Romy

Two pics for today because the day is 24hrs long!  We backpacked into a secluded beach called Klavika, then hiked up to one of the surrounding peaks to try and watch the sun 'set'.  It doesn't really ever set, it just kind of dips down in the sky a little.  We got up to the top around midnight, and hung around up there until 1am when it became just too cold and windy for our fleeces to keep us warm.  We got back to the tent around 2am (3hrs up, 1hr down - figures) and had a feast of smoked salmon and Belgian Trappist beer that Mark had brought.

Romy

Near Nordvalle (in Lofoten of course!).  The water wasn't terribly cold for being in the arctic circle, but I still only stuck my feet in...

Jenn, Nicole & Marcel

This morning we made strawberry and banana whole wheat pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast. Happy Fourth of July!

Jenn

Today I got a really bad sunburn on my shoulders because Marcel and I were weeding the front, in the sun!

Romy

Mark brought food from Germany (because Norway is way too expensive!) including this blood sausage.  It was .... pretty gross.  Neither of us could finish the sandwich, and even the gulls didn't know what to think of the stuff.

Romy

A sweet beach near Flakstad on Lofoten.  The metal thing near my feet is a country boundary marker which we saw all over the coastal areas in Norway.  We had perfect weather; not only were we above the arctic circle which meant 24hr sun, but we actually had 24hrs of sun for the whole time we were on Lofoten!  No rain, no storms, just awesome sun!

Romy

We took a hike near Henningsvær, a small little fishing village turned climbing town.  We were trying to find the wall in the area that was bolted (since most of Lofoten is climbed in the traditional manner with anchors and protection you place yourself, as opposed to anchors bolted to the rock face).  We completely overshot the climbing area, but had a sweet hike instead.

Jenn & Nicole

We went to go hike part of the Pacific Crest Trail where it meets Hwy 50 near Lake Tahoe. The only problem was we couldn't get very far (only one mile) because there was still a LOT OF SNOW on the trail!

Romy

And we've arrived on Lofoten!  After a solid 24 hrs of driving, we made it from Trondheim to Lofoten.  It could have been quicker if it wasn't for the quite scenic coastal road involving ferries.

Romy

Glacier!!!

We (we = Mark and I) took the coastal road up to Lofoten from Trondheim.  After driving through the night (Day?  The sun can play tricks on you when it doesn't set) we came upon this glacier, so stopped for pics and some much needed peeing!

Jenn & Marcel

We went camping for part of the July 4th weekend to the Eldorado National Forest. We found a camping spot overlooking a small canyon and made a firepit by a stone sanctuary.

Romy

And so begins the drive to LOFOTEN!!!

This is after going to a friends house for some drinks at about 10pm, then leaving said friends house around midnight and driving through the night (err, day?).  Technically, this was taken on July 1, but since we never went to sleep.....

Romy

Andrew and I went out to a bar for his last night here. I got a very tasty IPA, and he got two of the weak (and tasteless) local beers for the same price as my one tasty IPA.

Jenn

Today was the last day of our vacation in Peru. We're now just waiting at the Lima airport for our flights to leave.

Romy

Making some curry stuffs for dinner.

Jenn

Woah! I am getting a tan! This picture was taken inside a taxi as we were going from the historical center of Lima, Peru, back to our hostal.

Jenn

Today we are taking a big bus from Cusco back to Lima, Peru. I was able to reserve the two front seats on the second floor of the bus, so we had a great view while traveling!!! It took 20 hours.

Romy

We ate lunch outside today because it was nice again (like yesterday, but warmer and with less sun). There's a patio type thing on the roof of the building we're working in, and it's a good spot for lunching.

Romy

Today Andrew and I went for a hike to Bymarka, a regional park outside of Trondheim (but within walking distance). We had a good 5 hour hike, got a little lost, found selves, went to some high points (pic) and did a big loop. It was fun, and it's nice hiking through the alpine type forests here. Although the random swamps at high elevation are a bit annoying at times!

Jenn

Today we went to Pisac, Peru to see the Inka ruins in the mountains above the town, and also to peruse the large market they have on Sundays. I bought some llama wool hats.

Romy

Me eating a traditional Norwegian pancake with lots of toppings! There was some sort of farmers market gathering, except the foods were all cheese, meats, and this pancake place. The toppings are: sugary butter, yogurt, jelly, brown cheese, and some cream-cheese like substance. It was tasty!

