Sympathy for the Devil

One of the first lessons I learned in Grand Fork, was that you do not go to Target when you see busses outside.  Unless you are brave enough to face down the swarms of Canadians that have come down in order to purchase cheaper goods in the US.

Dramatic Reenactment 

However, upon arriving in Trondheim, one of the first things I realized is how much more things can be here.  for most things it isn't that much worse.  Fish here is relatively inexpensive at the stores, but if you had a beef intensive diet before, prepare to become vegetarian.  Since Norway doesn't have as much cattle as the US, it costs much more here.  An 8oz steak can cost close to 30 dollars in most stores.  One of the biggest habits for me to break here is going to be eating out, as a meal at a sit down restaurant can cost upwards of fifty dollars if not more.

After getting over the shock of some of the prices, I picked myself up out of the fetal position and scheduled to take one of the free buses to Sweden.  They leave everyday from the city center, and it is about a four hour round trip with an hour at the store to make your purchases.  It was a welcome relief when I saw the prices upon arrival, while several items were still more expensive then their counterparts back home, the costs were much more manageable.

The bus ride there was very enjoyable, and I took several photos of the mountains on the way there.  The scenery here is nothing like North Dakota, or Minnesota for that matter.  It reminded me more of driving through the mountains in Colorado.  The photos didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, as I was taking them from a bus window driving down a highway.  Once things warm up a bit more here I definitely want to take a hiking trip so that I can take more photos of the gorgeous scenery here in Trondheim.