Off Topic Holidays

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djsowtz said:
Norway’s amazing
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It's certainly a beautiful place and I'm tied to it now after nearly 30 years. However, I've not been to Ålesund - although been around it... I'm going to be living in Germany for nine months from August and when I get back, I'll check it out. Bergen is the nearest city to me, so Ålesund is an 8 hour drive and two ferries away. Oslo has certainly changed over the last twenty years - it was a bit grim, rough and a far shabbier version of Stockholm before. Huge investment and renovation of the dock areas has turned it into a city worth visiting.

Downsides of the country are the lack of daylight in the winter months, the weather on the west coast (we had 60 straight days of rain where I live last year), it's not the most cultural of countries and if youre a social animal expecting to be out socialising every night of the week, you'll be most likely disappointed.
 
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Ernie Shackleton said:
Did a cruise through the fjords and open sea hugging the coast up to Tromsø.

Stunningly beautiful.

Very polite people who spoke very good English.

Although they do seem to have been twats to the Sami over the years (according to a shamen who I attended a talk by).
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Was that Hurtigruten? Did you go both ways or fly back from Tromso?
Ha, i think the Sami thing was before the 1960s when they were forced into schools, taken from their families into Childrens homes and forced to speak Norwegian, as many indigenous ppl were back in the day. It's all been reversed now and they get a lot of benefits to promote their culture, a nationalised TV channel only in Sami and the ones with reindeer herds are loaded and don't have to pay much tax. They are music obsessed and have a singing competition every year, that is 'interesting', ha... YouTube it if you dare, I don't get it, and most non Samis don't either. Rarely meet one outside of Nordland though.
 
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Heimdallr said:
It's certainly a beautiful place and I'm tied to it now after nearly 30 years. However, I've not been to Ålesund - although been around it... I'm going to be living in Germany for nine months from August and when I get back, I'll check it out. Bergen is the nearest city to me, so Ålesund is an 8 hour drive and two ferries away. Oslo has certainly changed over the last twenty years - it was a bit grim, rough and a far shabbier version of Stockholm before. Huge investment and renovation of the dock areas has turned it into a city worth visiting.

Downsides of the country are the lack of daylight in the winter months, the weather on the west coast (we had 60 straight days of rain where I live last year), it's not the most cultural of countries and if youre a social animal expecting to be out socialising every night of the week, you'll be most likely disappointed.
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Gangs Of Oslo was a good watch on Netflix. Showed a different aspect of life there.<laugh>
 
Heimdallr said:
It's certainly a beautiful place and I'm tied to it now after nearly 30 years. However, I've not been to Ålesund - although been around it... I'm going to be living in Germany for nine months from August and when I get back, I'll check it out. Bergen is the nearest city to me, so Ålesund is an 8 hour drive and two ferries away. Oslo has certainly changed over the last twenty years - it was a bit grim, rough and a far shabbier version of Stockholm before. Huge investment and renovation of the dock areas has turned it into a city worth visiting.

Downsides of the country are the lack of daylight in the winter months, the weather on the west coast (we had 60 straight days of rain where I live last year), it's not the most cultural of countries and if youre a social animal expecting to be out socialising every night of the week, you'll be most likely disappointed.
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I love Bergen too, been there a few times. I love the stall at the harbour shed that sells squid etc. I guess it’s still there, but haven’t been for a while.

I know it’s a different story when you actually live there though. Then again, I live in Scotland’s Chernobyl so can’t be any worse lol.
Where are you going to live in Germany? My Mum is German.
 
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djsowtz said:
I love Bergen too, been there a few times. I love the stall at the harbour shed that sells squid etc. I guess it’s still there, but haven’t been for a while.

I know it’s a different story when you actually live there though. Then again, I live in Scotland’s Chernobyl so can’t be any worse lol.
Where are you going to live in Germany? My Mum is German.
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Dortmund, with my daughter for 10 months - she's taking a year out after university to play håndball in the Bundesliga... Quit my job/career, not doing offshore anymore, so will attempt to get some work in the construction industry there. Hardly ever been to Germany, a stag-do in Berlin many years ago, so in looking forward to the change of scenery.

I used to go to Scotland occasionally - hiking some of the munros and sea kayaking around Skye, but never spent any time in the cities. Some parts of the nature are more stunning than Norway. Loads of Scottish ppl live in Norway, they've even got their own pub in Bergen.
 
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Heimdallr said:
Was that Hurtigruten? Did you go both ways or fly back from Tromso?
Ha, i think the Sami thing was before the 1960s when they were forced into schools, taken from their families into Childrens homes and forced to speak Norwegian, as many indigenous ppl were back in the day. It's all been reversed now and they get a lot of benefits to promote their culture, a nationalised TV channel only in Sami and the ones with reindeer herds are loaded and don't have to pay much tax. They are music obsessed and have a singing competition every year, that is 'interesting', ha... YouTube it if you dare, I don't get it, and most non Samis don't either. Rarely meet one outside of Nordland though.
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Pretty sure Hurtigruten is summat the Swedish chef says
 
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Heimdallr said:
Dortmund, with my daughter for 10 months - she's taking a year out after university to play håndball in the Bundesliga... Quit my job/career, not doing offshore anymore, so will attempt to get some work in the construction industry there. Hardly ever been to Germany, a stag-do in Berlin many years ago, so in looking forward to the change of scenery.

