.

  • Frankfurt (Germany)

    Frankfurt (Germany)
    Being located on the outskirts of the red light district, it was a small surprise that our hotel didn’t only accomodate us – but also a growing fauna of cockroaches… [Photos]
    [ (Stein) Runar Bergheim, 0 . 3.Thu, ]

  • The son of Jonas Savimbi the rebel leader in Angola

    The son of Jonas Savimbi the rebel leader in Angola
    I got your contact from an email directory and decided to contact you for assistance. I am the son of Jonas Savimbi the rebel leader in Angola who was short dead on the 25th of February, 2002, by the opposing Angolan Army.
    Dear friend,
    I got your contact from an email directory and decided to contact you
    for assistance. I am the son of Jonas Savimbi the rebel leader in Angola who was short
    dead on the 25th of February, 2002, by the opposing Angolan Army.
    …. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS WEB PAGE FOR IT SAYS ALL.
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1839000/1839252.stm
    Before the death of my father he had transferred the sum of
    $16,000,000.00 (Sixteen million dollars) through a security company in South Africa
    to Europe.
    All the legal documents for the deposit and transfer of this fund to
    Europe are with my mother which my father gave to her for safe keeping.
    After the death of my father I and my family fled to South Africa
    where we are currently living.And we have been trying to fly to Europe but it
    has been difficult for us to get visas from Africa. So we want you to help us make
    claims of this fund ($16m) in Europe as my family beneficiary and transfer the money to
    your account or any account of your choice before I and my family can get visas to fly down
    to your country so that we can share this money.
    My family have agreed to give you 10%, which would be ($1.6Million
    dollars) of this Money for your assistance, and 87% would be for us and the
    other 3% would be set aside for any expenses that we may incure during the course
    of this transaction. And part of our share of 87% would be invested in your country
    in any profitable business proposed by you. While a large part of our share will also
    be used to help charity organizations.
    We have never met, but I want to trust you and please do not let us
    down when this fund finally gets into your account. Please if you are interested;
    get to me through my email address to enable me feed you with more details and all
    necessary documentations.
    Please treat this as confidential
    Best regards.
    [ (Stein) Runar Bergheim, 9 . 2.Wed, ]

  • Cranshaw & Edinburgh (Scotland), Dublin, Wicklow Mts & Port Laoise (Ireland)

    Cranshaw & Edinburgh (Scotland), Dublin, Wicklow Mts & Port Laoise (Ireland)
    As we drew nearer Cranshaw Farm Cottages, the amount of dead pheasants in the road increased inversely proportionally to the distance between the houses. In my mind dangerously close to the prefect setting, this was not the outskirts of nowhere – this was in the very middle! [Photos]

    Scotland

    As with most business trips there is nothing much to say about the contents of the days; they were mostly spent in meetings. The nights however; the nights were a completely different issue!

    Duns

    Starting off the meeting in a relaxed fashion we left Norway one day early to go down to Dave’s place near Duns an one hour or so south of Edinburgh.

    Edinburgh

     

    Ireland

    Dublin

    There is definitively something pleasant about Dublin. Despite the traffic jams and the large amounts of tourists it has managed to maintain some of its integrity by keeping it a city without a cityscape. Heather arranged accomodation for us somewhere which seemed to be equally close to Wales as to Dublin city centre; an excellent allthough slightly dislocated hotel carrying the unsuitable name Dublin City Holiday Inn

    Wicklow Mountains

    [ (Stein) Runar Bergheim, 4 . 2.Fri, ]

  • Mr.Collins Onyema senior manager accounts/audit department, in first bank of Nigeria Plc

