Michi Photostory

Time passes quickly and we did not notice that our two months summer vacation in Norway is already over. It also means back to school na kami and I’m not yet so ready. I’m still adjusting with my sleep and weather in the Philippines, ganun yata talaga pag tumatanda na, ang hirap mag-adjust. 


Our family loves visiting Norway if airfare is not expensive mapapadalas vacation namin. Hehehe! Though we love Norway, one thing I dislike is the journey. Flying to Norway and back to the Philippines is kinda stressful because there are a lot of transfers. Halos lahat na ng mode of transportation is masasakyan mo. We rode car, ferry boat, bus and 3 planes just to go back to the Philippines.

Thursday - Ferry Boat from Ørland to Trondheim 
 - Bus to Trondheim Airport 
 - Flight from Trondheim to Oslo via SAS
 - Check-in at Radisson Blu Hotel Oslo Gardermoen
Friday - Flight from Oslo Norway to Doha Qatar via Qatar Airways 
Saturday - Flight from Doha Qatar to Clark Philippines via Qatar Airways 

Just like our experience before, we’re traveling for three days. I booked Clark-Oslo-Clark ticket only so I need to go back to Oslo. I mentioned before that there are several ways to go to Oslo but the fastest way is riding an airplane. There is a small airport in Ørland, Norway so we can take a flight from Ørland to Oslo Gardermoen via Air Leap but unfortunately, there is no flight on the day of our trip so I have no choice but to book a flight from Trondheim Airport.

Read: Oslo Central Station to Trondheim Central Station via NSB Train  

My mom has no more vacation leave so I booked a flight day before our flight in Oslo. It was a holiday so the earliest ferry boat from Ørland to Trondheim is 10:30AM. Travel time is 1 hour and from the ferry boat, we went straight to Bus Station and buzzer beater kami sa 11:40AM bus departure.


My mom just dropped us at the bus station because she needs to catch the 12:10 boat departure or else 4PM na yung next trip. Bus fare is NOK180 and the bus driver said, my son is free if accompanied by 1 adult. Yey! Nakatipid ako sa fare. Travel time is more or less 30 minutes from Bus Station to Trondheim Airport.


Trondheim Airport



Trondheim is not a busy airport so check-in and security check are so fast. It only takes a few minutes and we’re ready to eat our lunch. Two years ago, we ate at Pizza Hut but we could not find the restaurant so we just ate at Ritazza which is just a few meters walk from our boarding gate We just ordered Pepperoni Pizza NOK159 and Softdrinks NOK41.

Read: Glimpse of Trondheim Airport

If in the Philippines, we need 3-4 hours allowance before our flight, here in Norway, you only need two hours before the flight. We were so early for our 4PM flight so when we went to our boarding gate, flight to Stavanger pa ang nandun but my son still waited at the gate. Nagsakayan na pasahero to Stavanger at kami lang naiwan so ang aga talaga namin.


The flight is on time and we were in Oslo Gardermoen after 55 minutes. For our past travels, SAS is always our connecting flight to Trondheim so I chose this airline when I booked our Trondheim to Oslo flight. We arrived early but the luggage was delayed, as in nag-upuan na mga tao dahil walang lumalabas na luggage. This is the reason why I decided to fly to Oslo day before our flight back to the Philippines. I don’t want delays.

Read: SAS Scandinavian Airlines Experience

After getting the luggage, my son and I went to the Radisson Blu Hotel Oslo Gardermoen. This hotel is just in front of the airport so we did not have a hard time looking for it. We stayed in Radisson Blu Hotel in Trondheim so in my mind, they have the same rate but I was wrong, ang mahal pala sa Radisson Blu Oslo Gardermoen but I have no choice so I booked. I will share our experience in a separate post.


Read: Radisson Blu Airport Hotel in Trondheim
Radisson Blu Hotel Oslo Gardermoen 

Qatar Airways Check-in Counter 



Checked-out is 12NN, so we just walked from the hotel to the airport. We’re so early for our 4:10PM flight. The check-in counter opened three hours before our flight. We took Qatar Airways on our way to Oslo Norway so I know that they are very strict with one hand-carry bag but I was surprised when the staff weighed our bag. Waah! Muntikan na ko dun, 6.9kls yung handcarry ko and we all know 7kls lang ang allowed.

