Well we survived it. Emma’s first Up Helly Aa.

It’s difficult to explain to people exactly what Up Helly Aa is. It’s probably best I paraphrase what Wikipedia says on the matter.

Up Helly Aa refers to a fire festival held in Shetland, in Scotland, annually in the middle of winter to mark the end of the yule season. The festival involves a procession of up to a thousand guizers in Lerwick, formed into squads who march through the town in a variety of themed costumes.

There is a main guizer who is dubbed the “Jarl“. There is a committee which you must be part of for fifteen years before you can be a jarl, and only one person is elected to this committee each year.

The procession culminates in the torches being thrown into a replica Viking longship or galley. The event happens all over Shetland, but it is only the Lerwick galley which is not sent seaward. Everywhere else, the galley is sent seabound, in an echo of actual Viking sea burials.

After the procession, the squads visit local halls (including schools, sports facilities and hotels), where private parties are held. At each hall, each squad performs its act, which may be a send-up of a popular TV show or film, a skit on local events, or singing or dancing, usually in flamboyant costume.

Due to the often-flamboyant costumes and the large quantity of males dressing up as females, it has earned the joke name ‘Transvestite Tuesday’.

You tend to find people in Shetland are either very in to Up Helly Aa or they can’t be doing with it. I tend to fall in the category of “can’t be doing with it”.  But I needed to visit home at some point and Emma was keen to see what the fuss was about so we decided to pick Up Helly Aa week to pay a visit.

I say we survived it. To truly experience Up Helly Aa you need to party all through the night to 8am the following morning. My sister does, but Emma and I are far too boring to do that. Instead we were tucked up warm in bed by midnight having spent a day witnessing bearded men brandishing axes and throwing lit torches into wooden boats… this could only happen in Shetland.

Emma took this short video of the procession and burning.

More photos:

We have just returned from a weeks visit to Norway. Actually we have been back a couple of weeks now but there is a bit of a delay between doing something and then finding the time to blog about it.

I know it would seem not that long ago since my “holiday to Spain” post, and your probably thinking “two holidays in short succession, fine for some”, and you’d be right in thinking that. Thankfully its not like we are newly graduated students who have loans and debts to be paid back and savings to be made……

Let me fill you in. This was my 14th visit to Norway. I have been every year since 1998. In two of those years I have been twice. It started because my parents realised it was much easier and quicker to get from Shetland to Norway than it was to get to Aberdeen. And at least when the car rolled off the back of the ferry in Bergen you were in a much more scenic, friendlier and not to mention foreign country rather than the arriving in delights of down town Aberdeen.

Now 12 years later I live away from my parents, in Aberdeen, there’s no ferry across thanks to the recession and yet it is still a bit of a tradition to pay Scandinavia a visit every summer. I like to think of it as the annual pilgrimage.

This year we had an excuse to go. Last September (4 weeks or so after being in Norway) I was sent a link to the Nowegian version of Ticketmaster, where I found Coldplay were to be playing in Bergen. Coldplay are one of those bands that I’d always wanted to see but never quite got round to it. Cost aside, the thought of getting to and seeing them in Bergen was much more appealing than the thought of getting to and seeing them in Glasgow. The trip would take less time, the venue is much nicer, it’s a better story to tell and most importantly, there’s very few Glaswegians in Bergen.

Gig tickets were booked. As were the plane tickets.

We decided to turn it into a little bit of a holiday. You’d think after being in Norway 13 times prior to this trip that I would have been well travelled round the country. You’d be wrong. I’ve never ventured too far away from Bergen (on the west coast).

We decided to spend a few days in Stavanger which is only 50 minutes on the plane from Aberdeen.  We’d then travel the 100 or so miles north to Bergen where we’d spend the remaining 4 days (and see Coldplay).

The flight from Stavanger to Bergen is one of the easiest flights I have ever taken. It was in a 737 which is one of the largest planes to operate out of Aberdeen. It was the same model of plane that took us to Spain. Only when we went to Spain it was full (and I mean jam packed full) of drunken holiday makers and screaming kids.  The flight to Stavanger was around half full and mostly of business people or older couples. The seat belt lights were off for about 20 minutes before the descent into Sola airport began. Even Emma who is scared of flying commented on how quick and stress free it was.

After arriving in Norway it does not take long to witness first hand the higher prices of everything.  For example, to get us from Sola airport to centre of Stavanger cost £18 on the airport bus for the two of us.  You’ve got to accept before you go that it is going to be an expensive trip.  While you can scrimp and save in places, don’t bother trying to do Norway on a tiny budget. You’ll fail and end up having a horrible holiday knowing that you are spending far more money than you ever intended on doing so.

Stavanger looked pretty much how I expected it. A nice coastal town full of colourful buildings. A smaller version of Bergen. It was also chucking it down. More or less to be expected from Western Norway where it rains 70% of the time. They say in Norway “when it rains, it rains. And when it doesn’t rain, there’s rain on the way.”