    Mr.Collins Onyema senior manager accounts/audit department, in first bank of Nigeria Plc
    He says “My relationship with Mr. Mark started in 1992 when I was a supervisor in first bank marina branch.We met in my social club annual end of the year party and I introduced him to my bank where he opened this account some few weeks later making me the account officer to the account and he operated this account until his death.”
    Dear Friend,
    I am Mr.Collins Onyema senior manager accounts/audit department, in first bank of Nigeria Plc. Mr. Mark Cin, who was a consultant with Shell-development Company in Nigeria and a personal friend Died and left behind his deposit in this bank(FIRST BANK NIGERIA PLC) valued $18,723,822.90
    My relationship with Mr. Mark started in 1992 when I was a supervisor in first bank marina branch.We met in my social club annual end of the year party and I introduced him to my bank where he opened this account some few weeks later making me the account officer to the account and he operated this account until his death.
    On the 21st of April 1997, Mr. Mark, his wife and their three children were involved in a car accident along sagamu express road. All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives. Since then I have made several enquiries to your embassy to locate any of Mr. Mark’s extended relatives this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.
    I am contacting you to assist in repatriating the money left behind by Mr. Mark before they get confiscated since the bank has decleared the account unserviceable.I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 3years since I was recalled back to marina branch as a senior manager from a transfer that took me to another branch of the bank. I therefore seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased , so that the proceeds of this account valued at $18,723,822.90(Eighteen Million seven hundred and twenty three thousand eight hundred and twenty-two dollars,ninety cents) can be paid to you and then you and me can share the money. 70% to me and 30% to you. I have access to all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through.
    I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please get in touch with me through my email or phone and send to me your full name telephone and fax numbers to enable us discuss further about this transaction.
    Best regards,
    Mr.Collins Onyema
    Telephone: 234-803-3246399

    [ (Stein) Runar Bergheim, 9 . 2.Mon, ]

  • Limits to expansion of commerce

    Throughout the years commerce has expanded to ever new areas and at the time of writing we are sold more stuff we don’t need than at any previous time in history. Useless products are an expression of prosperity, peoples ability to buy in ample quality what they do not need. They can afford this because they have job titles like the ones below (all real-world examples):

    • Ministers of progress, Aspen Tree Software
    • Animation sceptics, Pixar Animation Studios
    • Imagination officer, Gateway 2000
    • deputy director of anything
    • the vice president of retirement

    All in all; job titles have faced a major change through the later years… People who used to operate the till became “customer service representatives.” Janitors changed into “custodians”. Trash men turned into “sanitation engineers”. Then janitors demanded to be known as “custodial engineers”. It is all very confusing!

    If you are interested in finding your own future job title I found this article which could be interesting to you:

    • Is your agency struggling with a reorganization? You can help by finding your own job title, using this simple guide!

  • London and Oxford (England)

    London and Oxford (England)

    A bed with walls, that is the best description of my hotel room. Although not a suitable venue for space consuming activities such as standing up or sitting the hotel was an excellent base for the trip.

    London

    London is is busy, it is grand and it is splendid in many ways… The amount of options available to me at any given time fascinate me and attract me; yet I maintain that London is alien to me.

    Alien however can be good if handed out in suitable doses – one week being the maximum for me. Having read too much P.G.Wodehouse in my life I am always in pursuit of the Edwardian atmosphere of old time London – which sadly is no longer to be found within the confines of neither Westminster or the City – not authentic anyway.

    In order to experience the true atmosphere of this era I sought out of London to the city of…

    Oxford

    Oxford is no further away from London than to justify a visit even though only on a short stay. Being located only an hour up Thames Valley, though valley being a rather exaggerated expression for anyone living in western Norway.
    It is not (just) the natural beauty of the university city which attracts me; it is equally much the architecture, the air of history, the atmosphere and the contrast to buzzing London life.

    That been said, Oxford isn’t that quiet.

  • Mrs Louisa Ejercitor Estrada, the wife of Mr Joseph Estrada the former president of Philippine

