After Dublin, my next destination was Bergen, Norway after a (very) short night spent in Oslo. My objective of visiting Norway was to both get a taste of the scenery over the six hour train ride from Oslo to Bergen and then to experience the culture by hanging out in Bergen for a few days.

The Hill of Tara dates to Neolithic times (~3000 BC). It’s most popularly known as serving as the seat of the Irish kings (~600 AD), and more recently (~1900) it was excavated by British Israelites who thought that the Ark of the Covenant was buried there. Currently (October 24, 2007), it’s basically just a hill.

Newgrange is part of the Brú na Bóinne complex (a collection of Neolithic chamber tombs). Built between 3300-2900 BC, it’s an UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s 500 years older than the Great Pyramid and predates stonehenge by 1,000 years. The Newgrange tomb was excavated and restored between 1962-1975, and it was discovered that on the Winter Solstice, the sun’s light illuminates the inner chamber for 17 minutes. I joined the tour group and squeezed through the entrance to see the inner chamber firsthand (no pictures allowed), and I entered the lottery for a chance to watch the Winter Solstice in person.