LILLEHAMMER, NORWAY

JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS NORTH OF OSLO IS LILLEHAMMER.  "HOME OF THE 1994 OLYMPICS" AS THEY SEEM TO REMIND VISITORS ON EVERY STREET CORNER.  IT'S A SMALL CITY AND MY GUESS IT HASN'T BEEN UPDATED SINCE THOSE OLYMPIC GAMES. BEFORE ARRIVING IN LILLEHAMMER WE STOPPED AT A SMALL TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM HIGHLIGHTING NORWEGIAN TRANSPORTATION.   IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD EXHIBIT WITH HISTORIC BUILDINGS, NORWEGIAN ROAD BUILDING EQUIPMENT, AS WELL AS AN INTERESTING TOUR OF A ROCK MINE.  THE NORWEGIANS WERE REALLY INTO MINING FOR ROCK.    WE SAW SEVERAL FAMILIES WHO HAD YOUNG KIDS AND THEY WERE HAVING SO MUCH FUN CLIMBING ON THE EQUIPMENT AND EXPLORING.

A LITTLE TASTE OF HOME!

FUNNY NORWEGIANS

LIKE I SAID, FUNNY NORWEGIANS

I WISH I COULD SAY IT WAS A SUNDAY AND THAT WAS WHY THE SHOPPING DISTRICT WAS SO EMPTY IN LILLEHAMMER, BUT IT WASN'T.   KIND OF SAD.

WERE THESE GALS LAUGHING AT US BECAUSE WE STOPPED OFF IN LILLEHAMMER ON OUR NORWAY ADVENTURE?

THEY LOVE BLASTING OUT TUNNELS IN NORWAY.  NEARLY THE WHOLE DRIVE FROM OSLO TO LILLEHAMMER WAS A CONSTRUCTION SITE.

OOPS!   I THINK THEY FORGOT TO FINISH SOMETHING HERE!

THIS IS THE TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM OUTSIDE OF LILLEHAMMER.   THEY HAD QUITE THE BICYCLE COLLECTION

THE STORY BEHIND THIS BUS IS THAT IT WAS CUSTOM BUILT FOR AN AREA OF NORWAY THAT HAD A NARROW BRIDGE.  THE REGULAR BUSES COULDN'T FIT OVER THE BRIDGE TO PICK UP KIDS FOR SCHOOL SO THEY HAD THIS ONE DESIGNED FOR IT.  THEN OF COURSE THEY EVENTUALLY WIDENED THE BRIDGE AND THE BUS WAS PUT TO PASTURE.   THEY HAVE LOVINGLY RESTORED IT AT THE TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM AND THEY USE IT TO DRIVE PEOPLE AROUND WHO CAN'T MAKE THE WALK.

THIS WAS AN INTERESTING BLASTING TUNNEL TOUR.  THEY HAD THE TOUR IN ENGLISH SO WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT HOW THEY BUILT THE ROADS AND TUNNELS ALL OVER NORWAY.  IN THE EARLY DAYS IT WAS DONE BY HAND.  UNBELIEVABLE.

VIEW OF LILLEHAMMER FROM OUR HOTEL