Norway ~ Beyond the Scenic Beauty
” And anyone can enjoy nature. Thanks to “Right of Every Man”, a law that guarantees people to access any part of Norway that isn’t farmed or within meters from a residential house. You can even put your tent in fields and forests, pick berries or mushrooms on mountains and islands or paddle on fjords and rivers, all year around, all for free. Norway will take your breath away. If for no other reason than being.” - Gunnar Garfors
Norway really does take your breath away. I know it’s not a first choice for many visitors to Europe perhaps not even a second choice since London, Rome, Paris, Venice, etc. all vie for first place. Once you visit you will fall in love like I did, and I have to say I am not the most active person on the planet. If you are a hiker or into more physical activity, then it might seem even more like paradise.
Did this bridge get washed away with the spate of water coming down from the mountains?
A novel and intriguing signpost asking visitors to drive down to the crossroads to make their way to the turn. Since the town was not one that we were scheduled to stop at or even drive through I never found out how one crossed the fjord to get to it.
This medieval wooden stave church in Lom dates back to 1158 and still functions as the local parish church. Out of more than 1100 such churches that once existed only 28 have survived intact. They are built of wood from the local trees hence the name Stave. The Norse Jarls created these churches to help bridge their people from the Norse Gods to the Christian Gods and as such the churches are fascinating in the detail inside.
When we arrived at the church there was a baptismal service that was finishing up. As we waited for our tour inside the church, we got to meet locals in their traditional finery and a lot of babies.
Roads were winding and twisting and turning. Definitely need a skilled driver to navigate.
Sheep, scooters, hikers were sights that I was used to seeing but the first antique car on these roads took me by surprise, but this is a common sight around Geiranger fjord.
After dinner one evening we got to visit the basement of our hotel that was home to a collection of cars in pristine condition.
Trolls are a big part of Norwegian tales and myths to the extent that there are actual signposts for troll crossing.
It’s told that rubbing the nose of the troll brings you good luck and we saw all manner and all sizes of trolls, and I have quite the troll album, but this couple was my favorite.
The Flam railway is described as one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world. A trip to Norway would be incomplete without taking this ride that takes you almost vertically from sea level at the Sognefjord to Myrdal station at 867 meters above sea level.
The scenery is spectacular, and I was seated as recommended by a friend on the right side facing forward for the best views though in all fairness there are views on both sides of the train. We passed fairy tale villages, foaming waterfalls and even stopped at one for a photo stop.
Apple orchards and picturesque fishing villages nestled in the mountains are so easy on the eye. We stopped at one that has been run by generations of the same family to taste apple cider and cake and shop in their roadside store. Like many countries, Norway also faces the dilemma where the younger generation is not content to live in these places far from cities and continue the family legacy.
Without question we tasted some of the best salmon and halibut while in Scandanavia and it was interesting to see these fish farms scattered along the fjord.
While the traditional turf or sod roof is not needed to insulate and warm the Norwegian homes, we saw many along our route.
Other than cows and sheep we really did not see any moose or reindeer or other animals in the wild. This restroom stop at a local mall was the closed we came to seeing these animals in a simulation of their natural habitat.
Edvard Grieg has a beautifully preserved home just outside of Bergen. He is a celebrated pianist and famous for the music he composed for Peer Gynt. He incorporated the folk music of Norway into his compositions, and we were looking forward to not only visiting his well-preserved home but also to a concert in the attached conservatory. Alas there was no recital on the day of our visit, but we did get to walk around and enjoy the beautiful property.
Bergen, a large city the second largest in Norway with small town charm. We spent two days here exploring all that the city had to offer.
Notably there were two Indian restaurants within close proximity of our hotel. My roommate was the first who told me of one. I very politely let her know that I was not craving Indian food and preferred to explore local foods when I travel. The next day as I was coming back from riding the funicular and exploring the beautiful views of the city I was tantalized by the smell of naan and Indian spices in the air. So, I gave in and had one of the best Indian meals in Bergen, Oslo and made new friends and added a follower to my travel blog.
Apparently, it rains 360 out of 365 days in Bergen but we brought the sunshine with us and enjoyed two of the most gorgeous days it’s possible to enjoy.
Oslo, the capital where we got to do a drive around and a walk around some of the noted milestones in the city. The most impressive was the Vigeland Sculpture Park with its disturbing sculptures set amongst beautiful flowers.
The one thing that struck me here was that all the fountains were turned off. Despite all the beautiful green country that we had just driven through, apparently the city was conserving water due to the lower than usual rainfall recorded for that year.