My Dad is mad about wine and I have a passing interest in the stuff as well. I found out about Park Hotel poking around the internet reading about wine and discovered it has an outrageous collection of wines.
It may seem a bit excessive going to Norway for a meal but I find getting around the UK such a pain these days and the UK side of the trip was, as usual, the worst bit. Arriving in Bergen was nice with great views over a surprisingly blue coastline and the transfer to the train station pleasant since there isn't really an ugly part of Norway.
The meal was outrageous made of fresh local produce (stuff you will never see on a menu in the UK) and we had the 1996 Romanee-Conti which was, of course, far from cheap but, bearing in mind I'd rather pay proper money and get something than not enjoy myself saving money (I'd rather have a nice, MEMORABLE jolly somewhere that costs a fair bit than waste time in traffic jams in a hot car in the UK going nowhere slowly wondering why I ever left home)
Tips? DO go expecting to spend a load of money. Norway isn't cheap BUT it's pretty and the Norwegians don't like slumming it. There's quality everywhere and, unlike the UK, people in Norway actually go into the hospitality profession as a career.
As I said, I spent a lot of money on this trip but 1. my dad is worth it 2. I'm getting value all the time from the memories and 3. If you don't go out much (like me) dividing the cost of this trip a few times means it cost as much as 3 forgettable ordeals trying to enjoy the UK.
- Park Hotel Voss