Read: Qatar Airways Flight Experience  

Security Check: Family Lane

Security check-in is fast too because they have a separate lane for families, you need to scan first the boarding pass of the kid before the parents. We checked the Duty-Free store and bought some pasalubong, konti lang at wala naman kami space sa bag. One thing I noticed, the Freia chocolates that they are selling in the airport is King Sized 250g for NOK35 only compared to 200g in supermarket for NOK40 to NOK45, price depends on the flavor so mas mura pala sa airport.

Immigration 

At the immigration, the Immigration Officer asked me how long we stayed in Norway and I said two months and then she checked our arrival date and computed our number of days. Then she said, “Oh that is correct!”. She really checked if I overstayed, I only applied for 60 days. They are really strict now compared to my previous experiences. If you remember my Biyaheng Europe post, mahigpit din yung IO.

Streets Eats


After the Immigration, there is a small Duty-Free shop and Food Trucks at Gate F. Two years ago, wala pa nito so we had lunch at Pizza Wheel. Pizza is our comfort food so we always eat pizza if we don’t know what to eat. We ordered Pepperoni Pizza NOK159 and Softdrinks NOK36.

Qatar Airways Experience 

Our Clark - Doha - Oslo flight was a smooth flight so I was expecting that we will have the same experience flying back home. But our Oslo - Doha - Clark was a little bit stressful because of the waiting time. On our way to Doha and Oslo, we’re just waiting at the boarding gate before our boarding time but on our way back to Clark, the boarding gate in Oslo and Doha were still closed by the time we reached the gate. They only opened it an hour before our flight and there is seating arrangement depending on your seats or zone. It is not fun to be early because you will sit on the floor while waiting for the boarding gate to be opened.

Oslo to Clark 

Oslo to Doha 6 hours and 30 minutes 
Layover 2 hours and 20 minutes 
Doha to Clark 8 hours and 55 minutes 

Oslo to Doha

From Doha to Oslo flight, my son did not receive any flight entertainment kit so I was surprised when the staff gave one on our Oslo to Doha flight. So nakalimutan siya bigyan ng flight attendant before and we failed to ask. Sayang ang souvenir. This time, they did not give flight kit, same with my husband’s experience.


They did not give a menu so when the FA informed me about the options, chicken lang naintinidihan ko sa mga sinabi niya so for our flight puro chicken meals ang napili ko. Hehehe!




When we landed, I was expecting that we will ride a bus and train but I was happy that we just walked until we reached the Security Check-In and Boarding Gate. So it was a different experience for us. I wanted to explore the Qatar Airport but my son doesn’t like to walk anymore so we went to the boarding gate only to find out that it is still closed. There is free wifi but the signal is weak, maybe it depends on the boarding gate, dulo na yata yung Gate A.


Doha to Clark

For our Doha to Clark, there is flight kit for adult and kids, entertainment kit for my son, and menu but they forgot to give the lunch box for my son. But I asked for it, I ordered Kid’s Meal so I was expecting that they will serve Kid’s meal to my son but I don’t know what happened but we did not receive it. But anyway, they fixed everything and we got our lunch box before touchdown. It is better to be late than never.

Doha to Clark Menu 

Main Meal 

Appetizer: Seasonal Salad Mains: Thai Green Chicken Curry served with Jasmine Rice
Beef Strogranoff with Spatzie, Carrots and Green Beans
Egg Noodles in Chili, Ginger and Garlic Sauce with Mushroom and Tofu
Dessert: Peach Mousse Cake

Brunch 

Mains: Beef Cobbler with Savoury Scone, Cheese, and Herbed Mashed Potato
Scrambled Eggs with Breakfast Sausage, Fried Potato Cubes, and Tomato Wedges
Stir Fried Egg Noodles with Mixed Vegetables
Accompaniments: Seasonal Fresh Fruit and Fruit Yogurt

Beverages

Wines: Red wine, White wine
Spirits: Gin, Whisky, Vodka
Beer: Heineken
Liqueur: Brandy, Baileys Original Irish Cream
Cold Beverages: A selection of soft drinks, ginger ale, soda water, tonic water, a selection of juices, still water
Tea and Coffee: Freshly brewed Ceylon Tea, Longjing tea, coffee





Our Qatar Airways experience varies depending on our flight, there are some flaws but overall we still enjoyed our Qatar Airways experience. I do recommend this airplane especially if you have kids in tow because they serve the kid’s meal first and they have flight entertainment kit. But don’t forget to order for your kid’s meal before your flight.

