These are just a few images that I wasn't sure where to put in my daily blog posts from Norway. I love them too much to hide them in the depths of my hard drive, so I'll just leave them here.The top image is of the stairwell to our apartment in Oslo. It was 4 flights up, and each time we would enter the stairwell, Ezra would make us promise to stay at the bottom while he climbed all the way to the top. Then he would yell down that he was ready and we could come up now. (We may have snuck up a half flight behind him and hid so he couldn't see us...)I shot this through some construction equipment near the opera house.Dinner choices?Just a pirate ship.I am always a sucker for European architecture and detailing.And lastly, at the food market they had this. I am told there is a fan and water bowl inside, and you can "park" your dog here while you shop. Let me tell you what Magda would say about that.

On our final full day in Oslo, we took it easy. We had a nice slow breakfast, did a little shopping and headed over to the Royal Palace to watch the Changing of the Guard. Jamie and I tend to do this in every European country we visit, and usually it takes about 15-20 minutes. Those Norwegians though! They make it a Big Deal. We thought they were done, when some soldiers on horses approached the small crowd and told us to move way back to "make room for the show."The show?It was like a marching band performance with both instruments and guns. It was super impressive, and Ezra was loving it. But after 40 minutes, we had to take off because we had promised the squirt some ice cream and one rule holds true no matter what country you are in: NEVER MESS WITH NAP TIME. So we were off.After the nap, we took an evening stroll and met up with Kevin and Olivia for our final dinner in Norway. It was Spanish tapas, and it was bliss.

Sadly, we were in Bergen for less than 48 hours. We arrived around 3 pm on a Sunday and caught a taxi to the airport at noon on Tuesday. The first two days, I took tons of scenic images of the town (which I showed in my last post). The last morning we were there, we left the house early to explore the side of town we hadn't visited yet.These photos are from that trip. They are less expansive and beautiful, and more of the "vacation photos" variety, but I love them just the same.The day began when we caught a teeny ferry across the bay. We didn't have time to make the 45 min walk around the water and back, and this ferry was a 5 min. ride and only a few dollars. Both rides we were the only ones on the boat, and the captain let Ezra ring the bell for our departure each time. This might have been a trip highlight for the kid.He had just rung the bell here.I know I'm bad about posting photos of myself on the blog, but honestly I always have the camera up to my face and I'm bad at stopping and posing. I was glad Jamie caught this moment.While inside this tiny boat, the windows were about at water level. This was our view.And that, above, is the boat pulling away, heading back to the other side. Cute, isn't it!? It's called The Beffen. The rest of the photos are just things I stopped to shoot while we walked to get coffee and pastries and then explored for an hour before ferrying back to our house to catch a cab to the airport.I really just wanted an image of this cute street, but ok, I guess I'll photograph the handsome man as well.I mean, I know I showed you that gorgeous Starbucks, but this McDonald's?!? Really?This white house was where we stayed. It was built in the very early 1800s and was fantastic. We had the first floor and the homeowners live on the top two floors. It was quite charming to hear muffled jazz and Norwegian in the evenings, I must admit. And the water is only a block away, so the breeze through those windows? A+.

I am not gonna lie, one of the very main reasons I wanted to go to Norway was because I wanted to photograph the fjords. And it made me so very happy to do just that.We took a 3-hour fjord tour out of Bergen, and it was just what I was looking for. It was the perfect length for having a small child in tow, and it still took us deep enough into the fjords to where I felt like I got to see what I came for. Also? The boat pulled up to a waterfall and we all got cups of water to drink fresh from the mountain spring. That was a nice perk!These are some of my favorite photos of the trip, and I can't wait to pick one or two out to hang in the house. I'll be putting them up for sale soon as well, so if you'd like a print, please let me know. And lastly, I hope these photos aren't too repetitive, but I loved this experience so much that it made the edit much harder than normal.