We were staying in the Myhregaarden hotel. Slap bang in the centre of the town. Perfect location for tourists. It was a little on the expensive side (this is Norway after all) however that extra cost was balanced out by the fact we had a chandelier in our room.  It’s set the benchmark for hotel rooms.  Chandelier = good. No Chandelier = bad. There was also a wide screen tv, fireplace and Bjorn Berg toiletries. You’d be forgiven for wanting to spend your whole visit in the hotel room.

There is a problem when you stay in hotel accommodation. You have to eat out.  In most places that isn’t a problem. In Norway it can be.  You see if your like me and don’t like fish, your options are limited.  Most restaurants  have a 5 menu item, of which 4 of those items are fish dishes. Even Emma, who likes fish most of the time, screwed up her face at some of the fancy fish offerings on the menu. That leaves you with one item left which you’ll expect to pay a minimum of £30 per head, and that’s before you’ve added any drinks, starters or puddings on.

We ended up dining 2 out of the 3 nights in Peppe’s Piza. Think TGI Friday’s. The 3rd night was spent in McDonalds. Man I sure know how to treat a lady.

If you are planning a visit to Stavanger I’d recommend hiring a car, at least for a few days. It doesn’t take long to see pretty much everything there is to see in the town. If we’d been there for any more than 3 days we’d probably have had to do the car option.

I can recommend the Stavanger oil museum, it’s much more exciting than it sounds. The Geoparken is to be seen to be believed. It’s a play park (mainly for children and teenagers) made entirely out of ex oil related materials. A trampoline made from marker buoys, a swing made from a helicopter winch basket and a skate pipe made from some old metal pipes are just some of the highlights.  Health and safety would never allow that in the UK.  And Emma was in her element, there’s about 1 cafe for every 10 people in Stavanger. And the majority provide pillows and blankets for sitting outside.

On the fourth day we had to get from Stavanger to Bergen. Emma was presented with 3 options.  A 30 minute flight. A 4 and a half hour fast ferry or a 6 hour bus trip. She’s scared of flying and gets sick on the bus. So the fast ferry it was.  She didn’t really have a choice in the matter as I’ve had my heart set on doing that fast ferry trip ever since I first set my eyes on one in 1998.

We left early morning rainy Stavanger behind, calling in at several ports on our journey north. On open water at 30 knots it was a bit bouncy. I was in my element. Emma was not so much. After switching ferries in Lervik, the final hour and a half of the trip was on a much bigger and smoother ferry. The sun even came out to welcome us in to Bergen.

For me arriving in Bergen is like arriving home. I’ve been there enough times now not to get lost.  Except for this time. But I blame that on the directions given to us by the owners of our accommodation and not because of my navigational skills.  That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

Our accommodation was at Armunds apartments.  Armund is the owner. He and his wife Greta have converted half their house into apartments. We were in the attic apartment. It’s in a quiet area 10 minutes from the city centre. The view was stunning. If that was my view every time I washed dishes, I’d be more than happy to wash the dishes every evening.

As we were self catering for the remainder of the holiday we could eat what we wanted, when we wanted on a much smaller budget (still expensive by British standards).  I can not recommend self catering enough.  In Bergen there is plenty of self catering dotted around the place. It was a little harder to find in Stavanger (hence the hotel).

Recommended things to do in Bergen: Mount Flóyen must be experienced twice. Once during the day and once at sunset. You need to get the Funicular railway to the top, it’s £7 each return. (You can choose to walk down for half the price if your legs can handle it). It’s a photographers paradise.  There are a collection of nice walks at the top. And of course the token souvenir shop and hot dog stand.

Bergen Aquarium is a good way to spend a few hours. If only for the seals and the penguins. We went early in the morning when it was quiet. If you go in the afternoon you’ll see the seal feeding sessions (we’ve seen this before so we didn’t mind missing it). It’s about £25 each and like most aquariums or zoo’s you must walk through the gift shop on your way out. (Another way to add £25 on to the trip!)

The fish market is also a place that anyone visiting Bergen must witness. Most people turn up their noses at the suggestion of going to visit a fish market although they always apologise with the phrase “you were right” once they have seen it first hand.

Don’t bother visiting the pubs. Or if you do make sure your wallet is topped up before you enter. We stopped past one pub for a couple of drinks before Coldplay.  We were £17 for a beer and a vodka and coke. Like I said before, just accept it, otherwise you’ll have a bad time!

Coldplay were on top form as expected. Big yellow balloons released into the crowd during “Yellow”, a million confetti butterflies released into the crowd during “Lovers in Japan”. Light shows and fireworks all added to the experience of the outdoor venue. Very few drunk people in the crowd (one plus point to the high price of alcohol), and once you leave the venue you are right in the centre of what is a very nice city.  That is why I chose to see them in Bergen rather than Glasgow.  If you are going to see Coldplay at Hampden or Wembley this month then you are sure to be in for a good show.