Flight and luggage were delayed so 6PM na kami nakaalis ng airport and we reached home after 3 hours and 30 minutes. Yey! We’re finally home after the long travel.

Oslo is the capital city of Norway and Trondheim is the third most populous city in the country. There are several ways to go to Trondheim from Oslo or vice versa. You can travel by air, sea, land, and rail. Among the options, we already tried traveling by car, plane, and train. Most of the time we travel by plane because it is the fastest way, travel time is less than 1 hour.

After our Oslo Trip, my husband needs to go back to the Philippines while my son and I will stay at my mom’s place in Ørland. As early as 5:45AM, we checked out at Cochs Pensjonat and off we went to Oslo Central Station. We had 4 pieces of luggage so we took a taxi. Our train schedule is still 8:02AM so we waited for almost two hours for the train. My husband bought his train ticket on the day of our trip, Oslo Central Station to Oslo Lufthavn (Airport)

Oslo Station to Trondheim Station | 08.02 - 14.45 Travel time is 6 h 43 min 1 change Track 16 Region towards Trondheim 

Oslo Central Station to Trondheim Central Station via NSB train 


The train arrived 30 minutes before the departure so off we went to the track. For the very first time, we rode the train from Oslo to Trondheim. A month before our trip, my mom bought our train ticket from Oslo Central Station to Trondheim Central Station. Travel time is almost 7 hours compared to 55 minutes plane ride. 1197NOK for 2 adults and 1 kid. It is cheaper compared to 996NOK that I paid for Trondheim to Oslo via SAS for 1 adult and 1 kid.

Family Carriage

My mom bought a family ticket. There is a separate carriage for that so if you are traveling with kids in tow, it is better to choose a family ticket. There is a space for strollers, big comfort room, play area for kids and FREE entertainment kit. My son received a loot bag, it includes a coloring book, stickers and color pencil.


NSB Cafe

If you travel by train in Norway; food and drink are not a problem because there are vending machines where you can buy snacks and drinks. For long travel, there is the NSB Cafe. You can check the NSB menu online and there is also available menu inside the train so you have an idea on what to order before going to the cafe. The price is not cheap, one rice meal (169NOK) and one bottle of softdrink (42NOK) is already 211NOK or PHP1250+ for one person. Waah! They are using wooden utensils.



Tip: To save money, book your ticket in advance and bring your own food.

Dovre Railway

There is FREE wifi on the train but I’m still worried that I might get bored for our 7-hour train ride. But I was wrong, I enjoyed the scenic journey of the Dovre Railway. I always look forward to seeing the different train stations, they may be small but it has a unique charm. Hjerkinn Train Station is one of the stops if you take the Oslo to Trondheim train. This is the highest point of Dovre Railway at 1024 meters. The view is stunning and it makes me think that Norway is indeed a beautiful country.


I was happy that we rode the train instead of the plane. The train ride is already a travel experience because I’ve seen the Mjøsa Lake, Gudbrandsdalen Valley, Dovrefjell mountain range, Norway’s national parks, mountains, and other breathtaking attractions. As of now, this is my most unforgettable train ride and I hope in the future I can also try other railways like the Nordland Railway, Bergen Railway, Rauma Railway, Flåmsbana Railway, and Sørlandsbanen.






There are 13 stops from Oslo Central Station to Støren station. At the time of our travel, we need to get off at Støren station and ride a bus to Trondheim Central Station. It is not always like that but I think there was maintenance on the week of our travel so we had no choice. The bus was already waiting at the time of our arrival, you just need to be fast because it is FREE seating so first come first serve.


This was a long day for all of us because my husband traveled back to the Philippines and we traveled to Ørland. We rode a taxi, train, bus, ferry boat, and car just to reach my mom’s place. We’re on the road, rail, and sea for a total of 11 hours.

