Due to yesterday’s big announcement, we had to delay this post, but we are back on track today with the final update from our Norwegian Experience winner. This post covers their final days in Norway, where program sponsor Borton Overseas planned some great excursions in Bergen and Stavanger.

SofN: So, last Friday you went from Bergen to Stavanger via the coastal route, was it as beautiful as it sounds?

SB: The coastal route to Stavanger was beautiful! Riding the bus is a good way to travel. The ferry boat rides and the tunnels were a new experience for my husband, Mark. Last year I had that same experience.

SofN: Was this your first time in Stavanger?

SB: This was my first trip to Stavanger. It is a beautiful city. We walked around old Stavanger with our guide and also visited a sardine canning museum. Our guide lined up the curator of the museum to give us the first class tour and a souvenir of a sardine can.

SofN: Tell us about the Lysefjord cruise:

SB: The fjord cruise was fun. It was a narrated trip which made it nice so we knew what to look for. We made a few stops. One was to feed the mountain goats and to catch water from the Hengjane waterfall. They caught water from the falls and we got to taste it. That was fun. We stopped at pulpit rock to take photos. Several people got off to climb to the top. If we would have had more time it would have been fun to do!

SofN: Share with us your impressions of Pulpit Rock from the viewpoint of a cruise.

SB: Pulpit rock was a unique rock formation. It was fun to see. We could see very small people moving around on the top. It is a long way up there. Now when people ask if we got to see it we can say yes.

SofN: What was your impression of the Flog og Fjaere gardens. What are they? Do you know the history behind them?

SB: The gardens were beautiful! Lots of flowers and trees that reminded us of ND. And also a few special trees and plants. We saw palm trees and spent time on the beach! There were 15 areas to wander in after our wonderful meal. The granddaughter of the founder Magus Bryn was our tour guide. Her grandfather wanted a place to get away from plants and ended up missing them so much that he started to create one and then gardens kept growing. It is hard to believe it’s only been about 20 years.

SofN: Since this is the end of your trip, can you tell us what your favorite part has been?

SB: That’s easy! The beach and flowers at flor & fjaere! Still love the view in Bergen

SofN: Was there any place you visited that you would recommend to members who might be planning a trip to Norway?

SB: I would recommend the gardens, glacier and venicular ride in Bergen