Reflections from the Fjords

From Zanzibar, Tanzania to Norway. Yes, we know that seems like a bit of an awkward transition and quite a distance to travel, but all part of the plan! Perhaps better said, from one bucket list item to another: Safari and the wildebeest great migration at the Mara River to Aurora Borealis in the arctic circle of Norway.

We started in the southern part of Norway and built up to the big stuff. You may be thinking, don’t the northern lights show up most in the winter? Not exactly - some of the greatest solar activity happens during the season changes, September/October and April/May, but this year is also one of the biggest years for solar activity - according to our northern light “chasing” tour guides, this season and the next two should have some amazing activity.

I’m getting ahead of myself… back to Norway, our observations, and the surprises Norway held for us. First off, the natural beauty is unbelievable, overwhelming in a sense, and plenty of opportunity to remember just how small we individually are in this world. The beauty just doesn’t get old, except maybe the waterfalls (did I just write that? I’ll get back to the waterfalls). The variety of green is stunning, the picture perfect fjord villages and countryside farm houses are just that, picture perfect. I find myself snapping photos everywhere we go, my camera could not get enough. And don’t get me started on the auroras.

The number of waterfalls was completely unexpected - I associate Hawaii with waterfalls, but Hawaii has nothing on Norway here. The number, the size, the force and spray of the water is just unreal. It became a game on our drives to call out each “WATERFALL” we saw along the way, really got in the way of any other conversation!

The transportation system in Norway is more complete than I’d ever imagined. During my college year abroad in Copenhagen I had experienced the promise of great public transportation, though I had no idea just how far the system extended in Norway. It’s not just the buses, trains and metros, it’s the system of ferry’s that connect all the villages and towns on the fjords, the tunnels that are blasted through the mountains complete with their own roundabouts and intersections in some cases. In fact, the longest tunnel in Norway is 24.5km long (over 15 miles)! The longest tunnel we drove through was around 7km, went under the fjord, and let me tell you it gives new meaning to the term “tunnel vision”.

Weather - I know you all thought we were crazy to visit Norway in September and yes, we’ve had some rain and it’s been a little cold (lowest temp was probably 41F), but all in all, manageable. Norwegians have the best saying about the weather….”there’s no bad weather, just bad clothing.” And they live this through and through. Norwegians love the outdoors and take every advantage of it. Hiking trails are everywhere, from easy to expert. Many family’s have generations old day cabins (credit to Molly for this fun video) in the mountains that allow for a rustic escape and create a base for mountain activities. The government has also created a system of day cabins to encourage people to get outside; we visited one in Aurland, near Fläm. We gave it our best with quite a few hikes in less than our California-preferred weather, always with a rain jacket on hand; one day the fit was rain jacket, shorts and hiking boots!

So yes, we did have some rain, but we also had beautiful sunny days and mixed days. We were able to plan our activities to take advantage of the beautiful days and we dressed properly for those rainy days, or just stayed home, relaxed and caught up on life with family and friends.

The bakeries and coffee are a real part of life here and opportunities to enjoy are on every corner. Rachael, you would be glad to hear Starbucks has a presence in the larger cities but for the most part, the cafes are all unique with lots of hygge. While I enjoyed the delicious looking baked goods with my eyes, David enjoyed with his taste buds. Better yet, I benefited from many bakeries having fresh baked gluten free bread loaves as well - yum!

Fortunately fish, whether smoked, grilled or dried is not the only thing Norwegians eat. We found a good variety in most cities and towns and enjoyed sushi, thai, asian, vegan dedciated places, pizza (gluten free & vegan) , and more. In fact, a new trend here is Taco Fridays where friends gather and make tacos together at the end of the work week.

I’m sitting in Tromsø at the moment, enjoying a glass of wine, which has now been followed by a cocktail, in one of many pubs in the city. We head out tomorrow to towards the Lofoten Islands, with a stop on the Senja island. I’ve read amazing things about the Lofoten area and cannot wait for more picturesque scenes to share.