Norway vacation
#7191189
02/21/21 11:36 AM
02/21/21 11:36 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 114 Central IA
badger
OP
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OP
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 114
Central IA
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Thinking of traveling to Norway in the next couple of years. If anybody has had experience with tours good or bad please let me know. It would be in summer time.
Thanks
Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May
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Re: Norway vacation
[Re: badger]
#7191235
02/21/21 12:27 PM
02/21/21 12:27 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,154 Alaska and Washington State
waggler
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Alaska and Washington State
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I might b a little bias, but I think you will find the attitude of the people in Norway more on the pessimistic side of things. For example: You say to a Norwegian; "beautiful day isn't it". His likely reply will be "but it will be rainy and windy tomorrow".
Swedes, stoic as they can be, are a little more cheery.
Go visit both Countries if you can afford it. Plan your own itinerary, and rent a car, no need for an over-priced tour where they will just herd you around to the most expensive tourist shops and restaurants. Everyone in those Counties speaks English, probably better than you and me.
"My life is better than your vacation"
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Re: Norway vacation
[Re: waggler]
#7191306
02/21/21 01:33 PM
02/21/21 01:33 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,005 Oregon
beaverpeeler
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Oregon
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I might b a little bias, but I think you will find the attitude of the people in Norway more on the pessimistic side of things. For example: You say to a Norwegian; "beautiful day isn't it". His likely reply will be "but it will be rainy and windy tomorrow".
Swedes, stoic as they can be, are a little more cheery.
Go visit both Countries if you can afford it. Plan your own itinerary, and rent a car, no need for an over-priced tour where they will just herd you around to the most expensive tourist shops and restaurants. Everyone in those Counties speaks English, probably better than you and me. I studied french as a second language for a semester in Bordeaux and we had three Norwegian gals in the class. They were the life of the party. I came away with a very favorable impression of Norwegian youth. Dang good looking too!
Last edited by beaverpeeler; 02/21/21 01:33 PM.
My fear of moving stairs is escalating!
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Re: Norway vacation
[Re: waggler]
#7191390
02/21/21 03:49 PM
02/21/21 03:49 PM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 10,404 Northeast Oklahoma
Mike in A-town
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Northeast Oklahoma
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I might b a little bias, but I think you will find the attitude of the people in Norway more on the pessimistic side of things. For example: You say to a Norwegian; "beautiful day isn't it". His likely reply will be "but it will be rainy and windy tomorrow".
Swedes, stoic as they can be, are a little more cheery.
Go visit both Countries if you can afford it. Plan your own itinerary, and rent a car, no need for an over-priced tour where they will just herd you around to the most expensive tourist shops and restaurants. Everyone in those Counties speaks English, probably better than you and me. The State Department has a system they use to rank the difficulty of foreign languages for staff like ambassadors, embassy personnel, etc... to learn to speak. If I remember correctly, Norwegian is the easiest language for English speakers to learn. If the Normans had decided to stay home (or were defeated) in 1066 it would probably be even easier to speak any of the Scandinavian/German languages today. Mike
One man with a gun may control 100 others who have none.
Vladimir Lenin
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Re: Norway vacation
[Re: bblwi]
#7191495
02/21/21 06:01 PM
02/21/21 06:01 PM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 10,404 Northeast Oklahoma
Mike in A-town
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From a written aspect Norwegian and Danish are very similar, They are however spoken very differently. The Danes speak more Germans do and the Norwegians gallop when they talk. Norway is the most capitalistic of the socialistic Scandinavian countries and have the most relatives in the US and other countries. Before oil Norway was a very poor country. Today they have one of the highest standards of living or per capita income in the world.
Bryce The joke I've always heard is that Danes speak a Scandinavian language... They just sound like they're doing it with a potato in their mouths. Kind of like I don't "pahk my cah in the yahd" like they do in Boston. I know exactly what that means but it sounds funny to me. Lol Mike
One man with a gun may control 100 others who have none.
Vladimir Lenin
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Re: Norway vacation
[Re: swift4me]
#7191498
02/21/21 06:05 PM
02/21/21 06:05 PM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 11,135 Armpit, ak
Dirt
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Armpit, ak
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I hunted in Sweden and Norway about 6 years ago. I covered a fair bit of ground in both countries, but not in the north.
I'll tell you one thing.... EVERYTHING in Norway is unbelievably expensive. They have a strange system where people make more money than in Sweden or the rest of Europe, but they spend it all on food.
6 years ago, I paid over $6 for a single 16 ounce can of regular beer in a grocery store. A single plate of mediocre Chinese food in a town was $19. A pack of cigarettes is $35.
It was kind of a Twilight Zone experience for me. I met some nice folks there and in southern Sweden as well. In Sweden you can hunt geese and ducks with lead shot over land, and no shooting hours and no limits.
Pete My Norwegian fishing buddies said the system is call "Socialism and Oil in the North and Norwegian Sea".
Who is John Galt?
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Re: Norway vacation
[Re: badger]
#7191731
02/21/21 09:29 PM
02/21/21 09:29 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,579 Duluth, MN
Clark
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I was in Norway 6 years ago. As has been said, it is very expensive. Breathtaking scenery almost everywhere. I have relatives in Norway that we met and they acted as tour guides and hosts for part of our trip. While that helped substantially, anyone under 50 speaks English and generally very good English. So traveling and doing things shouldn’t be a problem.
If I went back I would check out Sweden because it is far cheaper and I’ve been told that Stockholm is the “Venice of the North”. As a visitor I doubt you would notice any difference between the two.
Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen. -Albert Einstein
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Re: Norway vacation
[Re: badger]
#7191741
02/21/21 09:44 PM
02/21/21 09:44 PM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,511 Kanabec Cty, MN
Drakej
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Kanabec Cty, MN
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Yes, many things are VERY expensive(but so are many other euro destinations IMO) but if one eats and lives like a local it is not that bad. Spent 14 days there driving thru the S. half of Norway and it was incredibly scenic(you will get immune to waterfalls). Was very surprised at the disappearance of native arts/crafts with coming of oil wealth. Always like to learn about the local cultural crafts of the places we visit. Lack of commercialization of tourist shopping/attractions I have experienced in most of the places I've been(which I liked). If you don't have an interest in their culture, have roots/relatives there or willingness to want to share how they live I wouldn't recommend going. Also one needs to be really tolerant of the many tourists that are everywhere in summer(by the multiple buss loads). Rented a European "SUV" and it WAS a Mercedes but it wasn't any larger than most of our UTV's. Probably still wanted there for a slight, lol, speeding violation(3 mph over traffic cam limit) racing to the airport(I think the target tourist there as all rental vehicles have identifiable license #).
I've learned enough thru the years to now know that I don't know enough. KNOWLEDGE IS FREEDOM.
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Re: Norway vacation
[Re: Mike in A-town]
#7191784
02/21/21 10:23 PM
02/21/21 10:23 PM
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Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 5,570 Dunbar, Wisconsin
Pike River
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From a written aspect Norwegian and Danish are very similar, They are however spoken very differently. The Danes speak more Germans do and the Norwegians gallop when they talk. Norway is the most capitalistic of the socialistic Scandinavian countries and have the most relatives in the US and other countries. Before oil Norway was a very poor country. Today they have one of the highest standards of living or per capita income in the world.
Bryce The joke I've always heard is that Danes speak a Scandinavian language... They just sound like they're doing it with a potato in their mouths. Kind of like I don't "pahk my cah in the yahd" like they do in Boston. I know exactly what that means but it sounds funny to me. Lol Mike Spot on. Danes swallow many sounds. Written Nord amd Dansk bokmal or nearly the same.
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