Oslo Central Train Station to Trondheim Central Train Station Video 
Read: Traveling Around Norway via NSB Train
Day Trip in Trondheim Norway

It was already lunch time when we finished crossing the Atlantic Road so on our way back to Ørland, we were looking for a restaurant. One challenge that I see in Norway is there are limited restaurants especially if you are traveling outside the city. So it is better to bring snacks and drinks so you won’t get hungry.

We experienced this after our trip in Atlantic Road, we could not find a restaurant. We stopped by in one restaurant and it was closed, the only day that they are closed is Saturday and we arrived on Saturday. The next restaurant that we saw was still closed, they will resume on May 17. We were really hungry and eating bread is not enough, naglolokohan na kami na baka sa Melissa na kami kakain. It is a restaurant in Ørland Sentrum.


Unlike in the Philippines that you can see a lot of drive-thru in the expressway. After few hours of driving, we finally saw Vinjefjordskroa Restaurant, Pub, and Bryggeri. Finally, the search is over. Vinjefjorskroa serves food and local beer from Fjord Brewery. They serve middag or dinner at 2PM. You can choose a buffet or a la carte.


The menu was written in the chalkboard and there is no English version of that. I did not bother my mom to translate the menu, I just chose the Fisk og Chips 150NOK and Nuggets and Chips because I can read and understand it. I forgot the exact price of the kid’s meal but it is less than 100NOK.


This restaurant has a nice view but we did not sit outside because it was so cold. I just enjoy the view while waiting for our food. My fish and chips were served on a paper, it is an advantage if I want to take out my food.



When in Europe, expect that Kid’s meal is just like a regular serving in Asia so sometimes I want to order in Kid’s menu too kasi nahihirapan ako ubusin yung adult meal. Hehehe! Food, place and service are good.

Vinjefjordskroa Retaurant, Pub and Bryggeri 
Vinjefjordsveien 229, 7203
Vinje, Sør-Trøndelag

Two weeks ago we had a quick getaway in Kristiansund, travel time is more or less 5 hours from Ørland to Scandic Kristiansund. Travel time is so long so after check-in, we immediately looked for a restaurant so we can eat dinner.


Kristiansund is a city so there are a lot of restaurants that you can choose from. We’re supposed to eat at Sushi Bar which is a popular restaurant in Kristiansund and other parts of Norway but when we got there, the restaurant is already fully booked. When my mom learned that we need to pay 495NOK per person, nagdalawang isip bigla. I’m not sure if it is a buffet price or not. My son and I don’t eat sushi or sashimi so she doesn’t think na worth it magbayad, if hindi naman namin makain lahat.




So we ended up with Bella Napoli Restaurant, an Italian Restaurant just in front of the Sushi Bar. The restaurant is not that big, I think it can only accommodate more or less 30 persons. There are tables for one person, couples, family and a big group.

Upon seated, we checked the menu on the table and I’m happy that there is an English version of their menu and they have a menu for kids too. The restaurant offers pasta, pizza, kebab, salad, and dessert. We ordered Pepper Beef 249NOk, Napoli Special 249 NOK, Kid’s Pizza 90NOK, Softdrinks 39NOK.



My Pepper Beef includes salad and fries, as usual I did not eat the salad. My son enjoyed his pizza but it is too big for kids, kung alam ko lang malaki yung kid’s pizza dapat nagshare na lang kami. Kaso hindi uso sharing at take-out ng food dito. Sayang! I don’t have a photo of the Napoli but my mom loved it too.

Food and service are good so if you are looking for a restaurant in Kristiansund, you can visit this place. It is walking distance from Scandic Kristiansund.

Bella Napoli Opening Hours 
Monday to Thursday - 13:00 - 22:00
Friday to Saturday - 12:00 - 00:00
Sunday - 13:00 - 22:00

Fishing is one thing that we always look forward to every time we visit Norway. We’ve been praying and hoping for nice weather so we can experience it again before we go back to the Philippines. Fishing in Norway is just a normal thing, you can fish all year round but the best time to fish is from March to October. But it doesn’t mean that you can catch fish every day because you have to consider the weather.


