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I spent my Thanksgiving holiday driving between charming cities and snowy fjords of Norway.
January 28, 2018
Every trip has a moment. A scene or experience that stills me—makes me pause to mull over that moment in time.
My Ireland moment happened when I was laughing hysterically with a best friend as she hung laundry to dry outside the window of a 600-year-old castle. Despite the hilarity of the moment, it made me pause to appreciate sharing such a trip with one of my dearest friends.
Sights
Sights
My Norway moment happened in a tiny café tucked between rows of homes in Bergen. The café was dim and warm, with twinkle lights strung in the big window. It was full, but not crowded. People chattered, but it wasn't noisy.
It was my moment to sit back and savor a week of experiences with the man I love.
Oslo
Oslo
The week began on what I would have found to be a dismal evening in the Midwest, but my boyfriend, our friends, and I had just landed in Norway—so the snow falling in the grey dusk had a sort of magic to it.
Our first night in Oslo, my boyfriend's Norwegian friend took us out and I discovered the delightful flavor of juleøl (a Christmas beer pronounced "yule-ol", not "ju-lee-ol") at a cinema bar, Parkteatret, and Schouskjelleren Mikrobryggeri, a dungeonesque underground brewery.
Norwegian Folk Museum
Norwegian Folk Museum
We spent one day ar the Norwegian Folk Museum, which featured buildings and artifacts that gave a glimpse into lives of past Norwegians.
City wandering
City wandering
We spent our few days in Oslo wandering around the city: drinking tiramisu coffees and nisse lattes at Starbucks' Norwegian cousin, gawking at the wealthy homes that surrounded the folk museum, and risking slips for views atop the snow-laden opera house.
One of our favorite nights was spent walking around a delightful little Christmas market, enjoying the gløgg that warmed our gloved hands and lights that decked the city square.
Another favorite night was the Thanksgiving dinner at my boyfriend's friend's place: a night of wine, "poor man's" winter stew (creamy with lots of root vegetables), and conversations with new friends.
On the road
On the road
The road trip from Oslo to Bergen started off beautifully—driving between mountains dipping into freezing rivers.
But once we got about halfway to Bergen, our nice weather turned into a blizzard, resulting in a closed road on the suggested route. A 45-minute detour and several gas station sandwiches later, we came to another closed road, but only had to wait a short while for a lead vehicle to take the waiting caravan of cars along the windy, treacherous route.
On the drive back from Bergen, we got crystal clear weather, so we were able to see everything the snow and darkness blocked from our view on the trip there: incredible snow-capped mountains that dove into fjords, and a landscape that looked like some desolate winter wasteland from Star Wars.
Bergen
Bergen
We didn't spend enough time in either city to really get a fair impression, but at first visit, I preferred coastal charm of Bergen over Oslo.
Bryggen
Bryggen
The famous colorful wooden houses of Bryggen, Bergen's old wharf, have more to offer than scenic views—with an array of passageways leading to artists, jewelers, other shops and restaurants.
We spent our days in Bergen similar to how we spent them in Oslo: wandering through the city, stopping at charismatic coffee shops, architecture of a time long gone, stands with reindeer sausage topped with lingonberry jam and fried onions, the most beautiful fish market I've ever seen, and boutiques with cashiers who educated us on Norwegian folklore—informing us that a nisse isn't a gnome, elf or Santa, but is a little sprite who helps with chores around the farm. Norwegian families thank him by putting a bowl of porridge out for him on Christmas Eve.
City wandering
City wandering
Bergenhus Fortress
Bergenhus Fortress
Mount Fløyen
Mount Fløyen
As much as I enjoyed everything in Bergen, what won me over were the Valhalla-reminiscent views above it from the top of Mount Fløyen. We enjoyed the funicular up as well as the path that took us through the woods and around wooden statues of mythical creatures.
You can't sit with the clouds over a view like this and not think about things. However, those thoughts weren't as meaningful as the ones I had in the cozy, glowing café just down the mountain.
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