    Mrs Louisa Ejercitor Estrada, the wife of Mr Joseph Estrada the former president of Philippine
    She urges me to listen and read carefully, she apparentlyI found my contact details from the chamber of commerce and lndustry in the Philippines, and that why is why she has decided to involve me in this transaction o.k.
    Dear sir,
    Listen and read carefully, I found your contact from
    the chamber of commerce and lndustry here in my
    country, and that why is why I have decided to involve
    you in this transaction o.k, I am a woman of substance
    and of great importance to my nation and the society
    in general. l guess you must have heard much about
    that, I will not like to entertain any act of
    unseriousness from you in this transaction o.k. You
    must take instructions from me at all time and for
    security reasons you will only communicate me
    only by my e-mail for now o.k.
    In briefy introduction, I am Mrs Louisa Ejercitor
    Estrada, the wife of Mr Joseph Estrada the former
    president of Philippine located in the south East
    Asia. My husband was presently impeached from office
    by a backed uprising of mass demonstrators and senate.
    During my husband’s regime as president of Philippine,
    I realized US$ 34 Millions of dollars from various
    contract projects I executed successfully.
    I had planed to invest this money in real estate and
    industrial production. Now I have used diplomatic
    means in moving this money to a security Agent in
    Europe as family valuables, they do not know the
    contents of the boxes o.k. except you and I. Now if
    you agree to carry out this business, I will give to
    you the information of the security Agent and you will
    be there to clear the boxes o.k. There is no risk
    involved o.k, you will see the money for your self
    before any thing, then you will open an account there
    and pay in the money after you have cleared. My
    husband is facing trails here with the Philippine
    government so my family’s life style is restricted and
    all my phone and other contacts are monitored by the
    Philippine authority. I will offer you 20% of the
    total fund if you safely clear this money from the
    security Agent, you must keep this business secret and
    confidential, not even your partner must know about
    this o.k until you are through with this business.
    Once again, I want you to be honest, and faithful, I
    shall delegate my Attorney in Swissland to meet with
    you in Europe upon your arrival o.k. So you must
    confirm your ticket to Europe, immediately and leave
    in two days time o.k, so confirm your ticket and after
    which I will give to you the contacts of the security
    Agen in Europe o.k. I hope we will build a solid
    business relationship, waiting to read from you
    shortly o.k.
    Regards and God bless.
    Mrs. Louisa Ejercitor Estrada

    [ (Stein) Runar Bergheim, 5 . 1.Mon, ]

  • Aberdeen, Edinburgh and the Highlands (Scotland)

    Aberdeen, Edinburgh and the Highlands (Scotland)

    The annual fishing trip was subject to a minor modification this year as we decided to go abroad to nurture a childhood illusion of the splendour of fishing in Scotland. For two of us the illusion of catching fish in Scotland is still just an illusion.

    Aberdeen

    Travelling from Norway (Bergen) to Aberdeen is quite inexpensive; in fact it is rivalled by nothing if you disregard the horrendous costs of parking at Bergen Airport, Flesland.

    Aberdeen is known as the granite city and the oil capital of Europe. Followingly our companions on the flight over, were of the gray and oily type.
    Having identified our hotel which was centrally located at Crown Street – Butlers Islander Guest House – we made our way for Union Street to breathe in Aberdeen. As it was; Aberdeen breathed at us first – with a questionable breath – and we decided to grab a bit of lunch and be on our way to some more rural tourist attraction.

    Lunch was consumed in the company of the Aberdeen eldars; A very conservative estimate says it was at least 50 years between us and the second youngest group of lunchers… However; the food was good so no complaints from us.

    Stonehaven and Dunottar Castle

    The choice of a rural tourist attraction fell on Dunottar Castle in Stonehaven. A bus brought us there and, after arming ourselves with one plastic bag of snacks and soft drinks each, we proceeded along the coastal path to Dunottar Castle looking like complete tourists.

    …zzz…

    Edinburgh

    Even though this was a SHORT trip we decided to try to get as much of Scotland as possible; therefore we needed to spend at least one night in Edinburgh in order to satisfy the whole company. So be it; at the IBIS Edinburgh, a hotel which had tried to save money at a late stage in the building process by hiring second rate craftsmen, for the carpentry work in the rooms and bathrooms. The hotel also advocated the very bad invetion called continental breakfast. The very thing people travel to Scotland to avoid.

    Hamlet gone bad

    Acting on the initiative of the two most culturally disposed of us (Anders and Harald) we went to the Royal Lyceum to take in a production of Hamlet set in modern surroundings, in which most of the actors in the end were killed by a gun which I can’t remember from the original by Shakespeare.

    The two wiser members of our company (me and Håvard) were suffering. The rest of the audience wast just starting to understand why there was no scheduled interval in the play, in which case most of them undoubtedly would have left the theater, the street it is locates on and possibly also Edinburgh. Anyway – to every cloud there is a silver lining and so the play ended, most of the actors were shot and we could proceed to dinner.