I mentioned before that since April 30, it’s been snowing, and raining and if the sun is out, it is still not good for fishing because it is windy. After three weeks of waiting we finally had our chance, thank God for giving us good weather. So after my mom’s work, we prepared for our fishing adventure.


I remember two years ago, it was so cold and we were wearing overall dress, scarf, bonnet, and gloves. But now, the weather is fine, it is neither cold nor hot so my son and I enjoy fishing. We started sailing at 5PM in Trondheim Fjord which is part of Trøndelag. Trøndelag is situated in the middle part of Norway and it is popular for fishing because they have a lot of lakes, streams, and rivers. You can do both saltwater and freshwater fishing.

Read: Fishing Adventures in Norway 
Watch the video here


After a few minutes of sailing, we stopped and started fishing. I was surprised when my fishing rod became heavy. Yey, I caught my first fish but unfortunately, we let it go because it is still small. But I guess, it was our lucky day because in just one hour my son and I caught 13 fish. I caught 7 Haddock fish and my son caught 6 fish.

My son was happy because he caught the two big fish which are Cod and Pollock. Two years ago, he was so sad because he did not catch any fish but now he is so proud of all the fish that he caught. We caught Haddock, Cod, and Pollock fishes and we’re going to eat the codfish later.


Haddock - It is a bottom-feeder fish that is commonly found in the North Atlantic Ocean or Northern Europe. It is usually found at 40-300 meters deep. It has a large black spot under the pectoral fin. We caught 12 Haddock fish.

Norwegian Pollock - This fish is common on the Trøndelag coast and it can weigh up to 10 kilos. My son caught around 5-6 kgs of Pollack fish. It is so big and heavy na nahirapan kami iangat.


Cod - Atlantic cod is the most common saltwater fish that lives in colder water and deeper sea so it is not surprising that we always catch this fish every fishing experience. It is popular as a food, you can grill, bake or fry this fish.


We stopped fishing after an hour because it is time for dinner. Seagulls are very happy, they are eating the internal organs of the fish. We left the seaport at 7PM after cleaning the fish, boat, and other fishing stuff.



Watch the video here.

Spring Season in Norway is unpredictable so now I understand why they really go out if the sun is out. Last April, the temperature already hit 20C but starting April 30, the weather is not good. It’s been two weeks of snow, rain and cloudy weather. And because of that, we’re lazy to go out because it is so cold. So I was really happy that we had good weather last Friday.


It was the 17th of May here in Norway and it is a big event for Norwegians, so rain or shine they really celebrate their National Day. This is my third time celebrating the 17th of May in Norway and fortunately, it is always good weather. We were watching the National Day celebration on TV and it is nice to see how they celebrate the 17th of May in and out of Norway. I already blogged about that two years ago, you can check it here.


This year, we watched the Children's Parade at the Sentrum. There are children's parades everywhere and the largest is in Oslo, 60,000 people will parade. The parade in Ørland lasted for 15 minutes only.



My mom prepared turkey, salad and pavlova for our middag (dinner). When we visited my aunt last Easter Monday, they prepared a turkey and it was so big that I can’t even finish the turkey wings. But last Friday, my mom cooked turkey fillet. So nakakabili naman pala ng hindi buong turkey, parang 1/4 lang ito and kasing laki ng 1 whole chicken. But still, we were not able to finish it kahit 4 na kami kumain.



Of course, the meal won’t be complete without Pavlova. It is a combination of meringue, vanilla cream, and fresh fruits. You need to bake the meringue in advance kasi hindi pwedeng mainit pag nilagay ang cream kasi magmelt. I love this cake, simple but yummy.


Read: Pavlova for 17th of May
Pavlova video 

Bruholmen




After dinner, we just rest for a while, and off we went to Bruholmen. We are taking advantage of the good weather at minsan lang yan. It is one of the recreation areas here in Ørland Norway and a few minute's walk from my mom’s place. This is also the view of our window room. It is so near so it is impossible not to visit every vacation namin sa Norway. I already blogged about this place, here and here. You can also read the different places that you can visit in Ørland Kommune for free.

Read: 12 Places to Visit in Ørland Norway for Free