We embarked on a 2 ½ month adventure this summer. We traveled on ships, boats, ferries, trams, trains, busses, and private cars. In early July we sailed from England to the west coast of Norway on a 22-day cruise. After our exploration of 16 fjords above and below the Arctic Circle, we returned to England and boarded a plane for Oslo. After exploring the capitol, we boarded a train for Bergen. In mid-August we departed Bergen in a rental car and logged over 3,200 miles driving north to the Lofoten Islands before returning to Bergen to fly to Berlin.
Once out of the larger cities, Norway resembles the English countryside. Bucolic, pastoral and rustic are good adjectives for the lush and green hillsides and valleys. The noticeable difference are the towering mountain ranges. Red and white cottages sit at the water’s edge. Creamy white stately mansions with red barns are found on larger farms. Oil, fishing, farming and tourism are important industries. Crops are planted on steep hillsides and wide valleys. Large tractors and farm machinery march across the level fields, but steep hillsides are planted and harvested with hand tools. Lofoten will transport you into a Tolkien fantasy. Steep black granite mountains rise sharply from the sea while their summits pierced the clouds.
Most roads are narrow black asphalt ribbons. Once in a while the asphalt turns to gravel. Neither is for the faint of heart. When passing an oncoming vehicle you have about 6” to spare between rear view mirrors. At narrow bridges one car must to wait for the other to cross before proceeding. Our hearts would sink and pulses would race when rounding a blind corner to see an approaching tour bus. Busses do not give an inch. Occasionally we would have to back up until we could safely pull off the road to let the bus pass.
Speed cameras enforce posted speed limits ranging from 100 km (60 mph) on the rare divided highway to 30 km (18 mph) through small villages. You couldn’t navigate these challenging roads going much faster. Sheep, goats and cows also shared the road with us. The shock was to pay $2.21 per liter for gasoline – over $8.00 per gallon. Most locals drove an electrical car in moderate weather and a gasoline powered car/truck for the winter months. We worried about finding gas stations in rural areas. Two (2) pump stand alone stations could be found alone the roadsides.
Norwegians have turned building tunnels under the seas and through the mountains into an art form. The longest tunnel we drove was 16 miles. Thankfully the width accommodates the passing oncoming traffic with about a foot to spare. Some tunnels come with light shows. The GPS will lose track of you, but don’t worry, it eventually catches up. The Norwegians have also mastered building bridges. Some suspension bridges span miles and heights that take your breath away.
In Bergen, Leon, Alesund we climbed into funchal tram cars suspended on thick steel cables to be pulled to the summit for spectacular views. In Leon, para-sailers launched themselves off the cliff’s edge. We watched their colorful parachute canopies open and float to the valley below.
We donned survival suits with ten other souls and hung on for dear life as we flew over the surface of the sea in a RIB boat (Rigid Inflatable Boat) to view wildlife and harvest crabs. Water is everywhere – the open sea, fjords, rivers, lakes and waterfalls are within a short distance of each other. When you look at a map of the country it resembles a sponge. Internet connections rarely fail in Norway. We never bought currency – cashless payment is accepted everywhere.
We visited museums, palaces, galleries, and historical monuments which displayed Norway’s rich history. We learned the important part resistance fighters played in WWII. Their role rivaled the French during the war. So fierce was the resistance, the German army divided its defenses between the coasts of Norway and the coasts of France. That fateful decision led to the success of the allies.
We went to sleep in luxurious suites, contemporary hotels, historic lodges, rustic farm houses and one-room fishermen cabins. Here are some of our most memorable stays:
The Grand Hotel, Oslo. https://grand.no/en/content/unique-location-in-oslo-2 Gary Grant could have easily knocked on Grace Kelly’s door in this plush and luxurious hotel.
The Bolder Sky Lodge. https://www.thebolder.no/. Your cabin is perched on a granite face high above Lysefjord. Our contemporary Norwegian cabin sat on stilts with two walls of floor-to-ceiling glass. The fjord view stretched for miles. It was like sleeping in the sky.
Onya Cultural Landscape Hotel. https://www.oyna.no/ Located on “The Golden Road” in Inderoy, the owners designed and personally oversee the management of this unique hotel. The contemporary rooms have stunning views. The restaurant uses locally sourced products for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Kvitnes Gard. https://www.kvitnes.com/en The warm glow of candlelight illuminated the rustic dining room as we dined on an exquisite 16 course gourmet dinner which began at 7 and didn’t end until desert was served at 11. The next morning from a plush feather bed we had views similar to a 16th century painting of a rural landscape of a lake and forest beyond.
Henningsvaer Bryggehotell. https://henningsvaer.no Built to resemble the colorful fishing cabins so abundant in Norway. The rooms are modern and the restaurant first class.
We met every conceivable type of person, kind as well as rude, funny and brash, all shapes, sizes and colors from all parts of the world and enjoyed every minute. This is a country that needs to be personally explored to witness the staggering beauty. Our photos below only captured the surface.
We have returned to Bergen and will fly to Berlin, a city neither of us have been to before. The adventure continues.
We did get to see a 2,000 lb. pumpkin up close thanks to Sam and Mark. Terry’s cousin, Mike and his wife showed us the highlights of Fairbanks, including the University and the “Aurora Ice Museum”. Dennis and Pat who were vacationing in Vancouver, BC dined with us prior to sailing on the cruise.
