Norway- Part 1- the South

Land of fjords, waterfalls, mountains, and endless tunnels, Norway had a spectacular surprise around every hairpin turn of the road. We managed to repeatedly hike ourselves into full body exhaustion (really not 30-somethings anymore), drive most of the most challenging scenic auto routes, and dip into metropolitan culture in its biggest cities.

After a slight hiccup, we crossed the border into Norway from Sweden on August 19th. European countries had just re-instituted stricter COVID related restrictions. We were unaware that Norway was managing its border tightly so our first attempt at driving in failed as we reached a closed crossing - clearly, we needed to do more research. But we re-routed and arrived at a staffed border. As the first Americans to arrive, the young border control officers had to call in supervisors to see if our US cardboard vaccination cards were acceptable. A lot of back and forth and a recognition that we did not have access to the European QRC system and we were allowed to pass.

*And 30 minutes later were treated to Norwegian road side wildlife.*

Our first cultural stop was the mountain village of Røros - one of the oldest wooden towns in Europe (because, as we repeatedly learn, devastating fires were a big deal throughout time - levelling cities, castles and cathedrals on a regular basis).

*Røros, Norway - old wooden village lined with shops and cafes*

That night we found our first of many Norwegian wild camps - with our own stretch of river. As we have travelled north we have left behind the large modern campgrounds (with amenities we really don’t want, swimming pools, playgrounds, electric and water hookups) and relied on the Park4Night app and Google maps to find free wild sites. Every 10-12 days we stay in a paid campground when we have to do laundry. Free potable water has been easy to find throughout Scandanavia.

Not content with relying on the occasional roadside wildlife sightings, our next stop was Dovrefjell National Park - home to Norway’s only wild musk oxen herd. We hiked into the high country and were rewarded by finding a group to watch. We sat on a rock and watched as a grumpy male tried to join the females - he failed.

*Watching the wild life - male musk ox in Dovrefjell*

*He came closer than we liked - we stayed very very still and left slowly*

*Endless foggy high land beautry at Dovrefjell*

Leaving the musk oxen behind we drove on to Norway’s most renowned national park - Jotenheimen. On the advice of our friend Forrest Lewis we decided to hike the most beatiful trail in the park - Besseggen. It was incredible. We accessed the trail by ferry and made our way 9 miles along the ridge with incredible views.

*Besseggen hike in Jotenheimen National Park - gorgeous views*

*However, we were not alone, 30,000 people do this hike annually in the summer months and the line stacks up on the steepest ridge. One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.*

The next day we were tired and sore and opted for a flat river side loop that we found along our driving route on the Gaia app.

With one epic hike done, we decided to focus on a drive next and headed to the Sognefjellet route - well worth the time, and the toe curling narrow turns shared with buses and trucks.

The scenic drives in Norway are many and varied so we went straight on to the next one, Aurlandsfjellet. More remote than the Sognefjellet, we were able to find a scenic camping spot along the way.

*Camping along the Aurlandsfjellet scenic route*

Now, time for a city! We opted to stay in a hotel in Bergen for easy access to all of its culture and history. We wandered the old streets, used an app (GPSMyCity) to do our own walking tour (no organized free walking tours here) and ate pizza for the first time in three months. Not traditional Norwegian fare, but an awesome break from truck food.

*Norway has a lot of national pride for their playwright, Henrik Ibsen. Not sure what this sculptor was saying about him though . . . .*

We left Bergen to tackle another famous Norwegian hike - Preikestolen, or Pulpit Rock. Compared to Besseggen it was an easy trek - five miles roundtrip with an incredible photographic reward at the end point.

*View of Lysefjorden on the Pulpit Rock hike*

*His and her Pulpit Rock photos - Andy getting as close as possible to the edge.*

A frequent challenge in Norway - drying things out - especially wool clothing that you don’t want to fry in a dryer. It was laundry day - which meant staying in a campground - and Andy figured out how to hang his wool socks to dry.

Driving around Norway, ferries and tunnels are a fact of life. The ferry system is incredibly efficient, treated as an extension of the highway system. Payment is all automatic by license plate. We were often just waved on as our license plate is not digitally connected to the system. The impressive tunnel network makes travel through mountainous areas simpler - although dark and viewless.

*More posing the truck as we drive scenic valleys*

Norway is known for its Stave Churches - medieval Christian churches made of wood. We stopped by to visit this notable one in Heddal, outside of Oslo.

*Camping at a small harbor and park across from Oslo*

Next stop, Oslo. We were hoping to drive into Russia in October and were finding conflicting information online about the possibility of entering right now with Covid restrictions. We had been given an appointment with an agency that processed Russian tourist visas and were feeling hopeful. We showed up with our paperwork only to be told Russia was not issuing toursit visas. Oh well, re-routing our non-Schengen part of the trip and meanwhile, time to wander around Oslo. Much more contemporary in feel than Bergen, we opted not to stay in town but explored some of the sites and got back on the road.

*The Monolith in Oslo’s Frogner Park, consists of 121 figures. By Gustav Vigelands.*

*Gelato - so much goodness. Our city treat for the day.*

*Having fun finding the painted windows (bottom two on the left). Early rulers instituted a window tax which encouraged people to remove windows - but then re-paint them for aesthetics.*

And then we were off again! Heading to Geiranger to see the famous Geirangerfjord.

*We love seeing the houses with growing grass roofs.*

In Geiranger, we took the regular car ferry to Hellesylt, it took us through the gorgeous fjord without paying for the higher priced tourist boats. It was still an expensive trip (about $100 US) for our budget, but well worth it to experience the fjord from the water.

*Felt like the ferry was consuming our home on wheels*

After the ferry we drove the famous Trollstigen - crazily engineered switchbacks down the mountain.

We heard about the beauty of Ålesund, built in the art nouveau style after a 1904 fire. We spend a lovely day wandering the streets.

Ålesund, art nouveau architecture — *Ålesund*, art nouveau architecture

On our earlier route, after visiting Dovrefjell, we attempted to hike in Randane National Park but the weather didn’t cooperate. This time round we lucked out as we passed the edge of the park and found a day hike.

*Picnic at the top of the hill looking down on the truck*

Our last stop in southern Norway was Trondheim. Once again we used the GPSMyCity app to access a walking tour of the highlights. We visitied the old quarter of wooden buildings and walked up the hill to Kristiansen fortress.

*And finally, a fact of travel and walking cities. Sometimes it is just a joy to find a clean, free heated WC. The simple things in life*

Thank you for reading our adventures of southern Norway - hopefully we are providing some information and inspiration for your planned travels. And now, to the north!

Norway Part 2- the North

Sweden