Norway

Given the kind of things the Norwegians like to eat, it's wise to be cautious, particularly if the food you're about to taste is called "Rommegrot." It wouldn't be unreasonable to assume this translates into something like "rotted whale snot." This is Cara eating Rommegrot, which we bought from a cheery grandmother at a Trondheim farmer's market. It turns out that Rommegrot is a very tasty dish of soured cream, butter and sugar. They don't measure this stuff in calories, but in kilojoules of energy. They power cities on it.

Our reason for being in Trondheim was to board a charming coastal ferry called the Hurtigruten. Put on your best Swedish Chef voice and pronounce this like you're doing your best to make fun of the Norwegians. You still won't make it sound funny enough. That's Norway for you: they think they're vikings, but they're not. They're Muppets. The coastal Norwegians are fond of the Hurtigruten since it's cute and it delivers them the mail. For tourists, the Hurtigruten delivers superb views of the Norwegian coastline, though this is really just a preview of Norway's best scenery.

We spent two days hiking in Bergen. A steep well-paved mountain path leaves from the edge of the city and takes you within a couple of hours to some astonishing views.

There's always a cat to make friends with in every place we visit. This one joined us at picnic lunch in Bergen. When he saw we weren't sharing, he popped into the bushes and returned a few minutes later with his own, still kicking, lunch which he sat down to eat in front of us. Very companionable.