    …zzz…

    After a good long shower I took the extra trouble of kicking my foot hard into a floor board in the bathroom and broke or seriously sprained a toe. PAINFUL!
    Breakfast was interrupted by a fire drill; or at least what turned out to be a false alarm We had the pleasure of inspecting our fellow late sleeper guests different night garments on Hunter Square just as the rays of the morning sun caught the ground and another day at the Fringe Festival was kicked off.

    The Highlands

    The next item on our travel itinerary was to get ourselves to Edinburgh Airport and hire a car. By the time all the forms were filled in and all the mandatory optional extras were added the bill was raised one hundred and sixty percent from the original and we proceded to load our Ford Mondeo Estate which turned out to be a Toyota Coupe.

    Approaching the Highlands, Dunkeld

    I am aware that technically speaking Dunkeld is not in the Highlands; but it was on our route to the Highlands and isn’t devoted a headline of its own in my narrow and rather brief travel log.

    Dunkeld is the town where the river Tay crossed our route into the Highlands and offered us an excellent change from highway driving. We enjoyed the view and a somewhat over-potatoed course at a pub.

    Dalwhinnie

    The home of the smoothest and most mellow of highland whiskies also proved to be the hitherto smoothest part of the Highlands regarding the landscape. We drank coffee and consumed a very agreeable toffee like cake substance before proceeding to the garage across the road to ask for fishing permits and advice on local fisheries. This garage was the place to go to if you wanted gas, oil, milk, butter, fishing, hit men, travel tickets, whisky and a few other things.

    We opted out fishing in Dalwhinnie after a brief look at the lake which was almost empty after a very dry summer. The area was nontheless very beautiful and gave us the opportunity to take some very nice photos.

    The road to Inverness

    We took the long route to Inverness from Dalwhinnie acting upon advice from a casual acquaintance made at an Edinburgh Internet Cafe; advicing us to drive via Fort William and on the nothern side of Loch Ness to Inverness. this trip took us along the river Spean down to Spean Bridge and then through Invergarry, Fort Augustus and finally Inverness. A number of scenic photo stops along the way, among others Urquhart Castle, made this a long journey and it was late when we finally arrived in Inverness.

    Dinner was consumed at local pub/restaurant where we did our best; that is Harald did our best to drive the waitress mad by asking for a little too much documentation on the current stock of goods and ingredients in the kitchen.

    Dunlichity

    Dunlichity was not the easiest place to find and we had to apply technology – our most excellent driving computer from now on known as E-lane – to find our way.

    B&Bs – allthough a most agreeable form of accomodation – are likely to be a little hostile towards late arrivers so we were not so welcome as we might have been if we had come earlier. However, Dunlichity House B&B proved to be excellent and the hosts very accomodating and friendly.

    …zzz…

    The morning was spent by and in the nearby lochs where we fished and swam until noon when we thought it would be nice to go somewhere where we could be in a boat while fishing… The host suggested Loch Tarvie; and so we set out to conquer the scottish trout.

    Dingwall

    Mentioning Dingwall by its own headline in this log is rather over doing it a little, but at the time I wrote this it seemed like a good idea. Dingwall – as so many other scottish towns – is one of these places where you simply feel well. We felt well there over a period of 1 hour or so while consuming a large meal of different varieties of fish and chips.

    Loch Tarvie

    On the advice of the couple who run Dunlichity House B&B we drove up to Loch Tarvie Trout Fisheries where we hired two boats and did ourselves some fly fishing – after all – this is what the trip was about (in the name).

    The location of the lake was very scenic in the highland setting and accompanied by the beautiful weather it was unrivalled by anything we had previously experienced on the trip.
    The night was finished off with a traditional Scottish tandoori meal in Inverness before getting back to the B&B to sleep.

    …zzz…

    All good things must come to an end; unlike Hamlet which was a bad thing that inevitably had to come to an end anyway. The day of departure was over us and only one quintessential activity was left on the agenda; whisky distilleries… many of them… plenty of them…

    Dufftown

    We decided to play it safe and visit Glenfiddich, a renowned distillery located in the midst of Dufftown; a rather modest but nevertheless really nice little town who bragged of being the worlds malt whisky capital.