Norway in a Nutshell

It was disorienting, to say the least, like jumping from one reality into another. My routines were completely upended with the arrival of guests. It required that I switch from searching, investing, and learning to being a tour guide and host in an instant and I cannot claim that it was the smoothest transition.

I still attended all of my language practices while my parents patiently entertained themselves for a handful of hours each time. I am thankful they are so easygoing, understanding, and confident in foreign countries!

What felt like the fastest ferry in the world!

On Friday, Serhii joined us for a passenger ferry ride from Bergen to Flåm and then back again. We set our alarms to arrive at the Bergen port at 7:30am sharp for our 8am departure. This 5.5-hour trip would take us deep into the Songneford, on a journey marketed as Norway in a Nutshell!

Though unexpected, as this was a public transportation ferry (booked mostly by tourists), the captain took a couple detours to idle right alongside two giant waterfalls. One time we got so close, I could feel the water spray!

When we arrived in Flåm for the 2-hour stay before the return trip, we were informed a train could take us back to Bergen along a historic rail section. It would also give us more time in Flåm and get us back to Bergen at 7:30pm instead of 9:00 pm. This was a no-brainer except that I had already booked the return trip via ferry. Still, we played with abandoning that plan and experiencing the train instead. While we let the decision settle we sat outside and enjoyed a delicious lunch of meatballs, lamb, salmon, beer, and carrot cake with steep fjord walls and waterfalls towering over us.

Ultimately we decided to take the ferry back instead of spending a significant amount of money to change course. This decision was made even easier after a bit of research concluded that all but 17 kilometers would be repeated on our train ride from Bergen to Oslo one week later.

The week ended with a 2-hour flight to Bodø, then a 4-hour (very rocky!) ferry ride to Moskenes, followed by a 10-minute drive to our Airbnb in the heart of Reine. One of my favorite towns in all of Norway from last summer!

I knew that on Sunday I wanted to hike Reinebringen, the vertical hike up the side of this steep 448m (1,470 ft) mountain via 1,566 individual steps. Last summer I avoided this hike as it is one of the most popular in all of Norway and I was visiting during the busiest month. This rainy Sunday in the pre-season month of May was my best opportunity!

About 2/3rds of the way up. The trailhead starts at the ocean.

Reine, Norway from the top of Reinebringen. 🙌🏻

Lessons from: Norway in a Nutshell

The journey into the Songnefjord is called Norway in a Nutshell because you see so much of what Norway offers in a relatively small area.
The Songnefjord, the King of the Fjords, is the longest and deepest fjord in Norway stretching 205 km (127 mi) and plunging up to 1,308 m (4,291 ft) below sea level. There are also a dozen major branches, it boasts the tallest free-flowing waterfall in Norway at 275 m (902 ft) and is close to Europe’s largest glacier, Jostedalsbreen.
Not a lesson…but…I have an important rule that I live by: whenever I encounter carrot cake in a coffee shop, bakery, or restaurant, I buy it. Sometimes it is disappointing, sometimes it is excellent but never do I regret it!

Something interesting: The seasons are always changing.

We ended the week in Reine, Norway, where I spent two wonderful days last summer. I had found it unbearable to turn my back on this mesmerizingly scenic town. I was very excited to return! What I did not expect was that in Northern Norway, winter is still holding fast.

When we exited the airport in Bodø, the massive amount of snow still covering the mountain peaks, the lack of any spring vegetation, and the very cold temperatures were a striking contrast to Bergen two hours prior, where spring sprang a few weeks ago.

As I adjusted to the feeling of going back in time I could not help but reflect on this season-ricocheting trend in my life over the past six months.

I began December in relatively mild Oregon, then traveled to the winter of Colorado, or what I thought was winter, until I arrived in polar Fairbanks, AK! Soon after, I jetted off to South America and into the middle of summer in Buenos Aires. From there south to Ushuaia and into the fall temperatures with snow falling. Then on to Antarctica, which was, well, Antarctica! After, I returned to the middle of summer in Iguazu Falls, Argentina. From there back to winter in Oregon, then onto winter in Norway, which became spring. And now, of course, I have returned to winter in Northern Norway.

One head-spinning adventure to be sure! 😀

A look behind the curtain.

At language practice on Monday night thirty minutes after the session began a late-arriving girl joined our group and began acting in very rude form. She sat down, pulled out her dinner, began eating and then kept interrupting the Norwegian volunteer with questions that had just been answered. This was behavior that I had not witnessed in Språkkafé and it made me feel uneasy.

During the break, Evelyn, who is an environmental engineer from Kenya, and I took a restroom break together. When we returned to the room, I noticed that this girl had taken my seat. Evelyn and I got tea and I commented on the odd behavior we were witnessing. After a bit, I returned to the table and stood next to my seat wondering if she would take the hint. She did and jumped up. She then grabbed a large bag filled with several baguettes and began fervently eating straight from the bag, resembling a chipmunk.

I returned to Evelyn who was now speaking to one of her co-workers, an engineer from Lithuania named Vladimir. I commented on how awkward it was to be around this girl who was acting so odd. Vladimir listened as I described what had happened, then, looked up at her, and shrugged, unphased. With a smile, he looked at me and said: “You Americans, you are so dramatic, you must exaggerate and make a big deal out of everything. For you, everything is a big deal! Maybe instead take the good and leave the bad, have sympathy for her, and wish her the best.”

I immediately flashed back to an experience Serhii and I had had with a very rude Ukrainian several weeks ago who kept trying to correct both of our pronunciations. As I was trying to speak, she continuously turned her head into my ear and kept repeating a word I pronounced wrong over and over. I could not think! At the time it was so absurd, I began laughing. We had spoken about it after and Serhii seemed unphased. It was just a lady acting odd, nothing more. Yet, I was irritated and had a hard time letting it go.

On Monday night I was able to put a pattern of perspectives together.

As we continued with the second half of Språkkafé, I began to notice that I was the only one seemingly uncomfortable with this girl’s behavior. And why? Could it be that everyone else had been forged from worlds where poor behavior by one individual could not possibly compete with what demanded their energy and attention? Was I a product of a culture where very few real problems existed in comparison? I began to think that once again, the American was learning an important lesson.