We recently returned from our three week trip to Denmark and Norway. I wanted to thank those of you who helped me with pre-trip planning. The tip to stay at the Stalheim was terrific.
At the train stations, we saw signs that would have a number and then the letters m.o.h. Does anyone know what that means? Was it related to altitude? (That was my only guess.)
Thanks again.

Hi jeg,

Before anyone will answer your question, you must file a trip report.

Yes, a trip report!

But in the meantime: Googling "M.O.H." yielded the following possibilities:

Ministry of Health
Ministry of Helps
Medal of Honor
Master of Hardcore
Music on Hold

Take your pick!

I don't know the exact translation, but it's not English (of course). It does indeed mean "elevation" (or altitude) - - for example, see the following table of elevations of mountains: http://www.kaasin.no/fjell/2000m.html

I located this on www.dk.yahoo.com by the way - - I'm not sure how (if it can be done) to search google.com for a specific language.

I would guess that the "H" is "ho/yde" - - from the dictionaries.travlang.com translation for height. (I didn't remember how to represent the letter that looks like an "o" with a slash - - so I typed through it "o/&quot.

Best wishes,

Rex

Hi Rex,

The Ø might be on your character map. I have seen it represented as "oe".

You're right - - I should have been less lazy and looked it up on http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1277315 - - where I was (the) one of many?) who helped put together the table there, in my post dated 11/23/2001, 04:19 pm

Unfortunately, I don't believe it works to simply cut and paste that table here - - you have to "alt+numbers" each and every one of those symbols to recreate the listing. But the URL shown above will take you to that table.

And "alt-0248" is indeed listed there as the symbol in question - - but on this laptop (I am using right now), I don't think I can enter it that way.

Yes, altitude it is. M.O.H. is the abbreviation for Meter Over Havet, directly translated to English it is "Meters Above the Sea".

I'm glad you liked Stalheim. To me it is one of the best places for overnighting at the Nutshell track. May seem a little expensive, though. But they also have very big and comfortable double/family rooms with direct access to the terrace at a NOK425 per person rate, breakfast included. We stayed there two weeks ago, and pre-booking was not nessecary.
Bjorn.
PS How many times did you make the Stalheim curves up and down? We made four roundtrips just for the fun of it...

Pleas allow me a little joke on the m.o.h. topic:

A Swede(of course) once stopped at Gothenburg rail station on his way to Stockholm. The sign said "Stockholm: 530 kilometers. Over Havet: 10 meters"
Well, the Swede said, I suggest we take the road over the ocean....

B

Bjorn,

Are you making fun of the Swedes?

Of course I am. Good neighbours always do. But it goes both directions. Like the one "how to see the difference between Norwegian and Swedish oil platform workers" - The Swedish feed the copters. "But how do you differ between Swedish and Norwegian copter pilots?" - The latter dive for the food.....

So it is for fun only, until it gets down to ski jumping and javelin throwing. Especially ski jumping is a sport where we never really tolerates the Swedes to beat us.....

BTW, tomorrow I head for Sweden

B

OK, here goes on the trip report...We spent four nights in Copenhagen (at the Hotel Danmark--liked the hotel a lot), with a day trip to Roskilde (sorry, I wasn't as thrilled as others have been). We loved Copenhagen. We then spent three nights in Helsingor as a base for other day trips, including the Louisiana Museum and the Frederiksborg Castle. I wish we'd spent an extra night in Copenhagen and one less in Helsingor. From there we went to the island of Aero, where we spent three nights. We finished our time in Denmark by spending two nights in Arhus, where we stayed at the Cab Inn. I thought the hotel was great and it was the only place in Scandinavia where I found a "bargain". When we checked in, we were told that there was a summer special going on and our nightly rate was reduced.
Then we took the ferry from Hirtshals to Kristiansand, Norway. Wow! That was one rough ferry crossing! We were surrounded by sick people and I got heavy use of my Dramamine. I wonder if it was an unusual day.
We spent one night in Kristiansand. We had planned to stay there just as a quick stop before heading up to Bergen, but we really enjoyed the town. We stayed at the Hotel Bondeheimen and had a beautiful room.
From Kristiansand we took the train and boat to Bergen and stayed in Bergen for three rainy days. I have to say that Bergen seemed to be the most expensive of the cities and towns we visited! We stayed at the Steens Hotel, where we had a great room and the staff was very friendly. It was a little bit of an uphill hike out of town, though. Highlights of Bergen: the funicular, the hike down from the top of where the funicular leaves you, the fish market, the aquarium and the tour of Bryggen (the one that leaves from the Bryggen Museum; I thought it was great).
The next day we started the Nutshell tour. Bjorn had advised us to take the train from Bergen to Myrdal and do the Nutshell in a counterclockwise direction. Because that was an "irregular" route, it was very hard to book ahead of time and only the incredibly helpful tourist office in Bergen seemed to be able to figure out the way to book it. We arrived in Myrdal and changed for the smaller Flam train. That train was disappointing because it was mobbed. Many people had to stand; it was too crowded because some of the cars were reserved for tour groups. In Flam we took the boat to Gudvangen. That was a spectacular boat ride (despite the intermittent rain!). After the boat, we took the bus to the Stalheim Hotel where we stayed overnight (after some confusion about whether our bus would take the Stalheim route). Bjorn asked how many times we went up the curves to the Stalheim. Only once! I was terrified the whole time but I thought it was amazingly beautiful. Our room at the Stalheim was a family room (NOK 1250)and it was easily the best room of our trip. The view from the room was worth the entire trip.
The next day we took the bus and then train to Oslo, where we spent three nights. I liked the Kon-Tiki Museum a lot and I loved the park with the Vigeland sculptures. We saw the most unusual parade I've ever seen: Oslo's "Summer Parade". It definitely wasn't what we expected when we lined up on the curb!
It was a great three weeks!

jeg. A great report! And I totally agree on the Roskilde stuff. To me the dome with its crypt was slightly less disappointing than the childish Viking Land museum.
The Flam rail certainly is a tourist magnet, but after all I gladly admit that the experience of riding it not at all compares to the expectations. Still my judgement of it is positive, i.e. within the limitations and value of the very compressed Nutshell concept. What I really would eager people to do, is that instead of making the train ride, walk by foot downwards. Not too far distance, not a heavy walk, but with "civilised" luggage maybe troublesome.
Flam is crowded. If possible get to Aurland. And if you do not have your own car, hire a taxi to take you up the hills (Aurland direction) in order to get the most scenic and thrilling view over the fjord!
Also, try to reach the village of Underdal. The road down to the village is the first and only exit from the main road from Flam to Gudvangen, just between the two tunnels. (5kms form Flam, 11 kms from Gudvangen). The village Underdal is unbelievable small, unbelievable set on the cliffs right in the seafront, and with an unbelievable small and beutiful stave church. Still the village houses at least four streets, up to 15 traffic signs and also an annual Goat Cheese Festival. Go there!
Bjorn, Oslo