I used to go to Scotland occasionally - hiking some of the munros and sea kayaking around Skye, but never spent any time in the cities. Some parts of the nature are more stunning than Norway. Loads of Scottish ppl live in Norway, they've even got their own pub in Bergen.
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That sounds amazing, good luck to her and sometimes you need to do that for yourself. My Dad was the Op’s Director for Stena for the offshore and oil side of things and then MD for Gulf Marine. I did a bit of personnel and training for Coflexip/Stena Offshore, but hated it tbh.

There’s a guy just around the corner from me, only about 24, moved to Germany with his company, packed everything up, girlfriend the lot. Lasted 2 weeks, hated it, think it was a bit of a shock to his system, but I love it there.

It’ll be a great experience.
 
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Heimdallr said:
Dortmund, with my daughter for 10 months - she's taking a year out after university to play håndball in the Bundesliga... Quit my job/career, not doing offshore anymore, so will attempt to get some work in the construction industry there. Hardly ever been to Germany, a stag-do in Berlin many years ago, so in looking forward to the change of scenery.

I used to go to Scotland occasionally - hiking some of the munros and sea kayaking around Skye, but never spent any time in the cities. Some parts of the nature are more stunning than Norway. Loads of Scottish ppl live in Norway, they've even got their own pub in Bergen.
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We have some great places here, but like everywhere else these days, most places are going down a slippery slope. Glasgow used to be the most amazing city. Very raw, what you see is what you got, but last time I was up there it had really gone down hill for me. My pal does a podcast (A Nail in the Fish - on YouTube) and he actually said in his last one just a couple of days ago, that the problem with Scotland these days is that “everyone wants to see you fail”. For me, that’s very true and resonates. It’s a very toxic culture. @Ric Glasgow may or may not verify that, and the UK is probably similar on that level, other posters may clarify that. How is Norway for that from a cultural and business perspective?
 
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djsowtz said:
We have some great places here, but like everywhere else these days, most places are going down a slippery slope. Glasgow used to be the most amazing city. Very raw, what you see is what you got, but last time I was up there it had really gone down hill for me. My pal does a podcast (A Nail in the Fish - on YouTube) and he actually said in his last one just a couple of days ago, that the problem with Scotland these days is that “everyone wants to see you fail”. For me, that’s very true and resonates. It’s a very toxic culture. @Ric Glasgow may or may not verify that, and the UK is probably similar on that level, other posters may clarify that. How is Norway for that from a cultural and business perspective?
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I'm not really sure how to answer that DJ...Long winded as usual but here goes:emoticon-0121-angry

I think this "everyone wants to see you fail" attitude is far more widespread than being solely a Scottish problem,I see elements of it Britain wide and Worldwide,it's cemented into some people's DNA,more so nowadays in my opinion.
On a personal level,I've had 65 years of someone wishing ill on me(an elder sister who has went out of her way throughout her life to try and inflict grief on me and at times she's succeeded).She's rotten to the core,evil,I've took nothing to do with her for 20-30 years but she's crawled back out from under her rock at 2 low points in my life(the loss of both my parents) and caused me significant emotional grief.I don't wish failure on her,I pity her,as I'm a great believer in karma,this life or the next and I firmly believe that she will eventually have to answer to a higher power for her conduct...

If there are any people on this Earth who deserve to fail,it's the corrupt politicians and leaders that we are supposed to respect but the bulletproof bastards seem to walk on water when it comes to justice...I have a personal beef with greed,it's unnecessary,there's only so much wealth required to survive in life and there are no pockets in shrouds.I look after my own in life rather than death and due to that I'm not rich and never will be.

In short,no-one should envy my lifestyle or wealth...There's nothing to envy,I strive to survive.

As for Glasgow,yes,it's a rough and ready City and on occasion it can be an extremely toxic and violent City but I've been up here a long time and know how to play it,if that makes sense? I like the West End of Glasgow in terms of socialising,there are some nice quiet pubs up that end,and little or no trouble,it's a good vibe going on up there and easy to access by bus,train,subway or on foot.In some ways I'm more comfortable boozing in Glasgow than I am in Hull to be honest as I can read the situation up here with ease and Hull has become a bit alien to me over the years( and to be fair it does have it's fair share of mouthy twats,as do most big City's).

I'll buy you a pint sometime soon and Partick is more or less equidistant for us both:emoticon-0148-yes:
 
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Have they all been 7 days before?

These are still great gestures but that is a long city break!
 
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