Bergen, as you can see, is very different than Oslo. And while I loved both cities, I am so, so glad we made it to Bergen. I had wondered if it would be worth the added trip just so I could see some fjords, and the answer is a resounding yes. In fact, while I did enjoy Oslo immensely, if I didn't have friends in the city my next trip to Norway might just be to the smaller villages and towns as I am so enamored with the beauty of the land and architecture.Below are a ton of photos of just Bergen. The fjords will be up later (and please come back for those -- I promise you don't want to miss them).We were there for less than 48 hours, and you can tell I fell hard for the colors and feel of this town. Plus? It smelled and felt coastal (which it is). And the Air BnB we stayed at was a block from the water, so with the windows open and the large feather bed, we all slept like the dead. It was marvelous.These narrow cobblestone streets up and down the hillsides were stunning. And I loved all the flower beds. I took this photo at the playground. If our neighborhood playground had this view, I would live there day and night with Ezra. Sorry kid.This is looking out the other direction. The fog rolled in right when we arrived, and it made for wonderful images. I'm not sure if it's always there or if I lucked out, but I was smitten with it.Just down the street from the house we stayed in was a picnic area. This was the view. Yeah.Behind the picnic area is the government-run preschool (daycare) which costs roughly $250/month for residents. Let me repeat that, about $250 A MONTH. We pay more than that PER WEEK in the states and my kid's daycare overlooks train tracks and a Holiday Inn Express. This center up there? It looks out over the picnic area. Which means it looks out onto the water that I showed above it. These Norwegians are doing it right.Ooooh I love that fog.Down by the water is an enormous fish market. We ate fresh paella there and it was super fun.Is that not the most beautiful Starbucks you have ever seen?And the final obligatory shot of the wooden houses along the water. Bergen, you were a dream.

I had heard so much about this train ride from Oslo to Bergen, that I wasn't sure it could live up to my expectations. I was so wrong.And I must tell you that while I do think some of these photos are lovely, the train ride is so much better than I could ever convey.Part of that is because what is so breathtaking is how the scenery never dulls. It's 7 hours of gorgeous view after gorgeous view. The other reason is because my kid was exhausted on the day of this trip and had a complete meltdown on the train. Because Jamie and I were trying so hard to keep him calm for the rest of the trip, I'm afraid we didn't get to view as much scenery as we would have liked. But still, what we saw was so beautiful.Also, I would like to give a shout out to the amazing family across from us on the train, the Leafblads from Minneapolis. They were so kind and patient even when Ezra was at his worst, and I still feel badly about his behavior in front of them. But toddlers will be toddlers, and once he got in some good sleep things got better.

Today's post will feature some of the more modern architecture in Oslo.Whenever I think of Norway, I think of the wooden houses from the 17th and 18th century -- and you do see some of those as well. But when we first arrived on the airport train into the city, I was mesmerized by the modern architecture surrounding the station. And right across from it is the opera and ballet center, which is gorgeous and modern as well (as you'll see). I love the stark contrast between the old and the new.You'll also notice a lot of construction around this area. The last photo shows a giant sign with architectural renderings of what the area will be like once completed -- which I thought was so fun to see. This is the Oslo Opera House. You can walk up the roofs all the way to the top, which is lovely. There is also a really nice patio with tables and people sipping wine and watching the water. I will do that with Jamie when we return in 2034 (the year Sir Ezra leaves for college... hopefully).One side of the building has solar panels built into the windows. You have to look pretty close to recognize what they are.This is a sculpture in the water just past the Opera House.This is the opera house patio I was mentioning.Lots of people stop and pose for photos on the roof of the opera house. One thing I love about this rendering (that my photos don't show) is how the Opera Center "roof" descends all the way into the water. Lots of people were down there dipping their toes in.

I wish I had the time and energy for more words tonight, but I'm really beat and need to head to bed. Here's what I will say:Visiting a foreign country with Ezra is so, so different than going childless. Obviously.The highlights are:+ You learn to sleep in again because your kid is doing it, and man is it awesome.+ You never skip meals.+ You learn to explore all the playgrounds and you learn that kids have somewhat of a universal language regarding sharing and the like.+ You spend as much time outside as you can.+ On that note, while you love eating at restaurants, take away is your best friend as service abroad is much slower. Plus, who doesn't love eating in a park with an accordion playing nearby?+ You cherish and value your friends abroad even more than normal as they welcome you into their home and let your child take over their house / toys / musical instruments.The lowlights?+ I am a bit embarrassed about how little sight seeing is happening over here.+ Forced daily naps. Wait, should that be a highlight? I'm thinking yes.+ There is no hiding that you are an American when your child is yelling constantly about trains, cars, buses etc. We have become the loud Americans. For shame.+ Never enough time. Just like life back at home, there just isn't enough time in the day when a toddler is involved.Below are today's photos. They include: An amazing food market, a wonderful playground with a fantastic water feature that Ezra adored, and dinner at Kevin and Ina's (and Olivia's) where we had reindeer pizza (not lying!) and the kids played all kinds of musical instruments. Enjoy!