Norway 2016 from Bohom Life on Vimeo.

What do you think about when you think of Norway?

For me, it is a mixture of things. My Grandma, Mimi, who still has her Norwegian accent. Sitting on a train, watching some of the most beautiful landscape roll by and by. Skipping rocks in the fjords with my family. Learning how to peel shrimp, and forevermore staying away from that practice. Norwegian waffles and how they are thought of as a snack over there, not a breakfast food. Or that waterfall hike with my siblings…

Norway fills me with thoughts and memories. It is part of who I am, even though I have only been there twice. Yet, each time I go, I feel a resonance there, a wonderment of connection. Whether it is because of my heritage, or the magnificent landscape, I cannot say. Maybe a mixture of both…

In the summer of 2016, I joined my family on a two week trip abroad to Ireland and Norway. I already addressed the Ireland trip in last weeks post, so this week, let us talk about Norway!

We landed in Oslo and met with our cousin, A.B., after buying our alcoholic drinks in the airport because it is much easier and cheaper to do so there (definitely do that). Once we met with him, he started to show us the ropes on the public transportation systems there, which are fantastically done.

A.B. could totally be a travel planner. He not only had all our tickets set up for bus and train travel through the whole trip, but also had our days mapped out so we could take in a lot of Oslo! And a lot more. He was more than helpful through the everything. Everyone needs an A.B. for their travels! 

We took the train to the condo we were renting while we would be in Norway. It was an adorable place, located in this lovely neighborhood. The guy who owned it was involved within the production lifestyle, so he had plenty of great books and pictures all around! And all very neatly done, as well.

Once we got settled into the condo, we all went for a small walk around the area, checking out the park across the street, walking down the historic roads and even seeing Old Aker Church, the oldest building in Oslo! It is noted that some of the church grounds are dated back to the 12th century.

Our second day in Oslo was started early, and we fit a lot in. We walked through a graveyard and visited the site of our Great Grandparents, Arne and Kitty Lund.

As we continued our walk, it was evident how much care has been taken around the graveyard. A truly attractive area, giving beauty to those who came to appreciate life; either their own or for one whose meant a lot to them.

A.B. lead us from there to Vigeland Sculpture Park, which is well known for its statues. I recall when I was younger, I did not exactly appreciate the park, seeing as the statues are nude, it seemed obscene to my 12 year old mind. But this time I had more of an appreciation for the raw beauty of it, as the artist, Vigeland, addressed the cycles of life.

From the park we meandered into a museum and ended up (accidentally) watching a movie on the history of Oslo, which, thank goodness, was in English. It ended up being a very interesting story!

While the museum was intriguing, we had a date to catch, so we headed out and met up with our other cousin, Cathrine, by the harbor. We spent our time with her walking around, catching up, and checking out everything we could on foot. As well as having some wonderful food in the harbor.

That evening we met back up with everyone at Cathrines and her husband Toms house, where they knew no bounds to loveliness! They spoiled us rotten with delicious wine, amazing food, and  Anne-Karin  gave us handmade sweaters and caps! (Thank you Anne-Karin!) And the food- I actually was upset at myself for being vegetarian on this one. Tom had made reindeer and everyone raved about it! But it was all lovely, and I still cannot thank our hosts enough for such a spectacular evening.

I was also reintroduced to some pictures from my childhood. Proof that I have always been a bit eccentric and danced to my own rhythm… middle of town dressed as a gypsy when I was five? Check.

Our next morning we went to the Viking Ship Museum. If you have any interest in history, this is the place to go. They have skeletons there that they were able to carbon date, not only back to their times, but could tell you how they died, their health and more! The ships, the stories, the artifacts and overall experience is mesmerizing. It is easy to get lost in there for a long while. Plus they made it an interactive and  individualized experience, where you could scan the bar codes of what you wanted to learn about and listen ,through your own phone, to the details. Pretty neat if you ask me!

After the museum, we headed to Holmenkollbackken, the Olympic Ski Jump in Oslo. When I had lived in Lake Placid, New York, I had gotten to see Olympic Ski Jumps up close, but this one just seemed to be on a scale of its own!