People who’ve never been before sometimes ask me if it’s worth visiting Norway. I tell them if you like relaxing beach holidays, eating out, drinking and sunbathing then Norway is not the place for you.  If you want to relax amongst nice scenery, you like taking photos, you are prepared not to eat out all the time and want to try somewhere a little different, get booking now.  I’ve never met anyone who has visited Norway and not fallen in love with the country. There is a whole host of Shetlanders like us who visit every year.

We’re back in Aberdeen now feeling a little depressed with no holidays planned thanks to the saving regime that is now in place.  With our travels to America and Canada due to take place next summer, I think the next visit to Norway may not happen for another couple of years.  Some annual pilgrimage that is.

First post is photos from Stavanger. It’s somewhere in Norway I’ve always wanted to visit. It’s also only an hour on the plane from Aberdeen.  We were there for 3 days. In that 3 days it rained, almost constantly. Despite the rain we still enjoyed ourselves.

Due to the weather conditions, I didn’t get as many scenic photos as I wanted. Here are some of the photos I took.

Fast Ferry and Bergen photos to follow.

Well, very little evidence. The “Picton Castle” is still in the harbour. They’ve lost their ships cat of 11 years. Chibley was on board when they arrived on Friday, but now no where to be seen. It doesn’t look like they are in a hurry to leave without him.

Wasn’t too sure where I was going to watch the ships leave today, but as we crossed the Askøy bridge in the car it was clear that there was the place to stand. So I spent 3 hours this afternoon standing on a bridge. I took over 300 photos. Put the new camera to good use.

And the best weather of the past 5 days has been this evening. After the boats have left. I can’t imagine they will be going anywhere quickly, there is literally no wind. And Tall Ships rules state that they must use their sails and not their engines. Will be a long trip to Den Helder in the Netherlands.

David

The Tall Ships continue in Bergen. Waved goodbye to Emma today. She is having to head back to Aberdeen for a resit in one of her exams. Had that been me I would have probably decided the exam wasn’t worth it, possibly the reason I’m not at uni?

Weather has been mixed. Perfect for the fireworks last night (above). Not so good for the parade this afternoon (below).

One thing about Bergen (and I’d imagine Norway and possibly Scandinavia as a whole), it’s very easy to spend lots of money on very little. 2 Cokes the other day at one of the outdoor bars was the equivalent of about 9 pounds. A pint (well, 500ml) of beer and a 500ml of cider came to the equivalent of £13. I recommend Bergen a lot to people, but never to those who I think would go on holiday to drink, can you see why?

Emma slowly drinking the very expensive drink.

David

The Tall Ships have started to arrive in Bergen ahead of the event starting tomorrow, and so far perfect weather for it.

There is always an atmosphere in Bergen, but it seems to be particularly good this weekend.

I’ll update my blog over the next few days with some photos of the event.

David

We’ve been in Norway since Sunday now, and a few days back we were treated to an Eric Clapton concert at the Bergenhaus. We and 20,000 other folk.

Honestly, I’m not the greatest connoisseur of Eric Clapton songs. I know the hits and that is about it. Despite that and that Eric isn’t a man of many words, it was a fantastic concert in a lovely location.  Even if it had been rubbish, the live version of Layla would have made up for it.

Just one downside to it all. I now want to come back in a couple of weeks for the Neil Young concert at Bergenhaus. And a couple of weeks after that for REM.  Don’t think it’s going to be possible.

David

The highlight of it all was my brother and I performing Buffalo Stance by Nenah Cherry at karaoke while a drunken guy in the pub tried to break dance. Priceless.

At the airport now. Not the best of starts. Flight has been delayed, but worse than that, I have managed to physically break my laptop. A few hours ago it was sitting on the couch when it decided to fall off. I picked it up, everything seemed ok except for the loud rattle coming from it. On further inspection it would seem that rattle was a lose computer chip… and quite an important one at that.

Now the computers battery won’t charge, and it won’t run off the mains either. You wouldn’t believe how much of a pain that is. Thankfully the insurance I pay for the laptop will cover it, but its not the thing you need just before you go on holiday.

So I now have my rather slow, rather big, ancient laptop with me. I must point out I could last 2 weeks without the Internet but I need my laptop to charge my Ipod. I also like to look and play with all my photos on the same day I have taken them, therefore I need a laptop.

I’m writing this on my iPod. I’m going on holiday with the family. I still like going away with the parents, plus it’s free, I never hide the fact that the freebie is still one of the reasons I go. I am a sponger. Emma is with us. She obviously gets on well enough with the ‘inlaws’ to come.

An hour and a half delay and we are bored. Least it’s not as bad as the folk behind us, they were meant to leave at 9 this morning, it is now 2:45pm.

More later… Maybe.