Travel, Trees and Trolls — Why I’ll Never Forget Norway
Remembering the most magical birthday ever
I stood at the water’s edge, the calls of encouragement from my travel companions echoing around me to just do it, though faint against my own internal reservations. Even so, I had literally just turned 27 that day, and I would likely only be here once. Taking a deep breath, I took a step forward, and before I knew it I was in. A sharp shiver coursed through my body as it adjusted to the shock of the ice-cold temperature of the Norwegian fjord I’d just entered — in nothing more than a bikini, I might add — and the sharp stones at its bed. Once submerged, I had no regrets.
I fell in love with Norway the moment I arrived back in May 2019 as a birthday treat to myself. Even after some great days in Berlin and Copenhagen on the way, nothing of this trip around Scandinavia stood out to me like Norway did.
We started in the capital city of Oslo, famous for its Viking heritage, maritime trade, architecture and Holmenkollen ski jumping hill. We didn’t spend long here, but we did fit in a visit to Vigeland Sculpture Park, before embarking on a cycling tour around the outskirts of the city. The sun shone brightly as we traversed the roads and rolling hills of the pine forests, stopping off at The Viking Ship Museum en route.
Apart from my legs turning to literal jelly, the tour was a morning well spent. Well and truly exhausted, a few of us stopped off at the harbour front for street cart food, before checking out the nearby Akershush Fortress. We ended our adventure with a night of laughs and good feelings at the bowling alley. And all of that was just the beginning.
En route to Voss the following day, we passed many lakes and forests, but as we travelled further north and hit the colder region of Hardangervidda National Park, the vivid greens suddenly turned to hazy whites, with large snow and ice sheets scattered across the mountains and roadsides. We passed lakes and waterfalls too, each more beautiful than the last — all the very best of nature in one journey.
Waking up with lakefront views from the hostel patio the following morning couldn’t be described as the worst way to turn another year older. I spent my actual birthday visiting the Boyabreen Glacier (where I also sampled the most amazing deer burger), passed through the longest tunnel in the world, and took a ferry down the Sognefjord, the second largest of its kind in the world. The sailing was a particularly memorable experience, the crisp air gently caressing my cheeks and making my hair dance as I sat back and truly soaked in the surrounding nature.
And yet our tour of rural Norway still wasn’t over! An early start on a Friday morning saw us embark on another, hour-long cruise, this time along the Gerainger Fjord, which passes the ‘Seven Sisters’ waterfall — the 39th tallest in Norway that famously splits into seven smaller streams. Along the way we stopped off to play in the snow on a frozen lake, the landscape once again drastically different to what we’d just passed through. Following from there we visited the quaint town of Lom, with a rare wooden church and Lonely Planet recommended bakery, Bakeriet I Lom. Of this, I most definitely approve.
I rounded off my travels through Norway by taking part in a high-intensity bobsled race at Lillehammer, home of the 1994 Winter Olympic Games. In case you were wondering, this isn’t a ride for the faint of heart, and I can see now why such thick and bulky helmets are a must based on how much we were launched around as our sled plummeted down its winding passageway towards the finishing line. Still, what a thrill! And my team came second! A benchmark for my next destination of Sweden for sure.
My first taste of Norway only left me wanting more. Why won’t I forget it? The scenery is even more stunning than I ever could have imagined. The people are super friendly. The climate and landscape are so varied. And the hiking and photography opportunities are endless. Norway will always hold a special place in my heart, and I look forward to the day I have the opportunity to return.