Jenn

Our second day visiting Machu Picchu was foggy in the morning. Misty clouds were hanging low all around the surrounding mountains, but then it cleared up and got hot and humid!

Romy

It was recommended that we try this burger place (at the Studentersamfundet) which is across the street from where we're staying. Like everything else in Norway, the burger was expensive, but it was pretty good. Not necessarily worth the $14 we spent on one good, but pretty good. I'd say, In-n-Out good, but unlike the $3 burgers at I-n-O, this one hurt the wallet.

Jenn

Here I am before the sun rise at Machu Picchu! We got there as soon as it opened for the day, at 6am. We were able to get a stamp to climb Wayna Picchu (the big mountain behind me) and Huchuy Picchu, a smaller one next to it.

Jenn

After 3 hours of hiking uphill, at high elevation, we finally made it to the Pumamarca Inka ruins a few miles away from Ollantaytambo. We were the only ones there, except for the caretaker who scared me as he popped out of one of the ruined houses with a HUGE machete in his hands (he was shopping the overgrown areas)!

Nothing spectacular today, just me in a mirror making a face.

Jenn

Today we took a minivan full of people from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, and we visited the Inka ruins here.

Romy

Yay mornings!

Jenn

Having a beer in the main square in Cusco while the parade is going on in the street.

Romy

My desk while here in Trondheim.

Romy

Camera from above!

Jenn

My mom and I are at the Sun Gate at the Saqsaywaman Inka ruins outside of Cusco, Peru. It took us almost an hour to walk there even though it was less than 2 miles away because the ruins were at the top of a mountain at 3,500m high and we had to take lots of breaks!

Jenn

Today we are taking the Cruz Del Sur bus from Lima to Cusco, Peru. It goes through the mountains! They serve dinner and breakfast.

Romy

After getting back from Froya/Hitra, we met up with some of Dibble's (one of my prof's) old students from 10 years ago. We went to the only micro brewery in Trondheim and drank the Norwegian's version of an IPA, which too wasn't bad. We left sometime around 2am, got some extremely expensive burger king, and headed back to the apartment. It doesn't ever really get dark here, so it's somewhat easy to stay up late. Dibble and Chen left at 4am, so now Andrew and I have the place to ourselves. Andrew is on the left, JY Chen (my advisor) in the middle. In the background you can see the iconic building of the NTNU campus with the moon hovering over it.

Romy

We drove out today to Hitra & Frøya, two islands near (well, sorta near) Trondheim.

Jenn

I am standing in front of the Cathedral of San Francisco, in Lima Peru! They have underground catacombs with human bones and lots of skulls!

Jenn

We arrived in Lima tonight and made it to our hostel! The taxi driver was so crazy!

Romy

We drove down to the Trollstigen. We were here last year too, but took the train/bus, so this allowed us to see stuff the train/bus didn't. It was nice to be able to wander around and checks stuff out!

Romy

Right before going to eat a 4 course meal at 'Hav Fruen' which apparently translates as 'Siren of the Sea'. Really good food, but if I were paying, I would have only been able to afford the bread! They didn't give you a choice on the menu, rather, they told you what you were going to eat which was based on what they caught that day.

Jenn & Nicole

Before dropping my off at the airport, Nicole and I went to go see the Palace of Fine Arts in San Fran.

Romy

In front of my poster at the conference (and glad to be done standing in front of it!)

Romy

Tired after the reception for the Trondheim CCS conference.

Jenn

Today Romy got to Norway and I was g-chatting with him.

Romy

Just got into the apartment where we'll be staying in Trondheim.

Jenn

Today I vacuumed the whole apartment like crazy! I love my shop vac!

Romy & Jenn

Eating dinner at the Saturday night potluck with the VWCamperFamily people.

Romy & Jenn

We're headed to Trainspotting III (a VWCamperFamily event) at the Halsted Campground in the Plumas National Forest near Twain, CA. This is the double bridge along Hwy 70. One for cars, one for trains.

Romy & Jenn

Today we replaced the timing belt, tensioners, alternator belt, and the water pump in the Woo. It took all day!

Romy

Still working on the baja.

Jenn

Showing off my purse that I just finished sewing! I am happy with it!