The evening was spent with family dinner! Another spectacular meal and very sweet hosts, Per, Turid and Turi. We learned fun facts too; apparently you are not supposed to fly the Norwegian flag after sunset.

The following day we found ourselves meeting A.B. at the train station, and made our way to Bergen. We had a few stops on the train underway, but one stood out to me. As we rode up to it I could see people falling out of the sky (SKYDIVING!!!), blue rivers roaring with white water, and spectacular mountains… where were we!? Voss. The mecca of outdoor activities in Norway. Mom just had to tease me, telling me that we would be returning there tomorrow. For all of five minutes. (Voss, I am coming for you! So much left to experience!)

We arrived in Bergen, and I discovered an interesting part of history…

Creepy history fact:

The Black Plague reached Norway through the Bergen harbor, in 1349. A ship that had set sail from England came down with the sickness, and every member of the crew died before the ship, rather unluckily, landed near the Bergen harbor, and the rodents aboard did the rest… 

Our stay was not nearly as dreary. Bergen was a vibrant town, with a flourishing fish market and surrounded by beauty, from the harbor, the city itself as well as the surrounding hills.

We were back to traveling after a night in Bergen, though. Never stay still for too long!

We took the train to Voss, where we grabbed a bus and got to see some of the beautiful views from the road, before boarding a ferry to take us through the fjords. Hardangerfjord, to be exact. Not much was said during the ferry trip, in part because of how windy it was on the boat, but also because of the enticing scenery.

When we got to our stop in the Hardangerfjord, our plans changed. We were going to go see a waterfall, but the road had been damaged and we would not have had time to get back to catch the ferry. So we got lunch together, found a beach and skipped rocks, made wishes on dandelions and just enjoyed each others company. Family bonding for the win!

  

We made our way back to Bergen to enjoy our last night there, for in the morning we headed towards Flam.

The day we headed to Flam was rather bleak, full of fog and rain, which made it hard to see much of the fjords from the ferry (but did not keep the beauty hidden). We were all pretty exhausted by this time, but when we reached Flam and Mom offered that we could go on another ferry ride or stay in, I knew my answer immediately. The guy at the front desk of the hotel had unknowingly convinced me when he told me there were plenty of hikes around the area, and gave me a map to prove it. If everyone else wanted to go on the ferry, that was fine with me- my butt was going on a hike.

As we grabbed lunch and all discussed our plans, one by one the siblings started to decide to join the hike. Kristin was the only one left up in the air, but when I offered to let her use my chaco’s (aka, the best shoes ever) so her shoes would not have to get wet, she was in. Kids Hike 2016.

I wish we went on hikes together more often! It was very entertaining. Between trying to find the correct path, friendly banter, wandering sheep, convincing Jordan Anne that a slug she picked up was poisonous (where she screamed in the video), Jordan Anne deciding to try a piggy back ride at an inopportune time (where I screamed in the video), and what you did not get to see- my wipeout at the very end. ONE stick in the bottom field on the way back, and I face-smacked into the ground. It was so bad, it even had me laughing.

Our dinner that night was delicious, but the conversation after had us all reeling. Between A.B. and our waiter, we learned all kinds of new vocabulary!

Back on the train, early the next morn! Another trip of beautiful views, always amazed at the amount of snow in some parts, how many tunnels they have (they have ALOT of tunnels) and arriving back in Oslo that day, to catch a family reunion dinner that night. What a fun experience that was! Meeting family I did not even know I had! Talking about the differences between the cultures and learning a lot!

Norway seniors know how to party! Ever heard of russefeiring?

Russefeiring is a tradition for Norwegians in their final semester of High School. It generally lasts April 20th-May 17th, and the participants dress up, make groups, name a bus and celebrate throughout the whole time! Generally in a party-themed way. They even make songs about their groups as competitions sometimes. It all sounds pretty cool to me! 

Our last 24 hours in Norway…

We strolled to the Palace, the Opera House, Noah’s Ark, had dinner at the fortress (Akershus Fortress), enjoyed our family company and the sun set over the harbor.

My words cannot do this trip justice, from all the wonderful hospitality of family and friends to the spectacular landscape that is Norway… it is surely a trip that will not be forgotten from my heart or mind.

*Love & Light*